1 In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, 2 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘This people says, “The time has not come, even the time for the house of the LORD to be rebuilt.” Haggai 1:1-2
Some men have only one calling in life, only one thing they’re known for. Haggai, a prophet of the Lord, was singularly focused on getting the temple of the Lord rebuilt after the Babylonian captivity, and he was successful. There are those who have many things on the drawing board, but somehow fail to reach the finish line on any of them. As the saying goes, often pronounced by procrastinators, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” True, but I always add the corollary, “but it was built!”
To Haggai’s credit, the temple was built, and the Lord Jesus himself would stand and teach in it. In this sense, the latter structure would eclipse the first one built by Solomon. But he’d have to get the people off the dime and focus on God and not themselves.
The issue really wasn’t one of putting off chores for tomorrow but being driven by personal pursuits, desires, and dalliances rather than priorities mattering to God. In reality, most of us don’t do something really big in our lifetimes, something worthy of a Wikipedia page. That’s not what we’re talking about. The problem is we can easily fail to seek first the kingdom of God by being preoccupied with “vain” things instead. Since life is fleeting, a good number of calendar pages can drop before we realize we’ve squandered golden opportunities. This following admonition is timeless.
Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate?” Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, “Consider your ways!” Haggai 1:3-5
The word “paneled” is found four other times in the Old Testament and seems to reference adding a layer of cedar wood to the walls of one’s house for further strength, weather resistance, insect protection, or to enhance its beauty. This is not a message directed to church building committees to select the metal building option, or that attaching cedar panels to your house is a bad thing, it’s just a possible indicator of the issue addressed in Luke 12:34, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there. Mark 1:35
All of us need to be conscious of giving short shrift to the things of God for our selfish pursuits. Sunday morning is not the time to go to Home Depot, but to physically and ceremonially worship the Lord. The real stuff, however, happens in the early morning while it’s still dark. Giving the Lord first place in your life can be simply implemented by meeting with him “while it is still dark” with Bible open
Let’s not keep putting off putting God first. This is all he asks. In doing so the pages of the Bible will spring to life and our mission for the day will be abundantly clear.
But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matt 6:33
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