Haggai 1:8, commentary and pictures

Go up to the mountain and build was spoken to the returned exiles in Judea who had left the temple neglected for more than a year while dwelling in their own ceiled houses. It commands them to consider their ways, to stop putting their own houses and temporal prosperity first, and to rise up at once to build the Lord's house as a place of humble, orderly worship that honors Him and witnesses to the truth. If they build, He promises to take pleasure in it and be glorified by it, inviting His presence and blessing upon work done so He can delight in it. Neglecting His house to run every man to his own house and use His gifts of corn, wine, and oil selfishly brought spiritual and temporal ruin, sowing much but bringing in little and calling drought upon land, produce, men, cattle, and all labor of hands. The same word still requires making God's house the first consideration rather than the last, refusing to embellish own dwellings extravagantly while leaving His house neglected or burdened with debt, but giving sacrificially and working promptly by faith with willing, united, economical effort until means are provided, burdens are lifted, and He cooperates and takes pleasure in a house full of worshippers.

Original Call to Rebuild

The command was given to the returned Jews, the restored exiles in Judea in the early reign of Darius Hystaspes, after they had left the temple neglected and almost forsaken for more than a year while they dwelt in their own ceiled houses. They had made rebuilding God's house not their first work but a neglected work, dwelling in their own homes and seeking temporal prosperity first while viewing the ruined temple with apathy. That choice brought spiritual and temporal ruin, loss of sight of God's purpose in restoring them to Judea, murmuring and doubt, and failure to prosper in their work.

The word to them was to consider their ways and to stop putting their own houses and personal interests first. They were to rise up at once without delay, to stop passivity and go up to the mountain and bring wood and build the Lord's house. The house of the Lord was not to be left as the last consideration while attending to other concerns, but was to be made the first consideration. Delay in building shows lack of faith of the right quality.

The house to be built was to show honor to God and due respect and courtesy to Him. Built where God directs, it was to give His people a place to worship Him in all humbleness of mind, to kneel down before Him, and to serve Him becomingly and in order, dedicated to His worship. It was to stand as a witness to the truth His people believe.

God promised that if they built, He would take pleasure in the house and be glorified by it. Their work should be such that He can take pleasure in it and be glorified. Honoring God by putting His interests first and building would invite His presence and blessing.

Neglect came from running every man to his own house, from selfish serving of self and desire to escape poverty, with concern for personal buildings and unconcern for the Lord's building and lost burning zeal for restoration. They used God's bountiful gifts of corn and wine and oil selfishly while letting the temple lie waste, and the Lord removed the blessing and sent a wasting drought upon their substance, with the elements of nature conspiring against them. That neglect brought the very want that was feared, so nothing prospered in gaining wealth. They sowed much but brought in little, ate without having enough, drank without being filled, clothed themselves without warmth, and put wages into a bag with holes. He blew upon their gain and stayed heaven from dew and earth from fruit, and called drought upon land, mountains, corn, new wine, oil, ground produce, men, cattle, and all the labor of hands. Their neglect of the temple was thus linked to poor harvests, lack of success, hardship, lack of temporal prosperity and trouble.

Building for God Today

God's house is not to be left as the last consideration while other concerns are attended to, but is to be made the first consideration, requiring prompt action without delay to go up, bring wood, and build when there is no suitable place to assemble and the present place has become too small, which is not His will. Providing such a place for worship honors God, shows reverence and respect, gives Him pleasure, and brings Him glory, while leaving the work until last fails to put Him first. Building a suitable, comfortable, neat, and convenient house to meet and worship in is necessary and should take priority over other work and other concerns, and its location and orderly use can also support a good influence.

It is robbing and dishonoring God when those entrusted with the greatest amount of capital as stewards for the Master forget their stewardship and feel at liberty to use it extravagantly in embellishing their own dwelling houses while thinking any place is good enough for the worship of God. The surplus means entrusted to them must instead be used to build a fitting house for God and to advance His work on earth, not spent freely on themselves, with earnestness and generous offerings of the best available rather than reluctant giving or spending less than the work requires. It is dishonoring to God and wrong management from beginning to end to leave church buildings neglected or to build them with borrowed, hired money and let them remain burdened with debt, with year after year passing and interest swallowing means that should pay the principal. Duty requires sacrifice and donations to build sufficiently and to free the buildings from debt, funding the work so it is not left in debt, for the people's care for God's house shows how highly they value sacred things.

The command to arise and build was obeyed in beginning the meetinghouse at Cooranbong by faith despite limited funds and uncertainty about completing the project, gathering materials for a house of worship that would give God pleasure and bring Him glory. The same call applies to building memorials for God in Washington, including a school, sanitarium, and publishing building, with willing, unselfish support, prompt action, and careful, economical use of means. It also applies to using God's resources to relieve the burdens of His institutions and restore them so His work can advance, as with the publishing house in Norway, where when His stewards act together the Lord cooperates with them.

Building calls for action rather than hesitation or delay, beginning by faith and going forward trusting that needed means will be provided and that He will honor faith. The work is to be done with what His providence supplies, with carpenters who are free at the time and with workers who donate time liberally and work at reduced wages, so that the meetinghouse was finished quickly in eight weeks. When hindrances arise, stopping work for prayer brings the Holy Spirit to soften and subdue hearts, and the finished house is to be dedicated to God at the favorable time He gives. This shared willingness to arise and build is expressed when workers give their labor or money, begin promptly, and proceed by faith, with willing, unselfish support and careful, economical use of means.

When believers pray for wisdom and a heart to understand every impression of the Spirit and earnestly push forward the building of a chapel, the angels of God are on the ground to direct the work and control the judgment of everyone who cheerfully sets his hand to it. All who realize the nearness of the Lord must act their faith, and when one of His instrumentalities is languishing or in peril, those who are heart and soul in the work must manifest their interest and be one in mind and heart with the heavenly intelligences. Human agencies as stewards of God must unitedly take of the Lord's own substance and use it to lift the burdens resting on His institutions, and the Lord will cooperate with them. He takes pleasure in a house full of worshippers accommodated with a good, pleasant, convenient place of worship, and the people's spiritual strength and prosperity correspond to their regard for His house. The work should be such that God can take pleasure in it and be glorified, while a shortage of means can result when people pursue work He cannot sanction.