Haggai 2
New message for Haggai: October 17 verse 1
In the seventh month – in the one and twentieth day of the month
came the word of the LORD by the prophet Haggai – saying
Zerubbabel is to compare former Temple
with present verse 2- 3
Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel – governor of Judah
and to Joshua – the son of Josedech – the high priest
and to the residue of the people – saying
Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory?
How do you see it now? Is it not in your eyes in
comparison of it as nothing?
Zerubbabel told to not fear verse 4- 5
Yet now be strong – O Zerubbabel – says the LORD
and be strong – O Joshua – son of Josedech – the high priest
and be strong – all you people of the land – says the LORD
and WORK – for I am with you – says the LORD of hosts
according to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt
SO MY Spirit remains among you fear you not
LORD states HE is going to shake up the world verse 6- 8
For thus says the LORD of hosts – Yet once – it is a little while
and I will shake the heavens – earth – sea – dry land
and I will shake all nations – and the desire of all nations shall come
and I will fill this house with glory – says the LORD of hosts
The silver is MINE – and the gold is MINE
says the LORD of hosts
LORD states glory of this Temple greater than former verse 9
The glory of this latter house shall be GREATER THAN of the former
says the LORD of hosts – and in this place will I give PEACE
says the LORD of hosts
New message: December 18, year two of Darius verse 10
In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month
in the second year of Darius
CAME the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet saying
Questions regarding clean and unclean sacrifices verse 11- 13
Thus says the LORD of hosts
Ask now the priests concerning the law – saying
IF one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment
and with his skirt do touch bread or pottage or wine
or oil or any meat shall it be holy?
AND the priests answered and said
NO
THEN said Haggai
IF one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these
shall it be unclean?
AND the priests answered and said
It shall be unclean
LORD states all people are defiled verse 14- 17
THEN answered Haggai – and said
So is this people – and so is this nation before ME
says the LORD and so is every work of their hands
and that which they offered there is unclean
AND now – I pray you – CONSIDER from this day and upward
from before a stone was laid upon a stone
in the temple of the LORD since those days were
when one came to an heap of twenty measures
there were but ten
when one came to the press vat for to draw out
fifty vessels out of the press
there were but twenty
I smote you with blasting – mildew
hail in all the labor of your hands
YET you turned not to ME – says the LORD
LORD promises blessing as of December 18 verse 18- 19
CONSIDER now from this day and upward
from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month
even from the day that
the foundation of the LORD’S temple
was laid CONSIDER it
Is the seed yet in the barn? – YEA
as yet the vine – fig tree – pomegranate
olive tree – has not brought forth
from this day will I bless you
Second message: December 18th verse 20
AND again the word of the LORD came unto Haggai in the
four and twentieth day of the month – saying
LORD says HE is going to shake up the world verse 21- 22
Speak to Zerubbabel – governor of Judah – saying
I will shake the heavens and the earth
I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms
and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen
and I will overthrow the chariots
and those that ride in them
and the horses and their riders shall come down
every one by the sword of his brother
LORD has chosen to honor Zerubbabel verse 23
IN THAT DAY – says the LORD of hosts
will I take you – O Zerubbabel – my servant – the son of Shealtiel
says the LORD – and I will make you as an signet
FOR I have chosen thee – says the LORD of hosts
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 9 The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, says the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, says the LORD of hosts. (7965 “peace” [shalom] means completeness, soundness, welfare, safety, health, quiet, tranquility, contentment or prosperity.)
DEVOTION: One month after the people were excited about rebuilding the Temple the LORD sent another message to Haggai. In this message HE told the people and leaders to be strong. HE told them not to fear those around them. HE told them that the glory of this SECOND Temple was going to be GREATER THAN the glory of the first Temple that Solomon built. How was that possible?? Who walked into the second Temple?
The LORD is presenting a truth regarding the condition of the Israelites even after HE delivered them from captivity. They were going back to their old ways. They were only thinking of themselves. HE had shaken them up and they still were not learning the lesson HE wanted them to learn. They were unclean. They were not holy. However, HE had chosen one to be HIS representative. This representative is going to bring contentment to the Israelites. This individual was going to be greater than anyone else who was ever in the first temple. This individual was going to be greater than Solomon in wisdom. This individual was going to be greater than David in uniting the kingdom. This individual is JESUS CHRIST.
HE is the only one who can bring contentment into our world. HE is the only one who can give us true prosperity. HE is the only one who can make us complete. In our present state we don’t have all these things. We should be striving for them with the help of the LORD. Are we aware of a tranquility beyond our understanding in our present situation? Are we content with what we have or do we want a little bit more? Do we have the SPIRITUAL health we would like to have? Only Christ can give these things to us. Are we trusting HIM now to give us these things in part now?
When Christ returns the second time there will be world contentment. HE will rule for a thousand years. We will reign with HIM. Praise HIS name!!!
CHALLENGE: There is a third Temple that will be built in the Millennium where sacrifices will be brought in worship of the King of Kings and LORD of LORD. Prepare to worship your King.
___________________________________________________
: 9 The future glory of this Temple will be greater than its past glory, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. And in this place I will bring peace. I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!” (7965 “peace” [shalom] means prosperity, success, welfare, harmonious relations, freedom form disputes, or completeness.)
DEVOTION: Let us think about this statement. Here we have a rebuilt Temple with just stone and wood. There is not the great abundance of gold and silver that Solomon had when he built the first Temple. All the riches of the first Temple were taken to Babylon. They were used to worship false gods. They were given to the children of Israel when they returned but it was not as much as Solomon first had in his lifetime.
A question was asked if there were any people returning from the captivity that remembered the first Temple. Remember that the captivity was to last seventy years so the ones who remembered the first one were few but they remembered the former Temple in all its glory.
The LORD states that this second Temple would have greater glory than the first. How could this be? The answer of course is that Jesus Christ was going to enter this second Temple and HE was GREATER THAN Solomon on all counts.
HE was the perfect Son of God and the future King of Kings. So HE would bring peace to the world in the form of Salvation first and then in HIS future reign over Jerusalem.
The day is still coming when Christ will return and set up HIS kingdom. We are going to reign with HIM if we are those who are true followers. Not everyone who says to HIM, “Lord, Lord,” is going to enter the kingdom. Many are false Christians.
CHALLENGE: The TRUE Christians are those who are worshipers in “spirit and in truth.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 12 If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No. (6942 “holy” [qadash] means sanctify, hallow, consecrate, set apart, to be treated sacred, clean or pure.)
DEVOTION: The LORD is testing the priests who were the religious leaders of the day to see if they really understood the Law that was given to Moses regarding worship.
HIS questions dealt with what was clean and what was unclean in the offering of sacrifices to HIM. If there was any cross contamination between the sacrifices they were to be declared unclean even if the priest was carrying them in his garment. The illustration continues with the person being unclean and touching anything. The priests again declare it unclean.
The LORD informs Haggai that the whole nation is unclean. This includes all the people and religious leaders. Also all the work of their hands is unclean in the sight of the LORD.
The LORD wants them to understand that they are coming to HIM unclean and in need of cleansing. There needs to be repentance. There needs to be a renewed commitment to the LORD.
Before they are to rebuild and worship in the temple there needs to be this understanding. There needs to be change.
This is true of us too today. We need to realize that we are unclean because we continue to sin after we become a follower of the LORD. Sometimes we act as if the LORD doesn’t care what we do but that is a lie of the enemy. HE cares that HIS people come to HIM with a clean heart. That again only happens with confession.
We are a holy people that need a continual sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving given to the LORD on a daily basis. Our prayer should be that we want forgiveness of our sins like we forgive those around us that sin against us.
CHALLENGE: Are we offering proper sacrifices to the LORD today. These are not animal sacrifices. I Peter 2: 4 instructs us to offer up “spiritual sacrifices” that are acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Study the epistles to find a list of these sacrifices.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: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,’ says the Lord of hosts. (2368 “signet” [chowtham] means seal, a device incised to make an impression, used to secure a closing or to authenticate documents, or an implement used as a sign of one’s personal official identification.)
DEVOTION: Matthew 1: 12 helps us understand what Haggai was saying to Zerubbabel. This is the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Zerubbabel was of the royal family of David. He was the one who should have the signet ring of David. There was a curse on the final kings of Judah because of their sin but it was not a curse that lasted forever. The Davidic throne was going to be reestablished under the rule of Jesus Christ during the Millennium.
Zerrubbabel was chosen by the LORD to lead the people from the captivity into the Promised Land again. He was the one who was to rebuild the temple. He would rule in righteousness.
He would be living in a time of blessing that the LORD promised to the returning remnant if they followed the LORD.
___________________________________________________________
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Joshua – son of Josedech (high priest) verse 2, 4
House in her first glory verse 3
Fill house with glory verse 7
Glory greater verse 9
Priests verse 11- 14
Temple of the LORD verse 15, 18
_________________________________________________________________
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Word of the LORD verse 1, 10, 20
Thus says the LORD verse 6
Law verse 11
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 1, 4, 6- 11, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 23
Word of the LORD verse 1, 5, 10, 20
LORD of hosts verse 4, 6- 9, 11, 23
I covenanted with you (Israel) verse 5
MY Spirit remains with Israel verse 5
I will shake the heaven verse 6
Control of universe verse 6, 21
I will shake the nations verse 7
I will fill THIS house with glory (Temple) verse 7
Owner of all resources verse 8
Silver
Gold
Promises the glory of this latter house shall
be greater than former verse 9
I will give peace verse 9
LORD’S temple verse 15, 18
Judgment of the LORD verse 16- 19
I smote you with blasting and with
mildew and with hail in all
your hands – yet you turned
not to ME
I will shake the heavens and the earth
I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms
I will destroy the strength of the
kingdoms of the heathen
I will overthrow the chariots and
those that ride in them and
horses and their riders shall
come down everyone by
the sword of his brother
I have chosen Zerubbabel
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
MY Spirit remains among the children of Israel verse 5
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal =
ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Egypt verse 5
All nations verse 7
Darius verse 10
Kingdoms of heathen verse 22
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Unclean verse 13, 14
Turned not to LORD verse 17
Heathen verse 22
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Speak to nation verse 2
Be strong verse 4
Work verse 4
Presence of the LORD verse 4
Covenant verse 5
Fear not verse 5
Peace verse 9
Holy verse 12
Consider verse 15, 18
Bless verse 19
Chosen verse 23
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Prophet Haggai verse 1, 10- 14, 20
word of the LORD came to him 9/24
Zerubbabel – son of Shealtiel (Governor) verse 2, 4, 21- 23
told to be strong
God’s servant
God will make him as a signet
LORD of hosts has chosen him
Joshua – son of Josedech (high priest) verse 2, 4
told to be strong
Residue of the people verse 2, 4, 14
told to work because the LORD was with them
unclean hands
Told to be strong and fear not verse 4
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
In that day verse 23
__________________________________________________________________
DONATIONS:
Remember that all donations to Small Church Ministries are greatly appreciated. The treasurer will send a receipt, at the end of the year unless otherwise requested. Please be sure to make check out to “Small Church Ministries.” The address for the treasurer is P.O. Box 604, East Amherst, New York 14051. A second way to give to the ministry is through PayPal on the website: www.smallchurchministries.org. Also, if you can support this ministry through your local church please use that method. Thank you.
_____________________________________________________________________
QUOTES regarding passage
2:9a. The restoration temple (this present house), Haggai said, would have a glory greater than the Solomonic temple (the former house) because during Herodian times the presence of the Messiah would adorn it (cf. Matt. 12:6; John 2:13–22). (The Herodian temple was a continuation, in a sense, of the postexilic “second” temple, not a “third” temple.) In addition, the ultimate fulfillment of this greater glory will be in the millennial temple. By building this postexilic temple the people would help advance God’s program of manifesting Himself in a central place of worship: the Solomonic temple, and the yet-future millennial temple. So their work was more than merely constructing a building; it was a spiritual work which would ultimately culminate in God’s millennial program.
2:9b. The blessings of the Messianic Age are summed up in a word—peace. This place probably refers to Jerusalem, not just the temple. Lasting peace in Jerusalem will result only from the presence of the Prince of Peace (cf. Isa. 9:6; Zech. 9:9–10). (Lindsey, F. D. (1985). Haggai. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1542). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
_______________________________________________________________
God not only promised the coming of Messiah and the glory of God in the future temples, but He also promised peace (Hag. 2:9). “In this place” refers to the city of Jerusalem where the Messiah will reign as “Prince of peace” (Isa. 9:6). Those who believe on Jesus today have peace with God (Rom. 5:1) because of His atoning death and victorious resurrection (Col. 1:20; John 20:19–21). They may also enjoy the “peace of God” as they yield to Christ and trust wholly in Him (Phil. 4:6–9).
Encouragement: God’s provision (Hag. 2:8). Finally, the Lord assured them that, in spite of the bad economy and their lack of wealth, He was able to provide all they needed. “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine” (v. 8). True, the remnant had promises of provision from the government (Ezra 1:4; 3:7; 6:4), but government grants are limited. God owns all the wealth, even the wealth stored in the king’s treasury, and He can distribute it as He desires. God promises to supply all our needs according to His riches in glory (Phil. 4:19).
It’s better to fail in an endeavor that you know will ultimately succeed than to succeed in an endeavor you know will ultimately fail. The humble temple the Jewish remnant was constructing would not last, and even Herod’s ornate temple would be destroyed by the Romans, but there would one day be a glorious temple that nobody could destroy or defile. Knowing this, the discouraged remnant could take courage and finish their work. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1997). Be heroic (pp. 75–76). Colorado Springs, CO: ChariotVictor Pub.)
____________________________________________________________
2:9 The latter glory of this house. The Jews viewed the temple in Jerusalem as one temple existing in different forms at different times. The rebuilt temple was considered a continuation of Solomon’s temple (cf. v. 3). However, the eschatological glory of the millennial temple, i.e., the latter temple, will far surpass even the grandeur of Solomon’s temple (the former temple). Cf. Eze 40–48 for the detailed description of the millennial temple. I will give peace. This peace is not limited to that peace which He gives to believers (e.g., Ro 5:1), but looks ahead to that ultimate peace when He returns to rule as the Prince of Peace upon the throne of David in Jerusalem (Is 9:6, 7; Zec 6:13; Ac 2:30). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Hag 2:9). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
____________________________________________________________
The remnant might be too poor to embellish the rebuilt temple, but His are the silver and the gold. Nothing shall hinder the manifestation of the glory when the set time has come. “The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts” (vers. 8, 9). The rendering of the A. V.—“the glory of this latter house”—is misleading, and has been generally taken by commentators to mean that the rebuilt temple, being hallowed by the personal presence of the Son of God was thus far greater than that of Solomon, despite the grandeur of the one and the paucity of the other. Some have supposed that the architectural beauty of the temple after Herod’s embellishments even surpassed that of the “house, exceeding magnifical,” built by the wise king. But this was by no means the case.
To the first interpretation there could be no real objection. It is beautiful and true in itself, but does not seem to be what is really meant to be conveyed here. “The latter glory of this house” refers undoubtedly to the millennial splendor of the temple depicted prophetically in Ezekiel 40 to 48. Men may speak of temples or houses of God, He speaks but of the temple, or the house. Whether the building erected by Solomon, Zerubbabel, or Herod, be contemplated; or whether that to be rebuilt by unbelieving Judah in the coming tribulation, or the millennial temple succeeding—all are denominated “the house” and “the temple” of God. It is one in His eyes. In that temple of old every whit of it uttered His glory. To that temple He came in grace only to be rejected. In that temple the Man of Sin shall yet sit. Cleansed, that temple shall be the centre of earth’s worship and thanksgiving for the Millennium. At present, in this interval of “the dispensation of the mystery,” God owns no material building as His abode. Believers in the aggregate, through the whole church period, are growing into a holy temple in the Lord. All saints on earth at a given time form the house of God, composed of living stones, who have come to the Living Stone.
Prophecy is not occupied with this spiritual building. It has to do with the earth, and earthly things. (Ironside, H. A. (1909). Notes on the Minor Prophets. (pp. 336–337). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)
______________________________________________________________-
Ver. 9. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts, &c.] The former, or first house, was the temple built by Solomon, which was a very glorious one, if we consider the vast treasure of riches laid up by David, and given to Solomon for the building of it; the great number of workmen employed in it; the stateliness of the fabric, the like to which was never seen, the model being drawn by the Lord himself; the decoration of it; the vessels in it; and, above all, the glory of the Lord that filled it, and continued in it; and yet this latter or second house exceeded it. It must be a glory very great indeed to exceed this! The Jews themselves own there were several things wanting in the latter which were in the former, as the ark, the Urim and Thummim, the fire from heaven, the Shechinah (or, as in some books, the anointing oil, and, in others, the cherubim), and the Holy Ghost: by one of their writers, they are reckoned in this order, the ark, the mercy-seat, and cherubim, one; the Shechinah or divine Majesty, the second; the Holy Ghost, which is prophecy, the third; Urim and Thummim the fourth: and the fire from heaven the fifth: what could there be in it to compensate the want of these, and put it upon a level, and even to cause it to excel the temple of Solomon? the excelling glory did not lie in the fabric; when the foundation of it was laid, the old men wept, because it came so short of the other; and, as the building rose, it was in their eyes as nothing; who were better judges than later Jews, who magnify the building of the second temple, depending upon the authority of Josephus ben Gorion, who is not to be trusted: nor did it lie in the duration of it, it continuing ten years longer, they sayo, than the former; which, if true, could not answer to the deficiencies before mentioned; or be an encouragement to the builders to go on in their work: nor in the riches brought into it by the Gentiles in the times of the Maccabees, which was very inconsiderable; and could never make it equal to Solomon’s temple, and much less preferable to it; nor by Alexander the great honouring it with his presence; for surely Solomon was greater than he. It remains, that what gave it the greater glory was the personal presence of the Messiah in it, his doctrines, and his miracles: and, or for, in this place will I give peace; saith the Lord of hosts; not temporal peace, for there was little of that during the second temple; witness the times of the Maccabees, and the wars with the Romans; but spiritual peace, through the blood and righteousness of Christ; peace with God; reconciliation for sin, through the sacrifice of the Son of God, in whom he is well-pleased; yea, Christ himself may be meant, the Prince of peace, the Man the peace, who is our peace, Isa. 9:6; Mic. 5:5; Ephes. 2:14. the author of peace between God and men, between Jew and Gentile; the giver of spiritual and eternal peace: him the Lord gave, put, and set in this place, the temple, as before observed; and where the Gospel of peace was preached, and from whence it went forth into all the world. The Arabic version adds, “peace of soul, I say, to be possessed by every one that labours to raise up this temple.” (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 6, p. 672). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
_____________________________________________________________
A further note of assurance appears in v.9. To a people discouraged because the temple they were building was so inferior to the one the Babylonians had destroyed (cf. v.3), God promised that the glory of the present house would be greater than the glory of the former house. Certainly it would be a different kind of glory, for there was no way that the actual building was grander. And it is hard to see in this verse an allusion to the future improvements to be made by the unbelieving Herod the Great. Most Christian commentators see in this verse, too, a messianic reference. The second temple was to be honored by the presence of Christ, a divine presence quite different from the shekinah of the OT. The latter part of v.9 bears this out.
The second promise is that God will grant peace to the place. In fact, there were few periods of enduring political peace in Palestine from this time on. But since Christ is the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6), this too is probably a reference to his work and ministry (Matt 12:6). These people were plagued by enemies without and discouragement within. The promise of peace, which they thought of first in political terms, was a comforting one indeed. The phrase may also be a play on words since Jerusalem means city of peace (“salem” = šālôm). (Alden, R. L. (1986). Haggai. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Daniel and the Minor Prophets (Vol. 7, pp. 586–587). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
______________________________________________________________
2:9 The prophet now underscores the anticipated glory of the rebuilt temple, perhaps with the temple scene of Isa 6:2–4 in mind. In that passage the trishagion uttered by the seraphim (“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty”) calls attention to the presence of divine glory throughout the entire earth.
The NIV translation of the first part of v. 9 is problematic. The Hebrew reads literally, “Great will be the glory of this house the latter.” The problem concerns which word (“house” or “glory”) is modified by the adjective “latter” (hāʾaḥărôn). Does Haggai mean “the glory of this latter house” (so NIV, KJV, NKJV), or does he mean “the latter glory of this house” (so NASV, NRSV, NAB, NLT)? The word order in the Hebrew text is significant for determining the meaning. The demonstrative adjective “this” (hazzeh) immediately follows the word “house” (habbayit), leaving the expression “the latter” (hāʾaḥărôn) outside of that construction (“the glory of this house”). This almost certainly means that the word “glory” rather than the word “house” is modified by the word “latter.” For the meaning “the glory of this present house” (NIV) we would expect the demonstrative to follow the word translated “present” rather than precede it.67 It is preferable to understand the phrase in 2:9 to mean “the latter glory of this house” rather than “the glory of this latter house.” This understanding is confirmed by v. 3, which speaks of “this house in its former glory.”
Haggai does not explain exactly how this promise will come to fruition. He apparently expected the rebuilt temple to be acknowledged to some extent within a short time even by the Gentiles as a religious center deserving their honor. Many Christian interpreters recognize a more distant and complete fulfillment in the status afforded the temple by the presence of Jesus during his first advent (cf. Luke 2:25–38) and to an even greater degree at his second advent.
Haggai’s second sermon concludes with a promise that “in this place I will grant peace” (ûbammāqôm hazzeh ʾettēn šālôm). The NIV translates the Hebrew conjunction as “and,” but it is probably best understood here in a causal sense: “because in this place I will give peace.”71 The statement in part is an explanation of the earlier part of the verse, showing why the latter glory of this temple will be greater than its former glory. The words may be an allusion to the Aaronic blessing found in Num 6:24–26, the final colon of which expresses a wish for the Lord’s peace to rest upon the recipient of the benediction. By “peace” is meant more than the mere absence of conflict and strife. The Hebrew word šālôm speaks of wellness and soundness in a holistic way. Whether “this place” in v. 9 refers specifically to the temple, as seems likely, or in a general way to the city of Jerusalem,73 as is possible, is not clear. The word māqôm is often used in the Old Testament in reference to a sacred site chosen by the Lord. But the word is also used as a synonym for Jerusalem (e.g., 2 Kgs 22:16; Jer 7:3; 19:3). In Hag 2:9 perhaps neither antecedent should be entirely excluded, since both city and sanctuary will be blessed objects in the fulfillment of the promise. (Taylor, R. A., & Clendenen, E. R. (2004). Haggai, Malachi (Vol. 21A, pp. 167–168). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
______________________________________________________________
FROM MY READING:
Let’s not deceive ourselves. Nothing we think of as new is going to give us a way out of the brokenness. That stuff is all meaningless. No change of job, no increased income, no new home, no new electronic device, or no new spouse is going to make things better inside of you. This is what Solomon is lamenting. (p. 118, The Explicit Gospel by Matt Chandler)
_________________________________________________________________
TOZERSPEAKS by A. W. Tozer
As your pastor, just let me say that I expect you to vote as a good Christian citizen, but that’s your own business. If you do not vote, I am not going to needle you about that. I can only remind you that every nation pretty much gets the kind of leaders it deserves. (p. 367)
Every congregation with a true desire for the knowledge of God must continually seek and reach out –determining its own needs and what it should be to be well pleasing to the LORD. (p. 370)
The Lord will turn HIS blessing to some small mission, to simple-hearted people somewhere whose greatest possession is the desire to love God and to obey HIM. (p. 375)
____________________________________________________________
Amos 9
Israel’s sin must be judged, but God offers hope of restoration.
INSIGHT
God reveals a warning of judgment on Israel through visions to Amos. One vision is a plumb line which God says He will hold up against the “wall” of Jerusalem, and it will be demonstrated that the wall is leaning and will fall (Amos 7:7-9). Another vision is of summer fruit in a basket which, left unattended, will rot and be good only for throwing out (chapter 8). Famine, military conquest, and pestilence are among the consequences of judgment. Israel does not repent and judgment comes, but Amos holds out the promise of eventual restoration. (Quiet Walk)
____________________________________________________________
The Rock of Offense
“Give glory to the LORD your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.” (Jeremiah 13:16)
The figurative representations of Christ as the foundation rock of the great spiritual house of God (Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 2:20; 1 Peter 2:6) and also as the water-yielding rock of sustenance in the wilderness (1 Corinthians 10:4) are two of the great symbols of the Bible.
But for those who reject Him, He becomes “a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offense. . . . And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken” (Isaiah 8:14-15).
Not only will the stone cause such a one to stumble, but Jesus said, “And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder” (Matthew 21:44). This figure is taken from the fall of the great image in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. “Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet . . . and brake them to pieces” (Daniel 2:34). All the kingdoms of the world were represented in the image, but “the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth” (Daniel 2:35).
“Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient” (1 Peter 2:7-8).
Thus, the stone of stumbling, which is Christ, is also the Word, and it is deadly dangerous to stumble over the holy Scriptures. One should give glory to God before darkness falls and he stumbles upon the dark mountain in the shadow of death.
(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
_____________________________________________________________
THE NAMES OF THE DEVIL
Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.
Ephesians 2:2
What does the Bible tell us about the devil? First of all, let us consider some of the names that are applied to him in the Scriptures. He is referred to as “Satan,” and the word Satan means “adversary.” He is also referred to as “the devil,” and devil means “slanderer.” He is also described as “Beelzebub,” which means that he is the prince of the devils. He is described as “Apollyon” and as “the angel of the bottomless pit.” He is called “the prince of this world” and “the god of this world.” He is described as “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2). He is referred to as “the dragon,” as a lion, as “Lucifer, that old serpent,” and, perhaps one of the most significant names of all, as “the evil one.”
Now you will often find in the New Testament that whereas in the King James Version the word “evil” is sometimes used, it is probably true to say that it should be “the evil one.” Sometimes you will find “wicked” when it should be “the wicked one.” There are those who say that when we pray, “deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13), it should be, “deliver us from the evil one.” And when John, in the last chapter of his first epistle, says that the “whole world lieth in wickedness,” he is undoubtedly saying that the whole world lies in “the wicked one” (1 John 5:19).
In the same way in John 17 when our Lord prays in His high priestly prayer, “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil,” it should be translated “from the evil one” (verse 15). It is a most important term–the evil one.
A Thought to Ponder: The devil is referred to as “Satan,” and the word Satan means “adversary.”
(From God the Father, God the Son, pp. 116-117, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
_________________________________________________________
My pastor recently told me that 25 years ago, the first person that people would contact when they faced a marriage crisis was their pastor. Ten years ago, he continued, it was their counselor or psychiatrist. Today, it’s their lawyers.
A recent study conducted by the Associated Press and the University of Chicago concurs. “Doctors, teachers, members of the military,” and scientists are, according to the survey, esteemed “more positively than clergy.” Among infrequent churchgoers, clergy are viewed as negatively as lawyers. (For the record, that last line came from a member of our editorial team who’s been admitted to the bar in two states.)
As my pastor observed, the declining respect for clergy is a trend both in and out of the church, including among those who attend church frequently. While 75 percent of churchgoers “hold clergy in high regard,” they aren’t as positive when it comes to personal attributes and character qualities of their clergy. Barely half consider clergy to be trustworthy, and only slightly more regard them as “honest and intelligent.”
Remember these are people who attend church at least once a month! Among those who seldom or never attend church, the respective numbers on those questions are 23 and 30 percent.
The obvious question is why?
At least a significant part of the answer is cultural. As Religion News Service pointed out, “Historians say public attitudes about clergy have been waning since the 1970s, in tandem with the loss of trust in institutions after the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal.”
Actually, the decline in trust and disregard for institutions predates Watergate and the end of the Vietnam War. After all, the 1964 Free Speech movement at Berkeley had a signature saying: “We don’t trust anyone over thirty.” It’s a line that came to sum up the view of many Baby Boomers towards all authority. Governmental, parental, and clerical included.
Institutions like governments and churches were, at best, obstacles, and at worst enemies of personal liberation. Though the VW vans that dotted the Woodstock landscape have long since rusted away, the commitment to personal liberation and autonomy has only intensified in the half-century since then.
Today, many Americans embrace expressions of personal liberation that wouldn’t have even occurred to the people dancing to Santana in the New York mud. It’s one thing to think you’re liberated from “the man.” It’s another to think you’re liberated from observable reality.
But, if we Christians are honest with ourselves, we’ll admit that cultural attitudes toward authority and institutions aren’t the only reason for the waning respect when it comes to clergy. Some are the result of self-inflicted wounds.
Scarcely a week goes by without another report of clergy sex-abuse and/or some other horrible conduct. Given the scope and sheer number of these scandals and the fact that they cross denominational lines from Roman Catholic to Protestant to Evangelical, it would be a miracle if regard for the clergy had not diminished.
This is tragic news because so many lives have been devastated, and because so many people personally know someone who’s life has been devastated. I don’t need to tell you that the vast majority of clergy are honest and caring people who have answered the Lord’s call to shepherd His flock and are doing what they do out of love for others. But, their reputation is harmed also.
That’s what makes this such a huge loss—because when done right, clergy can represent, embody, and offer a kind of love that is simply indispensable during the inevitable bad times we face. It’s indispensable to individuals, families, communities, and to our entire nation. Theirs is a role uniquely gifted to the church, and one that cannot be replicated across the spectrum of society. And what they offer is especially missed when it’s needed most. (Break Point)
____________________________________________________________
We now have a Facebook page for Small Church Ministries – please invite others to join us on Facebook. Thank you. Look for the logo from the devotionals.