The Inspiring Story of Glory

Haggai 2:3
‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?

Haggai 2:9
‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace, ’ declares the LORD Almighty.”

Haggai ministers to Israelites after the Babylonian captivity. Haggai encourages them to build the temple for God. Haggai tells them that if they prioritize the things of God over their own, God will bless them. Haggai tells them that their current different types of crisis are directly related to the incomplete temple.

You lack money because you have not built the temple. Food doesn’t satisfy you because you have not built the temple. You cant save money, you can’t harvest much, and all your work seems like a waste because you have not prioritized the temple. Everything you think has gone wrong in your life is directly related to the incomplete temple that you have ignored.

This is true not just in Haggai’s time but even today during our time. If God doesn’t become our priority, everything can and will go wrong. We will have health problems that are not getting resolved, yet the problem is that God isn’t given the first place in our lives. This explains many of our misfortunes and calamities as individuals and as families and communities. Unless God is genuinely placed first, nothing will go right.

When the Israelites saw the point, they changed their lifestyle. God was to be first or failure in every aspect of life becomes the order of the day. Unless God is first and above everything else, our own studies, work, and businesses will surely fail. Our health will deteriorate and our social life will be pitiable. God must come first or nothing will work.

God first means, tithes and offerings. God first means regular worship attendance. God first means setting aside time for personal devotion to God in prayer and Bible study. God first patterned our life after God’s will.

When Israelites started building the new temple it didn’t look as good as the time they had heard the Solomon built. Solomon’s temple was celebrated many years later. Solomon’s temple had unforgettable glory. But the current temple under construction was so far from what had been heard about Solomon’s temple. The community was wondering, what type of temple is this?

Our passage today is written to address the question of why this temple lacked the glory of Solomon’s temple. Haggai tells them that indeed Solomon’s temple had great glory. Haggai acknowledges that the current temple under construction is a far cry from what Solomon built. However Haggai doesn’t end on that sad note, he promises that the glory of this temple will be greater than that of Solomon.

The first lesson, whatever glory we have can come to an end, but it is not the end of our relevance. Solomon’s glorious temple was looted and destroyed by Babylonians but the functions of the temple continued. Even without any glory, the reference and use of the temple were not lost. We should not be defined by the glory of things but by our usefulness. Do you seek to be useful or do you seek glory? Those who are useful will get the glory. Those who seek glory will never be useful.

The second lesson, if all you can reference is former glory, you are not irrelevant. Celebrate your past as you work on the future. Be inspired by the glorious past. Be encouraged that it is possible to excel.

The third lesson is that lack of glory doesn’t mean it’s over for you. The glory that is much better can and will come your way. The present temple had nothing attractive. Haggai promises that the present may be discouraging, but the future is certain and powerful!

May God save us from poor priorities that leave God out. May God save us from discouragement when our glory is in the past. May God sustain us during this present period when we look so down. May God save us until when we realize the future God has planned for us. In Jesus’, name Amen!

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