Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.
The call was given to the returned exiles who left the temple neglected and well-nigh forsaken while they dwelt in their own ceiled houses and strove for temporal prosperity, having made personal interests first and lost sight of God's purpose in restoring them. To consider ways is to examine conduct and priorities carefully and face misplaced love for one's own buildings with unconcern for the Lord's building, asking why zeal is lost and what is gained by serving self at the sacrifice of His cause. Their lack of prosperity despite hard work was God's own doing against them because His house lay waste, so that they sowed much but gathered little, ate and drank without satisfaction, and put earnings into a bag with holes while heaven was held from dew and earth from fruit. The remedy is to make building His house the first work without excuse or delay, bringing wood and building so He will take pleasure in it and be glorified, and He promised blessing when the people resumed building. So now it requires putting an adequate place to assemble for worship among the first considerations, examining stewardship when means are used for self and His house is left burdened with debt, and stopping to repent and change course where work and spirit are not in harmony with Him.
Setting and Divine Rebuke
The command to consider ways was given to the returned exiles in Judea in the early reign of Darius Hystaspes, after for more than a year they had left the temple neglected and well-nigh forsaken. While they dwelt in their own ceiled and finished houses and strove for temporal prosperity, they were in a pitiable state spiritually and temporally. They had lost sight of God's purpose in restoring them to Judea and had chosen to make personal interests first while looking with apathy on the Lord's ruined house. Their delay in building while living in finished homes exposed misplaced priorities that demanded examination and action rather than excuse.
To consider ways means to examine conduct and priorities carefully and to recognize putting one's own homes and embellishment first while the Lord's house lies waste. It means asking why there is passivity and so little done for God, why there is concern for one's own buildings and unconcern for the Lord's building, why burning zeal for restoration has been lost, and what has been gained by serving self at the sacrifice of God's cause. Leaving the Lord's house until last disobeys His will, so building His house must be made the first consideration rather than the last.
Their desire to escape poverty led them to neglect the temple, but that very neglect brought upon them what they feared, so that however hard they worked they did not prosper. Their lack of temporal prosperity, drought and want, poor harvests, and wages that did not meet needs were God's own doing against them because His house is waste while each hurries to his own house. They sowed much but gathered little, ate without satisfaction, drank without fill, clothed without warmth, and earnings disappeared, expecting much but bringing in little. Their increase was blown upon, heaven was held from dew and earth from fruit, and drought was called upon land, corn, wine, oil, men, cattle, and all labor of hands, including removal of corn, wine and oil bestowed as tokens of favor.
The remedy is to make building God's house the first work without excuse or delay, going up to the mountain to bring wood and build so He will take pleasure in it and be glorified. Honoring God in this way by restoring His house invites His presence and blessing. After the people resumed building He promised to bless them. Alongside other prophecies the call to examine conduct points to a world marked by continual transgression and covenant-breaking before the Lord's second coming.
Present Application and Duty
“Consider your ways” requires examining priorities and making a house for God and an adequate place to assemble for worship among the first considerations rather than the last. Leaving the Lord’s house neglected while making one’s own homes the concern, dwelling in finished and ceiled houses while His house lies unfinished and waste, disobeys His will. The duty is to act without delay in faith rather than postponing and leaving unfinished work undone, going forward with building a meeting house as a response of faith, even when quarters have become too small. Such building is to be done humbly and in good order, trusting that the Lord will take pleasure in the work and be glorified, and on school grounds reverence is shown by making God’s service first in order to gain His approval.
The same call rebukes dishonoring God by leaving His house burdened with debt while His means are used for self. This includes selfish thought and selfish interests, wrong management from beginning to end, neglect to arise and build, and building on hired money without donations and with only small sacrifices. Churches burdened in this way are to examine themselves and with earnest, zealous effort cancel every debt on every house of worship, sacrificing year by year to lessen the debt so that interest does not swallow up the means that should pay the principal. Every such debt could already have been paid except for torpor and selfish indulgence, and when paid the house is to be rededicated to God as His house free of debt, which brings His blessing. Financial disappointment — sowing much but gathering little, eating without satisfaction, drinking without fill, clothing without warmth, wages disappearing, expecting much but bringing in little, with heaven held from dew and earth from fruit — is God acting against His people because His house lies waste while each hurries to his own house.
The verse calls those entrusted with God’s gifts and capital to examine their stewardship when they disregard His claims. That disregard appears in using means extravagantly to embellish one’s own dwelling while thinking any place is good enough for the worship of God, which dishonors the Redeemer and is robbery against God, and in withholding tithes and offerings and using means for self instead of advancing His work. Those entrusted with the greatest amount of capital are stewards of a surplus to see and understand where help is needed. They are unitedly to take of the Lord’s own substance to lift the burdens resting on His languishing institutions and to support and restore them, manifesting heart-and-soul interest and becoming one in mind and heart with the heavenly intelligences so they can be worked by them, with the assurance that the Lord will cooperate with them.
The verse also calls those engaged in work God cannot sanction to stop and examine their conduct. Lack of means in the treasury results from such work, including selfishly taking resources from others and using them for private advantage. It includes depending on human effort instead of God’s power and bringing presumption and human wisdom into the work so that truth and righteousness are corrupted. Considering ways means recognizing that they are not working in harmony with Him and that their spirit is not one with His Spirit.
The verse calls each person, and especially a leader, to stop at once and examine conduct, spirit, direction, and results with care. God vindicates His honor and righteousness and holds control of events, and He cannot approve a wrong spirit and course of action, for human plans are not His plans. Considering ways means facing the harm one’s conduct has caused and recognizing failure to live in right relations with God. It means repenting and changing course now while time and probation remain, rather than leading others to follow wrong ideas and to carry out plans for supremacy. This requires laying aside commanding authority and driving and rushing methods in order to move more steadily, becoming humble as a little child learning at the feet of Christ, and cherishing principles of purest integrity. Upright dealings with fellow men come by being upright with God, with lips and tongue sanctified so as to make only correct statements, and with service rendered only by the sacred fire of God’s own kindling. It requires studying and obeying God’s will in order to overcome temptation and remain fit for influence, living every moment under divine scrutiny with God as companion, and letting His holiness, justice, and truth purify words and actions, with the overcomer’s reward at stake.
The call was given to the returned exiles who left the temple neglected and well-nigh forsaken while they dwelt in their own ceiled houses and strove for temporal prosperity, having made personal interests first and lost sight of God's purpose in restoring them. To consider ways is to examine conduct and priorities carefully and face misplaced love for one's own buildings with unconcern for the Lord's building, asking why zeal is lost and what is gained by serving self at the sacrifice of His cause. Their lack of prosperity despite hard work was God's own doing against them because His house lay waste, so that they sowed much but gathered little, ate and drank without satisfaction, and put earnings into a bag with holes while heaven was held from dew and earth from fruit. The remedy is to make building His house the first work without excuse or delay, bringing wood and building so He will take pleasure in it and be glorified, and He promised blessing when the people resumed building. So now it requires putting an adequate place to assemble for worship among the first considerations, examining stewardship when means are used for self and His house is left burdened with debt, and stopping to repent and change course where work and spirit are not in harmony with Him.
Setting and Divine Rebuke
The command to consider ways was given to the returned exiles in Judea in the early reign of Darius Hystaspes, after for more than a year they had left the temple neglected and well-nigh forsaken. While they dwelt in their own ceiled and finished houses and strove for temporal prosperity, they were in a pitiable state spiritually and temporally. They had lost sight of God's purpose in restoring them to Judea and had chosen to make personal interests first while looking with apathy on the Lord's ruined house. Their delay in building while living in finished homes exposed misplaced priorities that demanded examination and action rather than excuse.
To consider ways means to examine conduct and priorities carefully and to recognize putting one's own homes and embellishment first while the Lord's house lies waste. It means asking why there is passivity and so little done for God, why there is concern for one's own buildings and unconcern for the Lord's building, why burning zeal for restoration has been lost, and what has been gained by serving self at the sacrifice of God's cause. Leaving the Lord's house until last disobeys His will, so building His house must be made the first consideration rather than the last.
Their desire to escape poverty led them to neglect the temple, but that very neglect brought upon them what they feared, so that however hard they worked they did not prosper. Their lack of temporal prosperity, drought and want, poor harvests, and wages that did not meet needs were God's own doing against them because His house is waste while each hurries to his own house. They sowed much but gathered little, ate without satisfaction, drank without fill, clothed without warmth, and earnings disappeared, expecting much but bringing in little. Their increase was blown upon, heaven was held from dew and earth from fruit, and drought was called upon land, corn, wine, oil, men, cattle, and all labor of hands, including removal of corn, wine and oil bestowed as tokens of favor.
The remedy is to make building God's house the first work without excuse or delay, going up to the mountain to bring wood and build so He will take pleasure in it and be glorified. Honoring God in this way by restoring His house invites His presence and blessing. After the people resumed building He promised to bless them. Alongside other prophecies the call to examine conduct points to a world marked by continual transgression and covenant-breaking before the Lord's second coming.
Present Application and Duty
“Consider your ways” requires examining priorities and making a house for God and an adequate place to assemble for worship among the first considerations rather than the last. Leaving the Lord’s house neglected while making one’s own homes the concern, dwelling in finished and ceiled houses while His house lies unfinished and waste, disobeys His will. The duty is to act without delay in faith rather than postponing and leaving unfinished work undone, going forward with building a meeting house as a response of faith, even when quarters have become too small. Such building is to be done humbly and in good order, trusting that the Lord will take pleasure in the work and be glorified, and on school grounds reverence is shown by making God’s service first in order to gain His approval.
The same call rebukes dishonoring God by leaving His house burdened with debt while His means are used for self. This includes selfish thought and selfish interests, wrong management from beginning to end, neglect to arise and build, and building on hired money without donations and with only small sacrifices. Churches burdened in this way are to examine themselves and with earnest, zealous effort cancel every debt on every house of worship, sacrificing year by year to lessen the debt so that interest does not swallow up the means that should pay the principal. Every such debt could already have been paid except for torpor and selfish indulgence, and when paid the house is to be rededicated to God as His house free of debt, which brings His blessing. Financial disappointment — sowing much but gathering little, eating without satisfaction, drinking without fill, clothing without warmth, wages disappearing, expecting much but bringing in little, with heaven held from dew and earth from fruit — is God acting against His people because His house lies waste while each hurries to his own house.
The verse calls those entrusted with God’s gifts and capital to examine their stewardship when they disregard His claims. That disregard appears in using means extravagantly to embellish one’s own dwelling while thinking any place is good enough for the worship of God, which dishonors the Redeemer and is robbery against God, and in withholding tithes and offerings and using means for self instead of advancing His work. Those entrusted with the greatest amount of capital are stewards of a surplus to see and understand where help is needed. They are unitedly to take of the Lord’s own substance to lift the burdens resting on His languishing institutions and to support and restore them, manifesting heart-and-soul interest and becoming one in mind and heart with the heavenly intelligences so they can be worked by them, with the assurance that the Lord will cooperate with them.
The verse also calls those engaged in work God cannot sanction to stop and examine their conduct. Lack of means in the treasury results from such work, including selfishly taking resources from others and using them for private advantage. It includes depending on human effort instead of God’s power and bringing presumption and human wisdom into the work so that truth and righteousness are corrupted. Considering ways means recognizing that they are not working in harmony with Him and that their spirit is not one with His Spirit.
The verse calls each person, and especially a leader, to stop at once and examine conduct, spirit, direction, and results with care. God vindicates His honor and righteousness and holds control of events, and He cannot approve a wrong spirit and course of action, for human plans are not His plans. Considering ways means facing the harm one’s conduct has caused and recognizing failure to live in right relations with God. It means repenting and changing course now while time and probation remain, rather than leading others to follow wrong ideas and to carry out plans for supremacy. This requires laying aside commanding authority and driving and rushing methods in order to move more steadily, becoming humble as a little child learning at the feet of Christ, and cherishing principles of purest integrity. Upright dealings with fellow men come by being upright with God, with lips and tongue sanctified so as to make only correct statements, and with service rendered only by the sacred fire of God’s own kindling. It requires studying and obeying God’s will in order to overcome temptation and remain fit for influence, living every moment under divine scrutiny with God as companion, and letting His holiness, justice, and truth purify words and actions, with the overcomer’s reward at stake.