Peter declares God's people to be a royal priesthood (1 Pet 2:9). We are all priests unto God.
Haggai declares in this text that all that God's priests touch and do in the temple is unclean, yet blessed.
Haggai 2:10 . . . came the word of THE LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, 11 Thus saith tHE LORD of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying, 12 If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No. 13 Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean. 14 Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith THE LORD; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean. 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: 16 Since those days were, 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. 17 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. 18 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' temple was laid, consider it . 19 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 . |
