Haggai 1:7,8 – Pleasing God and Being Whole

What does it take to please God? It’s going to sound selfish, but it isn’t.

⁷ This is what Yahweh Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. ⁸ Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says Yahweh. (Haggai 1:7,8)

Yahweh makes it very clear to the remnant of Israel who have returned to the land just how they can remedy the environmental drought they have been experiencing – build the temple. He will take pleasure in the temple and He will be honored by it. He doesn’t say it needs to be fabulously glorious in structure, just that it will bring Him pleasure and honor Him. Of course it will meet the general specifications given Moses. It must have the holy place with its furniture and the most holy place with its furniture.

Why would this please Yahweh? Because it means the spiritual drought is ended in Israel. For people to be healthy they must worship God in Spirit and in Truth. Is there anything better, more awe inspiring, more important than the Creator of the universe? Failing to recognize Him and honor Him is tantamount to living in a dark cave. Could you live in Yosemite and lose your sense of wonder and awe at its beauty and fierceness without something being deeply wrong with you? So neither can you close your eyes to Yahweh and have any semblance of healthiness to you.

Yahweh wants what is best for His people, and what is best for us is to have a whole-hearted adoration of Him fueled by gratitude and love.