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The Command to Rebuild the Temple January 15, 2022

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I’ve recently started reading through the Book of Haggai with the aid of a commentary by Andrew E. Hill. I should note that I’ve previously read through Haggai. As in my recent stroll through the book of Zephaniah, I hope to comprehend Haggai as a whole. Also, the pastor at my old church preached a sermon series on Haggai; my only memory of that experience is the phrase “paneled houses”, so I hope to forge a deeper connection with this book…

I plan to blog about this experience as I read through both the book and Hill’s commentary. Each post will correspond to a specific section in the ESV translation.

For starters, here are my thoughts on Haggai 1:1-11.

Summary: In this passage, God speaks through Haggai to the political (Zerubbabel) and religious (Joshua) leaders of post-exilic Judah.

In particular, He asserts that the current drought in Judah is actually His call for His people to return to a right relationship with Him.

If they respond appropriately (including rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem), then He will grant them His covenant blessings (including rain).

Thoughts: Hill offers some thoughts on Haggai the prophet in his commentary on verse 1:

Next, the prophet Haggai is introduced. His name is fittingly related to the word for ‘festival, procession’…The term prophet…designates Haggai as an emissary, one who speaks with the authority of the commissioning agent…

I anticipate meeting Haggai in the next life and learning more about him. Where was he born and raised? What was his occupation before God spoke to him? Did he accept His divine commission with alacrity, or was his initial response like that of Moses? What were his thoughts and emotions as his compatriots obeyed His message? How did his relationship with Him evolve after the events that are recorded in this book? How would he have responded to the Roman destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD?

Here, God asserts that the people of Judah are acting out of self-interest – thereby failing to honor Him. Hill offers some thoughts on this point:

The restoration community in Jerusalem was still struggling to establish itself politically and economically after the Babylonian exile. The degree of self-sufficiency attained was understood to be below expectations, at least to the extent that the people considered it unwise to divert their already meagre resources for the sake of investing in a high-profile campaign such as rebuilding YHWH’s temple. Yet the prophet rebuked his audience for their preoccupation with their own standard of living…Those who argued for fiscal responsibility knew that the realities of an economic recession meant it was not the time to take on the funding of ‘special projects’…Yet Haggai knew, like Hosea, that now was the time to seek the Lord…

Admittedly I identify with the people of Judah in this instance, as I was raised to value “fiscal responsibility”. For example, when I was living on a monthly stipend as a graduate student, I did not tithe (I define tithing as offering 10 percent of my after-tax income to my church). When I started my first job and had disposable income, I began to tithe. At this point, I do not view tithing as a burden. Yet what if I were to lose my job? Would I be able to demonstrate my trust in God by tithing while paying my bills? I pray that He would enable me to draw closer to Him in the midst of financial setbacks…

The Lord’s Mercy on Israel July 3, 2021

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Here are my thoughts on Hosea 2:14-23.

Summary: In this passage, God asserts that He will bring Israel back to the place where He initiated His relationship with her.

There, He will renew her understanding of Him as the source of her blessings (although she has failed to recognize this fact). He will also grant her physical well-being and establish a permanent covenant with her – thereby reaffirming her status as His people.

Thoughts: Here, God takes the initiative in restoring His relationship with Israel. Routledge offers some thoughts on this point in his commentary on verse 14:

It is an indication of Yahweh’s love and patience that his response to Israel, who has turned to the Baals and forgotten him, is to seek to win her back, rather than to announce further judgment, however deserved that judgment might be.

The first part of Yahweh winning back his bride is to allure…her. The term here refers to enticing or persuading…It emphasizes Yahweh’s commitment to doing whatever is needed to restore his relationship with Israel.

This passage caused me to ponder its application to relationships. Normally, when I send an e-mail (or, occasionally, a text message) to a friend, I wait for them to respond. I will not send them a follow-up message, even if several months have elapsed since my last message. If they have not responded for some time, then I assume that they do not prioritize staying in touch; thus, a follow-up message would be futile. Certainly I can continue to care for them; for example, I occasionally pray for friends who have not written to me for several years. Yet I wonder: is prayer sufficient in these cases? Or should I actually reach out to them? Would they appreciate my message, or would they ignore it? When is it appropriate to give them some space? How much time/effort should one invest in maintaining a relationship?

Israel’s Unfaithfulness Punished June 27, 2021

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Here are my thoughts on Hosea 2:1-13.

Summary: In this passage, Gomer’s children rebuke her for her adultery.

God then rebukes Israel for her adultery. Indeed, she fails to recognize that her blessings come from Him; instead, she claims that her blessings come from Baal.

Thus, He will remove her blessings – which should compel her to acknowledge her dependence on Him. At that point, she will return to a (right) relationship with Him.

Thoughts: In verse 7, God declares that Israel will return to a (right) relationship with Him after failing to obtain material blessings from her idols. Routledge offers some thoughts on this point:

Some see Israel’s decision to go back…to [her] husband as prompted by mere self-interest. There is no reference to remorse, and Israel’s return to Yahweh appears to be primarily because of the fruitlessness of turning to other gods…There are clear similarities here with Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son, who also recognized that his previous life was better than the situation he found himself in, and chose to return home.

As modern-day believers, we may judge Israel for her flawed motives in this instance. Yet we, too, adhere to our instinct for self-preservation. Instead of judging Israel, we should view this verse as a signpost to our Savior – and the inner transformation that He effects through the Holy Spirit. Clearly the Israelites needed to be transformed inwardly in order to desire a relationship with God for His sake. Similarly, we need to be transformed inwardly in order to desire His glory (while trusting that He will supply our needs).

In verses 8 and 13, God asserts that Israel has failed to acknowledge Him as the true source of her material blessings. Routledge offers some thoughts on this point:

The section begins and ends on a similar note: the people’s failure to recognize Yahweh as the source of the blessings they have received…In all of this, Israel acknowledges other gods, while forgetting the true source of her well-being.

This caused me to ponder the cycle of sin, punishment, and deliverance in the Old Testament. After God delivered the Israelites from their oppressors, I wonder if they became complacent. If so, then I wonder: did He test the faithfulness of the Israelites during those periods of complacency? Did He (temporarily) withdraw their material blessings (e.g. via floods or droughts) and see if they maintained their trust in Him for their needs? Did they immediately fail those tests, and then turn to idols for their needs?

Psalm 133 August 2, 2020

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Here are my thoughts on Psalm 133.

Summary: In this passage, David extols the virtues of unity among the people of God.

To illustrate those virtues, he compares them to:

  • the consecrating oil that is used to ordain the high priest
  • dew from Mount Hermon.

Thoughts: After strolling through this passage, I wondered: what spurred David to compose this psalm? Did he pen it after he assumed the throne of Israel? How would he – and the pilgrims to Jerusalem who sang this psalm – respond to the conflicts that often arise among modern-day believers? Would he have been repulsed by the notion of a church splitting over the actions of its pastor? Unfortunately I am aware of several instances of church splits, where well-meaning believers failed to reach a compromise on some pressing issues. I am curious as to whether any modern-day church conflict has been successfully resolved – and whether the opposing parties were able to genuinely love each other in the aftermath of that dispute…

Psalm 128 July 18, 2020

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Here are my thoughts on Psalm 128.

Summary: In this passage, the psalmist addresses men who live righteously, asserting that their fields – and wives – will be fertile.

They then pray that these blessings would persist – and associate them with the prosperity of Israel.

Thoughts: This passage fits into the category of “Old Testament passages that I struggle with”, as I know that God does not necessarily promise physical blessings to believers in this life. Indeed, I wrestle with the consistency of these statements:

  • God only guarantees that believers will receive spiritual blessings in this life
  • God has granted at least some believers physical blessings in this life.

This passage spurred me to ponder questions such as: how does God grant physical blessings to His people? How does He assign the marital status of a believer? How does He determine if a married believer will be able to bear children? How does He determine the financial status of a believer? I know that such queries should not affect my relationship with Him, yet my human nature instinctively reacts to passages of this ilk…

Psalm 127 July 18, 2020

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Here are my thoughts on Psalm 127.

Summary: In this passage, Solomon asserts that:

  • the success of any human endeavor ultimately depends on God
  • children represent His blessings.

Thoughts: In verses 3-5, Solomon extols the blessings that stem from bearing children. Spurgeon offers some thoughts on this point in his commentary on verse 5:

Those who have no children bewail the fact. The writer of this comment gives it as his own observation that he has seen the most frequent unhappiness in marriages which are unfruitful; that he has himself been most grateful for two of the best of sons; but as they have both grown up, and he has no child at home, he has without a twinge of grumbling, or even wishing that he were otherwise circumstanced, felt that it might have been a blessing to have had a more numerous family. He therefore heartily agrees with the psalmist’s verdict herein expressed.

Spurgeon rarely discusses his personal life in this Crossway Classic Commentary on the Psalms; thus, I am curious as to whether the editors removed other personal notes from this commentary (and, if so, their rationale for that decision). In any event, Spurgeon’s honesty on this topic is refreshing; I empathize with his musings on being “otherwise circumstanced.” Did his musings allow him to empathize with any childless members of his congregation? On a related note, how did children in Biblical times support their parents during arbitration of disputes?

Sin and Shin June 20, 2020

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Here are my thoughts on Psalm 119:161-168.

Summary: In this passage, the psalmist declares:

  • their passion for God’s commandments
  • that they obey His commandments
  • that those who obey His commandments are blessed.

Thoughts: In verse 164, the psalmist asserts, “Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws.” Spurgeon offers some thoughts on this point:

Frequently he lifted up his heart in thanksgiving to God for his divine teaching in the Word, and for his divine actions in providence. With his voice he extolled the righteousness of the Judge of all the earth. As often as ever he thought of God’s ways, a song leaped to his lips…Do we praise God seven times a day? Do we praise him once in seven days?

Lately I have been pondering the somewhat-related topic of praising God while I am at work. Now I know that during work hours, I need to focus on my assigned tasks; thus, my mind is usually occupied by technical matters. Yet there are moments during work hours where I can think about God. Lately I have used those moments to thank Him for my current position (as many have lost their jobs during these difficult times). In light of this passage, I wonder: will He also enable me to ponder His commandments during those moments? Would Spurgeon have exhorted us to praise Him “seven times a day” if he were alive today? Can we simply praise His goodness during work hours – or do we also need to praise His commandments at those times?

Resh June 20, 2020

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Here are my thoughts on Psalm 119:153-160.

Summary: In this passage, the psalmist:

  • prays that God would deliver them from their trials – thereby fulfilling His promises to those who obey His commandments
  • declares their contempt for those who do not obey His commandments, since He will not bless those transgressors
  • declares the permanence of His commandments.

Thoughts: In verses 154, 156, and 159, the psalmist prays that God would “preserve my life.” Spurgeon offers some thoughts on this point in his commentary on verse 159:

He prays again the third time using the same words…What he wanted was revival, restoration, renewal; therefore he pleaded for more life. O thou who didst quicken me when I was dead, quicken me again that I may not return to the dead! Quicken me that I may outlive the blows of my enemies, the faintness of my faith, and the swooning of my sorrow.

I believe that we should ponder the significance of the phrase “preserve my life.” When we are in the midst of a trial, we may pray that God would fulfill His promises to us by delivering us from that trial. Indeed, we hold fast to His promises – and assume that their fulfillment implies the preservation of our physical existence. Yet what if that assumption is flawed? As finite human beings, can we actually grasp the application of His promises to our spiritual existence? Our human nature naturally hinders our understanding of that deeper application; thus, I wonder if the psalmist was actually pondering their physical existence in this passage.

Tsadhe June 13, 2020

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Here are my thoughts on Psalm 119:137-144.

Summary: In this passage, the psalmist:

  • declares that God – and His commandments – are righteous
  • declares their passion for His commandments – even in the midst of persecution
  • rejoices in the blessings that they have received via His commandments and promises
  • prays that He would enable them to live wisely.

Thoughts: In verse 139, the psalmist decries the strength-sapping wickedness of their persecutors. Spurgeon offers some thoughts on this point:

His zeal was like a fire burning within his soul. The sight of man’s forgetfulness of God acted as a fierce blast to excite the fire to a more vehement flame, and it blazed until it was ready to consume him…These people had gone so far in iniquity that they not only violated and neglected the commands of God, but they appeared actually to have forgotten them.

The psalmist has asserted their zeal for God’s commandments throughout this psalm; moreover, their zeal has been whetted by those who flout those precepts. In light of this passage, perhaps we should ponder our zeal for His precepts. Are we genuinely zealous for His commandments? If not, what is the state of our relationship with Him? Perhaps we have been inured to sin – even the sins of those who openly oppose Him. Also, if we become more zealous for His precepts, can we still love those who flout them? We know the phrase “hate the sin, love the sinner,” yet it is difficult to strike that balance…

Nun May 30, 2020

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Here are my thoughts on Psalm 119:105-112.

Summary: In this passage, the psalmist:

  • prays that God would continue to instruct them in His commandments
  • prays that He would bless them by fulfilling His promises to them – as they are being persecuted
  • declares that His commandments enable them to live righteously – even in the midst of persecution
  • declares their resolve to adhere to His commandments.

Thoughts: Verses 105 and 112 appear in “Thy Word”. A quick Google search reveals that this song was written by Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith. I hope to meet them at some point and and learn how they composed those memorable lyrics. How did those verses inspire them at that time? Did they consider weaving the other verses of “Nun” into that song? On a related note, as modern-day believers, how do these verses impact our thoughts, words and deeds? How is the Bible actually “a lamp for my feet, a light on my path?” When we overcome the temptation to sin, do we cite specific passages of Scripture – or are we simply motivated by a nebulous feeling that sin is wrong? I must admit that I tend towards the latter; I believe that God is calling me to improve in this regard, as that would enable me to be more Christlike.