Ever since the invention of television, we live in an image-driven society. We tend to believe anything we see on TV. It is hard to get people to believe something if they do not see it on TV. Consequently, our opinions of other people are shaped by outward appearances instead of their actions or inner substance. If someone looks good or sounds good, we assume they are good.
In the book of Haggai we read that although the Jews appeared to be doing what Yahweh wanted by bringing gifts, their gifts and works were actually unclean because the people themselves were unclean. This teaches us that God wants us to do more than just present an image of righteousness on the outside, He wants us to actually be righteous on the inside.
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Transcript
Ever since the invention of television, we live in an image-driven society. We tend to believe anything we see on TV. It is hard to get people to believe something if they do not see it on TV. Consequently, our opinions of other people are shaped by outward appearances instead of their actions or inner substance. If someone looks good or sounds good, we assume they are good.
In the book of Haggai we read that although the Jews appeared to be doing what Yahweh wanted by bringing gifts, their gifts and works were actually unclean because the people themselves were unclean. This teaches us that God wants us to do more than just present an image of righteousness on the outside, He wants us to actually be righteous on the inside.
Around 1000BC Solomon built a temple in Jerusalem which was the centerpiece of Israelite religion. However, the Israelites were sinful and worshipped many idols. Therefore, in 586BC Yahweh punished the Israelites by allowing the Babylonians to conquer Jerusalem and destroy the temple.
Roughly 70 years later, some Jews were allowed to travel back to Jerusalem to rebuild the city, however, they were slack in rebuilding the temple. Yahweh sent Haggai to confront their lack of action.
According to Haggai 1:1-11, Yahweh first spoke thru Haggai on the first day of the sixth month and criticized the Jews because they were not rebuilding His temple.
Three weeks later, on the 24th of the sixth month, according to Haggai 1:12-15, the Jews began working on the temple.
One month later, on the 21st of the seventh month, according to Haggai 2:1-9, Yahweh pointed out the new temple was nothing compared to the original temple.
Hag. 2:10 On the twenty-fourth of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of Yahweh came to Haggai the prophet, saying,
This verse begins a new section of Haggai. The message in this section was delivered on the 24th day of the ninth month. This was three months after the Jews started rebuilding the temple and two months after Yahweh had reminded them that the new temple was nothing compared to Solomon’s temple.
11 “Thus says Yahweh of hosts, ‘Ask now the priests about the law:
12 If a man carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches bread with this fold or cooked food, wine, oil, or any other food, will it become holy?’” And the priests answered, “No.”
Yahweh asked if a person could make common food holy by touching it with a container that contained holy meat. The answer was no. In other words holiness cannot be transferred.
13 Then Haggai said, “If one who is unclean from a corpse touches any of these, will the latter become unclean?” And the priests answered, “It will become unclean.”
The next question was whether common food would be unclean if it was touched by someone or something that is unclean. The answer was yes. In other words uncleanliness can be transferred.
Yahweh’s point was that uncleanness can be transferred, but holiness cannot be transferred.
14 Then Haggai answered and said, “‘So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,’ declares Yahweh, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they bring near to Me there is unclean.
Yahweh declared that the Jewish people and their nation were unclean. Therefore, all their works and their gifts were unclean. Yahweh was not fooled by outward appearances or actions. Yahweh knew their hearts. Yahweh knew they were unclean on the inside; therefore, their gifts and works were unclean.
15 But now, oh set your heart to consider from this day onward: from before one stone was set on another in the temple of Yahweh,
16 from when it was that one came to a grain heap of twenty measures, then there would be only ten; and from when one came to the wine vat to draw fifty troughs full, then there would be only twenty.
Yahweh wanted the Jews to remember that before they started rebuilding the temple, they were poor and hungry. They stored up grain and wine, but when they went to consume it, there was not as much as they had stored.
17 I struck you and every work of your hands with scorching wind, mildew, and hail; yet you did not come back to Me,’ declares Yahweh.
Yahweh declared He was the One who was striking them and their food and drink. The wind and hail ruined their crops before harvest or blew the grain away after harvest. The mildew ruined grain after it was stored.
18 ‘Oh set your heart to consider from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month; from the day when the temple of Yahweh was founded, set your heart to consider:
19 Is the seed still in the barn? Even including the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree, it has not borne fruit. Yet from this day on I will bless you.’”
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Yahweh promised that as of that date, He would bless them. From that point onward, their crops would be fruitful.
Since we live in the age of television, we tend to assume that anyone who appears to be doing God’s work is actually doing something beneficial and pleasing to God. Likewise, the Jews in the days of Haggai were bringing gifts to God and appeared to be doing what Yahweh wanted.
However, Yahweh was not pleased with the works and gifts of the Jews because on the inside they were unclean.
We need to look beyond appearances and focus on substance. Just because someone appears to be good does not mean he is good. Likewise, we need to do more than pay lip service to Christ. Our thoughts, values, and priorities need to be pleasing to God in order for our actions and appearances to be pleasing to God.
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”