Friday, October 21, 2011

My Hope Is Not In the First Glory

Haggai 2:3 KJV
Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?

Though the prophet had encouraged the people to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem he could not prevent them from noticing that this temple was nothing like the previous one. The ravages of years of wars and constant scavenging of the treasures (even before the captivity) had stripped it of its former glory. What they had now constructed was a building but it was not a palace.

So the Lord's word to them here is that their hope was not in this building. Their hope was in a future work of God. They were to continue their work in the Temple; they were to remain faithful to worship God in the Temple, but they were not to place their expectations in the Temple.

I suggest that this parallels what has been Christian history. The beginning of the history of our faith is indeed glorious, though not wealthy. Our faith is built upon Jesus Christ as the Chief Cornerstone and the apostles, who turned the world upside down in their lifetimes. Though they were all martyred, even that speaks of heroism - glory.

But then came the declension. Corruption invaded the churches as the apostles said it would and indeed, as it had already done even in their day. Years and years of ungodliness resulted in most eyes being fixed, not upon the glorious Saviour, but in the superficial glory of buildings and monuments of stone, stucco and mosaic.

In the midst of all of this there has been a movement of God.
• It has never built great structures (though even the flesh has gotten into it so that some have become much too preoccupied with large buildings)
• It has never seen huge masses (though again the flesh has caused some to believe that the sign of God's blessing is large attendance)
• It has little of what the world would call glorious.

And God has a message for that church: its glory is still future. Though it cannot compare today to the monuments to men, when it stands before the Lord its glory will exceed the sum of all that man has accomplished. Truly the work of man already has its reward. I would rather hold out for the one that is greater, that is heavenly.

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