Hag 1:8 | KingComments | STEP | Here they are told how they can fulfill the will of God and expect blessing again. With this the prophet says as it were: ‘Give God the first place in your lives.’ The house of God cannot be rebuilt without material and material cannot be obtained without labor. The LORD tells them where to go to get the material for God’s house. They have to go up to the mountains. There is wood to be used. With that wood they can rebuild God’s house, “the temple”. The wood is a picture of Christ as “the fruit of the earth” ( ). From a spiritual point of view, it is also true that all spiritual labor must have the glory of God’s house, His church, in view. It is about Christ. It is not easy, but what could be more beautiful than to be allowed to work for something in which God is pleased and through which He is glorified? His house, the church, consists of all believers. A local church is allowed to show in practice what the church is as God’s dwelling place. The Holy Spirit dwells in the church ( ) and in the body of the believer ( ). How can we build the church? The church is built up by teaching from God’s Word through the gifts the Lord Jesus gave to His church ( ). It is therefore important that everyone who has been given as a gift to the church performs his service faithfully and does not slacken in it. The believer is built up by absorbing this teaching. Then he builds himself up in his most holy faith ( ). In this God rejoices and through this He is glorified.

‏ Haggai 1:8

What the LORD Wants Them to Do

Here they are told how they can fulfill the will of God and expect blessing again. With this the prophet says as it were: ‘Give God the first place in your lives.’ The house of God cannot be rebuilt without material and material cannot be obtained without labor. The LORD tells them where to go to get the material for God’s house. They have to go up to the mountains. There is wood to be used. With that wood they can rebuild God’s house, “the temple”.

The wood is a picture of Christ as “the fruit of the earth” (Isa 4:2). From a spiritual point of view, it is also true that all spiritual labor must have the glory of God’s house, His church, in view. It is about Christ. It is not easy, but what could be more beautiful than to be allowed to work for something in which God is pleased and through which He is glorified? His house, the church, consists of all believers. A local church is allowed to show in practice what the church is as God’s dwelling place. The Holy Spirit dwells in the church (1Cor 3:16) and in the body of the believer (1Cor 6:19).

How can we build the church? The church is built up by teaching from God’s Word through the gifts the Lord Jesus gave to His church (Eph 4:11-13). It is therefore important that everyone who has been given as a gift to the church performs his service faithfully and does not slacken in it. The believer is built up by absorbing this teaching. Then he builds himself up in his most holy faith (Jude 1:17-20). In this God rejoices and through this He is glorified.