“CONSIDER YOUR WAYS.” HAGGAI 1:5

From the Board of Elders

Dear Members in Christ,

“Consider your ways.” Haggai 1:5

The Bible is the Word of God. Holy men of God were moved and inspired by the Holy Spirit to write the Bible (cf. 2 Peter 1:20, 21). Therefore, the Bible did not come from man’s imagination or man’s will. It is the message of God, written in human language, so that man may know and understand eternal things. The Bible message is from God!

Thus, we, as children of God, through the learning, meditation and understanding of the Bible may know God and to walk in His ways. We learn how to love, trust and obey Him. We learn what He expects from us and how we could please Him and correct ourselves if we sin against Him. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine (teaching), for reproof (shows where you are wrong), for correction (how to get right), for instruction in righteousness (how to stay right)” 2 Timothy 3:16. We know that God is the immutable and Almighty God who is Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omniscient. He is also a faithful and loving God who cares, loves and provides for us. If we disobey and walk after idols and evil imaginations of our hearts persistently, we will incur God’s wrath. He will surely judge and chastise. However, if we repent and return unto Him, trust and obey Him and walk after His ways, He will surely forgive and bless. For our God is merciful and just.

This week, let us learn from the Book of Haggai on how the people of God sinned against Him. They had replaced God with their own selfish priorities of material needs and comfort. They had put God and His glory aside and sought after their own interests! God was displeased and would surely chastise them if they persist to walk after their own selfish and wicked ways!

Who is Haggai? He was one of the three “post-exilic” prophets who returned from Babylon. The other two were Zechariah and Malachi. Together, they served as the leaders and spiritual guides to the returned Jews. They preached in the time of Zerubbabel, Ezra and Nehemiah to encourage the people in their service to the Lord and to rebuke them when they went wayward.

The first wave of the returning Jews, after their 70 years of exile in Babylon, was led by Zerubbabel and the high priest, Jeshua in 536 BC. They were thankful and they sought the Lord. To much joy and celebration, they went about to rebuild the Temple of God which was left in ruins after the conquest of the city of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. Most of the returnees were born and bred in Babylon. They were young and had not seen the original splendour of the “Solomon” Temple. They were pleased to rebuild the Temple once again. However, while building, they were soon faced with various kinds of oppositions (cf. Ezra 4), and as a result, the work stopped for more than 15 years. It was at this time that Haggai was raised by God to command the people to return to work with God’s message “… be strong, and work: for I am with you” (cf. Haggai 2:4).

God’s people were sternly rebuked for their spiritual apathy and were told to consider their ways and return to the Lord to continue building the Temple which they stopped for more than 15 years! Haggai’s ministry was to let them know that God was with them and would help them. He called the people to “consider your ways” and to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. They were to cleanse their hands and engage in the work and God would bless them. Thank and praise God, the people responded to Haggai’s call and rose to continue building the Temple which was completed in 4 years!

What does it mean to “consider your ways”? Haggai called the people to “consider your ways” twice (cf. Haggai 1:5,7). The call was to urge them to stop, pause and consider, to think, examine and take stock of how they were living their lives whether they are living for themselves or for God. They were to reflect and to make corrections on their priorities and see whether they had sinned against God.

The problem was apathy! They had become indifferent and lukewarm in their relationship with God who had led them back to the promised land after their 70 years of exile. Upon settling down, and over time, their focus and priority shifted. God and His glory were no longer pre-eminent in their lives. They are only interested and concerned for their own selfish comfort and luxury of life. They stayed in beautiful, nice and ceiled houses (houses with ceilings) while the house of God was abandoned and lay in waste. They just ignored the half-built temple and concentrated on planting, growing and sowing their fields and making a comfortable livelihood for themselves. Time flew. Before they knew it, it was more than 15 years and the temple of the Lord was just left as it was.

Therefore, the Lord’s call, through the prophet Haggai was for them to “consider your ways”. They were to think, examine, consider and reorder their lives and priorities. Unless they do so to re-prioritise God as first again in their lives, and start serving Him, whatever they did and have would be brought to “zero”. Therefore, they were to discard their spiritual apathy and lethargy, and go labour for the Lord. They were to work and serve Him for His pleasure and glory.

Is there a parallel moment today? The problem with Israel at this point of time is not unique to Israel alone. Today, many Christians share the same attitude and behaviour.

What about us? Are we like them as well? We need to ask and look at ourselves. Let us search and examine our hearts and lives to see whether we had allowed other things or someone else to creep into our lives that took priority over God? Do we desire to do our own pleasure rather than God’s pleasure and glory? Or have we become slack and spiritually lacklustre in our walk with God? What are our priorities? Are we serving God and have Him first in our lives? Let us consider our ways.

Answering the call: If we have not given God the priority in our lives, it is time to consider our ways and return unto Him. It is time to devote our energy and effort to serve God who blesses us with much despite our often wayward and backslidden ways. God’s love is unfailing and faithful. He wants to bless us with His goodness provided we return unto Him. Though God is faithful, patient and longsuffering, God will also chastise His people when they stray and persistently turn themselves to worship and serve other gods including their own self-interest. This is sin. God is not pleased.

Return unto the Lord: Heeding the call of Haggai, let us consider our ways and return unto the Lord to have Him as our priority in our lives. Let us encourage one another and build up our spiritual lives together. Let us build the spiritual house of the Lord and focus on the things of eternity and not the things of the world. Let God be number one in our lives. Let us serve Him diligently and fervently. The Lord will surely provide and continue to bless.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalms 139:23-24.

In Christ,
Eld. Choe Tong Seng