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Haggai - Take Courage And Work
Brian Mashburn
February 4, 2018
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Courage Based On Promise, Not Past
There is phrase used sometimes that is packed with meaning, and depending on how it is used and who is using it, it can mean very different things. It has been and remains popular. It is the title of songs, books, articles, blogs, has its own twitter account, and few people go through life without using it.
The phrase? "The Good Old Days"
It can be used sincerely, with healthy nostalgia and appreciation for treasured memories in the past.
It can be used sarcastically, scoffing at something that used to be normal, and perhaps accepted and unquestioned, but now revealed to be less than ideal.
It can also be used critically, as a discouragement of some effort in the present, minimizing the effort by comparing it to some glorious similar effort or achievement from the past.
This is what the people of God were facing as we turn the page in the book of Haggai to chapter 2. Some of the older folks were old enough to compare the Temple that they were building to Solomon’s Temple from 70 years ago. What they were building now appeared to them as “nothing” (vs. 3) compared to the good old days. And this discouraged them and those around them from working, since it was clearly so inferior.
It is one thing for a church to face opposition in their Kingdom work from forces outside, but it is particularly undercutting when they face opposition from within themselves. Who can compete in the present with a romanticized glorious past? Why even try?
God handles this very real threat to faithfulness directly through Haggai. Let's see how.