Praise the Lord! God is good! The Lord has been good to us throughout the past week and He will remain good to us for the rest of our life. The Lord God who created us in His image and likeness said: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine (Isaiah 43:1). God’s promises to us keep on reminding us that we are His and He is ours (Leviticus 26:12; Psalm 100:3; Jeremiah 30:22; Ezekiel 37:27). If you and I begin to count all the blessings the Lord God has showered upon our life so far, it will definitely outnumber the moments/seconds we have lived on earth so far. The plus points in our life is that God is doing something new in every moment of our life. As God is doing something new in our day and in our life, God is doing something new in everybody’s life; in fact, He is doing something new in all of His creation. However, the problem with many of us is that we neglect or overlook most of the things God does in our life. Just imagine, our existence on this planet earth itself is a miracle and our life itself is God’s gift to us (Psalm 139:13-14). The creation account of the universe, which includes the heavens and the earth and everything in them is a miracle of God (Genesis 1:1-2:3; Isaiah 45:12; Ephesians 2:10; Colossians 1:16). Our creation into God’s image and likeness is an astounding miracle of God (Genesis 1:26-27; 5:1-2; Ephesians 4:24). The sensing ability of our brain to receive signs and signals from our five sensory organs and process information regarding the substances in the world through our sensing ability, such as the ability to see (eyes), hear (ears), smell (nose), touch (skin), and taste (tongue), is a miracle we experience every moment of our life (Romans 6:13; 12:1, 4, 6; 1 Corinthians 12:12). Our ability to think, talk, reason, communicate, and take worthwhile decisions in life is a miracle (Psalm 19:14; 94:11; 139:23-24; Luke 10:25; Philippians 4:8). As every individual is created uniquely and with distinguishing differences and purposes in life or as every snowflake that comes down from the sky is different from the other, every thought that passes through our mind or every word that comes out of our mouth is unique and different from each other.  These are some of God’s miracles that we can observe or experience in the cosmos. Sometimes, we might not even notice these observable miracles that are happening in and around us. Likewise, there are very many miracles of God around us that we fail to notice everyday. Whether or not we notice the miracles of God that take place every now and then within our life or in the world, the God whom we love and worship and serve is a God of miracles and does new things every moment of our life.

The Lord has blessed us with a thought provoking Scripture passage for our SftW meditation this week, which is taken from Haggai 1:5-7 (shown at the top of the page). The book of Haggai is written by prophet Haggai, one of God’s faithful prophets who mainly served among the Jewish remnants who returned from Babylon. The main contents of his prophetical messages bounce back and forth between heeding God’s commands and giving priority to God’s work rather than seeking after one’s personal gains and benefits in times of spiritual unrest. The prophet urges the remnants of the Jewish people in Jerusalem/Judah not to run after personal gains and comforts, but rather to seek God earnestly, give importance to do God’s works (in this context, rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem [1:8]), and fulfill God’s purpose in and through their lives. Obedience of God’s commands and fulfilling God’s purpose in and through their lives would bring God’s blessings upon His people and reward them with peace, prosperity, and restfulness.

What we can understand from the Scripture passage (Haggai 1:5-7) we chose for our meditation is that the Israelite remnants’ failed in following God wholeheartedly and keeping up with the righteous laws and decree sand commands the Lord God has given them, which caused deficiency in the outcome of their hard work (actions) which they did not receive in a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over return despite their hard-labor. In fact, they were working hard to make more personal gains and benefits but ended up losing the benefits of their hard work which were not sufficient even to take care of their needs, as God reminded them: You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it (Haggai 1:6; also refer to 1:9-11; Deuteronomy 28:38-40; Isaiah 5:10; 55:2; Jeremiah 12:13; Amos 4:6-9; Micah 6:14-15). In the light of this, God is inviting them to evaluate their spiritual behaviors and actions in the light of the demands of God’s righteous laws and decrees and commands given to them. God repeatedly urged His people to Give careful thought to your ways, in other words: Consider your ways or Consider carefully your ways (Haggai 1:5, 7); and return to Him with a repentant heart (Isaiah 55:6-7; Ezekiel 18:30-32; Hosea 6:1-2; Joel 2:12-13; Acts 3:19). It means, God is urging them to urgently consider their ways and examine themselves of their actions and set spiritual priorities in life.

When we read the Old Testament books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, Zechariah and so on, we can understand that the immediate responsibility of the Jewish remnants who returned to Jerusalem following the Babylonian exile was to rebuild the Temple and the City:

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing. This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them. And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem (Ezra 1:1-4; also refer to 3:7-13; Isaiah 44:28)

… Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace (Nehemiah 2:17; also refer to 1:2-3; 2:11-18; Ezra 4:12; Isaiah 44:28).

Prophet Jeremiah also stated the Word he received from the Lord regarding the unfaithfulness of His people Israel:

Then the LORD said to me, There is a conspiracy among the people of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem. They have returned to the sins of their ancestors, who refused to listen to my words. They have followed other gods to serve them. Both Israel and Judah have broken the covenant I made with their ancestors. Therefore this is what the LORD says: I will bring on them a disaster they cannot escape. Although they cry out to me, I will not listen to them (Jeremiah 11:9-11)

Although the Jewish remnants in Jerusalem began the work of rebuilding the Temple (Ezra 3:8-13; 5:15-16), they had to stop the rebuilding process in the middle of their work due to the threat and opposition of their enemies (Ezra 4:1-24). We can read in the Scripture that initially, as part of the overall construction of the Temple, Joshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates and all the Jewish remnants who assembled together as one in Jerusalem built the altar of the God of Israel and began to sacrifice the morning and evening burnt offerings on it in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses the man of God (Ezra 3:1-3). When the work of rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem was halted due to the enemies’ opposition, people turned their attention toward themselves and began to settle down in the land.  They started building houses for themselves and carrying out their own matters for personal comfort and benefits. However, God confronted them and questioned their integrity of heart in carrying out God’s plan and purpose in the land, as God spoke through prophet Haggai: Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin (Haggai 1:3-4). When the people of God stopped the work of rebuilding God’s Temple (though due to the enemies’ opposition) and focused on carrying out their own plans without any hesitation, God warned them saying:

Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it. This is what the Lord Almighty says: Give careful thought to your ways (Haggai 1:5-7)

It is not the first time God is warning His people but on several other occasions God warned them and their forefathers, especially whenever they turn their back on God. For instance, even before they settled down in the promised land, God already warned their forefathers through His servant Moses regarding the consequences and punishment He will inflict upon His chosen people if they fail to follow His righteous laws and decrees and holy commands (Deuteronomy 10:20-22; 28:36-44). God had been punishing the current generation of His people (the remnants) in Jerusalem and Judah for their sins and forsaking the work of rebuilding the Temple even though they were not able to identify the reasons for the troublesome situations they were going through, as it is mentioned:

Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands (Haggai 1:10-11)

Now give careful thought to this from this day on—consider how things were before one stone was laid on another in the Lord’s temple. When anyone came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten. When anyone went to a wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were only twenty. I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail, yet you did not return to me,’ declares the Lord. ’From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid. Give careful thought: Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit. From this day on I will bless you (Haggai 2:15-19)

As God continued to speak to the remnants of His people in Jerusalem and Judah through His prophets Haggai and Zechariah (Ezra 5:1; Haggai 1:1), the people received the Word and obeyed God’s commands and dedicated themselves to continue the halted rebuilding process of God’s Temple, as it is stated: Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord (Haggai 1:12). Soon, under the leadership of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, the rebuilding of God’s Temple restarted (Ezra 5:1-2), as God spoke to the people through prophet Haggai: 

I am with you, declares the Lord. So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God, on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month (Haggai 1:13-15)

As the rebuilding of the Temple work restarted, the opposition also continued to arise and the enemies of Jerusalem and Judah reported the matter to the reigning king Darius expecting him to issue a decree to stop the rebuilding process (Ezra 5:3-17). However, king Darius (after a thorough examination of the decree issued by king Cyrus [Ezra 6:1-5]) issued a decree that overruled all the existing complaints and comments and oppositions, and ordered that the rebuilding work of the Temple need to be continued and carried out with diligence, as it is stated in his newly issued decree:

Now then, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and you other officials of that province, stay away from there. Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site.

Moreover, I hereby decree what you are to do for these elders of the Jews in the construction of this house of God: Their expenses are to be fully paid out of the royal treasury, from the revenues of Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop. Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and olive oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given them daily without fail, so that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-being of the king and his sons.

Furthermore, I decree that if anyone defies this edict, a beam is to be pulled from their house and they are to be impaled on it. And for this crime their house is to be made a pile of rubble. May God, who has caused his Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to change this decree or to destroy this temple in Jerusalem. I Darius have decreed it. Let it be carried out with diligence (Ezra 6:6-12).

Thus, the rebuilding work of the Temple at Jerusalem was carried out diligently and completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius, as it says:

Then, because of the decree King Darius had sent, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates carried it out with diligence. So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo. They finished building the temple according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia. The temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius (Ezra 6:13-15)

As the rebuilding of the temple completed, the priests, the Levites, the elders and the rest of the exiles together dedicated it for the glory of God. They also installed the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their groups for the service of God at Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses and together they celebrated passover on the fourteenth day of the first month (Ezra 6:16-22).

Just as the nation of Israel was chosen to be God’s treasured possession during the Old Testament time (Exodus 19:5-6; Deuteronomy 7:6), the Church (which is redeemed/bought with the precious blood of Christ [1 Corinthians 6:20; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18-19]) is chosen to be God’s treasured possession during these New Testament times.  Apostle Peter stated: You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9; also refer Revelation 1:6; 5:10). God promised the church (that is, you and I and everyone else who abides in Him faithfully) that He will bless us on earth with heavenly riches and bless us in heaven with the honor of eternal life. God’s blessings come like a package, which include everything a person needs for life either on earth or in heaven. It is something like some of the super smart students who receive super cool (full-ride) scholarships for their college degree. A full-ride scholarship is awarded based on the merit they earned in advance. It is not like the students who pay their fees in advance and receive services like tuition, room and board, or any other study-related services or like purchasing a complete tour packages where you pay in full in advance and then they will provide you with the service you purchased. In the case of God’s blessings to someone or in the case of a full-ride scholarship for a college student, you don’t need to pay for it but it is given to you because you deserve to receive it.

Keep this in mind in the light of our meditation that when a church is not spiritually thriving, there is something wrong with the church – either they have forsaken God, the spring of living water; or are following the desires of their fleshly/carnal heart; or God is punishing them due to their unfaithfulness toward Him (Isaiah 1:4; Jeremiah 2:13; 17:5; Haggai 2:15-18; John 7:38). If the church is spiritually dull or restless, spiritually hungry or thirsty, spiritually tired or sick, spiritually poor or unproductive, spiritually blind or insensitive, spiritually naked or unashamed, and so on, we need to reach out to God our heavenly Father – our spiritual Physician more earnestly than we go to a physician when we are affected by physical illness. If any disaster strikes us, if we lose our job or become unproductive with any other income generating means, if we are stuck in a situation where we do not see any hope of release from it, if we are pushed back to a corner and denied all kinds of possible assistance we deserve to receive, do not get upset with anyone, or try to find solution by ourselves using our resources but seek the Lord earnestly (Deuteronomy 4:29; Proverbs 8:17; Isaiah 55:6; Jeremiah 29:13). Remember, only God can help us and only God will help us.

In the light of our meditation this week, the message prophet Haggai delivered to the remnants in Jerusalem and Judah (Haggai 1:5-7) teaches us that we need to examine ourselves and give careful thought to our ways because examining ourselves of our words and deeds are pivotal in identifying the specific call of God in our life and in setting priorities in our life. In addition, it needs to be our determination to focus on the work we are called to do for the glory of God because He who called us to carry out His plan and purpose in and through our lives remains faithful to us despite the various circumstances we go through in our lives. Ignoring or rejecting prioritizing and carrying out the ministry of God we are called to do may result in God’s rejection of us, which results God’s punishments upon our lives. Therefore, we must keep away all kinds of selfish ambitions and desires and focus on doing selfless service/ministry for the glory of God and for the extension of God’s Kingdom on earth. May the Lord God Almighty bless us all! Amen!