Haggai has preached twice to the people of Israel, to the remnant that had returned from Babylon under the command of King Cyrus.

He called the people to work for the Lord and to consider their ways. Difficult circumstances had caused them to stop building the Temple and for the most part, they had given us building it completely. They declared the time to build the Temple had not come, but the time to build their own houses and live their own lives had come. In truth, they were living for themselves. This was a call by Haggai for them to consider their ways.

Then, Haggai came back on the scene about 50 days later after the people repented and began working in the Temple. This time the message is different. Yes, they repented of the attitudes of blowing off God’s work, but now their attitudes stunk regarding the new Temple. It was less in their sight than Solomon’s original Temple. The focus of Haggai’s second message was to have Israel stop looking at the Temple itself, and start looking at God. It was a call to consider the Lord. This new Temple would be greater than the first because of God and what God would do. There is a powerful truth for us to consider in this. Don’t look at the past and don’t compare. Look to God and keep your spiritual eyes centered on Him.

Now, Haggai is back on the scene for a third message. It is one week shy of four months since the first message and two months since the second message. He has another message. This message reveals more of why God’s judgment was upon Israel. Yes, it was for the lack of desire to work for God, but that lack of desire for God caused severe sinfulness in the way they were living. How true is this today? Christians that walk away from God, Christians that slowly backslide, Christians that focus on their own lives instead of yielding to the Spirit of God, end up living in sin.