IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Daily Bread

Because of My House

Date: Oct. 30, 2014

Passage

Haggai 1:1-15  (ESV)

In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest: “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.

“Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the LORD. You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the LORD of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house. 10 Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. 11 And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the ground brings forth, on man and beast, and on all their labors.”

12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him. And the people feared the LORD. 13 Then Haggai, the messenger of the LORD, spoke to the people with the LORD’s message, “I am with you, declares the LORD.” 14 And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.

Daily Bread

Introduction to Haggai

Key Verse: 1:5

Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways.

First, so that I may take pleasure in it (1-11). According to God's power and grace, a remnant of the people of Israel returned to the land of Israel to rebuild the house of the Lord. They began with zeal, but when they met resistance from the local people the work came to a stop. They reasoned that it wasn't the right time for the Lord's house to be built. As time went by everyone became busy with his own house and his own life, while the temple-the house of the Lord-remained in ruins. This was the time when the Lord spoke through the prophet Haggai. In his word he challenged the people to give careful thought to their ways, to discern their lives in light of the Lord and his word. Then they could see that all of their struggles were given by the Lord, so that they could come back to him, to once again build the temple and their lives for the purpose of pleasing the Lord.

Second, the people obey (12-15). The people repented and feared the Lord. They accepted Haggai as God's servant and his message as God's word. The Lord stirred up their spirits, and they once again came back to build the temple.

Prayer: Lord, help me to repent my busy life, give careful thought to your word and build my life to please you.

One Word: A life built on God's word

Daily Bread

Take Words with You

Hosea 14:1-9

Key Verse: 14:2

  Take with you words
    and return to the LORD;
  say to him,
    “Take away all iniquity;
  accept what is good,
    and we will pay with bulls
    the vows of our lips.

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Intro Daily