The Futility of Folly
By Ronald Thompkins
August 3, 2003 

The prophet Haggai was commissioned by God for a single purpose: remind the Jews to finish His temple. (Ezra 5:1-6:4) For a period of approximately sixteen years the Jews were unable to finish the temple because of hostile nations which interrupted their work. Upon the Jews freedom from these hostile nations, rather than resume God’s work of rebuilding His temple, they proceeded to rebuild their own homes and their own lives.

They devoted the material and emotional resources made possible by God for building His temple, to their own homes. Haggai accused some of even removing gold and silver from the temple and placing them in their own homes (Haggai 1:4, 9). Rather than prosper from those possessions withheld and taken from God, the Jews’ crops failed, their vineyards dried up, there was not enough food, clothing was insufficient to warm them from the severe winters, and the animals and the people suffered from a very severe drought (Haggai 1:6,10). In fact those who thought they could escape these calamities because of their jobs and material wealth, found the cost of living more than they could afford. The prophet Haggai along with Zachariah reminded the Jews nothing was more important to God than the completion of His temple (Ezra 5:1-6:14). In fact until the Jews returned to God’s work, they would not benefit from their work. God also gave them the solution: “Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified” (Haggai 1:8)

What a lesson for us today! One of the toughest and most distracting challenges of Christ’s church today is a lack of material and human resources devoted to building the Church.

God’s church is being out-spent and out-manned by the denominational world in our ability to spread the gospel, evangelize, and keep the save saved. And contrary to what may be popular belief, the denominational world does not have more affluent members.

Just like these same Jews who were admonished by Haggai to put God’s work first, we need to put God’s work first. We are proceeding to create our own earthly possessions, and storing our treasures on earth (Matt 6:19-21). When we prioritize our finances in such a way as to take care of our homes, cars, clothes, businesses, etc. before giving to the work of the Church, we are in the same sin as these Jews of Haggai’s time.

When those who choose to help themselves to the Church’s treasury to pay their mortgages, rent, car payments, and other material possessions of this life because they have not put God first, they too are taking the gold and silver from the temple and using it for their personal benefit.

How often have we seen fellow Church members who have very good jobs/businesses, but rather than use these blessings to assist in building God’s kingdom, they use it to build theirs. How many times have we seen these same individuals rather than continue to prosper, they eventually start to struggle financially, personally, and spiritually. They come to a point where they can no longer serve the Church, because their sole focus has become holding on to the material possessions of this life.

Just like Haggai’s admonition to the Jews, we need to consider our ways (Haggai 1:5, 2:18). The collective financial and human resources of the Church are potentially phenomenal. We should learn a lesson from biblical history-it is the futility of folly to pursue prosperity and wealth on our own, for ourselves; if we forsake God’s work. (Haggai 1:3-6)

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