This post is Day 25 in a series of studies about “Haggai”. I strongly suggest you begin with the introduction to this study, please click here to read it.

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Haggai – Day 25

Yesterday, we saw that defilement spreads easily in the physical world. And today we can understand that it does in spiritual things too. The people had become defiled because of their neglect of the temple. Just attending services did not purify them any more than touching something blessed brought blessing.

Haggai 2:14

Then Haggai said, So it is with this people and this nation in My sight, declares the Lord. Whatever they do and whatever they offer there is defiled.

The Thought

In these days of the 21st century, there are many prophets to be seen via internet. Some are very genuine, some are not. True prophets are called to give bad news as well as good, and any real prophet will be honest about what he or she thinks God is saying.

In yesterday’s post we saw that defilement spreads easily in the physical world. And today we can understand that it does in spiritual things too.

Haggai’s message was that the people had lost their first love. Sadly it is a recurring theme, and in Revelation 2:4 we read that the church in Ephesus had the same problem.

In Haggai’s time, the Israelite’s loss of their first love for the Lord was evident in their self interest. They had built or repaired family property, and planted their own gardens. We can suppose that they still attended “church” on the sabbath, but their hearts were not with the Lord. It didn’t bother them that His house was in serious need of repair.

The people had become “defiled” in God’s sight because of their neglect of His house, the temple. Just attending services did not “purify” them any more than touching something blessed could bring a blessing (See Day 23).

Action

Thank God today for the place you worship, we can all do that at home in private, but there are times when we need to be with others of like mind. Corporate worship can be powerful, and Holy Spirit loves to respond when two or three are gathered (Matthew 18:20).

Read Matthew 18 or Revelation 2 today and make a note of other important lessons we need to be reminded of. They will be different for each reader.

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