Bible Studies

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GOD’S HOUSE

“You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?” says the Lord of hosts. “Because of MY HOUSE that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house.” (Haggai 1:9; NKJV)

2nd Year of King Darius :

1) Sixth month, 1st day of the month

The word of the Lord came to Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. In Haggai 1:4, God says, “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your panelled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?”

What does God take pleasure in and how is He glorified? Haggai 1:8 tells us that the Lord of hosts urges His people in Judah to ‘Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified’, after having sounded them out twice to ‘Consider your ways!’ in verses 5 and 7.

“Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him; and the people feared the presence of the Lord.” (Haggai 1:12; NKJV)


2) Sixth month, 24th day of the month

“Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, spoke the Lord’s message to the people, saying, “I AM WITH YOU, SAYS THE LORD.” So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God,” (Haggai 1:13, 14; NKJV)


3) Seventh month, 21st day of the month

“ ‘Yet now BE STRONG, Zerubbabel,’ says the Lord; ‘and BE STRONG, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and BE STRONG, all you people of the land,’ says the Lord, ‘and work; FOR I AM WITH YOU,’ SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS.
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‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS. ‘And in this place I WILL GIVE PEACE,’ SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS.”


4) Ninth month, 24th day of the month

“Then Haggai answered and said, “So is this people, and so is this nation before Me,’ says the Lord, ‘and so is every work of their hands; AND WHAT THEY OFFER THERE IS UNCLEAN.
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‘Is the seed still in the barn? As yet the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. BUT FROM THIS DAY FORWARD I WILL BLESS YOU.’” (Haggai 2:14 – 19)

“ “SPEAK TO ZERUBBABEL, governor of Judah, saying:

I will shake heaven and earth.
I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms;
I will destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms.
I will overthrow the chariots
And those who ride in them;
The horses and their riders shall come down,
Every one by the sword of his brother.

‘In that day,’ SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS, ‘I WILL TAKE YOU, ZERUBBABEL MY SERVANT, THE SON OF SHEALTIEL,’ says the Lord, ‘AND WILL MAKE YOU AS A SIGNET RING; FOR I HAVE CHOSEN YOU,’ SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS.”

And, this, my friend, is the Zerubbabel mentioned under the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 1:12 and Luke 3:27.

There is more …KING DAVID DESIRED TO BUILD GOD A HOUSE. We read from 1 Chronicles 17:1-27 (NKJV) that:

“And it came to pass, when David was dwelling in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, "See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under tent curtains." Then Nathan said to David, "Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you." But it happened that night that the word of God came to Nathan, saying, "GO AND TELL MY SERVANT DAVID, 'THUS SAYS THE LORD: "You shall not build Me a house to dwell in. For I have not dwelt in a house since the time that I brought up Israel, even to this day, but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another. Wherever I have moved about with all Israel, have I ever spoken a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people, saying, 'Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?' " ' Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts: "I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel. And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a name like the name of the great men who are on the earth. MOREOVER I WILL APPOINT A PLACE FOR MY PEOPLE ISRAEL, AND WILL PLANT THEM, THAT THEY MAY DWELL IN A PLACE OF THEIR OWN AND MOVE NO MORE; NOR SHALL SONS OF WICKEDNESS OPPRESS THEM ANYMORE, AS PREVIOUSLY, since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. Also I will subdue all your enemies. Furthermore I tell you that the Lord will build you a house. And it shall be, when your days are fulfilled, when you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your seed after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son; and I will not take My mercy away from him, as I took it from him who was before you. And I will establish him in My house and in My kingdom forever; and his throne shall be established forever." According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said: "Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far? And yet this was a small thing in Your sight, O God; and You have also spoken of Your servant's house for a great while to come, and have regarded me according to the rank of a man of high degree, O Lord God. What more can David say to You for the honor of Your servant? For You know Your servant. O Lord, for Your servant's sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all this greatness, in making known all these great things. O Lord, there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. AND WHO IS LIKE YOUR PEOPLE ISRAEL, THE ONE NATION ON THE EARTH WHOM GOD WENT TO REDEEM FOR HIMSELF AS A PEOPLE—TO MAKE FOR YOURSELF A NAME BY GREAT AND AWESOME DEEDS, BY DRIVING OUT NATIONS FROM BEFORE YOUR PEOPLE WHOM YOU REDEEMED FROM EGYPT? FOR YOU HAVE MADE YOUR PEOPLE ISRAEL YOUR VERY OWN PEOPLE FOREVER; AND YOU, LORD, HAVE BECOME THEIR GOD. "And now, O Lord, the word which You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house, let it be established forever, and do as You have said. So let it be established, that Your name may be magnified forever, saying, 'THE LORD OF HOSTS, THE GOD ISRAEL, IS ISRAEL’S GOD.' And let the house of Your servant David be established before You. For You, O my God, have revealed to Your servant that You will build him a house. Therefore Your servant has found it in his heart to pray before You. And now, Lord, You are God, and have promised this goodness to Your servant. Now You have been pleased to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue before You forever; FOR YOU HAVE BLESSED IT, O LORD, AND IT SHALL BE BLESSED FOREVER."


Read also 1 Chronicles 22:1-19 and 1 Chronicles 29:1-20. Here are some highlights:

“NOW SET YOUR HEART AND YOUR SOUL TO SEEK THE LORD YOUR GOD. THEREFORE ARISE AND BUILD THE SANCTUARY OF THE LORD GOD, TO BRING THE ARK OF THE COVENANT OF THE LORD AND THE HOLY ARTICLES OF GOD INTO THE HOUSE THAT IS TO BE BUILT FOR THE NAME OF THE LORD.” I Chronicles 22:19; NKJV)

“O LORD OUR GOD, ALL THIS ABUNDANCE THAT WE HAVE PREPARED TO BUILD YOU A HOUSE FOR YOUR HOLY NAME IS FROM YOUR HAND, AND IS ALL YOUR OWN.” 1 Chronicles 29:16; NKJV)


While we may desire to build God a house, yet: “Thus says the LORD: HEAVEN IS MY THRONE, AND EARTH IS MY FOOTSTOOL. WHERE IS THE HOUSE THAT YOU WILL BUILD ME? AND WHERE IS THE PLACE OF MY REST? FOR ALL THOSE THINGS MY HAND HAS MADE, AND ALL THOSE THINGS EXIST,” SAYS THE LORD. But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word.” (Isaiah 66:1-2; NKJV)

Indeed, where is the house that we will build for God? “For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, but Christ as a Son over His own house, WHOSE HOUSE WE ARE if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.” (Hebrews 3:4 – 6; NKJV)

WE ARE GOD’S HOUSE. Let Him build us up. “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16; NKJV)
“Coming to Him as to a living stone, …you also, as living stones, are being built up a SPIRITUAL HOUSE, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:4 – 5; NKJV) “But SEEK FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness,...” (Matthew 6:33; NKJV)

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