The work on the temple has stopped because of opposition. However, even when the opposition has died down, the people do not get back to God’s house. They are concerned about building their own houses, working their own fields, taking care of their own stomachs. But things are not going well. It seems that no one can get ahead. Now comes two prophets of God: Haggai and Zechariah. They point out the real problem: they left the work of the Lord to feed themselves. Therefore, God has not blessed them. The answer is to return to the original work to which they were called: the rebuilding of the temple. The people hear the words of the prophets and they respond. The work on the temple resumes.
The Jews have left the only stability they have known and have made the long and hard trip to Israel. But their work has only begun. Now they must rebuild. They begin in the right place restoring the ancient altar and begin work on the foundation of the temple. But opposition comes quickly. First, in the form of compromisers who want to join them for the purpose of defeating their purpose and zeal. Second, in the form of hired counselors who work to “frustrate their purpose.” For now, the adversaries win and the Jews cease work on the temple. The opposition has been too much for them. The temple lies abandoned.
Psalm 119 is the longest psalm and the longest chapter in the Bible. It contains 176 verses. The central theme of this psalm is the word of God. At least 173 of the 176 verses mention the Bible by some title or another.
One of our most precious commodities is time. We struggle with the proper use of time. This psalm begins with the eternity of God, powerfully expresses the brevity of man’s years, and closes with help on how to number our days.
This psalm points to the final deliverance of Israel in the time of the future kingdom age. However, much help is given to the believers of any age.
