Consider Your Ways

In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD’S house should be built. Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. 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. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD. Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house. Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit. And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands. Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD. – Haggai 1:1-12

“Consider Your Ways” is a short, sharp summons from the prophet Haggai to a people who had become comfortable with a partial obedience. After returning from Babylonian captivity, the Israelites had laid a foundation for the Lord’s temple, celebrated, then stopped. They built their own comfortable homes while God’s house lay waste. God sent Haggai to call them back: examine your priorities, own your excuses, and resume the work the Lord commanded. Bro. Anthony Master unpacks that rebuke and applies it to our lives today: are we letting good things or personal comforts prevent us from finishing God’s work?

“When will be your then?

1. Context and Chronology — See the Scene
   1. Precise timing matters: Haggai 1:1 gives an exact date (the second year of Darius) so we understand God’s timing and urgency. When Scripture gives specifics, God wants our attention.
   2. History behind the halt: The foundation was laid (Ezra 3). The people rejoiced, but opposition, fear, and delay stopped progress (Ezra 4). Understanding the past helps us fix the present.
2. Problem Diagnosed — The People’s Posture
   1. Comfort vs. command: They dwelt in sealed houses while God’s house lay waste (Haggai 1:4). They prioritized personal comfort over corporate obedience.
   2. Excuses enumerated: “The time is not come” — procrastination; economic complaints — “we eat, but are not full” (Haggai 1:2, 6); responsibilities and debt used to justify neglect.
   3. Self-centered living: They ran every man unto his own house (Haggai 1:9). Spiritual neglect often begins when we stop thinking in terms of the Lord’s work and think only of our own.
3. Cause Identified — Divine Permit for Consequences
   1. God’s hand in the hardship: Haggai teaches that drought, poor harvest, and lack were permitted because God’s house was neglected (Haggai 1:9–11). This is not a simplistic prosperity-or-punishment formula, but a clear consequence for persistent disobedience.
   2. Spiritual diagnosis before remedy: God called them to “consider your ways” (Haggai 1:5, 7). True revival begins with honest self-examination.
4. Command Given — Go, Bring, Build
   1. Go: Leave comfortable routines; move out of the “cieled houses.” This includes going to neighbors, workplaces, and mission fields. The Christian life is missional — we go to the world, not wait for the world to come to us.
   2. Bring: Bring the resources God requires — time, labor, money, encouragement, and most of all, souls. Psalms 126:6 and Psalm-type imagery show the joy of bringing sheaves in; evangelism and discipleship are bringing work.
   3. Build: Construct not merely a building but discipleship, family faith, and church vitality. Building takes repeated trips to the “mountain” — faithful, often tiring efforts over time (Haggai 1:8).
5. Response Model — Example of Zerubbabel and Jeshua
   1. Immediate obedience: Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the remnant obeyed the voice of the Lord (Haggai 1:12). Their response is a model—no more excuses, just action.
   2. Fear and worship followed: Fear here is reverent awe; when God’s voice is heeded, faith and worship return. Revival flows from obedience.
6. Application Principle — Personal and Corporate
   1. Individual examination: Each Christian must “consider your ways.” What excuses are protecting your comfort? Where do you need to repent and return?
   2. Church responsibility: We must guard against short-lived celebration. Starting is not finishing. Commit to sustained work: evangelism, visitation, discipleship, and practical building of the Lord’s house.

Summary

Haggai’s call is simple and urgent: consider your ways, repent of misplaced priorities, and resume the work God commands. The people’s excuse—comfort, delay, lack—was answered by God’s reminder that He controls provision and consequence. When God’s people put His house first, He stirs dew upon the land again. Zerubbabel and Jeshua modeled quick obedience; their example challenges us to stop sidelining God’s work for our conveniences. Revival and blessing come through humble admission, determined action, and sustained building.

“The problem was they stopped right there. They laid the foundation and it sat that way for sixteen years.”

Application for the Week

Take this week as a practical season to “consider your ways.” Below are concrete, biblical steps to help you respond to God’s call.

1. Personal Inventory (Monday–Tuesday)
   1. Set aside 15–30 minutes. Read Haggai 1:1–15 and ask the Holy Spirit to show one excuse you use to avoid God’s work.
   2. Write it down and confess it to God in prayer. Repentance begins with naming the sin.
2. Practical Commitment (Wednesday)
   1. Decide one tangible way to “go, bring, build” this month — e.g., commit to one visitation, one new soul-contact, or one service of physical help for the church property.
   2. Tell a trusted believer (accountability partner) your commitment and set a deadline.
3. Financial and Time Check (Thursday)
   1. Review your weekly schedule and giving. Where can minutes or dollars be reallocated to the Lord’s work?
   2. Make one small re-prioritization: a reduced entertainment hour to use as visitation time, or a small monthly increase to your giving toward the church building or missions.
4. Action Day (Friday–Saturday)
   1. Carry out the “go” — knock on one door, invite someone to church, share a gospel tract, or serve on a church project.
   2. Bring what you can — a meal for a struggling family, encouragement to a discouraged believer, or a soul to the Lord through faithful witnessing.
5. Reflect and Continue (Sunday)
   1. Report back in a small group or to your accountability partner about what happened. Celebrate obedience and identify adjustments for next week.
   2. Make a monthly plan to repeat this rhythm: consider, commit, act, and build.

God’s question, “Consider your ways,” is not just for the Israelites; it is for us. Let this week be the week you stop excusing your disobedience and start building what God has called you to build. When His people obey, He blesses the work of their hands.