Is Your House a Temple for the Lord? (2nd Saturday of Advent)

We are continuing our house-building theme today. Yesterday we looked out how God wants us to focus on the truly meaningful things of life–like bringing faith, hope and love into the world.
Today, I want to answer again yesterday’s question: what kind of house are you building?

In today’s passage from Haggai we see that the Lord continues his discourse on his temple and his people. Now I know that the passage comes off as a bit strange to us modern folks. We aren’t too concerned these days with keeping items consecrated and pure, nor do we consider ourselves defiled if we’ve touched a dead body (though it would be icky).

However, I do think that we ought to be concerned about keeping ourselves consecrated and pure for the Lord. After all, we are all temples of the Lord. As Christians we have asked God to indwell within us in the same way that the Lord once indwelt the temple in Jerusalem.

So, what kind of house does God live in today? I must confess that the house known as Peter is a little overweight these days. The temple is physically a little shabby. Worse, it is spiritually shabby too. I’ve not kept myself pure and holy for God. Yet God graciously continues to indwell within me despite my sin and shabbiness. However, I ought not to take God’s grace lightly–I should do a better job of keeping my eyes, ears, heart and mind focused on God.

After all, because God dwells within me, God has promised that I will be full of his glory. With God present in me, the temple that is me is a place where God has granted peace. At least that’s what the Lord has said about the temple through Haggai. However, I must confess that I don’t often reflect the glory of the Lord, nor am I always a peaceful person. So what I am to do? I think that the answer begins with one word: Joy.

To me, people of joy are those that know that they are blessed by God. Even in life’s darkest hour they know that God continues to bless them. How? By being with them! Think about it–God deemed a relationship with us to be so important that he came to earth to live among us–to suffer with us and to die, just like we do! However, Jesus triumphed over Evil and the grave and has forgiven us for our sins. Now the eternally alive–the ever risen Christ–wishes to live within us! The very Spirit of God desires to indwell within us–to infuse our being with the glory of God. We who are filled with the Spirit of God ought to exude God’s grace and love. We ought to live joy-filled lives of peace and contentment knowing that God is with us and will never forsake us!

This Advent season as we await the birth of the Christ child, know that God is waiting too–waiting to be welcomed into the lives of many whose temples are fully of empty gods–money, sex, power and the like. Millions of people have vacancies in their heart that only God can fill. Millions of people desperately seek peace this Advent season–peace that God alone can bring.
Again, I ask the question: what kind of house are you building? Who is in charge of your temple? Does your life radiate joy? If not, what are you waiting for? As we celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ and his birth, why not celebrate your rebirth too? Trust me, when we are our own master, we will never be satisfied, but when God is in control, he fulfills all our needs. That’s good news indeed!

Haggai 2:1-19 (NIV)

On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: "Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, 'Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? But now be strong, O Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD. 'Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,' declares the LORD, 'and work. For I am with you,' declares the LORD Almighty. 'This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.'

"This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD Almighty. 'The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the LORD Almighty. 'The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the LORD Almighty. 'And in this place I will grant peace,' declares the LORD Almighty."

On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Haggai: "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Ask the priests what the law says: If a person carries consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, oil or other food, does it become consecrated?' " The priests answered, "No."

Then Haggai said, "If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?" "Yes," the priests replied, "it becomes defiled."

Then Haggai said, " 'So it is with this people and this nation in my sight,' declares the LORD. 'Whatever they do and whatever they offer there is defiled.

" 'Now give careful thought to this from this day on—consider how things were before one stone was laid on another in the LORD's temple. When anyone came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten. When anyone went to a wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were only twenty. I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail, yet you did not turn to me,' declares the LORD. 'From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the LORD's temple was laid. Give careful thought: Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit.

" 'From this day on I will bless you.' "