Four Parts of Faith

Scripture: "This is what the Lord of Hosts says: Ask the priests for a ruling. If a man is carrying consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and it touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any other food, does it become holy?" The priests answered, "No." Then Haggai asked, "If someone defiled by contact with a corpse touches any of these, does it become defiled?" The priests answered, "It becomes defiled." Then Haggai replied, "So is this people, and so is this nation before Me"—this is the Lord’s declaration. "And so is every work of their hands; even what they offer there is defiled." Haggai 2:11-14

Observation: The book of Haggai is two chapters, and he receives two messages for the remnant that has returned to rebuild Jerusalem. The first is telling them to rebuild the temple, because blessing has been withheld from them until they do. This is the second, and it uses Levitical law to instruct the people in their work.

Under Levitical law, if something that is holy/blessed touches something that is not, the other thing does not become holy. However, if something is ceremonially unclean and it touches something else, that other thing does become ceremonially unclean. And so it is with the building of the temple. The people have not consecrated themselves in order to do the work. Touching the holy stones of the old temple will not sanctify them. However, being defiled now, them working on the temple will make the temple unworthy.

In other words, Haggai's first prophesy was "honor God by getting to work." This, his second prophesy, is "honor God by following his right instruction before and while you work."

Application: Scripture is full of this lesson ... there is faith of the heart, faith of the mind, faith of the soul, and faith of the body, but total faith requires all four. We are to love God with all these. We can love in our hearts, believing in Christ internally, but works also matter. None of these stand alone. So when the remnant is not working on the temple, God corrects them. However, when they are just "working" on the temple - moving rock without observing sacrifice, Sabbath, and other laws - God also corrects them.

Likewise, my service to God needs all of me. I need to do the work. I need to love God and others with my heart. I need to obey instructions and avoid sin. I need to meditate on God and his word. I need to believe in Jesus. And I need to do all these, in all things - doing one or two but failing in one or two is not the instruction, and it will receive correction and strife, not reward and blessing.

Prayer: My father in heaven, you are so loving. Thank you for listening to me last night. I still don't know any new answers, but you allowed me to ask questions. You are so patient, so kind, so gentle. Many of us are hurting this day, and more will hurt as word spreads in Bothell and Pullman alike. I pray for those who hurt. Mostly, I pray for their peace. They will ask questions, but may they not find confusion and silence at the ends of those questions. May they instead find comfort, kindness, love, and curiosity about you. Amen.