When is Life Like A Bag Full of Holes?

When the Jews left Babylonian captivity, they entered Jerusalem and observed that it sat in ruin. The city needed to be rebuilt, the temple too, and of course, God-approved worship needed to be restored. According to the book of Ezra, chapters one through four, the rebuilding campaign was on--full force. First, they built and set up the altar. Then, they laid the foundation of the temple. In all this, they were getting back to the type of worship that God ordained under the Old Law. Things were going well for a while and then God's people were confronted by adversaries. The word adversary means to stand in the way of progress, and these folks were dead set on hindering the work of the Lord. The letter from king Artaxerxes came down and as a result the work was made to "cease by force and power." "Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia." The work of the Lord ceased for more than a decade. That is, until Haggai and Zechariah the prophets came on the scene. By way of this essay I want to focus on some of the words spoken by the prophet Haggai.

When Haggai stood before them and spoke, he noted that the people were building and dwelling in their own "cieled houses." These would have been nice homes for the day. What's interesting is that they were to be building the house of God, but instead, they were building their own houses first. As a result of their neglecting the temple, the house of God was lying in waste.

Functioning as the Lord's mouthpiece, Haggai places before the Jews a challenge. He says to them, "consider your ways." It's as if Haggai was telling the people to step back and take a self-examination of the condition of their hearts.

The prophet then says, Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes (Hag. 1:6). A bag full of holes is worthless. Especially if its intended purpose is for carrying your valuables--such as your wages or paycheck. Haggai told the people that they have a lot of possessions--clothes, food, money, and nice houses. But, because they failed to put God first, their lives were like bags full of holes.

Does your life ever compare to the lives of the Jews to whom Haggai spoke? Is your life like a bag full of holes? When is your life like a bag full of holes?

1. Everyday that you live your life without putting first the kingdom of God (the church, worship, faithful service), then your life is like a bag full of holes.

2. Everyday that you put more emphasis on laying up treasures upon the earth than you do laying up treasures in heaven, then your life is like a bag full of holes.

3. Everyday that you live by the authority of men with reference to your religious practices, rather than the Lord's authority, then your life is like a bag full of holes.

4. Everyday that you live your life without Christ is like a bag full of holes.

Is your life like a bag full of holes? We're getting ready to start a brand new year--2006. Why not take the advice of Haggai and "consider your ways." In the New Year, may your bags be full of the blessings of Christ, and may they be without holes.