A long time ago, after the people of Israel had been taken away from their land because they disobeyed God, they were finally allowed to return home. The people were excited to be back in Jerusalem, their special city. But when they arrived, they found that the temple, God’s house, was in ruins. It had been destroyed when they were taken away. God wanted them to rebuild it, but the people became distracted with their own lives.
1. Haggai’s Message: Put God First God sent a prophet named Haggai to deliver a message to the people. The people had started to rebuild the temple, but they stopped because they were more focused on building their own houses and taking care of their own needs. Haggai told them that they needed to finish building God’s house first, the temple. God’s house had to come first because it showed that God was important to them.
Lesson: We should put God first in our lives. Sometimes we get busy with our own things, but we must remember to always make time for God and do what He asks.
2. The People Obey and Get to Work When the people heard Haggai’s message, they realized they had been putting their own wants ahead of God. They decided to listen to God’s words through Haggai and started working on the temple again. The leaders, like Zerubbabel the governor and Joshua the high priest, encouraged everyone to work together to finish the temple. They trusted that God would help them.
Lesson: When we obey God, He helps us do what’s right. Working together to do God’s work makes Him happy, and He will bless our efforts.
3. God’s Promise of Blessing As the people worked on the temple, God sent another message through Haggai. He told them that He was pleased with their work and that He would bless them. God also promised that the temple they were building would be even more special than the old one. It would be a place where God’s glory would shine, and it would be filled with peace. God’s presence would be there, and the people would be blessed because they obeyed.
Lesson: God blesses us when we put Him first and obey Him. He is always with us, and His presence brings peace and joy to our lives.
Key Lessons from Haggai:
- We should always put God first in our lives, making time for Him and doing what He asks.
- When we obey God, He will help us, and we will experience His blessings.
- God’s presence is powerful and brings peace, joy, and hope into our lives.
The Book of Haggai teaches us that putting God first is the most important thing we can do. When we focus on God and obey His commands, He will be with us, guiding us and blessing us. Just like the people worked to rebuild the temple, we can work to build our lives around God, and He will fill us with His love and peace.
