FIRST THINGS FIRST 82
Make the right priority your first priority. Ever have those days when everything feels urgent? The sales pitch urging us to act now. The inbox full of emails demanding responses. The unplanned meeting or phone call insisting on our presence. The insistent child calling Mom! or Dad! The relentless movement of the clock s second hand reminding us of all we need to do today. Some items on our to-do list can and should be labeled as urgent, but others just try to convince us they re serious. We simply have to set some things aside for the moment to focus on more pressing matters. But when everything claims some level of urgency focus on me now how do we know where to start? We know we should make first things first but what s first? The Book of Haggai answers this question. As we look at this short book, we ll see that one thing takes priority over everything else: loving obedience to God. When God becomes our focus, we re better equipped to handle all the other things vying for our attention. SAM RAINER Sam serves as senior pastor of West Bradenton Baptist Church in Bradenton, Florida. He is the president of Rainer Research and co-founder/co-owner of Rainer Publishing. Sam is married to Erin, and they have two daughters. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 83
SPECIAL FOCUS FIRST THINGS FIRST The Point Always put God first. The Passage Haggai 1:2-13 The Bible Meets Life One way to tell what s important to people is to see how long they ll stand in line for something. Think about a time when you stood in line for a long time. Was it to vote in an election? Buy a new product? Get coffee? You likely stood in that line because it was a high priority for you. When our priorities get mixed up, life gets out of line. Most often, this misalignment occurs because we re selfish. It s far too easy to focus on ourselves, and that selfishness misaligns our priorities. Before we can have the right priorities, we must understand what God puts first. His goals should come first. When we make His priorities our priorities, we find greater contentment and fulfillment. How can we get in line with what God wants for us? Haggai 1:2-13 helps us understand how to align our priorities with God s priorities. The story in this passage reveals how God helped a group of people to change their selfish motives and put His goals first. The Setting The Persian ruler Cyrus issued a decree in 538 B.C. allowing people groups exiled by Babylon to return to their homelands. Many Jews returned to Jerusalem and began rebuilding both the city and the temple. However, after the foundation of the temple was laid, progress faltered and then ceased. Temple reconstruction did not commence again until God called Haggai in 520 B.C. to encourage the Jewish leaders to rebuild the temple. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 85
What does the Bible say? Haggai 1:2-13 Lord of Armies (v. 2) This title emphasizes God as a mighty warrior and leader of the heavenly armies. It also emphasizes His power and sovereignty over all creation. House of the Lord (v. 2) The Jerusalem temple, God s chosen place to receive the Israelites worship, sacrifices, and offerings. In this sense, the temple was where God dwelt among His people. Paneled houses (v. 4) Wealthy people could afford to have wooden panels installed over the interior stone walls in their houses to provide a smooth texture and luxurious finish. Remnant (v. 12) Prophetic term for a small group of Israelites who survived God s judgment of the nation by repenting and trusting in God s mercy for their future. 2 The Lord of Armies says this: These people say: The time has not come for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt. 3 The word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 4 Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? 5 Now, the Lord of Armies says this: Think carefully about your ways: 6 You have planted much but harvested little. You eat but never have enough to be satisfied. You drink but never have enough to be happy. You put on clothes but never have enough to get warm. The wage earner puts his wages into a bag with a hole in it. 7 The Lord of Armies says this: Think carefully about your ways. 8 Go up into the hills, bring down lumber, and build the house; and I will be pleased with it and be glorified, says the Lord. 9 You expected much, but then it amounted to little. When you brought the harvest to your house, I ruined it. Why? This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies. Because my house still lies in ruins, while each of you is busy with his own house. 10 So on your account, the skies have withheld the dew and the land its crops. 11 I have summoned a drought on the fields and the hills, on the grain, new wine, fresh oil, and whatever the ground yields, on man and animal, and on all that your hands produce. 12 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and the entire remnant of the people obeyed the Lord their God and the words of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. So the people feared the Lord. 13 Then Haggai, the Lord s messenger, delivered the Lord s message to the people: I am with you this is the Lord s declaration. 86 Special focus
THE POINT Always put God first. GET INTO THE STUDY 10 minutes DISCUSS: Question #1 on page 67 of the PSG: What s the longest you ve waited in line? Notes Note: If you have the time, a natural follow-up question would be: Was it worth it? GUIDE: Direct group members to The Bible Meets Life on page 68 of the PSG. Introduce the theme of making God our primary priority by reading or summarizing the text or by encouraging group members to read on their own. GUIDE: Call attention to The Point on page 68 of the PSG: Always put God first. ACTIVITY (OPTIONAL): The Scripture passage for this session focuses on God s command for the Israelites to re-construct the temple after their return from exile. Make a bridge between this introduction and the text by challenging group members to gather into teams and make the tallest building possible using the materials you provide. These materials could be Lego blocks, paper clips, popsicle sticks, and so on. After about five minutes, measure the buildings and announce a winner. Note: If your meeting space would make it difficult for group members to build something, consider providing pencils and paper. Ask group members to design or sketch out a modern church building that would attract our culture s attention. LEADER PACK: Display Pack Item 7, Book of Haggai, to provide some background information the prophet Haggai and the book that bears his name. PRAY: Transition into the discussion by expressing your desire to make God the primary priority in your life. Pray that God s Spirit would help you and your group members explore that principle through His Word. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 87
5 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE Notes Haggai 1:2-8 2 The Lord of Armies says this: These people say: The time has not come for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt. 3 The word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 4 Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? 5 Now, the Lord of Armies says this: Think carefully about your ways: 6 You have planted much but harvested little. You eat but never have enough to be satisfied. You drink but never have enough to be happy. You put on clothes but never have enough to get warm. The wage earner puts his wages into a bag with a hole in it. 7 The Lord of Armies says this: Think carefully about your ways. 8 Go up into the hills, bring down lumber, and build the house; and I will be pleased with it and be glorified, says the Lord. READ: Haggai 1:2-8 on page 69 of the PSG. Read the text out loud or ask a volunteer to do so. ALTERNATE QUESTION: How would you summarize the illustrations in these verses? GUIDE: Ask a volunteer to read the first two paragraphs after the Scripture passage on page 69 of the PSG in order to set the context for the rest of the group. DISCUSS: Question #2 on page 69 of the PSG: What are some of the major priorities in our lives? Note: The goal here is to examine the general priorities that most people need to address in our culture things that take up a large block of time and other resources. Examples include work, family, physical health, and so on. SUMMARIZE: Encourage group members to engage the two principles listed at the top of page 70 in the PSG: 1. Delayed obedience is disobedience. 2. Our priorities are always less satisfying than God s priorities. TRANSITION: As we jump to verses 9-11, we ll find a surprising twist regarding who was responsible for the Israelites mishaps and misfortunes after they had abandoned their efforts to rebuild the temple. 88 Special focus
THE POINT Always put God first. Haggai 1:2-8 Commentary Obedience to God takes priority. [Verse 2] When the Jews were allowed to return to Jerusalem from the Babylonian exile in 538 B.C., work was begun on rebuilding the temple. However, when opposition arose from the peoples of the surrounding region, work on the temple ceased (see Ezra 4:1 5). Work on the temple would not begin again until God sent Haggai in 520 B.C. to challenge the Jewish leaders and the people to resume the rebuilding of the temple. Haggai addressed his message to Zerubbabel, the appointed governor of the Persian province of Judah, and to Joshua, the high priest (see v. 1). These men led both the civil and religious aspects of the Jews who had returned from the Babylonian captivity. However, Haggai was only the spokesperson ( prophet ) through whom the word of the Lord was coming (v. 1). The source of the message was the Lord of Armies, a title which emphasizes God s sovereignty and power. God s message concerned His temple, the house of the Lord. Haggai stated a common excuse given by the people for not resuming the work of rebuilding the temple. The people were saying the time has not come to resume this work, implying that other priorities were more pressing. [Verses 3-4] The message was from the Lord, Yahweh, the name that stresses God s eternal nature. This is the covenant name of God that He had revealed to Moses (see Ex. 3:13-15). Haggai asked Zerubbabel and Joshua: Though the people were saying that it was not the right time to rebuild the temple, was it the right time for wealthy leaders like them to live in fine paneled houses while God s house was in ruins? [Verse 5] Haggai again emphasized God s sovereignty and power by calling Him the Lord of Armies. He wanted the leaders of the people to see themselves in the light of God s sovereign authority and to respond with the humility God desires. Haggai urged them to consider their priorities. [Verses 6-7] Though the people worked hard at planting their fields, they harvested little. Though they had enough food and drink to get by, they never had enough to be satisfied. Though they had clothes, they never had enough to stay warm. Though the hired workers got paid their wages, it seemed as though their money bags had holes in them. No matter how hard the people worked, they never had enough even to satisfy their basic needs. Through Haggai s admonition, God was telling the people to seriously examine their lives and to change their ways. They had been focused on themselves, and they could see the results: all their efforts were failing to provide what they needed. [Verse 8] After describing the results of their wrong priorities, Haggai challenged the leaders (and through them, the people) to focus on what should have been their first priority rebuilding the temple. After giving the leaders God s command to rebuild, Haggai added that God would be pleased and be glorified through the new structure. God spoke through Haggai to challenge the people to focus their priorities on doing what would please God and give Him the glory He deserved by rebuilding the temple. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 89
15 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE Notes Haggai 1:9-11 9 You expected much, but then it amounted to little. When you brought the harvest to your house, I ruined it. Why? This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies. Because my house still lies in ruins, while each of you is busy with his own house. 10 So on your account, the skies have withheld the dew and the land its crops. 11 I have summoned a drought on the fields and the hills, on the grain, new wine, fresh oil, and whatever the ground yields, on man and animal, and on all that your hands produce. READ: Haggai 1:9-11 on page 70 of the PSG. DISCUSS: Question #3 on page 70 of the PSG: What do these verses teach us about God? SUMMARIZE: Help group members walk through the main points from pages 70-71 of the PSG: 1. The people during Haggai s time had high expectations. These expectations fell apart when they faced opposition. 2. As we see in verses 9-11, we lose out when we place ourselves ahead of God. 3. On the other hand, when God is first, He gives us what we need. ALTERNATE QUESTION: When have you felt like you just couldn t get ahead? 4. The Israelites tasked with rebuilding the temple missed this point. Their priorities got messed up, and their passions became misdirected. Rather than focusing on God first, they focused on themselves. They lost because they didn t put God first. DISCUSS: Question #4 on page 71 of the PSG: How can we determine what priority we ve given God in our lives? Note: In one sense, it doesn t matter if we ve given God the third or fifth priority in our lives if He s not first, we ll need to change. So this question could be approached as, How can we determine whether God is the first priority in our lives? TRANSITION: Thankfully, the story doesn t end with verse 11. As we move to verses 12-13, we ll see a powerful picture of God s grace and forgiveness. 90 Special focus
THE POINT Always put God first. Haggai 1:9-11 Commentary We lose out when we place ourselves ahead of God. [Verse 9] God reminded the leaders of the people about the limited results of all their hard work (see v. 6). Though they had expected much, their expectations and their work had amounted to little because God had ruined their harvest. God had intervened in their work to limit the yield of their efforts. God then raised the obvious question: Why had He punished them in this way? Before he continued to announce God s message, Haggai proclaimed: This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies. These were not Haggai s own words, but the very declaration of the Lord to His people. The title the Lord of Armies again emphasized God s sovereignty and power over all creation. Nothing that was happening to the Jews was a matter of merely unfortunate circumstances. God stated that the reason the people were suffering was Because my house still lies in ruins, while each of you is busy with his own house. The people s priorities were upside down. While they refused to make the effort to rebuild the Lord s temple, they were busily working on their own houses. They had put their own houses and their own welfare first instead of rebuilding the temple. The great irony was that by putting themselves first, they had lost God s blessings. He had to discipline them in order to get their attention and to show them the foolishness of their decisions. [Verses 10-11] In order to help the people see what had happened and why, God spelled it out for them. He began by stating in no uncertain terms that the reason the people were suffering was on your account they were suffering because of their own actions. Because of their misplaced priorities and failure to rebuild His house, God had shut both the skies from giving its water and the land from yielding its produce. God had not only kept back the rain, but even the dew. Normally, rains came in Israel in the fall and spring. During the other seasons, the crops depended upon the morning dew for moisture; yet, God had withheld even that form of watering. (Other examples of God s providing or withholding the dew are found in Deut. 33:27-28 and 1 Kings 17:1). Everything the people and their animals depended upon for food and drink the grain, the grapes, and the olive trees were affected by the lack of rain and dew. As a result, they did not have enough bread or wine or olive oil, the basic necessities of their diet. The words of the Lord in these verses mirror the warnings given to the Israelites when they entered the promised land obedience to the Lord would bring blessings, while disobedience would bring punishment (Deut. 11:13 17; see also Deut. 28). Just as the Lord said in verse 9 that He had ruined their harvest, so in verse 11 He stated that He was the one who had summoned a drought on the fields and all the produce of the land, on the people and on the animals. What was happening to the people was not the cycles of nature alone. It was the judgment of God. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 91
10 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE Notes Haggai 1:12-13 12 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and the entire remnant of the people obeyed the Lord their God and the words of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. So the people feared the Lord. 13 Then Haggai, the Lord s messenger, delivered the Lord s message to the people: I am with you this is the Lord s declaration. DO: Direct group members to complete the activity Priority Pie on page 73 of the PSG. If time permits, encourage volunteers to share their responses. Use the circle below to create a pie chart that represents how you spend your time in a typical day. For example, make a wedge of the pie that shows how much time you spend at work, with family, in traffic, and so on. Making God the main priority in your life doesn t mean reading the Bible should be the largest wedge in the pie above; rather, it means finding ways to connect with God and serve Him in each of the wedges of your pie. What s one step you can take in that direction this week? ALTERNATE QUESTION: What steps can we take to make sure we have the right priorities in life? READ: Haggai 1:12-13 on page 72 of the PSG. DISCUSS: Question #5 on page 72 of the PSG: What does it look like for God to be with us as individuals and as a group? Note: Approach this as two separate parts to the same question. What does it look like for God to be with us as individuals? As a group? GUIDE: Refer back to The Point for this session: Always put God first. As time permits, encourage volunteers to share any final thoughts and questions. 92 Special focus
THE POINT Always put God first. Haggai 1:12-13 Commentary God is with those who place Him first in their lives. [Verse 12] So how did the people respond? They obeyed the Lord their God not only Zerubbabel and Joshua, but also the entire remnant of the people. The remnant was a common term among the prophets (see Isa. 10:20 22; Jer. 31:7 11; Amos 5:15) to refer to the people of Israel who survived the destruction of the nation, especially those who returned from Babylonian captivity. The term refers to a small group of Israelites who survived God s judgment of the nation by repenting and trusting in God s mercy for their future. Though God had judged the nation, He would purify those who remained and be merciful to them. The term reflects the people s covenant connection to God, who had created their nation and preserved a small minority after sending them into exile. The people responded to Haggai s message with obedience not merely because of his passion or eloquence, but because they recognized that the Lord their God had sent him. They knew that hearing Haggai s word was the same as hearing the voice of the Lord their God. Though they respected Haggai, it was the Lord they feared and obeyed. [Verse 13] Apparently, the people responded quickly to Haggai s message. Though Haggai began by addressing only the leaders Zerubbabel and Joshua (see v. 1), perhaps he was also speaking to a gathering of the people. Or perhaps he spoke first to Zerubbabel and Joshua, who then in turn conveyed his message to the rest of the people. Either way, all of the Jews in the land heard the Lord s message through Haggai, and they all responded with reverence and obedience. As soon as the people committed to start rebuilding the temple, God sent another message through Haggai. His message was simple: I am with you. God made the same promise to Jacob (see Gen. 28:15), to Moses (see Ex. 3:12) and to Joshua (see Josh. 1:5). As David expressed his desire to build a temple, God reminded David how He had always been with him (see 2 Sam. 7:9). When the angel appeared to Joseph to tell him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife even though she was already pregnant, he told Joseph to name Mary s Son Immanuel, which is translated God is with us (Matt. 1:23). Paul wrote to encourage the Philippian believers by telling them, For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose (Phil. 2:13). No thought can be more encouraging or motivating for the people of God than to know that God is with them to enable them to carry out His will! Haggai recorded that God kept His promise by working in the hearts and minds of Zerubbabel, Joshua, and all the remnant of the people to encourage them to get busy rebuilding the temple (see Hag. 1:14). Less than four weeks after Haggai delivered his message, the people made the necessary preparations and began working on the house of the Lord of Armies, their God (see vv. 14 15). The renewed construction of the temple that was begun on September 21, 520 B.C. was completed on March 12, 515 B.C. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 93
5 minutes LIVE IT OUT Notes GUIDE: Direct group members to page 74 of the PSG. Encourage them to consider the following suggestions for putting God first this week: > > Mark the date. Write today s date in your Bible next to the first chapter in Haggai. Pray that God will make today a spiritual marker when your priorities changed for the better. > > Pray daily. Set aside a time each day to pray with God for five minutes. During your prayer time, ask God to reveal how He can be your top priority for that day. > > Serve. The priority of Christ s lordship is seen in how you serve Him. Get involved in the life of your church to worship and serve Christ by serving others. Wrap It Up TRANSITION: Read or restate the Conclusion from page 74 of the PSG: When you see a long line, the temptation is to cut to the front. However, there is no cutting in line with God. You can t create a shortcut in spiritual growth. To grow we must stay passionate and disciplined. God must remain the top priority in our lives. PRAY: Conclude by praising God for His authority and power. Thank Him for the blessing of His presence in your life and in your group. Get expert insights on weekly studies through the Ministry Grid. MinistryGrid.com/web/BibleStudiesForLife 94 Special focus
FOLLOW UP WITH GUESTS BY BRUCE RALEY Most Bible study groups are delighted to have guests attend their gatherings. Group Bible study is designed to be an organization of open groups. And an open group should expect new people to attend every time it meets. But what happens after a guest actually shows up? What should the group do in response? Always remember that it s a big step for a guest to choose to attend a group. More times than not, the guest will know few people in attendance. They probably have fear, anxiety, and even trepidation at the thought of attending. Yet, they have chosen to take the big step of trying out your group. If the guest has gone through all of this, should the group not reciprocate with at least an acknowledgment of the visit? When my wife and I moved to Tennessee in 2006, we began to look for a church. We attended several. We also attended several Bible study groups, seldom knowing anyone in those groups. In all these visits, we received not a single acknowledgement of our attendance from any group. No visit. No phone call. No email. Nothing. As a result, we really felt each of those groups did not want us to be a part of their community. Thankfully, there is a better way. Let me share three ways groups can respond to a first time guest: 1. Assign someone to follow-up. Hebrews 13 admonishes us not to neglect showing hospitality. Let s be honest: some of us show hospitality better than others. That being the case, find a group member with that ability and enlist him or her to have the specific responsibility of following up with first-time guests. That might include a phone call, a hand-written note, a visit or better yet, a meal together. 2. Give a gift. Provide something tangible for guests to take home after the session. Every guest should be given a Personal Study Guide during the Bible study session so that he or she will have what every member has so be sure to keep extra Personal Study Guides on hand for just that occasion. But you can go further. A coffee mug filled with candy? A devotional magazine? A handmade gift from a member? A gift indicates that the group desires and appreciates each guest. 3. Call before the next session. A quick phone call the day before your group meets says volumes to a guest. It shows that the group really does care and wants the guest to return. This phone call doesn t have to be a life-changing moment. In fact, you don t need to do much more than simply express your desire for the guest to return and be a part of the group. These simple strategies will go a long way toward making your group a great place for guests. Bruce Raley serves as Executive Pastor of First Baptist Church, Hendersonville, TN. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 95