As believers in Christ, we need to be reminded to care first for the building up of God’s house for His satisfaction, not care first for our house or our things.
The building up of the church as the house of God is related to the welfare of God’s people today; we need to not delay or make excuses related to God’s building but have the recovery of the building up of the house of God in our daily life and church life.
This week we come to another wonderful crystal in the books of 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther; this one is related to the book of Haggai, who lived at the time of Ezra and Nehemiah.
The topic for this week is, The Recovery of the Building of the House of God through the Divine Encouragement of the Prophets of God.
Haggai and Zechariah functioned as priests to speak the word of God to His people and remind them to return to the rebuilding of the house of God.
This included also the strengthening of Joshua the high priest and Zerubbabel the governor of Judah; they represent two chief offices in God’s economy both in the Old and the New Testament.
When the priesthood and the kingship falter or become weak and unable to do their job or discharge their duty, there’s the need for the office of prophethood.
God sent prophets to His people, especially when the priests and the kings failed; the prophets came in to speak the word of God to encourage and warn the people to continue in the carrying out of God’s economy.
The prophets of God are those who give divine encouragement; their work is to encourage, to strengthen the weary hands, to lift up the morale of the people, and to stir up their spirit.
Also, at times, as it was necessary, they were there to rebuke the people of God according to the Lord’s instruction.
In the times of Ezra and Nehemiah in particular there was a need for the encouragement of God’s people to rebuild the house of God.
Today in the church life we are learning to be prophets in the sense of speaking for God and speaking God forth.
As we speak one with the Lord, we need to encourage others in the great work of building up the house of God.
God desires to gain a house on earth where He can live and dwell in and among His people.
On one hand, we need to enjoy Christ as our life and live because of Him; this is for our personal Christian life.
On the other hand, we need to give ourselves for the building up of the house of God, the church, for Him to have a habitation on earth.
The Bible is a book of life and building, and both are crucial in our Christian life.
The heavens are the Lord’s throne, and the earth is the footstool for His feet, but where is the house that we as His people can build for Him (Isa. 66:1)? Where is the place of His rest?
God has the heaven and the earth, but neither qualifies to be His dwelling place, His habitation.
He is looking for a particular kind of person, a man created in His image and according to His likeness, who is poor and of a contrite spirit, who trembles at His word.
God desires to dwell with man; He is not looking for a building made of brick and mortar but a building composed of living human beings who are built together in His life to be His habitation.
The Building of the House of God is Related to the Welfare of God’s People – we need to be reminded to Build God’s House!
In the rebuilding of the recovered temple as the house of God after the people of Israel returned from captivity in Babylon, both Joshua and Zerubabbel became somewhat weak and discouraged.
Therefore, God used the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to speak for Him in order to strengthen, assist, and encourage Joshua and Zerubbabel (see Ezra 5:1-2; 1 Cor. 14:3).
The building work is done directly by the functioning of the priesthood (signified by Joshua the high priest) and the kingship (signified by Zerubbabel, the leader) among God’s people.
But when the priesthood and the kingship are weak and become discouraged, the saints may stop building up the house of God, and the work of rebuilding may stop.
Sometimes the work would stop for years, for a long period of time.
There is the need, therefore, for prophets to rise up and strengthen, assist, and encourage the priesthood and kingship so that all God’s people would do the direct work of building.
The central thought of Haggai’s prophecy is that the building of the house of God, the temple of God, is related to the welfare of God’s people today and to the coming of the millennial kingdom with its Messiah in the age of restoration (Hag. 1:2-5, 7-8, 9b, 14; 2:6-9, 20-23; Matt. 19:28; Acts 3:20-21).
The children of Israel are a type of us, the church people, and their history is a type of our spiritual history.
Today we need to be encouraged and reminded to build God’s house, for many times we are weak, discouraged, and disheartened.
What God is after is His house, the church as the temple of God and the habitation of God.
In the Old Testament, the house of God or the temple of God was first a type of Christ as the house of God individually, and then a type of the church, the Body of Christ, as the house of God corporately (John 2:19-21; 1 Tim. 3:15).
The house of God was first Christ, the One in whom the fullness of the Godhead dwelt bodily, and then it is the enlarged Christ, the church as the Body of Christ.
The house of Jehovah spoken of in the Old Testament refers to us, the New Testament believers, since we’re the reality of this type.
Haggai’s speaking to Zerubbabel, the governor, and Joshua, the high priest, was to strengthen and encourage them and the people for the rebuilding of the temple as God’s house (Ezra 5:1; Hag. 1:1).
What the Lord is after is not only the welfare of His people; in spite of the prevalent so-called “prosperity gospel” among Christians today, what God is after is not our prosperity individually but He’s after His house.
God desires to gain a built-up church as the Body of Christ to be His habitation today so that He can come in, be in and among His people, and be expressed and represented through His people.
However, many times we forget about God’s house, even as the children of Israel did, and we go after our own business, our own affairs, and our own house.
So we need to be reminded that, if we want to go well with us and prosper in the things we’re doing and seeking, we need to seek first the kingdom of God and build up the church as the house of God.
It is so amazing to see that the way Jehovah dealt with the returned captives in Jerusalem in the days of Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, and Zechariah, signifies the way He is dealing with us in His recovery.
May we open to Him and return to the rebuilding of the house of God!
Lord Jesus, we love You and we love what You love – the church as the house of God! Amen, Lord, cause us to see that the building of the church as the house of God is related to the welfare of God’s people today. Strengthen us into our inner man and enable us to go on with You so that we may return to the building up of the house of God! May we see that God is after His house, His habitation, the church as the Body of Christ! Save us from going after our own things and caring for our own house more than caring for God’s house! Speak to us, Lord, encourage us, and bring us back to the rebuilding of the church as the house of God so that You may have a habitation on earth. Gain the built-up church as the organic Body of Christ where You can dwell in and among man for Your corporate expression and representation!
We need to be Absolute for the Recovery of the Building of God’s House, Taking Care of the Lord’s House First and not of our own House
If we read Haggai chapter 1 we will see the desire of God’s heart, which is the recovery of the building of God’s house.
He sent Haggai the prophet to speak to the children of Israel and expose their situation.
The people of Israel said that it was not yet time to build up the house of God, yet they built their own houses and dwelt in their panelled-up houses, while the house of God lies waste.
So the Lord asked them to consider their ways. They have sown much, but they brought in little. They ate, but there was no satisfaction. They drank, but there was no being filled with drink.
They dressed themselves, but there was no warmth in doing so. They earned wages, but they put the wages in a bag with holes.
So the Lord asked them to consider their ways and care first for the house of God.
They were to go up to the mountain and bring wood and build the house so that God would take pleasure in it and be glorified.
They looked for much, yet it had amounted to little; when they brought it home, God blew on it.
Why? Because God’s house lies waste while each person ran to their own house.
The self-serving and God-neglecting returned captives were taking care of their houses but not Jehovah’s house.
They were so busy taking care of their own houses and affairs, but when it came to caring for God’s house, they said it was not yet time for this. Oh, Lord.
This is not just something that the people of Israel did in the Old Testament; this is something that we many times do.
Many times we run after our own things, care for our own affairs, and build up our own house, but God’s house lies waste, and we have no heart or time for God’s house. Oh, Lord Jesus!
Haggai 1:6 indicates that, if we neglect the church, we will have no real enjoyment or satisfaction.
We may seek to do this and that related to our own house, our family, and our affairs, but because we don’t take care of the Lord’s house first, all we do amounts to nothing.
If we neglect the church as the house of God, we have no real satisfaction or enjoyment.
Regarding the recovery of the building of God’s house, we cannot be neutral; we need to be absolute.
God is not looking for half-hearted people who spare some time for God’s house, but most of the time is spent on their own things and on their own affairs.
We need to consider our own ways.
We need to be absolute, either taking care of our houses first or taking care of the Lord’s house first (Matt. 6:33; Luke 9:57-62; Phil. 2:20-21).
Haggai came and rebuked God’s people, speaking to them a word from God concerning their situation and their need to return to the rebuilding of the house of God.
Today the Lord speaks to us and reminds us, encourages us, and even warns us regarding the recovery of the building up of the house of God: we either are for the building up of our own house first or for the rebuilding of His house first.
Are we taking care of our own panelled-up houses, our own interests, our own needs, and our own pleasure and convenience? Or are we taking care of God’s house first?
Why are we here? Are we here to rebuild a house for God, so that He will take pleasure in it and be glorified, or are we here to build up our own house and take care of our own affairs first?
We may work so hard and yet earn so little, and even the little we earn seems to fly away and be spent so quickly.
We invest so much in our time to take care of our own house and our own affairs, but what about God’s house and His interest on earth?
We may be so busy taking care of our family and business that we don’t have time for the meetings of the church. Oh, Lord.
![You have sown much, but you bring in little; you eat, but there is no satisfaction; you drink, but there is no being filled with drink; you dress yourselves, but there is no warmth in doing so; and he who earns wages, earns wages [to put them] into a bag with holes. Thus says Jehovah of hosts, Consider your ways. Go up to the mountain and bring wood and build the house, and I will take pleasure in it and will be glorified, says Jehovah. You looked for much, and yet [it amounted] to little; and when you brought it home, I blew on it. Why? declares Jehovah of hosts. Because of My house that lies waste while you each run to your own house. Hag. 1:6-9](https://i0.wp.com/www.agodman.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/You-have-sown-much-but-you-bring-in-little-you-eat-but-there-is-no-satisfaction-you-drink-but-there-is-no-being-filled-with-drink-683x1024.webp?resize=400%2C600&ssl=1 "You have sown much, but you bring in little; you eat, but there is no satisfaction; you drink, but there is no being filled with drink; you dress yourselves, but there is no warmth in doing so; and he who earns wages, earns wages [to put them] into a bag with holes. Thus says Jehovah of hosts, Consider your ways. Go up to the mountain and bring wood and build the house, and I will take pleasure in it and will be glorified, says Jehovah. You looked for much, and yet [it amounted] to little; and when you brought it home, I blew on it. Why? declares Jehovah of hosts. Because of My house that lies waste while you each run to your own house. Hag. 1:6-9")
May we not try to be neutral but rather, be absolute for the building up of the house of God, the church.
We need to set aside time for the Lord’s interests. Many sinners are waiting for our visitation.
The Lord gave us many neighbours which need to be visited for the gospel.
Many young ones need our shepherding and encouragement. Many young families need our visitation and shepherding.
May we seek the Lord’s kingdom first and not our own business and house first.
We have a job, and we may have a career that seems to be on the up and up, but what is it all for?
We have a family which needs our constant attention, and we need to raise our children, but we need to be absolute for the house of God.
This doesn’t mean we don’t care for our job and our family; it means that we take care of our responsibilities in the human life, but God’s house is first.
The church is first. The priority is the church as the house of God, the habitation of God on earth.
May we open to the Lord about it and honestly tell Him,
Lord Jesus, we love You and we love Your house, the church as the Body of Christ. We give ourselves to You for the building up of the house of God. Lord, we want to seek You and Your kingdom first, trusting You for all the other things. Save us from taking care of our house first and leaving some time for the house of God later. Save us from making ourselves so busy with the things related to our house and neglecting Your house, the church. Oh Lord, save us from being neutral in regard to the rebuilding of Your house. We want to be absolute for Your house. We want to be absolute for the rebuilding of the house of God so that God would have a habitation on earth. Lord Jesus, we want to consider our ways. We want to go up to the mountain, bring wood, and build the house of God. We want to be absolute for the building up of the church so that God would take pleasure in it and be glorified!
References and Hymns on this Topic
- Inspiration for this article/sharing comes from the Word of God, the enjoyment in the ministry, a sharing by brother Minoru Chen in the message for this week, and portions from, Life-study of Haggai, msg. 1 (by Witness Lee), as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Crystallization-study of 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther (2022 winter training), week 4, entitled, The Recovery of the Building of the House of God through the Divine Encouragement of the Prophets of God.
- Further reading on this topic:
– God’s building being to obtain a house, a portion from, The Building Work of God, Chapter 1, by Witness Lee.
– Are “House Churches” Biblical? “House churches,” in which believers meet in a house as a separate, independent unit of administration, are a popular means of circumventing the biblical pattern of keeping the oneness of the unique Body of Christ in local churches. A portion from, Shepherding Words.
– Building up the church by prophesying with a living spirit, a portion from, Enjoying the Riches of Christ for the Building Up of the Church as the Body of Christ, Chapter 12, by Witness Lee.
– Throughout the history of the church, many scholars have contributed to our understanding and appreciation of the Bible, the Christian faith, and church history. Read some of the quotes on the Church via, LC Testimony.
– Coals burning coals, a testimony of enjoying the Lord in the church life with the saints via, Ordinary Days.
– Jehovah’s rebuke and charge concerning the delay of the building of His house, a portion from Life-Study of the Minor Prophets, Chapter 31. - Hymns on this topic:
– This is the time for building the temple of the Lord / That all the local churches may fully be restored. / ’Tis not the time for our house while God’s house lieth waste— / O brothers, for God’s building, rise up, make haste! (Hymns #1254 stanza 1)
– How blinded we have been, / Shut in with what concerns us; / While God’s house lieth waste— / Lord, break through, overturn us; / We’ll go up to the mountain, / Bring wood and build the house; / We’ll never say, “Another day!” / It’s time! We’ll come and build! (Hymns #1248 stanza 2)
– The church life here is realized, / ’Tis all the Lord intended; / And in this rich experience / All further seeking’s ended. / The church life is His glorious will— / Now for yourself begin it. / The surest way to know His will / Is simply to get in it. (Hymns #1249 stanza 3)
About aGodMan
In [Hag.] 1:2-6, 9-11 we have Jehovah’s rebuke. The people’s excuse for delaying to rebuild the house of Jehovah…was [that] the time had not yet come [v. 2]. The people’s excuse is followed by Jehovah’s question. “…Is it time for you yourself to dwell in your paneled-up houses, while this house lies waste?” (vv. 3-4).
They were taking care of their houses but not Jehovah’s house, so He came in to ask them concerning His house. In verses 5, 6, and 9 through 11 we have Jehovah’s dealing with the selfcaring and God-neglecting returned captives.
In His dealing, the first thing Jehovah did was to charge the people to consider their ways (v. 5). Jehovah pointed out that the returned captives had sown much but had brought in little; that they had eaten and drunk but without satisfaction; that they had clothed themselves but without being warmed; and that they had earned wages to put them into a bag with holes (v. 6).
This tells us that if we do not have the heart to take care of God’s house for His satisfaction, no matter how much we eat or drink or how well we dress ourselves, there will be no satisfaction if we neglect the church, we will have no real enjoyment or satisfaction.
Life-study of Haggai, msg. 1, by Witness Lee
If we neglect the church as the house of God, we will have no real enjoyment and satisfaction.
We need to take care of God’s house first, being first for the building up of the church and not for our own house. Oh Lord!
May we consider our ways and never say that we will build God’s house later.
May we seek first the kingdom of God and build up the church so that God would take pleasure in it and be glorified!
Amen… thank you lord Jesus for your building….
The only house that matters! Oh may this be our reality and only enjoyment !
If we neglect the building of God’s house, we will have no real enjoyment or satisfaction. In God’s eyes, there is no room for neutrality.
We were made to be for God and to deal with His enemy on Earth.
Thus, we must always consider our ways: are we giving too much of our time to our own affairs?
What about all the fallen ones who await our visitation? What of the many saints both young & old who yearn for our cherishing & nourishing?
We need to learn to save some time for the Lord’s interests.
It’s time to go up to the mountain and bring wood and build God’s house.
Our gospel preaching is our gathering of material for the building of God’s house.
The burden and concern that the prophet Haggai had concerning the building up of the House of God by the returned captives should concern us.
We too may be focused on caring for our own house, while we feel its yet not time to build God’s house, the church.
Just as these ones in Haggai were self-caring and God-neglecting, we need the Lord’s admonition to go up and bring the material – sinners saved through our gospel visitation – for the building up of the church as the House of God, His corporate dwelilng place for His satisfaction!
enjoy the audio version of the agodman.com article entitled, Being Reminded to Care First for the Building up of God’s House for His Satisfaction (based on the HWMR on, the Crystallization-study of 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther – week 4 day 1).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yvgl2WRLqg4
The article is online at https://bit.ly/CareFirstforGodsHouse
Amen, Lord!
We lay our hands on you as our continual burnt offering for Your building
Amen, Lord, make those who are absolute for the building up of your house, the church! That’s why we are here to fulfil your heart desire.
Amen dear brother!
O Lord May we not neglect the building of your house by not gathering up the material to build it.
Yes Lord! We are here for this! Aaaaameeen!
Amen, Amen and Amen.
The building of the house of Jehovah is related to the welfare of God’s people today as well as to the coming of the millennial kingdom.
Without the building of God’s house there is no way to turn this age and usher in the age of restoration.
Then there is no way for all the social problems that we face to be solved.
Therefore the building up of the house has a great impact on our welfare both today and the future.
It is not that the Lord does not care about our physical and material needs. He really does and He really knows.
We should be those who care for the Father’s name to be sanctified, for His kingdom to come, and for His will to be done before asking for our daily bread.
It to seek first the kingdom and all the things we need will be added to us.