This chapter contains the first stage of rebuilding the altar and temple.
“And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ houses, old men who had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice when they saw the foundation of this house being laid… so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shout from the sound of the people’s weeping…” (v11b-13 abr)
It’s easy to think the older generation who remembered the first temple were weeping for joy, though Haggai tells us a different story: ” ‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes?’ ” (Hag 2:3) The older generation are weeping because the new temple pales in comparison to the original temple’s glory.
Another disappointment is the fact that the people didn’t even begin working on the temple until their second year back in Judah (v8). I guess rebuilding their own homes was a higher priority than rebuilding God’s house. This leads me to think they’re only rebuilding the temple out of obligation, not a true desire to serve their God.
Unfortunately, this can still be true in our lives today. It’s so very easy to become distracted and focus on what we think is important, rather what God says is important. Our default is to delay God’s work in favor of our own worldly desires. Even writing this devotional every day is a war between God’s calling on my life, and my fleshly desire to __________. That blank can be anything, including “scroll through Facebook”, “check my email”, “play a mobile game”, etc.
Note: I endeavor to do my devotional first-thing in the morning, because I know if I let other things in the door ahead of it, it either won’t get done, or the quality will be poor – kind of like the temple rebuilding ‘effort’.
I encourage us to ask the Holy Spirit to help us prioritize our lives according to God’s agenda, not this world’s. If we don’t let God make our schedule, the devil will do it for us (meaning he’ll throw a boatload of distractions in there to keep us from doing our Lord’s work). It’s best that we seek God’s guidance on filling our calendars with good things. Don’t worry, He leaves us plenty of space for things like self-care, entertainment and leisure. He’s not a slave driver – He wants to free us from slavery.
Father God, our Loving and Wise Lord, You guide us moment by moment. May we embrace Your wisdom and leadership, and seek to glorify You in how we spend our time. May we value what You value, and serve Your kingdom in alignment with Your will, glorifying You along the way. May we honor You with our words, actions, and investment of time, from this day forward, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training