June 12, 2014 (Thursday)
Haggai was born in Babylon during the captivity. When captives were allowed to return to Judah, he came to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel (a descendant of King David), who was appointed governor of Judah by the king of Persia. The relatively small number of returnees had begun work on rebuilding the Temple, but their work had been interrupted by Samaritans and others and work had stopped for about fourteen years. The people were growing accustomed to the status quo and were giving up on the idea of rebuilding the Temple. Haggai attempted to restore the hope and to stir them up to action. Four special messages were shared with the people to motivate them, and they got back to work, completing the project in about four years.
Haggai – A devotional thought
The prophecy of Haggai is usually used as a text for sermons during building programs of churches. Seldom does a preacher let the opportunity go by without reminding the church folks of Haggai’s telling the people of Judah that it was not right for them to live in their own comfortable homes while God’s house is still just a dream.
Attempts have been made to have churches without buildings, but as far as I know, none have been able to continue growth for very long without the provision of some sort of structure. That means a building program of some kind, supported by generosity, which flows from people who love God.
