Lesson 427 - Junior

Memory Verse

"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (I Corinthians 3:16).

Notes

The Temple of God

In the two short chapters of the Book of Haggai are written four sermons. Haggai preached them to the Jews who were living in Jerusalem more than 500 years before Jesus was born, but God had them recorded in the Bible for our benefit, too. Haggai may not have had even a pulpit from which to speak, because the Temple that had been started with a good foundation about sixteen years before, when the Jews first returned from Babylonian captivity, had been left unfinished.

What about the spiritual foundation that God laid in your heart when you were saved? Have you continued to build? Or has the temple of your heart been left unfinished?

Years before in this same place where Haggai was preaching, Solomon's costly Temple had been built with such perfectly fitted stones, timbers and gold that not a sound of hammer was heard as the Temple was erected. When the Temple was finished and dedicated, God showed His pleasure by sending His Holy Spirit like a cloud in the midst of the worshipers. The priests and musicians were not able to minister, because of the glory of God.

Captivity and Return

As time went on God's people sinned. They served idols instead of the living God. They refused to pay attention to the prophets whom God sent to reprove and correct them. They went on in their sins until God per¬mitted them to be taken into captivity by King Nebuchadnezzar and their beautiful Temple was destroyed.

After 70 years, according to God's Word, the Persian King Cyrus had issued a decree, or order, that those whose spirit God had stirred up should go back to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. They got timbers from Lebanon and laid the foundation, but right away their enemies came and caused them to stop. Then they quit trying. They did not quit working, but instead of working for the Lord they worked for themselves.

They worked hard building beautiful homes. They planted gardens and vineyards for themselves, but nothing for the Lord.

God's Displeasure

God saw this and was not pleased. So it came to pass that though they worked early and late to cultivate the ground, the crops were small. Their grape vineyards bore only a little. The ground was parched and dry because there was no rain. Their flocks did not produce enough wool for their clothing. They worked hard but it seemed there was never enough for them and their families.

God wanted to help the Israelites, so He sent Haggai to tell them just why they were in trouble. God said it was because they had let the enemy hinder them. The message was, "Consider your ways." Think about how you are living. They had time and money to build houses of their own, but no time to build the house of God; therefore God had withheld the rain.

Sometimes there is no rain in parts of our country. The ground is dry and the crops are small. But how many people consider that it may be because of the sins of the people.

Have you quit resisting the devil and let your zeal for reading the Bible, for attending church and praying at the altar grow cold? Consider. Has the blessing of God gone from your life?

Action

When Haggai preached to these people in Jerusalem they believed it was a message from God and not the word of a man only. The fear of God was in their heart and Zerubbabel, the governor, and Joshua, the priest, and all the people went back to building the Temple, and God was with them.

When you hear your minister preach, do you open your heart and let God talk to you? [1TS:2:13]).

As the walls were built higher and the material to complete the Temple was gathered, God saw that some of the older men who had seen Solomon's Temple in its glory were sad because this Temple was as nothing in comparison.

Encouragement

So God sent a message of encouragement. He said, "Be strong" to continue and finish this good work of building the house of God because "I am with you." That is our highest aim today --- that God will be with us and be pleased to dwell in our churches. And He will if we, the members, are humble and obedient, for God says in [ISA:57:15]: "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit."

Then God made a statement that must have been a mystery to many who heard it: "The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace." Their Temple was not greater than Solomon's Temple in costly materials -- stones, timbers and gold. But the prophet, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, was looking far into the distance, beyond the time when Jesus was to come as a Babe in the manger of Bethlehem, on to the time when He would come again to set up His earthly kingdom in a truly grander Temple, one that is yet to be built in Jerusalem.

"And in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts." Jesus is coming this second time as the Prince of Peace to reign a thousand years upon the earth. In order to have a part in Jesus' kingdom of a thousand years of peace we must be careful to build and guard the temple of our heart now. That is our building project today, and the Word is the same, "Be strong, and work."

Hindrance

At this very time when Zerubbabel and Joshua and all the people were busy building the house of God, enemies came again to try to stop the work (Ezra 5). So it is when you are intent on building for God, the enemy will come to you. He may come in the form of a friend or even someone of your family who will say, "It isn't important that you attend church as often as you do." When you do go to church, the enemy himself may whisper in your ear, "Don't pray tonight; your friend is waiting for you." If you listen, the temple of your heart is neglected.

God wants to stir our heart to keep on building, and He will if we listen to the preaching of the Word of God.

The Contagion of Sin

In the third message, God told Haggai to ask the priests concerning the Law of Moses, if the skirt of a priest who is sanctified touches the meat offering of fine flour and oil or an animal sacrifice that is brought to the Temple, would it make the offering holy? They said, No. But if a person who is unholy and unclean touches any of these offerings, would the offerings be unclean? The answer was, Yes. God said, "So is this people, . . . and so is every work of their hands."

This meant that it is easy to be influenced by being in the company of unsaved people, but no matter how much a person comes to church and associates with the people of God, salvation comes only when that person seeks God himself.

These people had been neglecting the work and service of God and had been serving their own selfish desires so that all they did was unclean and not acceptable to God.

Did you ever think about selfishness being unclean and that it is contagious? Beware of associating with people who are selfish and more interested in doing things for themselves than for God. Paul, the Apostle, wrote to the people of Corinth with these words, "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing" [2CO:6:17]).

God showed the people that though they had not been blessed when they were working for themselves, now that they were doing God's will in building the Temple, His blessing on their crops and homes and families would be restored at once.

A Challenge

The prophet's last message is more than an encouragement. It is a challenge to all Christians through all time to keep the temple of their soul well built and in good repair, for Jesus is coming! We know not the day nor the hour of His coming, but we see the signs. We who are ready will be caught up to be with Him while the sinful nations are being shaken by great judgments. Then we will come back with Him riding on white horses [REV:19:14]) when He comes to put down all sin and rebellion and takes His throne in the Temple at Jerusalem.

We love to feel His presence here. But how glorious will be His presence when the people of all nations will go yearly to Jerusalem and see Him and listen to His gracious words!

If we keep the temple of our soul clean by faithful reading of the Bible, praying, and keeping busy in the service of God, it will be worth it all when Jesus comes.

Questions

1. How do we know that the Jews of Haggai's time did not have enough food and clothing to supply their needs?

2. What reason did God give for the fact that they were not blessed?

3. When we in our nations do not have rain enough for our crops, what is sometimes the reason?

4. Who was talking to the Jews of Jerusalem when Haggai preached?

5. Who talks to us when our minister preaches?

6. What temple are we to build today?

7. To what time was the Lord referring when He said, "The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former"?

8. What illustration did Haggai give to show that sin is contagious, but righteousness comes only by seeking the Lord?