002 - Haggai 1 and Misplaced Priorities

Haggai Message – Misplaced Priorities

Setting – Israel was sent into exile 586 BC. 70 years later, under Cyrus King of Persia, the remnant of Israel returned to Jerusalem. They were tasked with rebuilding the Temple. They started off strong, Temple foundation laid, City walls rebuilt. Events take place in 520 BC. 

 Misplaced Priorities Exposed 

Haggai 1:1-6 (ESV) – In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest: “Thus says the LORD of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.” Then the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes. 

 1.      Judah, the Remnant of Israel - Job # 1 was to rebuild the temple. 

2.      Why was the temple such a big deal? 

• Without the temple the religious life of Israel was not what it could/should be. 
• There was nowhere to make the required sacrifices. 
• Nation was spiritually adrift… leading to disastrous results. 

3.      Who is the “LORD of Hosts”? 

• LORD – This is the covenant name of God YEHWAH
• Host - It refers to large numbers of soldiers and armies.  
• In this way, LORD of Hosts is the military name of God.

4.      It was in this context that God sends Haggai to the nation to get their attention. 

a.       Haggai was a prophet – messenger of God. God’s Covenant Prosecutor.

b.      God needed to get the nation’s attention. They had failed to uphold their end of the deal. 

5.      God anticipates Israel’s objections. 

a.       Israel – Timing was just not right to obey God. God, you just don’t understand the pressures we are under…

b.      God – But you seem to have time to fix up your homes… “paneled houses.”  

c.       God – Is it right for you to enjoy all the creature comforts while my house lies in ruin? While my name is devalued and denigrated by the world? 

6.      “Consider your ways” – God wants to get the nation to think about the “pressures” that they are facing. What were the excuses that the nation used? (vs 6): 

• Crop Failure: “You have sown much, and harvested little.”
• Food Insecurity: “You eat, but you never have enough;” 
• Drought: “you drink, but you never have your fill.” 
• Sickness and Disease: “You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm.” 
• Financial Distress: “And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.” 

7.      Israel needed to see things from God’s Point of view. Their priorities were not God’s priorities. They put themselves before God. 

8.      The bottom line is that our activities expose where our real priorities lie. They expose how much we really value our families, our work, our church community, and our own creature comforts.

The Cost of Misplaced Priorities 

Haggai 1:7-11 (ESV) – “Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may tak