It is Building Time, Pt 4 – A Charge to Priests
Haggai 2:10-19
When a building is being constructed, someone is charged with the responsibility of guiding the process to completion. His title may be project engineer, building coordinator, foreman, etc. He knows the blueprint well; he has experience in construction; and he understands how to educate and motivate the workers. Without his vision and guidance, the project will likely lag behind, become too costly, or, perhaps, fail altogether.
In our present study, God chooses a special group of people to fulfill this role. Likewise, as we undertake the building of our personal temples, we also will have need of such guides and teachers.
Two months passed after Haggai’s second message and the work is continuing. It is December 24th, and another word now comes from God through Haggai.
In our previous study, we supposed that the task of removing the debris and preparing the site for the new construction must have been enormously difficult and time-consuming. That supposition appears to be confirmed in this message. Even now, no new stones have been laid in place for the temple walls (Haggai 2:15).
However, the slow-moving progress of rebuilding is not the subject of this third message. The only recipients of this word from the Lord are the priests, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Now ask the priests concerning the law ….” (Haggai 2:11).
This question implies that the priests were expected to know the law thoroughly and, by extension, to be able to teach the people. The prophet, Malachi, speaks to this point as well, “For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, and the people should seek the law from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 2:7).
In His earthly ministry, our Lord Jesus Christ spent a major portion of His time teaching the people and His disciples the things concerning the kingdom of God. For so many of them, He was known as “the Teacher”.
Now that the work was moving along and the foundation was about to be laid, what role were the priests expected to assume? Why is the Lord, as it were, taking them aside and giving this special word?
From Haggai’s first message, they were all aware that the destruction of the temple, the years in captivity and the horrible situation to which they returned were the result of the disobedience of their fathers and now, themselves. If they had only turned their hearts to the Lord when they returned from Babylon, these conditions of inflation, drought and poverty could have been avoided (Haggai 1). To whatever degree, the heavy weight of guilt that rested upon their shoulders would be a hinderance to them going forward. Therefore, the Lord gathered the priests and gave them an important lesson which they must deliver.
Embedded in the law of Moses – received at Mt. Sinai – one finds the principle of the clean and unclean (these are ritual terms). If something which is clean (holy) touches something which is unclean (unholy), that will not cause the unclean object to become clean. However, if something which is unclean touches something which is clean, then it will cause the clean object to become unclean (Haggai 2:12,13; Numbers 19:11,22).
When Haggai questioned the priests about this, they answered correctly.
Applying this principle, Haggai exclaims, “So is this people, and so is the nation before Me, says the Lord, and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean” (Haggai 2:14). That is, so long as they resisted the word of God and refused to care for His temple, whatever they might do would not please God. Haggai reiterated the results of God’s displeasure – the inflation, drought, etc. – to the priests (Haggai 2:16,17). Why? Because it would now be their task in the coming months and years to remind them of the consequences of sin and disobedience. Likewise, it would be their calling to proclaim the goodness of God toward those who repent.
We may be reminded of those words from John the Baptist, “Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance” (Matthew 3:8). Specifically, their work to continue the rebuilding was the fruit and evidence of their repentance. So, God was pleased.
All had not been lost. The seed was still in the barn, ready to be sown; the trees that had not yielded fruit were soon to bear; and the promise of the Lord must now be proclaimed, “But from this day forward I will bless you” (Haggai 2:19).
Haggai’s message to these priests was clear, “It’s up to you! You remind them of the past, but you also proclaim the promise of the future. You guide them, you teach them, you motivate them. Help them to “forget those things which are behind and reach forward to those things which are ahead” (Philippians 3:13).
In reflecting on that third message from Haggai and considering the building of our temples, perhaps we, too, must be reminded of our need for the word of the Lord through the words of priests, pastors and teachers. St. Paul spoke of this gift of God to His church, “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11,12).
So, let us pray that God will, in our day, call those priests and pastors aside and exhort them as He did in Haggai’s day – to speak with love and power. May they embrace their calling to follow in the steps of Jesus, the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep (John 10:15). May our priests and pastors soberly remind us of our need for repentance and reassure us of the Lord’s forgiveness and blessing.
May each priest and pastor imitate Christ, as Isaiah prophesied of Him, “He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are with young” (Isaiah 40:11).
Yes, my friends, we all know that, from time to time, we may grow weary, become weak and lose our focus in building our temples. If, and when, that may occur in your life, you might find a refreshing drink from God’s well in the doxology of St. Jude: Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.” (Jude 24,25).
“It is building time, My people; it is building time”.
Fr. Andrew
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