Have You Gotten Your Priorities Out Of Whack?
Notes
Transcript
08/17/2020 Have You Gotten Your Priorities Out Of Whack?
Series: Minor Prophets - True Faith
https://vimeo.com/442580472
What Does The Bible Say?
Haggai
How can you tell what is most important in a person’s life?
3 Then the Lord sent this message through the prophet Haggai: 4 “Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? (Haggai 1:3–4 NLT)
Have you gotten your priorities out of whack?
5 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! 6 You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!(Haggai 1:5–6 NLT)
People often get their priorities back in order after something bad happens.
7 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! 8 Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the Lord. (Haggai 1:7–8 NLT)
God is honored when we obey.
9 You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, while all of you are busy building your own fine houses. 10 It’s because of you that the heavens withhold the dew and the earth produces no crops. 11 I have called for a drought on your fields and hills—a drought to wither the grain and grapes and olive trees and all your other crops, a drought to starve you and your livestock and to ruin everything you have worked so hard to get.” (Haggai 1:9–11 NLT)
When our priorities are out of whack life is not so sweet.
How Can You Obey?
12 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of God’s people began to obey the message from the Lord their God. (Haggai 1:12 NLT)
Obeying God is how you get your priorities back in line.
Additional Notes:
Explore:
Haggai was likely an older man when he served as the Lord’s prophet. If he was among those who had seen the first Temple (2:3), which the Baby- lonians had destroyed in 586 B.C., and was then prophesying in 518 B.C., then he would have been at least in his seventies by then. Check Ezra 3:11- 13 for a lesson in intergenerational responses to God’s work.
Explore:
How can we know the dates involved in Haggai’s ministry? Two researchers in the 1950s named Parker and Dubberstein gathered evidence from over one hundred Babylonian texts and astronomical calculations of new moon tables. They then were able to synchronize the ancient lunar calendar with our Julian calendar. The dates they determined are accurate to within one day. For example, Haggai 1:1 refers to the first day of the sixth month in the second year of Darius. This calculates to be August 29, 520 B.C. Haggai mentioned the twenty-first day in the seventh month of Darius’ second year in Haggai 2:1, which is the equivalent of October 17, 520 B.C.
Explore:
Haggai is a prophet who urges Judah’s leaders to rebuild the temple. The people have returned to Jerusalem after the years of exile in Babylon. They have restored their own houses, but the temple is still a ruin. Haggai explains to them that their failure to put God first is resulting in famine and poverty. His message is well received, and a temple is quickly built. Haggai is one of the few prophets who lives to see his words fulfilled.
Knowles, A. (2001). The Bible guide (1st Augsburg books ed., p. 386). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg.
Explore:
God speaks to His people and corrects them with His Word. The Bible is God’s Word.
Explore:
The judgments mentioned in 1:10-11 echo the covenant curse pronounced by the Lord on unfaithful Israel in Deuteronomy 28:22-24, 38-48. Many to- day see natural disasters, terrorist acts, and epidemics as God’s punishment on specific sinful acts. We must be careful in drawing these conclusions, however, because unlike Old Testament people, we lack an authoritative voice from God (Scripture) to tell us whether or not particular events involve the Lord’s judgments. Jesus challenged this thinking in Luke 13:1-5. Still, though, the Bible tells us what displeases Him and will bring His judgment. We also know from Scripture how to please and honor Him.
Explore:
The invading Babylonian armies had demolished Solomon’s Temple in 586 B.C. Why was rebuilding it so important? Here are just a few reasons: (1) The Temple was intended to represent God’s living with His people, as were Eden, the Tabernacle, Christ Himself, each believer, the Church as a whole, and Heaven itself; (2) Restored Judaism after the exile would center around this Temple as a unifying force in the nation; (3) It would be the centerpiece of worship and culture among the Jews; (4) The Temple would again fulfill the command of Deuteronomy 12 for one place of worship; (5) It marked a tangible example of God’s fulfilled covenant promises to His people; (6) The coming Messiah would build a “temple” in His coming kingdom (Zechariah 6:12-13).
Haggai
Building for God
“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,’ says the Lord.” (Haggai 1:7–8)
Major Theme
The Lord’s temple and worship deserve top priority. God must have just place in a person’s life.
Background and Purpose
Haggai’s prophecies help us to understand some of the problems of the returning Jews. Haggai rebukes them for their neglecting their work for God and concentrating their efforts on their own prosperity, rather than first rebuilding the temple and re-establishing the priestly offerings.
Author
Haggai was a prophet to the Jews who returned to Jerusalem from Babylonia.
Date
This book has five separate prophecies which are all dated. The first prophecy was “In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month” (1:1). This can be related to our modern calendar and is August 19, 520 bc. All Haggai’s prophecies come during a four-month period in 520 BC.
Brief Outline
1. First prophecy Haggai urges that work be started on the rebuilding of the temple 1:1–11
2. Second prophecy Haggai encourages the Jews in their work 1:12–15
3. Third prophecy Another message of encouragement from Haggai 2:1–9
4. Fourth prophecy Present blessings are promised 2:10–19
5. Fifth prophecy Haggai gives a personal message to Zerubbabel 2:20–23
Christ in Haggai
Jesus is portrayed in Zerubbabel. “ ‘I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel … and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you …’ ” (2:23)
Water, M. (2001). The Books of the Bible made easy (p. 37). Alresford, Hampshire: John Hunt Publishing.
Question 1 of 5
How can you tell what is most important in a person’s life?
Question 2 of 5
How can we please God? What does He want from us?
Question 3 of 5
How does pleasing God lead to satisfaction?
Question 4 of 5
How do we usually feel when we obey the Lord?
Question 5 of 5
Why should God always have the highest priority in our lives?