John Calvin Commentary Haggai 1:2-4

"Thus speaketh Jehovah of hosts, saying, This people say, It is not the time [for us] to come, the time for Jehovah`s house to be built. Then came the word of Jehovah by Haggai the prophet, saying, Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your ceiled houses, while this house lieth waste?" — Haggai 1:2-4 (ASV)

Those who think that seventy years had not passed until the reign of Darius can be easily disproved from this passage. For if the seventy years were not completed, an excuse would have been readily at hand—that they had postponed the work of building the Temple. But it was certain that the time had then elapsed, and that it was due to their indifference that the Temple was not built, as all the materials were used for private purposes.

While they were thus taking care of themselves and consulting their own interests, the building of the Temple was neglected. The fact that the Temple was not built until the reign of Darius happened, as we have said, for another reason: because the prefects of King Cyrus caused much trouble for the Jews, and Cambyses was extremely hostile to them. But when liberty was restored to them, and Darius had so graciously permitted them to build the Temple, they had no excuse for delay.

However, it is probable that they had many disputes then regarding the time. For it may have been that, seizing on any pretext to cover their laziness, they made this objection: that many difficulties had occurred because they had been too hasty, and that they had thus been punished for their haste because they had rashly begun building the Temple.

We may also suppose that they took another view of the time as not having yet come, for this objection might easily occur to them: “It is indeed true that the worship of God is rightly to be preferred to all other things; but the Lord grants us this indulgence, so that we are allowed to build our own houses, and in the meantime, we attend to the sacrifices.

Did not our fathers live for many ages without a Temple? God was then satisfied with a sanctuary. An altar is now erected, and sacrifices are offered there. The Lord then will forgive us if we postpone the building of the Temple to a suitable time. But in the meantime, everyone may build his own house, so that afterwards the Temple may be built more lavishly at leisure.”

Whatever the case, we find true what I have often stated: that the Jews were so preoccupied with their own domestic concerns, their own ease, and their own pleasures, that they valued God’s worship very little. This is the reason why the Prophet was so very displeased with them.

He declares what they said: This people say, The time is not yet come to build the house of Jehovah. He repeats here what the Jews were accustomed to allege in order to disguise their laziness, after delaying for a long time, and when they could not, except through utter shamelessness, offer anything in their own defense.

However, we see that they did not hesitate to promise themselves pardon. In this way also, men indulge themselves in their sins, as if they could make an agreement with God and appease Him with some trivial things. We see that this was the case then.

But we can also see here, as in a mirror, how great human ingratitude is. God's kindness had been especially worthy of remembrance, the glory of which should have been kept in mind to the end of time: they had been restored from exile in a way beyond anything they had ever expected.

What should they have done, but devote themselves entirely to the service of their Deliverer? But they did not even build a tent for God and sacrificed in the open air; and in this way, they deliberately trifled with God. Yet, at the same time, they lived comfortably in elegantly furnished houses.

And how is it today? We see that through a remarkable miracle of God the gospel has shone forth in our time, and we have emerged, so to speak, from the depths below. Who now raises up an altar to God of his own free will?

On the contrary, everyone considers only what is advantageous to themselves; and while they are preoccupied with their own affairs, God's worship is cast aside. There is no care, no zeal, no concern for it. Indeed, what is worse, many profit from the gospel, as if it were a lucrative business.

It is no wonder then, if the people so shamefully disregarded their deliverance and almost erased the memory of it. No less shameful is the example seen among us today.

But from this we can also see how graciously God has provided for His Church; for His purpose was that this reproof should continue to exist, that He might stimulate us today, and arouse our fear as well as our shame. For we also grow cold in this way in promoting God's worship, whenever we are led to seek only our own advantages.

We may also add that, as God’s temple is spiritual, our fault is more atrocious when we become lazy in this way; since God does not command us to collect wood, stones, or cement, but to build a heavenly temple in which He may be truly worshipped.

Therefore, when we become indifferent in this way, just as those people were so severely reproved, doubtless our laziness is much more detestable. We now see that the Prophet not only spoke to the people of his age but was also destined, through God’s wonderful purpose, to be a preacher to us, so that his doctrine resounds in our ears today and reproves our sluggishness and ungrateful indifference.

For the building of the spiritual temple is postponed whenever we become devoted to ourselves and consider only what is advantageous to us individually. We will continue with what follows tomorrow.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, that as we must carry on a warfare in this world, and as it is Your will to test us with many struggles—O grant that we may never lose heart, however extreme the trials we will have to endure may be. And as You have favored us with so great an honor as to make us the framers and builders of Your spiritual temple, may every one of us present and consecrate himself wholly to You. And, since each of us has received some particular gift, may we strive to use it in building this temple, so that You may be worshipped among us perpetually. Especially, may each of us offer himself wholly as a spiritual sacrifice to You, until we are at last renewed in Your image and are received into a full participation of that glory, which has been obtained for us by the blood of Your only-begotten Son. Amen.

[Exposition continues from previous day's lecture]

When the Prophet asks whether the time had come for the Jews to live in splendid and well-furnished houses, and whether the time had not come to build the Temple, he implies that they were trifling with God in a very blatant manner; for there was exactly the same reason for building the Temple as for building the city.

How were they restored to their country, except that God performed what He had testified by the mouth of Jeremiah? Therefore, their return depended on the redemption promised to them. It was thus easy for them to conclude that the time for building the Temple had already come, for the one could not, and should not, have been separated from the other, as has been stated.

He therefore rebukes them for ingratitude, because they sought to enjoy God's kindness and at the same time disregarded the memorial of it.

And the words are very emphatic when he says, Is it time for you to dwell in houses? For a comparison is implied between God, whose Temple they did not value, and themselves, who sought not only comfortable but also lavish dwellings.

Therefore, the Prophet asks whether it was consistent that mortal men, who are no different from worms, should possess magnificent houses while God was without His Temple. And to the same purpose is what he adds, when he says that their houses were boarded; for ספונים, saphunim, means in Hebrew what we express by Cambrisees.

Since, then, they were not satisfied with what was comfortable without splendor and luxury being added, it was extremely shameful for them to rob God at the same time of His Temple, where He was to be worshipped. It now follows—