Haggai 1:2-4 - “This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD’S house should be built... Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?”

Israel had been released by Cyrus from captivity to go back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple (Ezra 1). Having made a fair start, they were approached by the foreigners whom the Assyrians had settled in the land (Ezra 4:2), who offered to help in the building. It being a work of God’s people, they were denied. Shunned, they wrote to the king accusing the Jews of hostility and evil intent. The new king, Artaxerxes, commanded that the rebuilding of Jerusalem cease, and the people obeyed the king rather than God. For 16 years no progress was made on the temple, but the business community and residential neighborhoods flourished. God raised up Haggai and Zechariah to stir up the people to work. For 4 decades the church of our Lord in America has languished while most of her children - those who have stayed - have grown comfortable in their homes and businesses. We have said “the time is not come” that the church can be built up because our neighbors will not heed the word of the Lord. They will not heed what they have not heard. “Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways” (Hag. 1:5). The temple wasn’t built until the people defied the opposition. The church won’t be built up until the people give up some comfort and go to work (Ezra 1:14).

Haggai 1:12 - “Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD.”

Enemies had threatened the Jews who had returned to Jerusalem from captivity. For fear of their neighbors, who disapproved their activities, the people of God stopped working as God had commanded (rebuilding the temple). God raised up Haggai to remind them who they were and Whom they were to obey. Despite the disfavor of bullying neighbors - and despite the earlier order of the king to cease the work - the Jews “obeyed the voice of the LORD their God.” In the spirit of Hebrews 11:1 through 12:2 Zerubbabel and Joshua will be witnesses against Christians today who refuse to go “every where preaching the word” (Acts 8:4) on the ground that it is unpopular, people won’t like us, we might offend someone.... (add here the words that you have been using as if they excuse you from service to the King of kings).