In our study, we will learn about priorities from the exiles that returned to Jerusalem from the Babylonian captivity.
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In the second year of Daryavesh the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the following word of ADONAI came through Hagai the prophet to Z'rubavel the son of Sh'alti'el, governor of Y'hudah, and to Y'hoshua the son of Y'hotzadak, the cohen hagadol:
We are given a specific date (September 1, 520 B.C.) for the events that are to follow. The prophet's name means "my holiday" and he is sent to the political and religious leaders in Jerusalem.
"Here is what ADONAI-Tzva'ot says: 'This people is saying that now isn't the time - the time hasn't yet arrived for ADONAI's house to be rebuilt.'" Then this word of ADONAI came through Hagai the prophet: "So is now the time for you to be living in your own paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?
Many of God's people had returned to their homeland with great anticipation. But, when they got there, they faced opposition and went and built their own homes in their own towns. They justified this in their own minds by saying it was not God's timing for the temple to be rebuilt. We see that God sent the prophet to give them a wakeup call about priorities as He asks them if it is right for them to have nice homes while God's house is still a burned out mess. In our world today, many Christians have their priorities messed up in much the same way. Many build fancy homes or buy all kinds of things and have to spend all of their time at a job to pay for their lavish lifestyles. This does not leave any time for the things of God such as prayer, Bible study, and serving Him. There are even those who say that it is "God's will" for them to make as much money as they can so that they can support the work of God. The funny thing is that they give a very tiny portion of that income to charities and keep most of it for their own use. There are also those that hide behind the "God's timing" excuse for not doing what He calls them to do. When they face a little opposition from those that are around them, they fold and retreat behind those excuses. As we see, God was not happy with His people doing this in the days of Zerubbabel. The simple fact of the matter is that it is "God's timing" and "God's will" to serve Him now without making excuses.
Therefore here is what ADONAI-Tzva'ot says: 'Think about your life! You sow much but bring in little; you eat but aren't satisfied; you drink but never have enough; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who works for a living earns wages that are put in a bag full of holes.'"
This wakeup call is for God's people to simply look around them at their efforts and examine the results. They had trusted in their own efforts instead of the provision of God and didn't even have all that they needed. This call is for us as well in that many today are struggling under their own efforts and their own priorities. We might ask ourselves: "How's that working for you?" That is basically what God is saying to His people here.
"Here is what ADONAI-Tzva'ot says: 'Think about your life! Go up into the hills, get wood, and rebuild the house. I will be pleased with that, and then I will be glorified,' says ADONAI.
Now, we see the call to put God first. He tells them to focus on building His house and this same call is for us today. The exiles needed to gather wood to build the house while we need to gather people that accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. There are many groups of believers today that are still gathering building materials to build a big fancy house of the Lord instead of realizing that the house is built in the hearts of His people.
'You looked for much, but it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?' asks ADONAI-Tzva'ot. 'Because my house lies in ruins, while every one of you runs to take care of his own house. This is why the sky above you has withheld the dew, so that there is none, and the land withholds its yield. In fact, I called for a drought on the land and on the hills, on the grain, the wine and the olive oil, on what the ground brings up, on men, animals and on all that hands produce.'"
Because their own homes had been their priority, God removed His hand of provision from the people. They had trusted in their own efforts and forgot that everything they had came from God.
Then Z'rubavel the son of Sh'alti'el and Y'hoshua the son of Y'hotzadak, the cohen hagadol, with all the rest of the people, paid attention to what ADONAI their God had said and to the words of Hagai the prophet; since ADONAI their God had sent him; and the people were filled with fear in the presence of ADONAI.
After an inspection of the things around them, the people realized that their priorities were messed up. They knew that God had sent Haggai to them to wake them up and they repented.
Hagai the messenger of ADONAI conveyed this message of ADONAI to the people: "'I am with you,' says ADONAI." ADONAI roused the spirit of Z'rubavel the son of Sh'alti'el, governor of Y'hudah, and the spirit of Y'hoshua the son of Y'hotzadak, the cohen hagadol, and the spirits of all the rest of the people; so that they came and began to work on the house of ADONAI-Tzva'ot their God. This was on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month of the second year of Daryavesh the king.
This repentance got them back into line with the priorities of God as they were able to hear the Spirit of God. This led to obedience and the work began on the temple. This same pattern is at work in the lives of God's people today; God can and will give us a message of correction to refocus our priorities on His will. If we repent and listen to the Holy Spirit, He will lead us in His perfect will.
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