BRF -- Haggai

I must admit I had a problem with Haggai. I was still regrouping after the Timothys. I haven't felt the edge of the sword of the spirit doing its surgical work like those weeks in a long, long time. It feels awful to have to really humble yourself and learn and grow and pray and weep and pray some more. It was almost more than I could stand. "Life" got tough... from more than one direction. And God was so, so, so good... and Dave was good too. My poor family most likely thought Mom was losing it for sure. And then,

Haggai

Sat, Sun, Mon, Tues... this book makes no sense. I don't see anything. BRF is gonna be real humiliating because I don't get it. Can we go back to the New Testament???

Then Wednesday.
I opened up the Word, looked at this book and prayed. Ever have a time when you know you aren't the one praying? Its your voice, your brain but its the mind of the Spirit of God. Those times remind me that He really is indwelling me and He is giving me the blessing of praying what I can't and so desperately want to. This is only the 4th time this has ever happened to me. It makes me crave God. Then He sat with me and said He'd help me this time to understand some.. not all. I love Haggai. Its so simple.
When God is allowed into the study of His word, its so simple. When He is allowed to teach its easy. When I study with my own wisdom its meaningless and confusing.

The first chapter was enough to finish me. I had just been thinking (This is awful I know) that if we skimped on our tithe than maybe we could do a few things around the house that need to be done. This thought has been recurring for the past few weeks. At first I dismissed it, then I dwelt on it, then... someone decided that I needed to read Haggai chapter one. I hope y'all feel sorry for me as I had to face another major conviction here!!
vs 3 "Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, "Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?" The Israelites put their own homes before the Lord's. Their priorities were completely off. They were taking the world's advice.... The Lord will understand why you need to have your nice things first... He has heaven, this is all you have... keep the nicest home you can for your family... that's your ministry so put your tithe there...
That is NOT God's plan. God is always to be first. That is not selfish on His part... He is caring for us. The only way for our homes to be havens for our family is to make sure that He is first in our lives. "But seek ye FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you."
Thankfully the Israelites recognized the truth when they heard it and with their Governor Zerubbabel leading them they hustled to get the temple finished. I love it when they actually obey!!! It gives me hope that I can also learn, repent, obey and be blessed!

Don't you just love the carefully consider verses. I stopped and made sure I considered these carefully. Ch 1 vs 5, vs 7, ch 2 vs 15, vs 18-19. Why do I feel sometimes like we work and work and everything just disappears into thin air? Where does the money go? We don't buy anything and yet it disappears. My priorities are way out of whack and I don't even notice. We work hard and bring in little. We put our earnings in a bag of holes.

Ch 2 vs 6-10. This temple was being built... but it was not as grand as the temple that was destroyed. Solomon's temple had been amazing, this one was ok. God's not so picky about how things look on the outside. THIS was the temple to be blessed. THIS was the temple which was to see the Desire of All Nations and be filled with glory. What a fabulous name for Christ.... The Desire of All Nations. I have to pause again here... this name makes Christ so BIG and holy and beyond the baby Jesus and even the miracler worker and healer of the sick... He is beyond... beyond what I can imagine and that's ok. He is still my Saviour and Redeemer... but more. I'm left behind in the dust! THIS temple will receive Him. This work the people are doing is extremely important.

Mom always used to say that goodness never rubs off on anyone, but evil does. If you hang out with people who aren't living for the Lord, they will not be the ones to raise their standards to meet yours... you will lower yours to meet theirs. ch 2 vs 10-14. She was right.

vs 15-19 ...Consider now from this day forward.... from the day that the foundation of the Lord's temple was laid - Consider it.... from this day I will bless you.
God sees our hearts. He sees repentence. He sees us change... He causes it. When we are not just hearers of the word, but doers He blesses. He doesn't always give us money... He blesses us.

vs 23. "In that day," says the Lord of hosts, "I will take you Zerubbabel My servant, the son of Shealtiel," says the Lord, "and will make you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you."
This verse made me very excited for this governor who didn't have much to govern, but I didn't know why. I googled signet rings, found out some neat stuff, but still didn't get it. So yes I cheated. I checked in Dave's study Bible. This was an honour. Zerubbabel was not given the word from the Lord, but Haggai was. Zerubbabel was the authorizing voice that put the "seal of approval" on the words from Haggai. He was the driving force behind obeying the Lord to finish the temple.
The signet ring was extremely important in verifying any edict sent out from the king or a nobleman. The ring was not taken off the finger except to bestow honour and power to another who could then legally speak for the king (or nobleman). To be the Lord's signet ring would be in essense having the legal rights for the Lord on earth. Could Zerubbabel be capable of handling such an honour?? NO, of course not. He is the one who seals the genealogical lines of both Joseph and Mary.
He is a descendant of Solomon's line, through that Joseph would have the legal right to the throne of David. Because of this Jesus had the earthly legal right to the throne of David. As an adoptive son, Jesus being the eldest would still have this right.
Zerubbabel was also a descendant of Nathan through whom Mary had the bloodline to the throne of David. Thus Jesus had full blood and legal rights through his earthly parents.
I'm not sure just how they skip through the women in the geneologies. Do they just count the fathers of the mothers and go through his line to the throne? I think there is a new line of study here for me!!
However this all plays out, Zerubbabel made it into both geneologies in Matthew and in Luke as did his father, Shealtiel. This because He obeyed a word from the Lord which he received 3rd hand and obeyed it.
Wouldn't it be terrible to be a prophet of the Lord, KNEW that what you said came straight from on high and no one listened? I know that some of the prophets had that happen. How wonderful that didn't happen this time.

After thought. The temple over the years had some restoration and improvements done and then was expanded upon by Herod, but this was definitely the same temple that Christ was dedicated in and was prophesied over as a baby... the same temple where the curtain to the Holy of Holies was torn from top to bottom when Christ was crucified, so we can know enter into that Holy place everyday. The same temple that stood when peace with God became a reality. The prophesies of Haggai all came true.