Sunday, June 1, 2014

On 6-8-14, Haggai 1:12-2:9 will be our Adult Sunday School/Uniform Series/International Sunday School Lesson herein is my commentary. This lesson is known by some as Trust God’s Promises

Trust God’s Promises
 Haggai 1:12-2:9
International Sunday School Lesson
June 8, 2014
                                                                                 
                                                                     

Commentary
By
Jed Greenough

Please note the date of this commentary as I needed to post early in the day.  This is for the 6-8 lesson.  You will find the 6-1 lesson posted below this one.  Jed

This week’s lesson for most is entitled, “Trust God’s Promises”.  It could just as easily of course be, “Trust God”.

It is very important to go back to last week and review what we studied to keep the continuity, and my guess is each week, that we are in this book of Haggai.

Last week I was very impressed with the loving patience of God toward the Jews who had been sent back from exile to rebuild God’s temple.

Though He had provided for them on their return, they had not accomplished what they had been sent back to do.  As a result though they had enough to get by they never had enough to get ahead.  This was God’s effort to get their attention and ultimately it had to be pointed out through the prophet Haggai.

Likewise, last week I had to equate it to ourselves today.  If we asked the question why we have droughts of sorts in our lives, what might God be waiting on in our lives?

This week we see what we can expect, if we like those people, hear and react to this message.  By reacting, by acknowledging the validity of what they were being told they were immediately obeying.  God seeing what is in their heart and therefore in ourselves had an equally immediate response by saying in verse 13, “I am with you”!

I love what comes next in verse 14, God stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel and the spirit of Joshua and the spirit of all the people.   If you reacted in like fashion last week what was God’s immediate response for you?  Like today’s title in part says, “trust God” because it will happen.

The thing to not forget though is the results might not be what you expect.  In the verses that remain this week God warned these Jews of that.  He said in verse 2:3, “Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory?  How does it look to you now?  Does it not seem to you like nothing?”

Don’t miss the key “Does it not seem to you like nothing?”  But this is what God wanted, this union with them, and what He wants from us too.  This is Jed Greenough talking but just as He said “the glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house” so will the glory of the temple that is within us be greater than what went before.  I promise, but more importantly God promises.

For Discussion:

1.      Discuss the immediate response by all involved.
2.      Discuss the stirring up of the spirit.
3.      Discuss how we might not realize what it is God is looking for.
4.      Discuss the prophecy found in 2:6-9.

5.      Discuss the promise God kept.

Upcoming Lessons

June 15    Live Pure Lives, Haggai 2:10-19            
June 22    Hope for a New Day, Haggai 2:20-23 or Haggai 2:23, Zechariah 4:1-3, 6-14
June 29    A Call to Unity or Pursue Unity in Christ, 1 Corinthians 1:10-17 or 1 Corinthians 1:10-17; 3:4-9
July 6     Glorify God with Your Body, 1 Corinthians 6:12-20




Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved

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