After 70 years of exile, Israel returns home. Their exile was because they had sinned greatly against God. They had rejected Him and His ways and walked out on their covenant that they had with Him. In God’s great love, He has brought them back home. Instead of Israel giving praise and honour to God, they first sort to establish themselves before giving consideration to God. This is a sad harkening back to their original ways that got them into their problems in the first place. So, through Haggai, God speaks and calls the people to build a temple – a place where people can meet each Sabbath to praise Him. It is a place of prayer, a place of unity, a place of love and a connection between the people and God.

The people obey and God brings blessing. He also promises that in a future time, the temple will be more glorious than the one that they had built – a temple that would bring peace to the world. And we understand that that temple and that peace is the sending of the Lord Jesus who stood on the steps of the same temple built over 500 years earlier at the command of God through Haggai. Moreover, we as Christians take our place as God’s temple, doing and acting in all the right ways that a temple would – we pray, we love one another, we care for the world, we show respect and give dignity even to those who may not deserve it. We are God’s temple and reflect His goodness and gather together to praise His name. I hope that this sermon is an encouragement and a blessing for you, to live the fullest life that you can, understanding that your identity is in Christ Jesus, that you are a part of God’s family, and you are a holy dwelling place for the Holy Spirit.