John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 2. Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts , etc.] Of armies above and below; whom all ought to reverence, honour, and obey; who was able to support his people in building his house, and protect them from their enemies, which should have been an encouragement to them; and to punish them for their neglect of it, which might have deterred them from it. This preface is made, to show that what follow were not the words of the prophet, but of the Lord; and therefore to be the more regarded, and the truth of them not to be doubted of: saying, This people say ; repeating the words of the people of the Jews to Zerubbabel and Joshua, that they might observe them, and the wickedness and ingratitude in them. “This people”, lately brought out of the captivity of Babylon, and loaded with various blessings and benefits; and not a few of them, but the generality of them, the body of them, expressed themselves after this manner, when pressed to build the temple: The time is not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built ; suggesting that the seventy years of Jerusalem and the temple lying in ruins, reckoning from the destruction of them in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar, were not yet fulfilled; or rather intimating that it was not the time in Providence, since they had been forbid and hindered in former reigns from going on with the work; or, since it had been a time of famine and distress with them, it was not a time fit and convenient to carry on such a service; and though they did not lay aside all thoughts of it, yet they judged it right and proper to defer it to a more convenient time, when they were better settled, and in a better capacity to engage in it.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-11 - Observe the sin of the Jews, after their return from captivity in Babylon. Those employed for God may be driven from their work by storm, yet they must go back to it. They did not say that they woul not build a temple, but, Not yet. Thus men do not say they will neve repent and reform, and be religious, but, Not yet. And so the grea business we were sent into the world to do, is not done. There is proneness in us to think wrongly of discouragements in our duty, as in they were a discharge from our duty, when they are only for the tria of our courage and faith. They neglected the building of God's house that they might have more time and money for worldly affairs. That the punishment might answer to the sin, the poverty they thought to preven by not building the temple, God brought upon them for not building it Many good works have been intended, but not done, because men suppose the proper time was not come. Thus believers let slip opportunities of usefulness, and sinners delay the concerns of their souls, till to late. If we labour only for the meat that perishes, as the Jews here we are in danger of losing our labour; but we are sure it shall not be in vain in the Lord, if we labour for the meat which lasts to eterna life. If we would have the comfort and continuance of tempora enjoyments, we must have God as our Friend. See also Lu 12:33. When God crosses our temporal affairs, and we meet with trouble an disappointment, we shall find the cause is, that the work we have to d for God and our own souls is left undone, and we seek our own thing more than the things of Christ. How many, who plead that they cannot afford to give to pious or charitable designs, often lavish ten time as much in needless expenses on their houses and themselves! But thos are strangers to their own interests, who are full of care to adorn an enrich their own houses, while God's temple in their hearts lies waste It is the great concern of every one, to apply to the necessary duty of self-examination and communion with our own hearts concerning ou spiritual state. Sin is what we must answer for; duty is what we mus do. But many are quick-sighted to pry into other people's ways, who ar careless of their own. If any duty has been neglected, that is n reason why it should still be so. Whatever God will take pleasure in when done, we ought to take pleasure in doing. Let those who have pu off their return to God, return with all their heart, while there is time.
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