Reflections on Haggai.

 15 January 2012

Welcome to my blog. It is a place that is intended to be a portal for discussion, musings and thoughts about God, His work in our church and the amazing things He is teaching us through His word.  While the holiday period is all but drawing to an end for most, we look ahead to a busy and challenging year.

Already we have been challenged through our preaching series on the book of Haggai. This book is found amongst the many small books (i.e. the Minor Prophets) at the end of the Old Testament. They are often flicked over or glossed over; only ever being read quickly with their treasures remaining undiscovered beneath the surface.

As we dug deep into Haggai we saw that God’s timeless messages were very applicable to us today.  In summary now, we discovered that – :

  1. Apathy and neglect of God’s purposes for our lives bring fruitlessness and lead to want (1:2-5)
  2. Our efforts to satisfy our own needs and desires will be equally fruitless. (1:9)
  3. God may choose to thwart our efforts that we might repent and be realigned with His will. (1:9-11, 2:15-17)
  4. If we are obedient to God’s calling the result of the work of our hands is God’s concern not ours.  We are to be faithful and trust Him for the outcome. (2:1-9, Zec 4:6-10,Phil 1:6)
  5. Holiness cannot be caught. Going to church doesn’t make us Christian. Religion will not make us right with God. God seeks relationship with us through Jesus Christ, not hollow religion. (2:11-14, Matthew 7:21-23, Matthew 15:7-8)
  6. Ignoring God’s instruction to us through scripture invites personal hardship. (cf. Deut 28:1-4,15-22, Amos 4:9,Haggai 2:15-17)
  7. God is faithful to His promises. When we are disillusioned, disheartened or complacent God does not forget us. He reminds us of His presence and of the eternal treasure He has bought for us with the blood of His son. (Hag 1:13, 2:4-9, 20-23, Hebrews 12:26-28)

As we journeyed through this book we discovered that God’s truth is indeed timeless and that we do well today to heed its instruction.  Coupled with warnings for us to heed are the great promises of God; hope in the enduring presence of our Lord Jesus Christ and of our place with Him whence we will share in His glory.

Warren