Hag 1:9-11 | KingComments | STEP | In what God says here, you can hear how much it touches Him that His people ignore Him. He does not talk about their weak condition or the poor temple compared to that of Solomon. He talks about their indifference, their lack of interest in Him and His house. The disappointing results are a disciplinary action of God for failing to rebuild His house. The importance of God’s house has been supplanted by the importance of their own houses. Instead of making an effort for God’s house that lies “desolate”, they are devoting themselves to their own homes. When it comes to God’s house, they are not engaged in any activity. But as soon as it concerns their own house, they are full of action, they run for it. The word ‘run’ expresses the zeal with which they pursue their own interests. It is remarkable how much energy is put into realizing one’s own plans that serve to increase laziness, while there are complaints that there is so little time for the Lord’s things. Lack of zeal and love for the house of God, that is the church of the living God, often goes hand in hand with a lot of dedication and care for our own convenience. There is time and there are resources in abundance for things that have no lasting use. In comparison, we see how difficult it is sometimes to make time for meetings and how little is sometimes contributed financially or in other ways to the work of the Lord. Once the conscience is addressed, that changes. There is a great contrast between “My house” and “each … his own house”. In the ‘own house’ we can see religious groups that are arranged according to their own ideas. People want to be able to recognize themselves in it and feel at home there. Whether or not God feels ‘at home’ plays no role. We hear the expression ‘his own house’ also when a pastor speaks about ‘my church’. There is only one Person who has the right to speak about ‘My church’ ( ). That is He to Whom the church belongs, because He bought her with the price of His blood ( ).

‏ Haggai 1:9-11

Egoism Blocks Blessing

In what God says here, you can hear how much it touches Him that His people ignore Him. He does not talk about their weak condition or the poor temple compared to that of Solomon. He talks about their indifference, their lack of interest in Him and His house.

The disappointing results are a disciplinary action of God for failing to rebuild His house. The importance of God’s house has been supplanted by the importance of their own houses. Instead of making an effort for God’s house that lies “desolate”, they are devoting themselves to their own homes. When it comes to God’s house, they are not engaged in any activity. But as soon as it concerns their own house, they are full of action, they run for it.

The word ‘run’ expresses the zeal with which they pursue their own interests. It is remarkable how much energy is put into realizing one’s own plans that serve to increase laziness, while there are complaints that there is so little time for the Lord’s things. Lack of zeal and love for the house of God, that is the church of the living God, often goes hand in hand with a lot of dedication and care for our own convenience.

There is time and there are resources in abundance for things that have no lasting use. In comparison, we see how difficult it is sometimes to make time for meetings and how little is sometimes contributed financially or in other ways to the work of the Lord. Once the conscience is addressed, that changes.

There is a great contrast between “My house” and “each … his own house”. In the ‘own house’ we can see religious groups that are arranged according to their own ideas. People want to be able to recognize themselves in it and feel at home there. Whether or not God feels ‘at home’ plays no role. We hear the expression ‘his own house’ also when a pastor speaks about ‘my church’. There is only one Person who has the right to speak about ‘My church’ (Mt 16:18). That is He to Whom the church belongs, because He bought her with the price of His blood (Acts 20:28).

No dew, No Produce

Heaven does not give dew on the land because the people despise God’s house and thus Him Himself. If they would have thought of Him, they would have thought of rebuilding His house. That there is drought should not be attributed to natural causes, but to ignoring the interests of the LORD. When they do so, the LORD neglects their interests. If they do not serve Him, He serves them not with dew, but rather, He serves them in another way. His service in discipline must lead them to consider why there is no produce and Who sends the drought.

That He called for a drought on the land and on the mountains (Hag 1:11) is a sign of the judgment resulting from the infidelity of the people (1Kgs 17:1). That drought affects them throughout the entire produce of the land, all “what the land produces”. “The grain”, “the new wine” and “the oil” summarize the blessings of the land (Deu 11:14 ; Deu 18:4).

Not only the people, but also the cattle suffer as a result of the infidelity of the people. All creation suffers because of the sin of man (Rom 8:22). There is harmony in creation, between the animals, between man and animals, and between humans, only if creation has been restored by Christ in the right relationship to God – as it was in the original creation.