Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: A Time Of Need

Consider Your Ways

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Covenant Theology

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2020-04-12

Synopsis: Pastor John Weaver expounds Haggai 1, emphasizing God's command to 'Consider your ways.' He explains that the returned exiles prioritized their own houses over God's temple, leading to divine curses of scarcity and dissatisfaction. The sermon calls believers to examine their lives, repent of selfishness and idolatry, and put God first, particularly through tithing as an act of acknowledging His lordship. Obedience brings blessing, while disobedience brings judgment.

[John Weaver] Go to Malachi, which is the last book in the Old Testament, then turn back to Zechariah and then to Haggai. I gotcha. I was given directions first. Haggai. So it's Haggai Zechariah Malachi. Haggai chapter 1. The title of the message is Consider Your Ways. And we're going to begin reading with verse 1. 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 Shittel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the son of Josedek, the high priest, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, This people say the time is come, 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 sealed houses, and this house lie waste? Now therefore, thus saith the Lord of hosts, Consider your ways.

[John Weaver] You have sown much, and bring in little. You eat, but you have not enough. You drink, but you are not filled with drink. You clothe you, but there is none warm. And he that earneth wages earneth wages to put into a bag with holes. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Consider your ways. Go up to the mountain and bring wood and build a house. And I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the Lord. You look for much, and, Lord, came to little, and when you brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? said the Lord of hosts, because of mine house that is waste, and you run every man into his own house.

[John Weaver] Therefore, the dew of heaven Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit. And I call for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, 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 labor of the hands. Then Zerubbabel the son of Shittel, and Joshua the son of Josedek the high priest, with 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."

[John Weaver] Someone wise once said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Whether or not it is insanity, idiocy, or just plain stupidity, the truth is that's usually the way most professing Christians function. We have our ways, and we do not intend to change. I've heard people say, well, that's just the way we are. I've also heard people say, well, this is the way we've always done it. In one sense of the word, I believe that professing Christians are almost as bad as the Pharisees when it comes to their ways and their traditions. We unthinkingly follow that which we've been taught, that which we have heard, that which we have observed, and we never ever consider what the Word of God has to say upon what we've been taught, what we have observed, and what we have heard. Traditions are very difficult to violate and to break. Habit is very hard to break as well. And we develop our ways usually without consideration. And our ways include the way we think, the way we talk, the way we act, the way we work, the way we believe.

[John Weaver] One individual said it like this, evil is wrought from want of thought, especially in evil times. Now, twice we are told the same exact truth in the book of Proverbs concerning what man's ways are. For instance, in Proverbs 14 and verse 12, the Bible says, There is a way which seemeth right into a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. And then in Proverbs 16 in verse 25, there is a way that seemeth right into a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. So let me put it to you like this. Just because something seems right, does not make it right. And if you were to put that in modern day parlance, we could say it like this. Just because something feels right, does not make it right. The Bible tells us very plainly there is a way of life, and there is a way of death. There is a way of blessing, and there is a way of cursing.

[John Weaver] And we are either going to live and be blessed, or we're going to die and be cursed. Now, the Bible tells us in Psalm 1 and verse 6 that there is a way of the righteous, and there is a way of the wicked. For instance, the Bible says, for the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish. So you have the way of the righteous on the one hand and the way of the ungodly on the other hand.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to hold the book of Haggai, but I want you to turn back, if you would, to Deuteronomy chapter 11. And let me show you the scriptures that I want to emphasize in the fact that God is giving us the way of life or the way of death, the way of blessing or the way of cursing. So if you look in Deuteronomy chapter 11, beginning there with verse 26, and let's read through verse 28. Deuteronomy 11 and verse 26. God says, Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse, a blessing If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day and a curse if you will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God But turn aside out of the way which I command you this day to go after other gods, which you have not known So I said look here it is. It's so simple. You can either be blessed or you can be cursed You can either have life or you can die.

[John Weaver] So if you will turn right over to Deuteronomy chapter 30 Deuteronomy chapter 30 And let's look there, beginning with verse 19. In fact, Deuteronomy 30 and verse 19. Look what he says. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing, Therefore choose life that thou and thy seed may live, that thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him, for he is thy life and the length of thy days, that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sweared to thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them. But note, he said, I call heaven and earth to record this day against you that I've set before you life and death, blessing cursing and then of course in the book of Jeremiah chapter 21 and verse 8 Isaiah Jeremiah God says the same thing to these people who refuse to listen to him Jeremiah chapter 21 and verse 8 he says this and under this people thou shalt say Thus said the Lord behold I set before you the way of life and the way of death Now, it is true that the righteous do not walk in the way of death.

[John Weaver] However, it is quite possible for the righteous to lose his sense of bearing and walk in a way displeasing to the Lord and bring upon himself certain judgments or certain curses. When we're talking about judgments and when we're talking about curses, we have to remember this. There are agricultural curses. There are economic curses. There are physical curses as well as spiritual curses. And I think when we look in Haggai chapter 1, you're going to see all of these curses, how they flow together as well. So if you look back in the book of Haggai chapter 1, let me tell you the context of this book. In the context of the book of Haggai, the children of Israel have been returned from their captivity. and they were to build the house of the Lord. The foundation had been laid, but of course the house had not been finished. This book is a reproof against the children of Israel for their slackness, their slothfulness, and being dilatory in trying to restore the temple. In fact, their slackness and their slothfulness had provoked God to the extent that God had judged them with famine and scarcity.

[John Weaver] So in this book now there is an exhortation for them to rise and to finish the temple. Now the question has to be asked, why were they so slothful? Why were they so indolent in building the house of God. Well, let me just point this out. One of the most important lessons that we're to learn from this book is very simple. The people in the days of Haggai were more concerned with their own welfare and their own comfort and their own financial security more than they were concerned with God and his worship. And so, God now has to reprove these people for their selfishness.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you. Look in your Bibles to Haggai 1 and verse 4. Look what he says. He asks this question. Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your sealed houses, and this house lie waste? So God has said, here's what you're doing. You're taking care of your house and yet you are totally ignoring my house. So the question God is asking is a simple one. Is it fit that you should be building yourselves elegant houses while at the same time you're totally ignoring my house and my worship and you're ignoring the praise and honor that should be going to me?

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you the rationality behind their selfishness and their sinfulness. If you look at verse 2, 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.

[John Weaver] Now, they were not denying that the temple was unimportant or important. They were not saying it's unimportant. They were not denying its importance. Moreover, they were not even saying that the house needs restoration, the house needs completion. No. They were saying, yes, it's important, and yes, it needs to be restored, but it's not time to do it. So since it's not time to do it, We're not really concerned about it. What we're concerned about is ourselves. So they were saying this. I need to get things done in my house. I need to be comfortable. I need to spend my time and my money in doing that, which I believe that should be done right now. The temple can wait. It's not time to build it. And therefore, it's not really that important right now. What is important is that I take care of myself and I take care of my house. Now, I do not believe that it is a sin to desire a decent house. I do not even believe it's a sin to desire a beautiful house.

[John Weaver] I don't even believe it's a sin to desire a very expensive house, with this exception. unless you place all that desire above God and before Him. And then, of course, it becomes idolatry. It is idolatrous. And so what these people were doing, they were taking all of their time and all of their money, and they were investing it in themselves and certainly not in God.

[John Weaver] Now, let me tell you something about money, first of all, and because this chapter deals with money. In this day and time, many people make excellent money. And let me rephrase that. Many Christians make excellent money. And yet they refuse to tithe.

[John Weaver] Now, that doesn't mean that they don't give something. They certainly give something. But they don't really tithe at all.

[John Weaver] Now, a tithe is nothing more than God's tax for the use of his earth. That's what it is. It's a tax for the use of his earth. And let me point this out. Even the wicked, even the unsaved are obligated to tithe. Why? Because they use God's earth. They breathe his air. They use the fruit of his ground. Everything that they have comes from him. Now, whether they recognize it or not, or whether they do it or not is beside the point. They're still responsible and accountable to do so because a tithe is nothing more than the tax for the use of God's earth.

[John Weaver] If Steve then had an apartment that he rented out to you and you refuse to pay the rent, what is he going to do? He's going to kick you out. Well, that's exactly what God can do when people refuse to pay his rent because it is just simply a rent on the use of his earth.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you something about the tithe. I'm going to show you two things, but first of all, if you will hold Haggai and look in your Bibles to the book of Leviticus chapter 27, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, the third book in the Old Testament. Look in Leviticus chapter 27. The point I'm trying to make right now is, first of all, the tithe is the Lord's. It does not go Really, it does not belong to the preacher, does not belong to the church.

[John Weaver] It belongs to the Lord. But notice in Leviticus chapter 27, note if you would please verse 30. Look what he said. And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's. It is holy unto the Lord. Skip down to verse 32. And concerning the tithe of the herd or the flock, Even if whatsoever passes on the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord. So first of all, he says the tithe belongs to him, and secondly, it is holy unto him.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 26. I'm going to read the entire chapter, but I only want to comment on two verses. But I want you to see it in the context. Deuteronomy chapter 26, and I want you to see this how important it is. You see, whenever somebody talks about tithing, everybody says, well, they're just interested in money. No, no, no. There's more to the tithe than just simply money. I want you to watch this. Look in Deuteronomy chapter 26, beginning there with verse 1.

[John Weaver] And it shall be when thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possesses it, and dwelleth therein, that thou shalt take the first of all the fruit of the earth, which is a tithe, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go into the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name there. And thou shalt go to the priest that shalt be in those days, and say unto him, I profess or I confess this day unto the Lord thy God that I am coming to the country which the Lord sweared our fathers for to give us. And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hand and set it down before the altar of the Lord thy God. And thou shalt speak and say before the Lord thy God, a Syrian ready to perish is my father.

[John Weaver] And he went down into Egypt and sojourned there with a few and became there a nation great and mighty and populous. And the Egyptians even treated us and afflicted us and laid upon us hard bondage. And when we cried unto the Lord our God, the God of our fathers, the Lord heard our voice and looked on our affliction and our labor and on our oppression. And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, with a great terribleness, with signs and with wonders, and he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even a land that floweth with milk and honey." And now behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land, tithe, which thou, O Lord, hast given me, and thou shalt set it before the Lord thy God, and worship before the Lord thy God. Note that, set it before the Lord thy God, and worship before the Lord thy God. And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and in thine house thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you.

[John Weaver] And when thou hast made an end of tithing, all the tithes of thine increase, The third year, which is the year of tithing. Now watch, and has given it to the Levite, to the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates and be filled.

[John Weaver] Now let me just stop there. In reality, in the Old Testament, there were three tithes. There was the Levitical tithe, which was 10%. There was the poor tithe, which was 10%, but It was only taken every third year. So that meant you would be actually tithing 13 and a third percent. OK. Then there was the tithe of rejoicing, which was 10 percent. But that tithe of rejoicing was spent on yourself and your family on a religious vacation.

[John Weaver] In other words, you had to go to those seven annual feasts. You see, you had to have money there. So you were actually tithing 23 and a third percent. per year, but 10% of that was spent on yourself. So, he says, when thou hast made an end of the tithing of all the tithes of thine increase, now watch verse 13, then thou shalt say before the Lord thy God, I have brought away the hallowed things out of mine house, and also have given them unto the Levite, and unto the stranger, the fatherless, that's the poor tithe, and the widow, according to all thy commandments which thou hast commanded me. I have not transgressed thy commandments, neither have I forgotten them. I have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I taken away aught thereof for any unclean use, nor given aught thereof for the dead. But I have hearkened unto the voice of the Lord my God, and have done according to all that thou hast commanded me. Look down from thy holy habitation from heaven, and bless thy people Israel, and the land which thou hast given us, as thou swarest unto our fathers, a land that floweth milk and honey.

[John Weaver] Now watch verse 16. This day the Lord thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgments. Thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thine heart, with all thy soul. Thou hast to vouch the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice. And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be as peculiar people as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments, and to make thee high above all nations which he hath made in praise, and in name, and in honor, and that thou mayest be in a holy people unto the Lord thy God as he has spoken."

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to note this. Look, if you would, please, at verse 17. Here is the impact Here is the main implication in the act of tithing. He says, thou hast to vouch the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice.

[John Weaver] Now wait, let me stop. So he goes, and they would go before the priest, they would bring the tithes, They would confess that God had saved them, that God had given them the land, that God had given them everything. And then he says in verse 17, thou shalt vouch this day the Lord to be thy God. The word of vouched is the word Amar in the Hebrew. And it means to say in one's heart, to think, to vow, to affirm, to vouch. So the act of tithing is an act of confessing and acknowledging that the Lord your God is your God. You are affirming that he is your God in a most solemn manner. You're setting your seal to the fact that God is your God. You're acknowledging that everything you are and everything you have has come from him.

[John Weaver] Now, here's an amazing thing. So by tithing, We're acknowledging, we're avouching, we're confessing that God is our God. But let me show you something even more astounding. Look in verse 18. And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments. Now, it is one thing for me to avow and avouch and say that God is my God. But God also avouches that I'm His child, that I belong to Him.

[John Weaver] You know, there are none of us that are perfect. Each one of us have sinned in a multitude of ways. It's easy for me to say God is my God, but when he looks down and sees me, and then he says, that's my child. That is an amazing, marvelous, wondrous act of grace. It's easy for you to claim a child as your own when that child is loving and obedient. You know, I used to do this all the time with our grandkids. They'd be so sweet and so kind, I'd say, that's my grandchild. But when they'd act up and be ugly, I'd say, that's Alice's grandchild, you know. Well, they're acting like their granny, you know. But you see, God doesn't do that. God just says, Whether we are perfectly obedient or not perfectly obedient, as long as we are acknowledging Him, and especially in the solemnity of giving our tithes and recognizing Him, He is acknowledging us to be His children. That's why the Bible says, listen carefully, in Hebrews 11 and verse 16, but now they desire a better country that is in heavenly, whereof God is not ashamed to be called their God.

[John Weaver] So if God is not ashamed to be called our God, it means that He's not ashamed of us. He identifies with us. He avouches that we are His people.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to go back to the book of Haggai. I want to put all this together for you. So I want you to look now at verse 5 and verse 7, because the title of the message is Consider Your Ways. So look what God says twice. In verse 5, He says, now therefore, thus said the Lord of hosts, consider your ways. Now skip down to verse seven. Thus said the Lord of hosts, consider your ways.

[John Weaver] Now God points out the insanity, the idiocy, the stupidity of these people who are doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. What he's saying is look, You're living for yourself. You're idolaters in that sense of the word. You're extremely selfish. You're not concerned about my house. You're not concerned about my worship, my honor, my praise. You better stop and consider your ways. Now, here's what he's saying. Look in verse 6. This is why verse 6 comes between verses 5 and verse 7. He says in verse 6, you have sown much and you bring in little. You eat.

[John Weaver] But you have not enough. You drink, but you're not filled with drink. You clothe you, but there is none warm. And he that earneth wages, earneth wages to put into a bag with holes. Now, if you put your money in a bag with holes, what's that mean? You're going to lose it. It's gone.

[John Weaver] Now, you can sow and you don't reap. You can eat and you're not full. You can drink and you're not satisfied. You can have clothes, but you're not warm.

[John Weaver] Now, their disregard for God in his worship brought all of these judges. I want you to take note of the fact that there were multiple judgments. There was an agricultural judgment. I mean, their gardens failed, their crops failed. There was a personal judgment. They could not be satisfied no matter what they ate or what they drank. Moreover, there was also a financial judgment because they could not get ahead.

[John Weaver] Whatever they made, it was like putting their money in a bag with holes in it. Do you realize that most people are in the same fix today? I read again this past week. I'd read it earlier. Did you realize that the average American, the average American, if he is in an emergency situation, could not come up with a thousand bucks. A thousand bucks! The average American is so deep in debt and has absolutely no savings in an extreme emergency, he couldn't even raise a thousand dollars. Unhappily, most Christians are in the same situation.

[John Weaver] I want you to see how this is amplified. I want you to skip down, if you would please, to verse 9. Skip down to verse 9, Haggai chapter 1. He's telling them, you better consider your ways. He said, you look for much, although it came to little. And when you brought it home, I did blow upon it. What little you got, I made it even smaller. Why?

[John Weaver] said the Lord of Hosts. Here's why. Because of mine house that is waste, and you run every man to his own house.

[John Weaver] Now look, therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit, and I call for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountain, 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 labor of thy hands."

[John Weaver] Now, one thing that is made exceedingly clear in this passage is this, that God sent those judgments. God said, I did it. I blew upon it. I kept the dew from falling. I kept the rain from falling. He spoiled the labor of their hands. So let me just put it to you very bluntly. Ask you several questions. Have you ever been in a predicament like this? Has it ever been where everything you touched seemed like it was cursed? That everything you tried failed? And no matter how much you tried to make financially, you could never, ever get ahead. And have you ever considered why you could not get ahead financially?

[John Weaver] Now let me tell you something. I know that there are biblical principles of economics in the Bible. I've taught them. I know them. I could give them to you right now, but I can tell you one thing. Giving you the principles of economic freedom from the Bible would not help you one little bit if you're not willing to honor God and place him first. Nobody's going to follow a biblical principle if they're going to dishonor God.

[John Weaver] So let me show you what this is all about. I want you to turn in your Bibles, first of all, to Matthew 6. Hold that guy. Go to Matthew chapter 6. And as you're going to Matthew chapter 6, I want to quote Colossians 3, 1 and 2. As you find Matthew 6, I want you to listen to Colossians 3, 1 and 2. The Word of God says, If you then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God, set your affection on things above and not on things on the earth. Set your affection on things above and not on things of the earth. So we've been commanded that set our affections on things above, not on things of the earth. Now, look in Matthew 6, and let's begin reading there verse 24. Watch carefully.

[John Weaver] Our Lord says, no man can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God in mammon. Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink, nor yet for your body, what you shall put on? Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

[John Weaver] Then he gives these illustrations. Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are you not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit into his stature? And why take you thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow, they toil a lot, neither do they spin. And yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all of his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothed the grass of the field which today he is, and tomorrow is cast in the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O you little faith? Therefore take no thought saying, what shall we eat?

[John Weaver] Or what shall we drink? Or wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles, or the unsaved, seek. For your heavenly Father knoweth that you have needed all these things. Watch. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Are you looking? And all these things shall be added unto you. So what is going to be added? realm of sufficiency if we seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

[John Weaver] Now that's exactly the message of Haggai. That's exactly the message of Haggai. God is saying you put me first. You obey me. You worship me you honor me and all these things are going to be added unto you We will never ever be successful as christians Until we learn to put god first you have to remember the very first commandment is thou shalt have no other gods before me And the biggest god that we

[John Weaver] have is ourselves We want to please our flesh We want to have the lust of the eyes and the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. Now, twice in the book of Haggai, twice God tells these people to consider your ways.

[John Weaver] Now, I have to ask you a question. What does it mean to consider your ways? How do you consider your ways? I believe the answer to those questions can be found if we examine the context to which that command, to those people to which that command was originally given. It was originally given to these people who were very selfish, who were looking out for number one instead of looking out for God and his honor and his glory. So how then and what is meant by Consider Your Ways?

[John Weaver] Well, let me try to give it to you in at least three answers. First of all, the command to consider your ways has to include a recognition and a realization of your failures, your faults, and your sins. Once these have been recognized and realized, they can be dealt with. Included in this It's what you and I would call repentance. That is, once we have identified our failings, our faults, our sins, we have to turn from them.

[John Weaver] We have to repent of them. We have to turn to that which is right and holy and godly. So, when you look in Haggai chapter one, the sin of placing God and his worship second to themselves and their houses had to be dealt with and they needed repentance. So it does no good to recognize your sin and your failure and your fault if you're not going to turn from it. There will never be any change unless there is real, genuine repentance. So unless you are going to break off your sins and turn from your sins, recognizing them Realizing them will not help you at all. Not help you at all.

[John Weaver] You can confess them all you want. You can acknowledge them all you want, but unless you repent and turn from them, nothing's going to change. So the very first thing it means when he says, consider your ways, you have to recognize and realize your failures, your faults and your sins, and you have to deal with them with repentance. The second thing it means is this, and it's closely connected to realization and recognition and repentance. And that is this, we have to examine the fruit of our ways.

[John Weaver] Now, in the context of Haggai chapter one, they were not reaping any blessings. I mean, they were sowing their fields, but they were losing money. You know, I never will forget what my father told me years ago. Of course, I was raised on a farm. And after Alice and I got married and I started preaching, I was away from the farm for many years. And I came home one day and I got to look into the crops that dad had planted. And I got to asking, well, where's this crop? And where's that crop? I don't see it. You know what my dad said? He said, I quit farming to be farming and started farming to make money. What he meant was, obviously, those crops that did not make any money, he was not going to mess with them anymore.

[John Weaver] Although we had had them all of my life. Now, so if you that was a wise thing to do in that sense of the word, because he was not making any money, he was losing money. If you if you're sowing a garden, and it's costing you 100 bucks in seeds and you only get 20 bucks worth of vegetables out of it, something's wrong. If it's costing you 1,000 bucks to plant a field and you're only getting 800 out of it, something's wrong. You better consider it. You better examine the fruits.

[John Weaver] Now, the apostle Paul in Romans 6 and verse 21 said this, What fruit had you and those things wherever you are now ashamed? In other words, every one of us can look back on what we used to be before God saved us, and there was fruit in our lives which we are extremely shamed over. Wish we had never done it, never thought about it, never experienced it, and we're ashamed. So he's telling us we have to examine the fruit. You know, he said in 2 Corinthians 13 in verse 5, He said examine yourselves whether you be in the faith or not, prove your own selves, know you not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates. So how do I prove my own self? How do I examine myself? Well, I examine myself to see what kind of fruit I'm bringing forth. There's biblical fruit and there's unbiblical fruit. And our Lord kept saying over and over by their fruit you shall know them. He said a good tree does not bring forth a corrupt fruit.

[John Weaver] Neither does a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them. So I need to examine my life and see whether or not I have corrupt fruit or unbiblical fruit or I've got good fruit. So we have to look at the fruit of our lives. You see, I understand that we go through tests, we go through trials, we go through afflictions, we go through chastisements.

[John Weaver] But the truth of the matter is this. If we are really children of God, most of our lives should be filled with blessings. In fact, I can assure you, even everyone in this room, you've had more good days than bad days. And you've had more healthy days than you have unhealthy days. You've had more blessings financially than you've ever had in financial resources. In other words, our lives, generally speaking, are blessed.

[John Weaver] Now, let me tell you something. we must realize that there are varying kinds of blessings. Financial blessings are not the only blessings, and I'll pull this out a little bit later, prosperity in and of itself could be a curse. Yet God does indeed allow us to enjoy the fruit of our labor.

[John Weaver] Now, look if you would again in Haggai 1 in verse 6. I want to give you a quote by Calvin, but I want you to see this verse that he's quoting on. Watch. Haggai 1 verse 6, he said, You have so much and bring in little. You eat, but you have not enough. You drink, but you're not filled with drink. You clothe you, but there is none warm.

[John Weaver] And he that earneth wages, earneth wages to put into a bag with holes. Now listen to this comment. He said, we know that God punishes men in both ways, both by withdrawing his blessings so that the earth is parched, and that the heaven gives no rain, and also, even when there is a good supply of fruits of the earth, by preventing their satisfying, so that there is no real enjoyment of them. It often happens that men collect what would be quite a sufficient quantity for food, and for all that, they're still always hungry.

[John Weaver] This kind of curse is seen the more plainly when God deprives the bread and the wine of their true virtue so that eating and drinking fail to support the strength. Wow. Have you ever thought about that? Have you ever thought about even the worthlessness of the bread that we buy today? Just stop and think about it. You compare a loaf of white bread that you get from the grocery store with a loaf of homemade bread, there's a big difference.

[John Weaver] Not only in taste, but in filling as well. And so he says God can either deprive a man by cursing the ground and not letting it bring forth, or he could curse the man by letting the ground bring forth plentiful. Supply, but the man is never ever satisfied The Bible says the labor of the righteous tended to life, but the fruit of the wicked is sin. So How do we how do we consider our ways?

[John Weaver] We don't have to realize and recognize Our faults and failures and sins and repent of them. We have to also Examine the fruit of our lives and here's the third one and that is this we must ask ourselves and be honest whether or not we are violating a biblical principle. You've heard me say this before and it is true. Most Christians do not live by principles. They live by feelings. They live by emotions. They live by circumstances. Anytime you live by your emotions, your feelings, your circumstances, you're always going to be in trouble. You're always going to be discouraged and despair, downtrodden, downhearted. We're to live by principles. Principles never change. Feelings change all the time. Emotions change. Circumstances change. But principles never, ever change. And nothing is going to work for us as long as we are violating a principle of the word of God.

[John Weaver] Our Lord said in John 17, 17, in his high priestly prayer, sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth. Here's a quote from Matthew Henry. And he's talking about considering our ways. Listen to what he said. Be sensible of the hand of God going out against you. Inquire into the reason. Think what you have done that has provoked God thus to break in upon your comforts. And think what you will do to testify to your repentance that God may return to you in mercy. He said, the way you consider your ways is you realize what you've done wrong. Then you have to realize when you repent what it will take to return to God. Do you know that Jeremiah said in Lamentations 3 in verse 40, let us search and try our ways and turn again unto the Lord. And then in the book of Malachi chapter 3 in verse 7, God said this, return unto me and I will return unto you, saith the Lord. Return unto me and I'll return unto you.

[John Weaver] Now, of course we read in verse 12 where Zerubbabel and Joshua the high priest and the people obeyed. Now, I want you to look in Haggai chapter two and let's begin reading there verse 15. Watch if you would. You're going to see a comparison from what was to what is, or what is coming. In verse 15, and now I pray you consider from this day and upward, from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the Lord, since those days, the words before you obeyed me, when one came to a heap of 20 measures, There were about 10. When one came to the press fat for to draw out 50 vessels out of the press, there were about 20. In other words, you were doing without.

[John Weaver] He said, I smoke you with blasting and with mildew and with hail and all the labors of your hands. Yet you turn not to me, said the Lord. You didn't do that. But now he says, yeah, now you've obeyed. Now watch. Consider now from this day and upward. From the 4th and 20th day of the 9th month, even from the day that the foundation of the Lord's temple was laid, consider it. Now watch, is the seed yet in the barn? Yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not brought forth from this day. Will I bless you? You repented. You put me first. From this day, I will bless you.

[John Weaver] Now, let me make just a couple of applications. The first one is this. We have to acknowledge that financial success does not equal spirituality or the blessing of God. Psalm 73 makes that exceedingly clear. There are many ungodly men that are extremely wealthy. The old Puritans always said God often curses his enemies with riches. And it's a curse because they end up trusting in their riches and in their wealth instead of the Lord God. And you can look around and you could name a number of extremely wealthy, wicked, ungodly reprobates. So you cannot just say that financial blessings equal spirituality or the blessing of God. No.

[John Weaver] And personally, I will tell you this. I'd rather have a godly life than a goodly bank account. And I'd much rather have a godly seed than a great house. I'm not averse to great riches, but the truth is that everything that we have will be left when we die. The folly is when we just simply lay up treasures on earth, where thieves break in, where things rot and rust. Instead of laying up our treasures in heaven, as the word of God commands, where thieves do not break in, and there is no rotting, and there is no rusting.

[John Weaver] But you see, the problem is, today we are like the people in the days of Haggai. We have just become extremely selfish. Every man was running to his own house. That's what he said. Look at it in verse nine. He said, You look for much, and lo, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why, said the Lord of Hosts? Because of mine house that is waste, and you run every man to his own house.

[John Weaver] In other words, all you're doing is looking out for number one. You're just thinking of yourself. You're absolutely, totally selfish.

[John Weaver] Now, someone is going to say, but we must live. And I understand that. But it is equally true that we must die.

[John Weaver] Now, I'd much rather live a life that is pleasing to the Lord and have little than I had live a life displeasing unto the Lord and have great wealth. Why? Well, there's always the judgment. In my life, I want to be pleasing unto Him. He said twice, consider your ways. David said in Psalm 119 verse 59, let us think upon our ways and turn unto the Lord. How do we consider our ways? We think upon our ways. We do like Solomon said in Proverbs 4 verse 26, we ponder the path of our feet. And then we do what Paul said in Galatians 6 and verse 4, we prove our worth.

[John Weaver] In other words, we actually look at our lives and we see where we are failing, where we're sinful, where we're wicked, where we're rebellious, and we repent by the grace of God and change. So whenever circumstances are against us and situations never work out, and it seems like we can never get ahead financially, it's time to consider our ways. It's time to stop and say, What am I doing? What am I doing?

[John Weaver] Just this past week, four men were arrested for burglary, robbery, and murder. Two of them were teenagers. They stole a bunch of guns, seven or eight, I don't know how many, a bunch of ammunition, and I thought to myself, they never even made it a week, and their lives are ruined. Probably they'll get the electric chair. And you know, the way the law reads, If I'm with Steve and Gary and we're robbing someone and Gary shoots and kills the man, Steve and I are charged with murder just like Gary's charged with murder because we're part of it. You see? I'm just saying, if we would listen to the word of God and do what God says, consider our ways and evaluate everything in light of the word of God and turn to him and do that which is right, then we're not going to have the problems that we're in.

[John Weaver] Because he said, from this day forward, I will bless you. We need not to seek the praise and recognition of man, but to seek the praise and the recognition and honor that comes from God alone. Consider your ways. And how do you do it? By recognizing your sins, your faults, your failures, turning from them, examining the fruit of your life, making sure that your life does not violate a principle of the Word of God, and bringing your life into conformity to His Word. Consider your ways.

[John Weaver] Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. We ask, Lord, You would help us to diligently consider our ways, Lord, to compare our lives, compare the fruit in our lives, and Lord, for us to Turn unto Thee, we ask for repentance and faith and grace and mercy in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray, amen.

[John Weaver] so so

Consider Your Ways

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	rNIQbVgo8wI
Subject	Covenant Theology
Course	Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: A Time Of Need
Genre	Sermon
Date	2020-04-12
Dictation Name
Book	Book 043: Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: A Time Of Need — Chapter 12
Source Timed Segments	78

Formatted Transcript

Opening

Go to Malachi, which is the last book in the Old Testament, then turn back to Zechariah and then to Haggai. I gotcha. I was given directions first. Haggai. So it's Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. Haggai chapter 1. The title of the message is "Consider Your Ways." And we're going to begin reading with verse 1.

Scripture Reading — Haggai 1:1-4

"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 Jehozadak, 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 ceiled 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 Jehozadak 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."

Introduction: The Insanity of Unchanged Ways

Weaver opens by comparing the definition of insanity—doing the same thing and expecting different results—to how many Christians unthinkingly follow traditions without considering God's Word.

Someone wise once said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Whether or not it is insanity, idiocy, or just plain stupidity, the truth is that's usually the way most professing Christians function. We have our ways, and we do not intend to change. I've heard people say, "Well, that's just the way we are." I've also heard people say, "Well, this is the way we've always done it." In one sense of the word, I believe that professing Christians are almost as bad as the Pharisees when it comes to their ways and their traditions. We unthinkingly follow that which we've been taught, that which we have heard, that which we have observed, and we never ever consider what the Word of God has to say upon what we've been taught, what we have observed, and what we have heard. Traditions are very difficult to violate and to break. Habit is very hard to break as well. And we develop our ways usually without consideration. And our ways include the way we think, the way we talk, the way we act, the way we work, the way we believe.

The Two Ways: Life and Death, Blessing and Cursing

Using Proverbs and Deuteronomy, Weaver establishes that there is a way that seems right but leads to death, and God sets before us blessing and cursing based on obedience.

One individual said it like this, "Evil is wrought from want of thought, especially in evil times." Now, twice we are told the same exact truth in the book of Proverbs concerning what man's ways are. For instance, in Proverbs 14 and verse 12, the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 14:12; 16:25

"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."

And then in Proverbs 16 and verse 25,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 14:12; 16:25

"There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."

So let me put it to you like this. Just because something seems right, does not make it right. And if you were to put that in modern day parlance, we could say it like this. Just because something feels right, does not make it right. The Bible tells us very plainly there is a way of life, and there is a way of death. There is a way of blessing, and there is a way of cursing.

And we are either going to live and be blessed, or we're going to die and be cursed. Now, the Bible tells us in Psalm 1 and verse 6 that there is a way of the righteous, and there is a way of the wicked. For instance, the Bible says, "For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish." So you have the way of the righteous on the one hand and the way of the ungodly on the other hand. Now, I want you to hold the book of Haggai, but I want you to turn back, if you would, to Deuteronomy chapter 11. And let me show you the scriptures that I want to emphasize in the fact that God is giving us the way of life or the way of death, the way of blessing or the way of cursing. So if you look in Deuteronomy chapter 11, beginning there with verse 26, and let's read through verse 28. Deuteronomy 11 and verse 26. God says,

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 11:26-28

"Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; a blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day: and a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known."

So I said, look, here it is. It's so simple. You can either be blessed or you can be cursed. You can either have life or you can die.

So if you will turn right over to Deuteronomy chapter 30. Deuteronomy chapter 30. And let's look there, beginning with verse 19. In fact, Deuteronomy 30 and verse 19. Look what he says.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 30:19-20

"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: that thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them."

But note, he said,

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 30:19-20

"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you that I've set before you life and death, blessing and cursing."

And then of course in the book of Jeremiah chapter 21 and verse 8, God says the same thing to these people who refuse to listen to him. Jeremiah chapter 21 and verse 8, he says this, "And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death." Now, it is true that the righteous do not walk in the way of death.

Context of Haggai: Selfishness and Neglect of God's House

The people of Haggai's day were more concerned with their own comfort and financial security than with rebuilding the temple, rationalizing that it was not yet time.

So in this book now there is an exhortation for them to rise and to finish the temple. Now the question has to be asked, why were they so slothful? Why were they so indolent in building the house of God? Well, let me just point this out. One of the most important lessons that we're to learn from this book is very simple. The people in the days of Haggai were more concerned with their own welfare and their own comfort and their own financial security more than they were concerned with God and his worship. And so, God now has to reprove these people for their selfishness.

Now, let me show you. Look in your Bibles to Haggai 1 and verse 4. Look what he says. He asks this question. "Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie waste?" So God has said, here's what you're doing. You're taking care of your house and yet you are totally ignoring my house. So the question God is asking is a simple one. Is it fit that you should be building yourselves elegant houses while at the same time you're totally ignoring my house and my worship and you're ignoring the praise and honor that should be going to me?

Now, let me show you the rationality behind their selfishness and their sinfulness. If you look at verse 2, "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." Now, they were not denying that the temple was important. They were not saying it's unimportant. They were not denying its importance. Moreover, they were not even saying that the house needs restoration, the house needs completion. No. They were saying, yes, it's important, and yes, it needs to be restored, but it's not time to do it. So since it's not time to do it, we're not really concerned about it. What we're concerned about is ourselves. So they were saying this. I need to get things done in my house. I need to be comfortable. I need to spend my time and my money in doing that which I believe that should be done right now. The temple can wait. It's not time to build it. And therefore, it's not really that important right now. What is important is that I take care of myself and I take care of my house. Now, I do not believe that it is a sin to desire a decent house. I do not even believe it's a sin to desire a beautiful house.

The Tithe as Acknowledgment of God's Ownership

Weaver teaches that the tithe is God's tax for the use of His earth, and tithing is an act of avouching that the Lord is our God, while God avouches us as His people.

Now, that doesn't mean that they don't give something. They certainly give something. But they don't really tithe at all. Now, a tithe is nothing more than God's tax for the use of his earth. That's what it is. It's a tax for the use of his earth. And let me point this out. Even the wicked, even the unsaved are obligated to tithe. Why? Because they use God's earth. They breathe his air. They use the fruit of his ground. Everything that they have comes from him. Now, whether they recognize it or not, or whether they do it or not is beside the point. They're still responsible and accountable to do so because a tithe is nothing more than the tax for the use of God's earth.

If Steve then had an apartment that he rented out to you and you refuse to pay the rent, what is he going to do? He's going to kick you out. Well, that's exactly what God can do when people refuse to pay his rent because it is just simply a rent on the use of his earth. Now, let me show you something about the tithe. I'm going to show you two things, but first of all, if you will hold Haggai and look in your Bibles to the book of Leviticus chapter 27, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, the third book in the Old Testament. Look in Leviticus chapter 27. The point I'm trying to make right now is, first of all, the tithe is the Lord's. It does not belong to the preacher, does not belong to the church.

It belongs to the Lord. But notice in Leviticus chapter 27, note if you would please verse 30. Look what he said.

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 27:30,32

"And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's: it is holy unto the Lord."

Skip down to verse 32.

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 27:30,32

"And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord."

So first of all, he says the tithe belongs to him, and secondly, it is holy unto him.

Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 26. I'm going to read the entire chapter, but I only want to comment on two verses. But I want you to see it in the context. Deuteronomy chapter 26, and I want you to see this how important it is. You see, whenever somebody talks about tithing, everybody says, "Well, they're just interested in money." No, no, no. There's more to the tithe than just simply money. I want you to watch this. Look in Deuteronomy chapter 26, beginning there with verse 1.

"And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it, and dwellest therein; that thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name there. And thou shalt go unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto the Lord thy God, that I am come unto the country which the Lord sware unto our fathers for to give us. And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hand, and set it down before the altar of the Lord thy God. And thou shalt speak and say before the Lord thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father."

"And he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous: and the Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage: and when we cried unto the Lord God of our fathers, the Lord heard our voice, and looked on our affliction, and our labour, and our oppression: and the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders: and he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even a land that floweth with milk and honey. And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land, which thou, O Lord, hast given me. And thou shalt set it before the Lord thy God, and worship before the Lord thy God." Note that, set it before the Lord thy God, and worship before the Lord thy God. "And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you."

"When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year, which is the year of tithing," now watch, "and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled." Now let me just stop there. In reality, in the Old Testament, there were three tithes. There was the Levitical tithe, which was 10%. There was the poor tithe, which was 10%, but it was only taken every third year. So that meant you would be actually tithing 13 and a third percent. OK. Then there was the tithe of rejoicing, which was 10 percent. But that tithe of rejoicing was spent on yourself and your family on a religious vacation.

In other words, you had to go to those seven annual feasts. You see, you had to have money there. So you were actually tithing 23 and a third percent per year, but 10% of that was spent on yourself. So, he says, "When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase," now watch verse 13, "then thou shalt say before the Lord thy God, I have brought away the hallowed things out of mine house, and also have given them unto the Levite, and unto the stranger, to the fatherless," that's the poor tithe, "and to the widow, according to all thy commandments which thou hast commanded me: I have not transgressed thy commandments, neither have I forgotten them: I have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I taken away ought thereof for any unclean use, nor given ought thereof for the dead: but I have hearkened to the voice of the Lord my God, and have done according to all that thou hast commanded me. Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people Israel, and the land which thou hast given us, as thou swarest unto our fathers, a land that floweth with milk and honey."

Now watch verse 16. "This day the Lord thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgments: thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice: and the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments; and to make thee high above all nations which he hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honour; and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the Lord thy God, as he hath spoken." Now, I want you to note this. Look, if you would, please, at verse 17. Here is the main implication in the act of tithing. He says, "Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice."

Now wait, let me stop. So they would go before the priest, they would bring the tithes, they would confess that God had saved them, that God had given them the land, that God had given them everything. And then he says in verse 17, "Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God." The word "avouched" is the word "amar" in the Hebrew. And it means to say in one's heart, to think, to vow, to affirm, to avouch. So the act of tithing is an act of confessing and acknowledging that the Lord your God is your God. You are affirming that he is your God in a most solemn manner. You're setting your seal to the fact that God is your God. You're acknowledging that everything you are and everything you have has come from him.

Now, here's an amazing thing. So by tithing, we're acknowledging, we're avouching, we're confessing that God is our God. But let me show you something even more astounding. Look in verse 18. "And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments." Now, it is one thing for me to avow and avouch and say that God is my God. But God also avouches that I'm His child, that I belong to Him. You know, there are none of us that are perfect. Each one of us have sinned in a multitude of ways. It's easy for me to say God is my God, but when he looks down and sees me, and then he says, "That's my child." That is an amazing, marvelous, wondrous act of grace. It's easy for you to claim a child as your own when that child is loving and obedient. You know, I used to do this all the time with our grandkids. They'd be so sweet and so kind, I'd say, "That's my grandchild." But when they'd act up and be ugly, I'd say, "That's Alice's grandchild," you know. Well, they're acting like their granny, you know. But you see, God doesn't do that. God just says, whether we are perfectly obedient or not perfectly obedient, as long as we are acknowledging Him, and especially in the solemnity of giving our tithes and recognizing Him, He is acknowledging us to be His children. That's why the Bible says, listen carefully, in Hebrews 11 and verse 16, "But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God."

The Curses for Neglecting God's House

God sent agricultural, personal, and financial judgments—sowing much but reaping little, never being satisfied, and money disappearing as if in a bag with holes—because they ran to their own houses.

"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." Now, if you put your money in a bag with holes, what's that mean? You're going to lose it. It's gone. Now, you can sow and you don't reap. You can eat and you're not full. You can drink and you're not satisfied. You can have clothes, but you're not warm.

Now, their disregard for God in his worship brought all of these judgments. I want you to take note of the fact that there were multiple judgments. There was an agricultural judgment. I mean, their gardens failed, their crops failed. There was a personal judgment. They could not be satisfied no matter what they ate or what they drank. Moreover, there was also a financial judgment because they could not get ahead.

Whatever they made, it was like putting their money in a bag with holes in it. Do you realize that most people are in the same fix today? I read again this past week. I'd read it earlier. Did you realize that the average American, the average American, if he is in an emergency situation, could not come up with a thousand bucks. A thousand bucks! The average American is so deep in debt and has absolutely no savings in an extreme emergency, he couldn't even raise a thousand dollars. Unhappily, most Christians are in the same situation.

I want you to see how this is amplified. I want you to skip down, if you would please, to verse 9. Skip down to verse 9, Haggai chapter 1. He's telling them, you better consider your ways. He said, "Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it." What little you got, I made it even smaller. Why? "Saith the Lord of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house."

Now look, "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."

Seek First the Kingdom: The New Testament Parallel

Weaver connects Haggai's message to Matthew 6:24-33, showing that when we seek God's kingdom first, He adds all necessary things; putting God first is the key to blessing.

So let me show you what this is all about. I want you to turn in your Bibles, first of all, to Matthew 6. Hold Haggai. Go to Matthew chapter 6. And as you're going to Matthew chapter 6, I want to quote Colossians 3, 1 and 2. As you find Matthew 6, I want you to listen to Colossians 3, 1 and 2. The Word of God says,

Scripture Reading — Colossians 3:1-2

"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."

Set your affection on things above, not on things of the earth. So we've been commanded to set our affections on things above, not on things of the earth. Now, look in Matthew 6, and let's begin reading there verse 24. Watch carefully.

Our Lord says, "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?"

Then he gives these illustrations. "Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat?"

"Or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things." Watch. "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." So what is going to be added? A realm of sufficiency if we seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

Now that's exactly the message of Haggai. That's exactly the message of Haggai. God is saying, you put me first. You obey me. You worship me, you honor me, and all these things are going to be added unto you. We will never ever be successful as Christians until we learn to put God first. You have to remember the very first commandment is, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." And the biggest god that we

How to Consider Your Ways: Three Steps

Considering our ways involves: 1) recognizing and repenting of sins, 2) examining the fruit of our lives, and 3) checking whether we are violating biblical principles.

Well, let me try to give it to you in at least three answers. First of all, the command to consider your ways has to include a recognition and a realization of your failures, your faults, and your sins. Once these have been recognized and realized, they can be dealt with. Included in this is what you and I would call repentance. That is, once we have identified our failings, our faults, our sins, we have to turn from them. We have to repent of them. We have to turn to that which is right and holy and godly. So, when you look in Haggai chapter one, the sin of placing God and his worship second to themselves and their houses had to be dealt with and they needed repentance. So it does no good to recognize your sin and your failure and your fault if you're not going to turn from it. There will never be any change unless there is real, genuine repentance. So unless you are going to break off your sins and turn from your sins, recognizing them, realizing them will not help you at all. Not help you at all.

You can confess them all you want. You can acknowledge them all you want, but unless you repent and turn from them, nothing's going to change. So the very first thing it means when he says, "Consider your ways," you have to recognize and realize your failures, your faults and your sins, and you have to deal with them with repentance. The second thing it means is this, and it's closely connected to realization and recognition and repentance. And that is this, we have to examine the fruit of our ways.

Now, in the context of Haggai chapter one, they were not reaping any blessings. I mean, they were sowing their fields, but they were losing money. You know, I never will forget what my father told me years ago. Of course, I was raised on a farm. And after Alice and I got married and I started preaching, I was away from the farm for many years. And I came home one day and I got to looking at the crops that dad had planted. And I got to asking, "Well, where's this crop? And where's that crop? I don't see it." You know what my dad said? He said, "I quit farming to be farming and started farming to make money." What he meant was, obviously, those crops that did not make any money, he was not going to mess with them anymore.

Although we had had them all of my life. Now, that was a wise thing to do in that sense of the word, because he was not making any money, he was losing money. If you're sowing a garden, and it's costing you 100 bucks in seeds and you only get 20 bucks worth of vegetables out of it, something's wrong. If it's costing you 1,000 bucks to plant a field and you're only getting 800 out of it, something's wrong. You better consider it. You better examine the fruits.

Now, the apostle Paul in Romans 6 and verse 21 said this,

Scripture Reading — Romans 6:21

"What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed?"

In other words, every one of us can look back on what we used to be before God saved us, and there was fruit in our lives which we are extremely ashamed over. Wish we had never done it, never thought about it, never experienced it, and we're ashamed. So he's telling us we have to examine the fruit. You know, he said in 2 Corinthians 13 and verse 5, "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" So how do I prove my own self? How do I examine myself? Well, I examine myself to see what kind of fruit I'm bringing forth. There's biblical fruit and there's unbiblical fruit. And our Lord kept saying over and over, "By their fruit ye shall know them." He said, "A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit."

"Neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." So I need to examine my life and see whether or not I have corrupt fruit or unbiblical fruit or I've got good fruit. So we have to look at the fruit of our lives. You see, I understand that we go through tests, we go through trials, we go through afflictions, we go through chastisements.

But the truth of the matter is this. If we are really children of God, most of our lives should be filled with blessings. In fact, I can assure you, even everyone in this room, you've had more good days than bad days. And you've had more healthy days than you have unhealthy days. You've had more blessings financially than you've ever had in financial resources. In other words, our lives, generally speaking, are blessed.

Now, let me tell you something. We must realize that there are varying kinds of blessings. Financial blessings are not the only blessings, and I'll pull this out a little bit later, prosperity in and of itself could be a curse. Yet God does indeed allow us to enjoy the fruit of our labour.

Now, look if you would again in Haggai 1 in verse 6. I want to give you a quote by Calvin, but I want you to see this verse that he's quoting on. Watch. Haggai 1 verse 6, he said, "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." Now listen to this comment. He said, "We know that God punishes men in both ways, both by withdrawing his blessings so that the earth is parched, and that the heaven gives no rain, and also, even when there is a good supply of fruits of the earth, by preventing their satisfying, so that there is no real enjoyment of them. It often happens that men collect what would be quite a sufficient quantity for food, and for all that, they're still always hungry."

"This kind of curse is seen the more plainly when God deprives the bread and the wine of their true virtue so that eating and drinking fail to support the strength." Wow. Have you ever thought about that? Have you ever thought about even the worthlessness of the bread that we buy today? Just stop and think about it. You compare a loaf of white bread that you get from the grocery store with a loaf of homemade bread, there's a big difference. Not only in taste, but in filling as well. And so he says God can either deprive a man by cursing the ground and not letting it bring forth, or he could curse the man by letting the ground bring forth plentiful supply, but the man is never ever satisfied. The Bible says, "The labour of the righteous tendeth to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin." So how do we consider our ways?

We have to realize and recognize our faults and failures and sins and repent of them. We have to also examine the fruit of our lives. And here's the third one, and that is this: we must ask ourselves and be honest whether or not we are violating a biblical principle. You've heard me say this before and it is true. Most Christians do not live by principles. They live by feelings. They live by emotions. They live by circumstances. Anytime you live by your emotions, your feelings, your circumstances, you're always going to be in trouble. You're always going to be discouraged and despair, downtrodden, downhearted. We're to live by principles. Principles never change. Feelings change all the time. Emotions change. Circumstances change. But principles never, ever change. And nothing is going to work for us as long as we are violating a principle of the word of God.

The Promise of Blessing Upon Obedience

From Haggai 2:15-19, Weaver shows that once the people obeyed and put God first, God promised to bless them from that day forward.

He said, "I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands; yet ye turned not to me, saith the Lord." You didn't do that. But now he says, yeah, now you've obeyed. Now watch. "Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the Lord's temple was laid, consider it. Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you." You repented. You put me first. From this day, I will bless you.

Applications: Wealth, Selfishness, and Eternal Perspective

Weaver warns that financial success does not equal spirituality, and urges believers to prefer a godly life over riches, laying up treasure in heaven rather than on earth.

And personally, I will tell you this. I'd rather have a godly life than a goodly bank account. And I'd much rather have a godly seed than a great house. I'm not averse to great riches, but the truth is that everything that we have will be left when we die. The folly is when we just simply lay up treasures on earth, where thieves break in, where things rot and rust. Instead of laying up our treasures in heaven, as the word of God commands, where thieves do not break in, and there is no rotting, and there is no rusting.

But you see, the problem is, today we are like the people in the days of Haggai. We have just become extremely selfish. Every man was running to his own house. That's what he said. Look at it in verse nine. He said, "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."

In other words, all you're doing is looking out for number one. You're just thinking of yourself. You're absolutely, totally selfish. Now, someone is going to say, "But we must live." And I understand that. But it is equally true that we must die.

Conclusion: Ponder Your Path and Prove Your Work

The sermon closes with a call to think on our ways, turn to God's testimonies, and bring our lives into conformity with His Word, trusting His blessing.

Now, I'd much rather live a life that is pleasing to the Lord and have little than I had live a life displeasing unto the Lord and have great wealth. Why? Well, there's always the judgment. In my life, I want to be pleasing unto Him. He said twice, "Consider your ways." David said in Psalm 119 verse 59, "I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies." How do we consider our ways? We think upon our ways. We do like Solomon said in Proverbs 4 verse 26, "Ponder the path of thy feet." And then we do what Paul said in Galatians 6 and verse 4, "But let every man prove his own work."

In other words, we actually look at our lives and we see where we are failing, where we're sinful, where we're wicked, where we're rebellious, and we repent by the grace of God and change. So whenever circumstances are against us and situations never work out, and it seems like we can never get ahead financially, it's time to consider our ways. It's time to stop and say, "What am I doing? What am I doing?" Just this past week, four men were arrested for burglary, robbery, and murder. Two of them were teenagers. They stole a bunch of guns, seven or eight, I don't know how many, a bunch of ammunition, and I thought to myself, they never even made it a week, and their lives are ruined. Probably they'll get the electric chair. And you know, the way the law reads, if I'm with Steve and Gary and we're robbing someone and Gary shoots and kills the man, Steve and I are charged with murder just like Gary's charged with murder because we're part of it. You see? I'm just saying, if we would listen to the word of God and do what God says, consider our ways and evaluate everything in light of the word of God and turn to him and do that which is right, then we're not going to have the problems that we're in.

Because he said, "From this day forward, I will bless you." We need not to seek the praise and recognition of man, but to seek the praise and the recognition and honor that comes from God alone. Consider your ways. And how do you do it? By recognizing your sins, your faults, your failures, turning from them, examining the fruit of your life, making sure that your life does not violate a principle of the Word of God, and bringing your life into conformity to His Word. Consider your ways. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. We ask, Lord, You would help us to diligently consider our ways, Lord, to compare our lives, compare the fruit in our lives, and Lord, for us to turn unto Thee, we ask for repentance and faith and grace and mercy in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray, amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Selfishness and Idolatry

Summary: The people prioritized their own houses and comfort over God's house, effectively making themselves idols.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'The people in the days of Haggai were more concerned with their own welfare and their own comfort and their own financial security more than they were concerned with God and his worship.'

Divine Judgment for Disobedience

Summary: God actively sent agricultural, personal, and financial curses because His house lay waste.

Evidence: Weaver reads Haggai 1:6,9-11 and comments, 'God sent those judgments. God said, "I did it. I blew upon it."'

The Tithe as Covenant Acknowledgment

Summary: Tithing is not merely giving money but a solemn act of avouching that the Lord is our God, and He avouches us as His people.

Evidence: Weaver explains Deuteronomy 26:17-18, 'The act of tithing is an act of confessing and acknowledging that the Lord your God is your God... God also avouches that I'm His child.'

Repentance and Turning to God

Summary: Considering our ways requires recognizing sin, repenting, and turning to God, which leads to blessing.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Once we have identified our failings, our faults, our sins, we have to turn from them. We have to repent of them.'

Living by Biblical Principles, Not Feelings

Summary: Christians must evaluate their lives by unchanging biblical principles rather than emotions or circumstances.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Most Christians do not live by principles. They live by feelings... Principles never change.'

Seeking God's Kingdom First

Summary: Putting God first in obedience and worship results in His provision of all necessary things.

Evidence: Weaver connects Haggai to Matthew 6:33, 'Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.'

The Deceitfulness of Riches

Summary: Financial prosperity is not a sign of God's blessing; it can be a curse that leads to trust in wealth.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'The old Puritans always said God often curses his enemies with riches... they end up trusting in their riches.'

Key Arguments

Unconsidered ways lead to repeated failure and divine judgment.

Summary: Weaver argues that doing the same thing while expecting different results is insanity, and God's people were experiencing curses because they neglected His house.

Evidence: He opens with the insanity definition and points to Haggai 1:6, 'Ye have sown much, and bring in little...' as evidence of judgment.

Tithing is a non-negotiable act of worship and acknowledgment of God's ownership.

Summary: The tithe belongs to the Lord and is holy; refusing to tithe is refusing to pay God's rent for the use of His earth.

Evidence: Weaver cites Leviticus 27:30,32 and says, 'A tithe is nothing more than God's tax for the use of his earth.'

God actively causes economic and agricultural hardship when His people are selfish.

Summary: God said 'I did blow upon it' and 'I called for a drought,' showing direct divine intervention in their finances and crops.

Evidence: Weaver reads Haggai 1:9-11 and emphasizes, 'God sent those judgments. God said, "I did it."'

Putting God first is the prerequisite for material and spiritual blessing.

Summary: Jesus' teaching in Matthew 6:33 parallels Haggai's message: seeking God's kingdom results in all needs being met.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'That's exactly the message of Haggai... you put me first... and all these things are going to be added unto you.'

Self-examination must include repentance, fruit inspection, and principle alignment.

Summary: Considering our ways means recognizing sin, examining life's fruit, and ensuring we are not violating biblical principles.

Evidence: Weaver outlines three steps: 'recognize and realize your failures... examine the fruit of our lives... whether or not we are violating a biblical principle.'

Obedience brings immediate and future blessing.

Summary: From Haggai 2:19, once the people repented and began building, God promised, 'from this day will I bless you.'

Evidence: Weaver reads Haggai 2:15-19 and concludes, 'You repented. You put me first. From this day, I will bless you.'

Scripture References

Haggai 1:1-4

Context: Introduction to the book; God questions the people's priorities in building their own ceiled houses while His house lies waste.

Haggai 1:5-7

Context: Twice God commands, 'Consider your ways,' sandwiched around a description of their fruitless labor.

Haggai 1:6

Context: Description of economic and personal curses: sowing much, reaping little; eating without satisfaction; wages put in a bag with holes.

Haggai 1:8

Context: God commands them to go up to the mountain, bring wood, and build the house so He may take pleasure and be glorified.

Haggai 1:9-11

Context: God explains He blew upon their harvest and called for a drought because His house lay waste while they ran to their own houses.

Haggai 1:12

Context: Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the remnant obeyed the voice of the Lord and feared before Him.

Haggai 2:15-19

Context: God contrasts the previous scarcity with the promised blessing from the day they laid the temple foundation.

Proverbs 14:12; 16:25

Context: There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

Psalm 1:6

Context: The Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Deuteronomy 11:26-28

Context: God sets before Israel a blessing and a curse, conditioned on obedience to His commandments.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20

Context: God calls heaven and earth as witnesses that He has set before them life and death, blessing and cursing; choose life.

Jeremiah 21:8

Context: God sets before the people the way of life and the way of death.

Leviticus 27:30,32

Context: All the tithe of the land and herd is the Lord's and is holy unto the Lord.

Deuteronomy 26:1-19

Context: The ceremony of firstfruits and tithing, including the avouching that the Lord is their God and He avouches them as His people.

Matthew 6:24-33

Context: No man can serve God and mammon; seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added.

Colossians 3:1-2

Context: Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Romans 6:21

Context: What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed?

2 Corinthians 13:5

Context: Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.

Matthew 7:16-20

Context: By their fruits ye shall know them; a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit.

Malachi 3:7

Context: Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord.

Historical References

Return from Babylonian captivity

Context: The children of Israel had returned from captivity and were to rebuild the temple; the foundation was laid but the house was not finished.

Darius the king

Context: Haggai's prophecy is dated in the second year of Darius, providing historical context for the post-exilic period.

Zerubbabel and Joshua

Context: Zerubbabel the governor and Joshua the high priest were leaders of the returned exiles who obeyed the prophetic word.

Old Testament tithe system

Context: Weaver explains there were three tithes: Levitical (10%), poor tithe (10% every third year), and tithe of rejoicing (10% spent on religious feasts), totaling 23.3%.

John Calvin

Context: Weaver quotes Calvin's commentary on Haggai 1:6 regarding God punishing men by withdrawing satisfaction even when there is plenty.

Matthew Henry

Context: Weaver quotes Matthew Henry on considering our ways: being sensible of God's hand, inquiring into the reason, and thinking what to do to testify repentance.

Important Quotes

Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie waste?

Significance: God's piercing question that exposes the people's misplaced priorities and selfishness, central to the sermon's call for self-examination.

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.

Significance: Vivid description of the futility and divine curse resulting from neglecting God's house, illustrating the need to consider one's ways.

Consider your ways.

Significance: The central command of the sermon, repeated twice in Haggai 1:5,7, calling for self-examination and repentance.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Significance: Jesus' teaching that parallels Haggai's message, emphasizing that putting God first results in His provision.

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.

Significance: God's direct explanation for the economic hardship, underscoring the cause-and-effect relationship between disobedience and judgment.

From this day will I bless you.

Significance: The promise of blessing upon repentance and obedience, offering hope and motivation to change.

I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.

Significance: David's example of considering his ways and turning to God's Word, used as a model for believers.

Discussion Questions

In what areas of life are you most tempted to prioritize your own comfort and security over God's worship and work?

Context: Weaver emphasizes that the people of Haggai's day were more concerned with their own houses than God's house.

How does the concept of tithing as 'avouching' the Lord as your God change your perspective on giving?

Context: Weaver explains from Deuteronomy 26 that tithing is a solemn act of acknowledging God's ownership and covenant relationship.

Have you ever experienced a season where it felt like your efforts were 'putting money into a bag with holes'? How did you respond?

Context: Weaver describes the financial judgment in Haggai 1:6 and asks if listeners have been in a similar predicament.

What does it practically mean to 'seek first the kingdom of God' in your daily decisions about time, money, and priorities?

Context: Weaver connects Haggai's message to Matthew 6:33, urging believers to put God first in all things.

Weaver outlines three steps to consider your ways: recognize sin, examine fruit, check principles. Which of these is most challenging for you, and why?

Context: The sermon provides a practical framework for self-examination based on the command to consider our ways.

How can we distinguish between God's chastening for disobedience and the general trials of life?

Context: Weaver notes that God sent specific judgments in Haggai, but also acknowledges that believers face tests and afflictions.

Why is it dangerous to equate financial prosperity with God's blessing? How does Psalm 73 inform this?

Context: Weaver warns that wealth can be a curse and that many wicked people are rich, referencing Psalm 73.

What 'biblical principles' might you be violating that could be hindering God's blessing in your life?

Context: Weaver stresses that we must live by principles, not feelings, and that violating God's principles leads to trouble.

Applications

Examine your priorities regarding God's house and your own house.

Summary: Evaluate whether you are investing more time, money, and energy in your personal comfort than in the worship and work of God.

Evidence: Weaver asks, 'Is it time for you... to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie waste?' and applies it to modern selfishness.

Faithfully tithe as an act of acknowledging God's ownership.

Summary: Tithing is not optional but a recognition that everything belongs to God; it is a solemn avowal of His lordship.

Evidence: Weaver teaches that the tithe is the Lord's and holy, and that tithing is avouching God as our God.

Repent of selfishness and idolatry.

Summary: Identify areas where you have placed your desires above God, and turn from them in genuine repentance.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'It does no good to recognize your sin... if you're not going to turn from it.'

Evaluate the fruit of your life for evidence of God's blessing or curse.

Summary: Look at your finances, satisfaction, and spiritual condition to see if you are experiencing the futility described in Haggai 1:6.

Evidence: Weaver urges, 'Examine the fruit of our lives' and asks if everything you touch seems cursed.

Live by biblical principles rather than feelings or circumstances.

Summary: Make decisions based on the unchanging Word of God, not on emotions or temporary situations.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Most Christians do not live by principles. They live by feelings... Principles never change.'

Seek God's kingdom first in all areas of life.

Summary: Prioritize God's rule and righteousness, trusting that He will provide for your material needs as promised in Matthew 6:33.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'We will never ever be successful as Christians until we learn to put God first.'

Do not trust in riches or equate wealth with God's favor.

Summary: Recognize that prosperity can be a snare and that many ungodly people are wealthy; value godliness over financial success.

Evidence: Weaver warns, 'Financial success does not equal spirituality or the blessing of God.'

Ponder your path and prove your own work.

Summary: Regularly take time to think about your ways, compare them to Scripture, and make necessary changes.

Evidence: Weaver cites Psalm 119:59 and Galatians 6:4, urging self-examination and turning to God's testimonies.

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T18:42:07Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T11:23:19Z

Clean Transcript

Consider Your Ways

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Go to Malachi, which is the last book in the Old Testament, then turn back to Zechariah and then to Haggai. I gotcha. I was given directions first. Haggai. So it's Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. Haggai chapter 1. The title of the message is "Consider Your Ways." And we're going to begin reading with verse 1. "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 Jehozadak, 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 ceiled houses, and this house lie waste? Now therefore, thus saith the Lord of hosts, Consider your ways."
#1 | 0:13 to 1:20 | cleaned
"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."
#2 | 1:20 to 1:57 | cleaned
"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 Jehozadak 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."
#3 | 1:58 to 2:35 | cleaned
Someone wise once said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Whether or not it is insanity, idiocy, or just plain stupidity, the truth is that's usually the way most professing Christians function. We have our ways, and we do not intend to change. I've heard people say, "Well, that's just the way we are." I've also heard people say, "Well, this is the way we've always done it." In one sense of the word, I believe that professing Christians are almost as bad as the Pharisees when it comes to their ways and their traditions. We unthinkingly follow that which we've been taught, that which we have heard, that which we have observed, and we never ever consider what the Word of God has to say upon what we've been taught, what we have observed, and what we have heard. Traditions are very difficult to violate and to break. Habit is very hard to break as well. And we develop our ways usually without consideration. And our ways include the way we think, the way we talk, the way we act, the way we work, the way we believe.
#4 | 2:36 to 4:01 | cleaned
One individual said it like this, "Evil is wrought from want of thought, especially in evil times." Now, twice we are told the same exact truth in the book of Proverbs concerning what man's ways are. For instance, in Proverbs 14 and verse 12, the Bible says, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." And then in Proverbs 16 and verse 25, "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." So let me put it to you like this. Just because something seems right, does not make it right. And if you were to put that in modern day parlance, we could say it like this. Just because something feels right, does not make it right. The Bible tells us very plainly there is a way of life, and there is a way of death. There is a way of blessing, and there is a way of cursing.
#5 | 4:02 to 5:03 | cleaned
And we are either going to live and be blessed, or we're going to die and be cursed. Now, the Bible tells us in Psalm 1 and verse 6 that there is a way of the righteous, and there is a way of the wicked. For instance, the Bible says, "For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish." So you have the way of the righteous on the one hand and the way of the ungodly on the other hand.
#6 | 5:03 to 5:30 | cleaned
Now, I want you to hold the book of Haggai, but I want you to turn back, if you would, to Deuteronomy chapter 11. And let me show you the scriptures that I want to emphasize in the fact that God is giving us the way of life or the way of death, the way of blessing or the way of cursing. So if you look in Deuteronomy chapter 11, beginning there with verse 26, and let's read through verse 28. Deuteronomy 11 and verse 26. God says, "Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; a blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day: and a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known." So I said, look, here it is. It's so simple. You can either be blessed or you can be cursed. You can either have life or you can die.
#7 | 5:31 to 6:36 | cleaned
So if you will turn right over to Deuteronomy chapter 30. Deuteronomy chapter 30. And let's look there, beginning with verse 19. In fact, Deuteronomy 30 and verse 19. Look what he says. "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: that thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them." But note, he said, "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you that I've set before you life and death, blessing and cursing." And then of course in the book of Jeremiah chapter 21 and verse 8, God says the same thing to these people who refuse to listen to him. Jeremiah chapter 21 and verse 8, he says this, "And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death." Now, it is true that the righteous do not walk in the way of death.
#8 | 6:37 to 8:06 | cleaned
However, it is quite possible for the righteous to lose his sense of bearing and walk in a way displeasing to the Lord and bring upon himself certain judgments or certain curses. When we're talking about judgments and when we're talking about curses, we have to remember this. There are agricultural curses. There are economic curses. There are physical curses as well as spiritual curses. And I think when we look in Haggai chapter 1, you're going to see all of these curses, how they flow together as well. So if you look back in the book of Haggai chapter 1, let me tell you the context of this book. In the context of the book of Haggai, the children of Israel have been returned from their captivity, and they were to build the house of the Lord. The foundation had been laid, but of course the house had not been finished. This book is a reproof against the children of Israel for their slackness, their slothfulness, and being dilatory in trying to restore the temple. In fact, their slackness and their slothfulness had provoked God to the extent that God had judged them with famine and scarcity.
#9 | 8:06 to 9:33 | cleaned
So in this book now there is an exhortation for them to rise and to finish the temple. Now the question has to be asked, why were they so slothful? Why were they so indolent in building the house of God? Well, let me just point this out. One of the most important lessons that we're to learn from this book is very simple. The people in the days of Haggai were more concerned with their own welfare and their own comfort and their own financial security more than they were concerned with God and his worship. And so, God now has to reprove these people for their selfishness.
#10 | 9:34 to 10:29 | cleaned
Now, let me show you. Look in your Bibles to Haggai 1 and verse 4. Look what he says. He asks this question. "Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie waste?" So God has said, here's what you're doing. You're taking care of your house and yet you are totally ignoring my house. So the question God is asking is a simple one. Is it fit that you should be building yourselves elegant houses while at the same time you're totally ignoring my house and my worship and you're ignoring the praise and honor that should be going to me?
#11 | 10:29 to 11:13 | cleaned
Now, let me show you the rationality behind their selfishness and their sinfulness. If you look at verse 2, "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."
#12 | 11:14 to 11:32 | cleaned
Now, they were not denying that the temple was important. They were not saying it's unimportant. They were not denying its importance. Moreover, they were not even saying that the house needs restoration, the house needs completion. No. They were saying, yes, it's important, and yes, it needs to be restored, but it's not time to do it. So since it's not time to do it, we're not really concerned about it. What we're concerned about is ourselves. So they were saying this. I need to get things done in my house. I need to be comfortable. I need to spend my time and my money in doing that which I believe that should be done right now. The temple can wait. It's not time to build it. And therefore, it's not really that important right now. What is important is that I take care of myself and I take care of my house. Now, I do not believe that it is a sin to desire a decent house. I do not even believe it's a sin to desire a beautiful house.
#13 | 11:33 to 12:48 | cleaned
I don't even believe it's a sin to desire a very expensive house, with this exception: unless you place all that desire above God and before Him. And then, of course, it becomes idolatry. It is idolatrous. And so what these people were doing, they were taking all of their time and all of their money, and they were investing it in themselves and certainly not in God.
#14 | 12:49 to 13:20 | cleaned
Now, let me tell you something about money, first of all, because this chapter deals with money. In this day and time, many people make excellent money. And let me rephrase that. Many Christians make excellent money. And yet they refuse to tithe.
#15 | 13:20 to 13:40 | cleaned
Now, that doesn't mean that they don't give something. They certainly give something. But they don't really tithe at all.
#16 | 13:41 to 13:48 | cleaned
Now, a tithe is nothing more than God's tax for the use of his earth. That's what it is. It's a tax for the use of his earth. And let me point this out. Even the wicked, even the unsaved are obligated to tithe. Why? Because they use God's earth. They breathe his air. They use the fruit of his ground. Everything that they have comes from him. Now, whether they recognize it or not, or whether they do it or not is beside the point. They're still responsible and accountable to do so because a tithe is nothing more than the tax for the use of God's earth.
#17 | 13:48 to 14:27 | cleaned
If Steve then had an apartment that he rented out to you and you refuse to pay the rent, what is he going to do? He's going to kick you out. Well, that's exactly what God can do when people refuse to pay his rent because it is just simply a rent on the use of his earth.
#18 | 14:28 to 14:50 | cleaned
Now, let me show you something about the tithe. I'm going to show you two things, but first of all, if you will hold Haggai and look in your Bibles to the book of Leviticus chapter 27, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, the third book in the Old Testament. Look in Leviticus chapter 27. The point I'm trying to make right now is, first of all, the tithe is the Lord's. It does not belong to the preacher, does not belong to the church.
#19 | 14:50 to 15:22 | cleaned
It belongs to the Lord. But notice in Leviticus chapter 27, note if you would please verse 30. Look what he said. "And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's: it is holy unto the Lord." Skip down to verse 32. "And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord." So first of all, he says the tithe belongs to him, and secondly, it is holy unto him.
#20 | 15:22 to 15:59 | cleaned
Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 26. I'm going to read the entire chapter, but I only want to comment on two verses. But I want you to see it in the context. Deuteronomy chapter 26, and I want you to see this how important it is. You see, whenever somebody talks about tithing, everybody says, "Well, they're just interested in money." No, no, no. There's more to the tithe than just simply money. I want you to watch this. Look in Deuteronomy chapter 26, beginning there with verse 1.
#21 | 15:59 to 16:37 | cleaned
"And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it, and dwellest therein; that thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name there. And thou shalt go unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto the Lord thy God, that I am come unto the country which the Lord sware unto our fathers for to give us. And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hand, and set it down before the altar of the Lord thy God. And thou shalt speak and say before the Lord thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father."
#22 | 16:37 to 17:32 | cleaned
"And he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous: and the Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage: and when we cried unto the Lord God of our fathers, the Lord heard our voice, and looked on our affliction, and our labour, and our oppression: and the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders: and he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even a land that floweth with milk and honey. And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land, which thou, O Lord, hast given me. And thou shalt set it before the Lord thy God, and worship before the Lord thy God." Note that, set it before the Lord thy God, and worship before the Lord thy God. "And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you."
#23 | 17:33 to 18:36 | cleaned
"When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year, which is the year of tithing," now watch, "and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled."
#24 | 18:37 to 18:54 | cleaned
Now let me just stop there. In reality, in the Old Testament, there were three tithes. There was the Levitical tithe, which was 10%. There was the poor tithe, which was 10%, but it was only taken every third year. So that meant you would be actually tithing 13 and a third percent. OK. Then there was the tithe of rejoicing, which was 10 percent. But that tithe of rejoicing was spent on yourself and your family on a religious vacation.
#25 | 18:54 to 19:28 | cleaned
In other words, you had to go to those seven annual feasts. You see, you had to have money there. So you were actually tithing 23 and a third percent per year, but 10% of that was spent on yourself. So, he says, "When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase," now watch verse 13, "then thou shalt say before the Lord thy God, I have brought away the hallowed things out of mine house, and also have given them unto the Levite, and unto the stranger, to the fatherless," that's the poor tithe, "and to the widow, according to all thy commandments which thou hast commanded me: I have not transgressed thy commandments, neither have I forgotten them: I have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I taken away ought thereof for any unclean use, nor given ought thereof for the dead: but I have hearkened to the voice of the Lord my God, and have done according to all that thou hast commanded me. Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people Israel, and the land which thou hast given us, as thou swarest unto our fathers, a land that floweth with milk and honey."
#26 | 19:28 to 20:38 | cleaned
Now watch verse 16. "This day the Lord thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgments: thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice: and the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments; and to make thee high above all nations which he hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honour; and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the Lord thy God, as he hath spoken."
#27 | 20:39 to 21:23 | cleaned
Now, I want you to note this. Look, if you would, please, at verse 17. Here is the main implication in the act of tithing. He says, "Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice."
#28 | 21:24 to 21:50 | cleaned
Now wait, let me stop. So they would go before the priest, they would bring the tithes, they would confess that God had saved them, that God had given them the land, that God had given them everything. And then he says in verse 17, "Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God." The word "avouched" is the word "amar" in the Hebrew. And it means to say in one's heart, to think, to vow, to affirm, to avouch. So the act of tithing is an act of confessing and acknowledging that the Lord your God is your God. You are affirming that he is your God in a most solemn manner. You're setting your seal to the fact that God is your God. You're acknowledging that everything you are and everything you have has come from him.
#29 | 21:50 to 22:53 | cleaned
Now, here's an amazing thing. So by tithing, we're acknowledging, we're avouching, we're confessing that God is our God. But let me show you something even more astounding. Look in verse 18. "And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments." Now, it is one thing for me to avow and avouch and say that God is my God. But God also avouches that I'm His child, that I belong to Him.
#30 | 22:53 to 23:42 | cleaned
You know, there are none of us that are perfect. Each one of us have sinned in a multitude of ways. It's easy for me to say God is my God, but when he looks down and sees me, and then he says, "That's my child." That is an amazing, marvelous, wondrous act of grace. It's easy for you to claim a child as your own when that child is loving and obedient. You know, I used to do this all the time with our grandkids. They'd be so sweet and so kind, I'd say, "That's my grandchild." But when they'd act up and be ugly, I'd say, "That's Alice's grandchild," you know. Well, they're acting like their granny, you know. But you see, God doesn't do that. God just says, whether we are perfectly obedient or not perfectly obedient, as long as we are acknowledging Him, and especially in the solemnity of giving our tithes and recognizing Him, He is acknowledging us to be His children. That's why the Bible says, listen carefully, in Hebrews 11 and verse 16, "But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God."
#31 | 23:45 to 25:27 | cleaned
So if God is not ashamed to be called our God, it means that He's not ashamed of us. He identifies with us. He avouches that we are His people.
#32 | 25:28 to 25:40 | cleaned
Now, I want you to go back to the book of Haggai. I want to put all this together for you. So I want you to look now at verse 5 and verse 7, because the title of the message is "Consider Your Ways." So look what God says twice. In verse 5, He says, "Now therefore, thus saith the Lord of hosts, Consider your ways." Now skip down to verse seven. "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Consider your ways."
#33 | 25:41 to 26:07 | cleaned
Now God points out the insanity, the idiocy, the stupidity of these people who are doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. What he's saying is, look, you're living for yourself. You're idolaters in that sense of the word. You're extremely selfish. You're not concerned about my house. You're not concerned about my worship, my honor, my praise. You better stop and consider your ways. Now, here's what he's saying. Look in verse 6. This is why verse 6 comes between verses 5 and verse 7. He says in verse 6, "Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat."
#34 | 26:08 to 26:54 | cleaned
"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." Now, if you put your money in a bag with holes, what's that mean? You're going to lose it. It's gone.
#35 | 26:55 to 27:13 | cleaned
Now, you can sow and you don't reap. You can eat and you're not full. You can drink and you're not satisfied. You can have clothes, but you're not warm.
#36 | 27:14 to 27:24 | cleaned
Now, their disregard for God in his worship brought all of these judgments. I want you to take note of the fact that there were multiple judgments. There was an agricultural judgment. I mean, their gardens failed, their crops failed. There was a personal judgment. They could not be satisfied no matter what they ate or what they drank. Moreover, there was also a financial judgment because they could not get ahead.
#37 | 27:25 to 27:56 | cleaned
Whatever they made, it was like putting their money in a bag with holes in it. Do you realize that most people are in the same fix today? I read again this past week. I'd read it earlier. Did you realize that the average American, the average American, if he is in an emergency situation, could not come up with a thousand bucks. A thousand bucks! The average American is so deep in debt and has absolutely no savings in an extreme emergency, he couldn't even raise a thousand dollars. Unhappily, most Christians are in the same situation.
#38 | 27:57 to 28:48 | cleaned
I want you to see how this is amplified. I want you to skip down, if you would please, to verse 9. Skip down to verse 9, Haggai chapter 1. He's telling them, you better consider your ways. He said, "Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it." What little you got, I made it even smaller. Why?
#39 | 28:49 to 29:14 | cleaned
"Saith the Lord of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house."
#40 | 29:14 to 29:22 | cleaned
Now look, "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."
#41 | 29:23 to 29:46 | cleaned
Now, one thing that is made exceedingly clear in this passage is this, that God sent those judgments. God said, "I did it. I blew upon it. I kept the dew from falling. I kept the rain from falling." He spoiled the labour of their hands. So let me just put it to you very bluntly. Ask you several questions. Have you ever been in a predicament like this? Has it ever been where everything you touched seemed like it was cursed? That everything you tried failed? And no matter how much you tried to make financially, you could never, ever get ahead. And have you ever considered why you could not get ahead financially?
#42 | 29:46 to 30:42 | cleaned
Now let me tell you something. I know that there are biblical principles of economics in the Bible. I've taught them. I know them. I could give them to you right now, but I can tell you one thing. Giving you the principles of economic freedom from the Bible would not help you one little bit if you're not willing to honor God and place him first. Nobody's going to follow a biblical principle if they're going to dishonor God.
#43 | 30:43 to 31:11 | cleaned
So let me show you what this is all about. I want you to turn in your Bibles, first of all, to Matthew 6. Hold Haggai. Go to Matthew chapter 6. And as you're going to Matthew chapter 6, I want to quote Colossians 3, 1 and 2. As you find Matthew 6, I want you to listen to Colossians 3, 1 and 2. The Word of God says, "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." Set your affection on things above, not on things of the earth. So we've been commanded to set our affections on things above, not on things of the earth. Now, look in Matthew 6, and let's begin reading there verse 24. Watch carefully.
#44 | 31:12 to 32:03 | cleaned
Our Lord says, "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?"
#45 | 32:03 to 32:32 | cleaned
Then he gives these illustrations. "Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat?"
#46 | 32:33 to 33:17 | cleaned
"Or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things." Watch. "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." So what is going to be added? A realm of sufficiency if we seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.
#47 | 33:18 to 33:55 | cleaned
Now that's exactly the message of Haggai. That's exactly the message of Haggai. God is saying, you put me first. You obey me. You worship me, you honor me, and all these things are going to be added unto you. We will never ever be successful as Christians until we learn to put God first. You have to remember the very first commandment is, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." And the biggest god that we
#48 | 33:56 to 34:27 | cleaned
have is ourselves. We want to please our flesh. We want to have the lust of the eyes and the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. Now, twice in the book of Haggai, twice God tells these people to consider your ways.
#49 | 34:27 to 34:49 | cleaned
Now, I have to ask you a question. What does it mean to consider your ways? How do you consider your ways? I believe the answer to those questions can be found if we examine the context to which that command, to those people to which that command was originally given. It was originally given to these people who were very selfish, who were looking out for number one instead of looking out for God and his honor and his glory. So how then and what is meant by "Consider Your Ways"?
#50 | 34:50 to 35:34 | cleaned
Well, let me try to give it to you in at least three answers. First of all, the command to consider your ways has to include a recognition and a realization of your failures, your faults, and your sins. Once these have been recognized and realized, they can be dealt with. Included in this is what you and I would call repentance. That is, once we have identified our failings, our faults, our sins, we have to turn from them.
#51 | 35:34 to 36:08 | cleaned
We have to repent of them. We have to turn to that which is right and holy and godly. So, when you look in Haggai chapter one, the sin of placing God and his worship second to themselves and their houses had to be dealt with and they needed repentance. So it does no good to recognize your sin and your failure and your fault if you're not going to turn from it. There will never be any change unless there is real, genuine repentance. So unless you are going to break off your sins and turn from your sins, recognizing them, realizing them will not help you at all. Not help you at all.
#52 | 36:09 to 37:01 | cleaned
You can confess them all you want. You can acknowledge them all you want, but unless you repent and turn from them, nothing's going to change. So the very first thing it means when he says, "Consider your ways," you have to recognize and realize your failures, your faults and your sins, and you have to deal with them with repentance. The second thing it means is this, and it's closely connected to realization and recognition and repentance. And that is this, we have to examine the fruit of our ways.
#53 | 37:03 to 37:36 | cleaned
Now, in the context of Haggai chapter one, they were not reaping any blessings. I mean, they were sowing their fields, but they were losing money. You know, I never will forget what my father told me years ago. Of course, I was raised on a farm. And after Alice and I got married and I started preaching, I was away from the farm for many years. And I came home one day and I got to looking at the crops that dad had planted. And I got to asking, "Well, where's this crop? And where's that crop? I don't see it." You know what my dad said? He said, "I quit farming to be farming and started farming to make money." What he meant was, obviously, those crops that did not make any money, he was not going to mess with them anymore.
#54 | 37:36 to 38:31 | cleaned
Although we had had them all of my life. Now, that was a wise thing to do in that sense of the word, because he was not making any money, he was losing money. If you're sowing a garden, and it's costing you 100 bucks in seeds and you only get 20 bucks worth of vegetables out of it, something's wrong. If it's costing you 1,000 bucks to plant a field and you're only getting 800 out of it, something's wrong. You better consider it. You better examine the fruits.
#55 | 38:32 to 39:12 | cleaned
Now, the apostle Paul in Romans 6 and verse 21 said this, "What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed?" In other words, every one of us can look back on what we used to be before God saved us, and there was fruit in our lives which we are extremely ashamed over. Wish we had never done it, never thought about it, never experienced it, and we're ashamed. So he's telling us we have to examine the fruit. You know, he said in 2 Corinthians 13 and verse 5, "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" So how do I prove my own self? How do I examine myself? Well, I examine myself to see what kind of fruit I'm bringing forth. There's biblical fruit and there's unbiblical fruit. And our Lord kept saying over and over, "By their fruit ye shall know them." He said, "A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit."
#56 | 39:12 to 40:17 | cleaned
"Neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." So I need to examine my life and see whether or not I have corrupt fruit or unbiblical fruit or I've got good fruit. So we have to look at the fruit of our lives. You see, I understand that we go through tests, we go through trials, we go through afflictions, we go through chastisements.
#57 | 40:17 to 40:41 | cleaned
But the truth of the matter is this. If we are really children of God, most of our lives should be filled with blessings. In fact, I can assure you, even everyone in this room, you've had more good days than bad days. And you've had more healthy days than you have unhealthy days. You've had more blessings financially than you've ever had in financial resources. In other words, our lives, generally speaking, are blessed.
#58 | 40:42 to 41:17 | cleaned
Now, let me tell you something. We must realize that there are varying kinds of blessings. Financial blessings are not the only blessings, and I'll pull this out a little bit later, prosperity in and of itself could be a curse. Yet God does indeed allow us to enjoy the fruit of our labour.
#59 | 41:17 to 41:37 | cleaned
Now, look if you would again in Haggai 1 in verse 6. I want to give you a quote by Calvin, but I want you to see this verse that he's quoting on. Watch. Haggai 1 verse 6, he said, "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."
#60 | 41:37 to 42:00 | cleaned
"And he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes." Now listen to this comment. He said, "We know that God punishes men in both ways, both by withdrawing his blessings so that the earth is parched, and that the heaven gives no rain, and also, even when there is a good supply of fruits of the earth, by preventing their satisfying, so that there is no real enjoyment of them. It often happens that men collect what would be quite a sufficient quantity for food, and for all that, they're still always hungry."
#61 | 42:01 to 42:40 | cleaned
"This kind of curse is seen the more plainly when God deprives the bread and the wine of their true virtue so that eating and drinking fail to support the strength." Wow. Have you ever thought about that? Have you ever thought about even the worthlessness of the bread that we buy today? Just stop and think about it. You compare a loaf of white bread that you get from the grocery store with a loaf of homemade bread, there's a big difference.
#62 | 42:41 to 43:25 | cleaned
Not only in taste, but in filling as well. And so he says God can either deprive a man by cursing the ground and not letting it bring forth, or he could curse the man by letting the ground bring forth plentiful supply, but the man is never ever satisfied. The Bible says, "The labour of the righteous tendeth to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin." So how do we consider our ways?
#63 | 43:26 to 43:55 | cleaned
We have to realize and recognize our faults and failures and sins and repent of them. We have to also examine the fruit of our lives. And here's the third one, and that is this: we must ask ourselves and be honest whether or not we are violating a biblical principle. You've heard me say this before and it is true. Most Christians do not live by principles. They live by feelings. They live by emotions. They live by circumstances. Anytime you live by your emotions, your feelings, your circumstances, you're always going to be in trouble. You're always going to be discouraged and despair, downtrodden, downhearted. We're to live by principles. Principles never change. Feelings change all the time. Emotions change. Circumstances change. But principles never, ever change. And nothing is going to work for us as long as we are violating a principle of the word of God.
#64 | 43:55 to 44:59 | cleaned
Our Lord said in John 17:17, in his high priestly prayer, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." Here's a quote from Matthew Henry. And he's talking about considering our ways. Listen to what he said. "Be sensible of the hand of God going out against you. Inquire into the reason. Think what you have done that has provoked God thus to break in upon your comforts; and think what you will do to testify your repentance, that God may return to you in mercy." He said, the way you consider your ways is you realize what you've done wrong. Then you have to realize when you repent what it will take to return to God. Do you know that Jeremiah said in Lamentations 3 and verse 40, "Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord." And then in the book of Malachi chapter 3 in verse 7, God said this, "Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord." Return unto me and I'll return unto you.
#65 | 44:59 to 46:14 | cleaned
Now, of course we read in verse 12 where Zerubbabel and Joshua the high priest and the people obeyed. Now, I want you to look in Haggai chapter two and let's begin reading there verse 15. Watch if you would. You're going to see a comparison from what was to what is, or what is coming. In verse 15, "And now, I pray you, consider from this day and upward, from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the Lord: since those days," the words before you obeyed me, "when one came to an heap of twenty measures, there were but ten: when one came to the pressfat for to draw out fifty vessels out of the press, there were but twenty." In other words, you were doing without.
#66 | 46:14 to 47:16 | cleaned
He said, "I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands; yet ye turned not to me, saith the Lord." You didn't do that. But now he says, yeah, now you've obeyed. Now watch. "Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the Lord's temple was laid, consider it. Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you." You repented. You put me first. From this day, I will bless you.
#67 | 47:18 to 48:11 | cleaned
Now, let me make just a couple of applications. The first one is this. We have to acknowledge that financial success does not equal spirituality or the blessing of God. Psalm 73 makes that exceedingly clear. There are many ungodly men that are extremely wealthy. The old Puritans always said God often curses his enemies with riches. And it's a curse because they end up trusting in their riches and in their wealth instead of the Lord God. And you can look around and you could name a number of extremely wealthy, wicked, ungodly reprobates. So you cannot just say that financial blessings equal spirituality or the blessing of God. No.
#68 | 48:12 to 49:08 | cleaned
And personally, I will tell you this. I'd rather have a godly life than a goodly bank account. And I'd much rather have a godly seed than a great house. I'm not averse to great riches, but the truth is that everything that we have will be left when we die. The folly is when we just simply lay up treasures on earth, where thieves break in, where things rot and rust. Instead of laying up our treasures in heaven, as the word of God commands, where thieves do not break in, and there is no rotting, and there is no rusting.
#69 | 49:08 to 49:48 | cleaned
But you see, the problem is, today we are like the people in the days of Haggai. We have just become extremely selfish. Every man was running to his own house. That's what he said. Look at it in verse nine. He said, "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."
#70 | 49:49 to 50:15 | cleaned
In other words, all you're doing is looking out for number one. You're just thinking of yourself. You're absolutely, totally selfish.
#71 | 50:15 to 50:23 | cleaned
Now, someone is going to say, "But we must live." And I understand that. But it is equally true that we must die.
#72 | 50:24 to 50:35 | cleaned
Now, I'd much rather live a life that is pleasing to the Lord and have little than I had live a life displeasing unto the Lord and have great wealth. Why? Well, there's always the judgment. In my life, I want to be pleasing unto Him. He said twice, "Consider your ways." David said in Psalm 119 verse 59, "I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies." How do we consider our ways? We think upon our ways. We do like Solomon said in Proverbs 4 verse 26, "Ponder the path of thy feet." And then we do what Paul said in Galatians 6 and verse 4, "But let every man prove his own work."
#73 | 50:38 to 51:27 | cleaned
In other words, we actually look at our lives and we see where we are failing, where we're sinful, where we're wicked, where we're rebellious, and we repent by the grace of God and change. So whenever circumstances are against us and situations never work out, and it seems like we can never get ahead financially, it's time to consider our ways. It's time to stop and say, "What am I doing? What am I doing?"
#74 | 51:28 to 52:02 | cleaned
Just this past week, four men were arrested for burglary, robbery, and murder. Two of them were teenagers. They stole a bunch of guns, seven or eight, I don't know how many, a bunch of ammunition, and I thought to myself, they never even made it a week, and their lives are ruined. Probably they'll get the electric chair. And you know, the way the law reads, if I'm with Steve and Gary and we're robbing someone and Gary shoots and kills the man, Steve and I are charged with murder just like Gary's charged with murder because we're part of it. You see? I'm just saying, if we would listen to the word of God and do what God says, consider our ways and evaluate everything in light of the word of God and turn to him and do that which is right, then we're not going to have the problems that we're in.
#75 | 52:06 to 53:32 | cleaned
Because he said, "From this day forward, I will bless you." We need not to seek the praise and recognition of man, but to seek the praise and the recognition and honor that comes from God alone. Consider your ways. And how do you do it? By recognizing your sins, your faults, your failures, turning from them, examining the fruit of your life, making sure that your life does not violate a principle of the Word of God, and bringing your life into conformity to His Word. Consider your ways.
#76 | 53:32 to 54:11 | cleaned
Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. We ask, Lord, You would help us to diligently consider our ways, Lord, to compare our lives, compare the fruit in our lives, and Lord, for us to turn unto Thee, we ask for repentance and faith and grace and mercy in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray, amen.
#77 | 54:12 to 54:39 | cleaned
so so
#78 | 55:01 to 55:02 | cleaned

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T18:42:07Z

Consider Your Ways

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

Pastor John Weaver expounds Haggai 1, emphasizing God's command to 'Consider your ways.' He explains that the returned exiles prioritized their own houses over God's temple, leading to divine curses of scarcity and dissatisfaction. The sermon calls believers to examine their lives, repent of selfishness and idolatry, and put God first, particularly through tithing as an act of acknowledging His lordship. Obedience brings blessing, while disobedience brings judgment.

Opening

Scripture Reading — Haggai 1:1-4

"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 Jehozadak, 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 ceiled houses, and this house lie waste?

Now therefore, thus saith the Lord of hosts, Consider your ways."

Introduction: The Insanity of Unchanged Ways

Weaver opens by comparing the definition of insanity—doing the same thing and expecting different results—to how many Christians unthinkingly follow traditions without considering God's Word.

The Two Ways: Life and Death, Blessing and Cursing

Using Proverbs and Deuteronomy, Weaver establishes that there is a way that seems right but leads to death, and God sets before us blessing and cursing based on obedience.

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 14:12; 16:25

"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."

And then in Proverbs 16 and verse 25,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 14:12; 16:25

"There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 11:26-28

"Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; a blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day: and a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known."

So I said, look, here it is. It's so simple. You can either be blessed or you can be cursed. You can either have life or you can die.

So if you will turn right over to Deuteronomy chapter 30. Deuteronomy chapter 30. And let's look there, beginning with verse 19. In fact, Deuteronomy 30 and verse 19. Look what he says.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 30:19-20

"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: that thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them."

But note, he said,

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 30:19-20

"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you that I've set before you life and death, blessing and cursing."

Context of Haggai: Selfishness and Neglect of God's House

The people of Haggai's day were more concerned with their own comfort and financial security than with rebuilding the temple, rationalizing that it was not yet time.

The Tithe as Acknowledgment of God's Ownership

Weaver teaches that the tithe is God's tax for the use of His earth, and tithing is an act of avouching that the Lord is our God, while God avouches us as His people.

It belongs to the Lord. But notice in Leviticus chapter 27, note if you would please verse 30. Look what he said.

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 27:30,32

"And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's: it is holy unto the Lord."

Skip down to verse 32.

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 27:30,32

"And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord."

So first of all, he says the tithe belongs to him, and secondly, it is holy unto him.

The Curses for Neglecting God's House

Seek First the Kingdom: The New Testament Parallel

Weaver connects Haggai's message to Matthew 6:24-33, showing that when we seek God's kingdom first, He adds all necessary things; putting God first is the key to blessing.

Scripture Reading — Colossians 3:1-2

"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."

How to Consider Your Ways: Three Steps

Considering our ways involves: 1) recognizing and repenting of sins, 2) examining the fruit of our lives, and 3) checking whether we are violating biblical principles.

Now, the apostle Paul in Romans 6 and verse 21 said this,

Scripture Reading — Romans 6:21

"What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed?"

The Promise of Blessing Upon Obedience

From Haggai 2:15-19, Weaver shows that once the people obeyed and put God first, God promised to bless them from that day forward.

Applications: Wealth, Selfishness, and Eternal Perspective

Weaver warns that financial success does not equal spirituality, and urges believers to prefer a godly life over riches, laying up treasure in heaven rather than on earth.

Conclusion: Ponder Your Path and Prove Your Work

The sermon closes with a call to think on our ways, turn to God's testimonies, and bring our lives into conformity with His Word, trusting His blessing.

Consider Your Ways

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	rNIQbVgo8wI
Subject	Covenant Theology
Course	Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: A Time Of Need
Genre	Sermon
Date	2020-04-12
Dictation Name
Book	Book 043: Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: A Time Of Need — Chapter 12
Source Timed Segments	78

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Insanity of Unchanged Ways: Weaver opens by comparing the definition of insanity—doing the same thing and expecting different results—to how many Christians unthinkingly follow traditions without considering God's Word.
The Two Ways: Life and Death, Blessing and Cursing: Using Proverbs and Deuteronomy, Weaver establishes that there is a way that seems right but leads to death, and God sets before us blessing and cursing based on obedience.
Context of Haggai: Selfishness and Neglect of God's House: The people of Haggai's day were more concerned with their own comfort and financial security than with rebuilding the temple, rationalizing that it was not yet time.
The Tithe as Acknowledgment of God's Ownership: Weaver teaches that the tithe is God's tax for the use of His earth, and tithing is an act of avouching that the Lord is our God, while God avouches us as His people.
The Curses for Neglecting God's House: God sent agricultural, personal, and financial judgments—sowing much but reaping little, never being satisfied, and money disappearing as if in a bag with holes—because they ran to their own houses.
Seek First the Kingdom: The New Testament Parallel: Weaver connects Haggai's message to Matthew 6:24-33, showing that when we seek God's kingdom first, He adds all necessary things; putting God first is the key to blessing.
How to Consider Your Ways: Three Steps: Considering our ways involves: 1) recognizing and repenting of sins, 2) examining the fruit of our lives, and 3) checking whether we are violating biblical principles.
The Promise of Blessing Upon Obedience: From Haggai 2:15-19, Weaver shows that once the people obeyed and put God first, God promised to bless them from that day forward.
Applications: Wealth, Selfishness, and Eternal Perspective: Weaver warns that financial success does not equal spirituality, and urges believers to prefer a godly life over riches, laying up treasure in heaven rather than on earth.
Conclusion: Ponder Your Path and Prove Your Work: The sermon closes with a call to think on our ways, turn to God's testimonies, and bring our lives into conformity with His Word, trusting His blessing.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Unconsidered ways lead to repeated failure and divine judgment.

Weaver argues that doing the same thing while expecting different results is insanity, and God's people were experiencing curses because they neglected His house.

He opens with the insanity definition and points to Haggai 1:6, 'Ye have sown much, and bring in little...' as evidence of judgment.

Tithing is a non-negotiable act of worship and acknowledgment of God's ownership.

The tithe belongs to the Lord and is holy; refusing to tithe is refusing to pay God's rent for the use of His earth.

Weaver cites Leviticus 27:30,32 and says, 'A tithe is nothing more than God's tax for the use of his earth.'

God actively causes economic and agricultural hardship when His people are selfish.

God said 'I did blow upon it' and 'I called for a drought,' showing direct divine intervention in their finances and crops.

Weaver reads Haggai 1:9-11 and emphasizes, 'God sent those judgments. God said, "I did it."'

Putting God first is the prerequisite for material and spiritual blessing.

Jesus' teaching in Matthew 6:33 parallels Haggai's message: seeking God's kingdom results in all needs being met.

Weaver states, 'That's exactly the message of Haggai... you put me first... and all these things are going to be added unto you.'

Self-examination must include repentance, fruit inspection, and principle alignment.

Considering our ways means recognizing sin, examining life's fruit, and ensuring we are not violating biblical principles.

Weaver outlines three steps: 'recognize and realize your failures... examine the fruit of our lives... whether or not we are violating a biblical principle.'

Obedience brings immediate and future blessing.

From Haggai 2:19, once the people repented and began building, God promised, 'from this day will I bless you.'

Weaver reads Haggai 2:15-19 and concludes, 'You repented. You put me first. From this day, I will bless you.'

Scripture References

Haggai 1:1-4: Introduction to the book; God questions the people's priorities in building their own ceiled houses while His house lies waste.
Haggai 1:5-7: Twice God commands, 'Consider your ways,' sandwiched around a description of their fruitless labor.
Haggai 1:6: Description of economic and personal curses: sowing much, reaping little; eating without satisfaction; wages put in a bag with holes.
Haggai 1:8: God commands them to go up to the mountain, bring wood, and build the house so He may take pleasure and be glorified.
Haggai 1:9-11: God explains He blew upon their harvest and called for a drought because His house lay waste while they ran to their own houses.
Haggai 1:12: Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the remnant obeyed the voice of the Lord and feared before Him.
Haggai 2:15-19: God contrasts the previous scarcity with the promised blessing from the day they laid the temple foundation.
Proverbs 14:12; 16:25: There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.
Psalm 1:6: The Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Deuteronomy 11:26-28: God sets before Israel a blessing and a curse, conditioned on obedience to His commandments.
Deuteronomy 30:19-20: God calls heaven and earth as witnesses that He has set before them life and death, blessing and cursing; choose life.
Jeremiah 21:8: God sets before the people the way of life and the way of death.
Leviticus 27:30,32: All the tithe of the land and herd is the Lord's and is holy unto the Lord.
Deuteronomy 26:1-19: The ceremony of firstfruits and tithing, including the avouching that the Lord is their God and He avouches them as His people.
Matthew 6:24-33: No man can serve God and mammon; seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added.
Colossians 3:1-2: Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Romans 6:21: What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed?
2 Corinthians 13:5: Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.
Matthew 7:16-20: By their fruits ye shall know them; a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit.
Malachi 3:7: Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord.

Historical References

Return from Babylonian captivity: The children of Israel had returned from captivity and were to rebuild the temple; the foundation was laid but the house was not finished.
Darius the king: Haggai's prophecy is dated in the second year of Darius, providing historical context for the post-exilic period.
Zerubbabel and Joshua: Zerubbabel the governor and Joshua the high priest were leaders of the returned exiles who obeyed the prophetic word.
Old Testament tithe system: Weaver explains there were three tithes: Levitical (10%), poor tithe (10% every third year), and tithe of rejoicing (10% spent on religious feasts), totaling 23.3%.
John Calvin: Weaver quotes Calvin's commentary on Haggai 1:6 regarding God punishing men by withdrawing satisfaction even when there is plenty.
Matthew Henry: Weaver quotes Matthew Henry on considering our ways: being sensible of God's hand, inquiring into the reason, and thinking what to do to testify repentance.

Important Quotes

Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie waste?

God's piercing question that exposes the people's misplaced priorities and selfishness, central to the sermon's call for self-examination.

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.

Vivid description of the futility and divine curse resulting from neglecting God's house, illustrating the need to consider one's ways.

Consider your ways.

The central command of the sermon, repeated twice in Haggai 1:5,7, calling for self-examination and repentance.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Jesus' teaching that parallels Haggai's message, emphasizing that putting God first results in His provision.

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.

God's direct explanation for the economic hardship, underscoring the cause-and-effect relationship between disobedience and judgment.

From this day will I bless you.

The promise of blessing upon repentance and obedience, offering hope and motivation to change.

I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.

David's example of considering his ways and turning to God's Word, used as a model for believers.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

In what areas of life are you most tempted to prioritize your own comfort and security over God's worship and work?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes that the people of Haggai's day were more concerned with their own houses than God's house.

[Question]

How does the concept of tithing as 'avouching' the Lord as your God change your perspective on giving?

[Context]

Weaver explains from Deuteronomy 26 that tithing is a solemn act of acknowledging God's ownership and covenant relationship.

[Question]

Have you ever experienced a season where it felt like your efforts were 'putting money into a bag with holes'? How did you respond?

[Context]

Weaver describes the financial judgment in Haggai 1:6 and asks if listeners have been in a similar predicament.

[Question]

What does it practically mean to 'seek first the kingdom of God' in your daily decisions about time, money, and priorities?

[Context]

Weaver connects Haggai's message to Matthew 6:33, urging believers to put God first in all things.

[Question]

Weaver outlines three steps to consider your ways: recognize sin, examine fruit, check principles. Which of these is most challenging for you, and why?

[Context]

The sermon provides a practical framework for self-examination based on the command to consider our ways.

[Question]

How can we distinguish between God's chastening for disobedience and the general trials of life?

[Context]

Weaver notes that God sent specific judgments in Haggai, but also acknowledges that believers face tests and afflictions.

[Question]

Why is it dangerous to equate financial prosperity with God's blessing? How does Psalm 73 inform this?

[Context]

Weaver warns that wealth can be a curse and that many wicked people are rich, referencing Psalm 73.

[Question]

What 'biblical principles' might you be violating that could be hindering God's blessing in your life?

[Context]

Weaver stresses that we must live by principles, not feelings, and that violating God's principles leads to trouble.

Applications

Format deepseek deepseek-v4-pro structured study JSON | Source Commentary.net transcript enrichment

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T11:23:19Z