Go Up To The Mountain, Gather Wood, And Rebuild The Temple

Today’s Word Of Encouragement From Wayne:

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Consider your ways! Go up to the mountains, bring wood and rebuild the temple, that I may be pleased with it and be glorified,’ says the Lord”

Haggai 1: 7-8

Even though the people of Israel had previously said “The time has not come, even the time for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt” (Haggai 1:2), God saw right through their words to their true motive when He responded, “Is it time for yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate?” (Haggai 1:4).

It is the same in this day, in the sense of God’s people refusing the message of our singular priesthood to our Father God, with Jesus Christ as our High Priest, and ourselves as His Own “Royal priesthood” (1st Peter 2:9), opting instead for the many paneled houses of a divided kingdom of God, with all looking to their own pursuits and beliefs, seemingly regardless of our King, High Priest, New Covenant, and of God’s call to us to be this priesthood.

God’s call today is the same as His call in Haggai - “Consider your ways! Go up to the mountains, bring wood and rebuild the temple, that I may be pleased with it and be glorified,’ says the Lord.” We glorify God when we obey His word regarding His temple, His dwelling place, and our place in this day as His New Covenant eternal priesthood. Not to mention that we maximize God’s blessings in our lives when we do live in His New Covenant as His Own priesthood.

Here is the spiritual call I see in this statement “Go up to the mountains, bring wood and rebuild the temple, that I may be pleased with it and be glorified,’ says the Lord.”

First, let’s look at “Go up to the mountains,” which I see as being the call for us to go UP and meet with our God, in spirit. Moses met with God on Mount Sinai. Elijah met with God on Mount Carmel. Jesus met with God on the mountains of Israel. Our resurrected Lord instructed His disciples to meet Him on “the mountain which Jesus has designated. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him” (Matthew 28: 16-17). Going to the mountain in the bible is synonymous with our going to meet with God.

In Haggai, God actually wanted His people to go specifically to “the mountain” to gather wood and come rebuild the temple. God wanted every step of their way to be regarded as holy when it came to rebuilding His house. So He did not say to go to the valley, or the forest, or the coastline. He said “Go up to the mountain.”

When you and I minister as priests before our Lord, in our inner room, the inner court within us, we are essentially going UP to meet with God in spirit on His mountain. He lifts us up. We have a greater, higher, perspective and ability to see in His presence, seeing Him, seeing His word in His light on His mountain, even as we are seated with Christ in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6).

When we are before our Lord as His priests, He feeds us. He gives us nourishment. He gives us something that we may then give to the body of Christ. It is just like gathering wood on the mountain, which is a joy for us, to be with our God, and then to receive something from Him and His word that we might come together as God’s priesthood and build up the whole body of Christ in this sacred truth, “‘that I may be pleased with it and be glorified,’ says the Lord.”

Yes, beloved priest of God, I encourage you this day to remain blessedly joyful and faithful in your priesthood to our God. Let us all gather wood (building material) in His presence on His mountain and then let us come together as His people, His priesthood, building up the entire body of Christ in this sacred truth of our priesthood unto our Abba Father in His temple under a New Covenant with Jesus Christ, our “Lord” and “priest forever” (Psalm 110: 1&4).

Yes, get something good from God today and keep building His temple. Hallelujah!