“The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.”
(Then this word of the LORD came through Haggai, the prophet:)
Is it time for you to dwell in your own paneled houses,
while this house lies in ruins?
Priorities, people. Are we investing in temporary things or in eternal things? Yet on some level it is only natural. Our home, our family, our self- these seem like the starting place. It seems like we have no choice but to engage here first, make progress, work the kinks out, and then finally use the resources we have leftover to rebuild the house of the LORD. There is nothing to which we can hold fast if we do not place God first in our hearts.
Consider your ways!
You have sown much, but have brought in little;
you have eaten, but have not been satisfied;
You have drunk, but have not been exhilarated;
have clothed yourselves, but not been warmed;
And whoever earned wages
earned them for a bag with holes in it.
Do we really need the fancy panels on these shelters we are building? Will we really ever finish here and move on to building the house of God? We can see that we aren't just concerned about necessities. At a certain point we are building a temple to ourselves rather than to God. But a temple to ourselves is the loneliest of temples. There is room for no one but oneself in such a place. The temple of the LORD is a place of joy greater than what any isolated individual can experience. People don't often dance festively when alone.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
We can unite in joyful worship of the LORD or we can struggle along as isolated and lonely individuals. The choice is ours. The LORD wants us to build ourselves, our families, and our nations as temples to his presence. Even in our own soul we are never alone if we are a temple for God in the Spirit. He is the one who knows that we need food, drink, and clothes and he will add these to us if we seek his kingdom first (cf. Mat 6:33). If we don't seek the kingdom (which, of course, isn't a kingdom of one but of the whole people of God) first we find ourselves anxious about all of these material things because we don't have anything or more specifically anyone lasting can hold.
Herod is an example of someone who is profoundly isolated. His temple is truly only to himself. He is trying to rouse himself for the drudgery and meaninglessness of such a life by vain curiosities. And this is almost enough of a crack in the door for Jesus to enter.
But Herod said,
“John I beheaded.
Who then is this about whom I hear such things?”
And he kept trying to see him.
We have a higher calling than mere curiosities about the supernatural. Herod isn't really interested in anyone entering into relationship with him. He is just seeking stimulation. Let us instead take our delight in the Lord who takes delight in us, his people.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
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