How To Build The House.

Haggai 1
8 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.

Go. Bring. Build.
Mountain. Wood. House.
To God. Through God. For God.

“Go up to the mountain”
This is a call to repentance. A call to leave behind the valley and the homes and comforts it affords. To turn our backs on it and fix our hearts and minds to tackling an arduous climb towards to the “wood”. At this point there can be no desire to stay at home, no desire to do whatever we want and live comfortably. Before us is a hard, steep climb without which we can not reach the wood!
The mountain is the place where the wood is. The life source of the trees. When we are up on the mountain the building materials are collected and prepared. On the mountain we meet with God. He will prepare our hearts and laden us the with the building materials and skills that we need to build His house.

“bring wood”
The wood is the building material. It speaks of Christ and the cross. He is our foundation and our life. The wood needed to be cut down and carried down the mountain. That is an incredible effort for an age that had no tar roads or lorries. Each one of us is called/commanded to “deny himself and take up his cross daily”. Without the wood there could be no building. So it also speaks of preparation. By the Lord’s command the mighty tree was chopped by the people who then had to carry it. Is this not a beautiful picture of Christ? By the Lord’s command His only begotten son was hewn down by the people He loved in order that they might carry Him(their own cross).

“build the house”
The final outcome. The dwelling place of God! It was not enough to climb the hill. It was not enough to carry the wood. We are called to build! 1Corinthians 6:19 “What! Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God…” We are the temple, we are the house. It is a labour of love and will take time and care. The mountain did not build the house. The wood did not build the house. The people built the house! It is required of us that we build ourselves in to temples fit for the inliving of God! It is required of us that we be found faithful in this process and diligently seeking for God to live in us. HALLELUJAH!!! :D What a wonder to think that God can take pleasure in me!! What a precious Saviour!!!! It is such a wonderful picture to see that God gave the command. But He also gave clear instructions and directions to fulfill the command. He provided the mountain, He provided the wood and all so that we His people could build a house that He could take pleasure in! We go to God, through God, For God!

HOLY! HOLY! HOLY! Lord God Almighty!
WORTHY! WORTHY! WORTHY! Is the Lamb that was slain!!
Praise Jesus! Jesus Only!!