Preaching Haggai

[Notthemama1984]

I was reading that Calvin believed that OT passages should be interpreted through three lenses: Israel, Christ, and the church.

I was reading through Haggai today and am curious if constructing a sermon on the theme "if one focuses on their livelihood prior to giving to God what is His,that God would spoil their efforts" would be a proper hermeneutic for Haggai? This is the concept that Haggai puts forward in the opening chapter, but I am not sure if it is proper to apply the same concept to the life of the church.

Thoughts?

 

[PointingToChrist]

Boliver, I think your theme is a good one. I preached on Haggai 1 this year, and I must say that on my end, it was one of my most satisfying sermons and I rejoice at the way the Lord showed me insight into it. The point is indeed that the people who returned to Jerusalem were focused on themselves instead of God (busying themselves on their paneled houses while the house of the Lord was in ruins). They put their own well-being before worship, whereas seeking first the Kingdom of God would yield the other necessities of life.

 

[JP Wallace]

Yes I think that was the approach I took a few years ago. Also helpful to compare with Malachi 1 where they were giving and worshipping but with no joy or enthusiasm.

Under the New Covenant the 'ethic' is 'seek first the kingdom of God and all these other things will be added on'.

 

[Jack K]

I might summarize the message for the church something like this: Be attentive to the work of the Lord, not distracted by worldly things. For he has brought you out of bondage, is now among you, and promises to be with you and establish his kingdom in even better ways soon.

I think of 1 Cor 15... "Your labor in the Lord is not in vain"... and the context of that verse as the chapter celebrates the hope we now have and the future glories we look forward to. Haggai encourages believers to greater work for the Lord, but he does so less by scolding than by holding out the greatness of God's work among them.

As for the Christ lens, we cannot help but be encouraged even more than the Israelites of Haggai's day, for we have seen the glory of the ultimate Temple of God... the Man by which God's presence dwelt with us. This presence is still with the church through his Spirit, and our anticipation of future, even greater, glories is a powerful incentive to be about the work of our Zerubbabel, our own King.