Ezra 1:1 – 5:1; Haggai; Zechariah 1 – 3

Then it was over. While it was not a nice, neat and clean end, waves of exiles departed from Babylon and returned to Judah. Like the start of the captivity, it was a process more than event. I’m sure the people probably had expectations, priorities and fears. We know that Yahweh had expectations and priorities.

Thus says the LORD of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.” Then the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.

Haggai 1:2-6

The LORD knew the hearts of the people, and while they were broken from idolatry, the process of returning to Yahweh was not complete. They seemed to be saying we need to get our lives put back together and then we will build the temple and restore our relationship with the LORD. His answer was that apart from Him they had no life. Without obedience in faith, life is a fruitless harvest… an unsatisfying meal … an unquenching drink … a money bag that hold no coins. The house of the LORD and the sacrifices and offerings and incense and showbread before the presence of God in the Most Holy Place was life for them.

Just as life as they knew it ended because of their unfaithfulness, their new life could not begin without faithfulness.

Far too often, people see their spiritual life in the same way as the Jews returning to the Promised Land. Let me get my life together and then I will devote myself to God. We no longer need build a physical temple, because the temple that is the dwelling place of God is our body. But, we simply cannot get our lives “right’ apart from God. If we could, we wouldn’t need Him. Take care of the spiritual things first and the rest will take care of itself.

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Matthew 6:25-34

Worry and planning for food, clothing and money take our focus away from what God has put us here to accomplish. The Jews were put in the land to surround the temple, fill the temple and be a praise to God that would be a light to the Gentiles. They quickly found they were not getting anything accomplished. The same is true for us. The physical things cannot take first priority. Take care of the spiritual first in order to accomplish what God intends for you to accomplish. Be the temple, fill the earth and be salt and light to the lost. Any other effort at “getting your life together” is as fruitless as putting your coins in a bag full of holes.

Consider His nature.  Consider His ways.  Strive to love Him more!