In the Biblical book of Haggai, we see that the second Jewish temple was being built. It had produced a combination of conflicting strong emotions.
Finally, finally the temple was being rebuilt. There was unbounded joy among many. But the temple being built was smaller than the original one. So there were also open sobbing among those who remembered the glory of the first temple.
We’re entering a period in American history of great division and of great emotions. God’s words to Haggai are especially appropriate for us today. I want to read parts of three verses and then, if you allow, let me to comment on them. I’ll tell you in advance I want to relate them to a chance of astonishingly good renewal in our country through the Convention of States.
Here is my partial reading of Haggai 2:7-9 in the Jubilee Bible version:
I will fill this house with GLORY,
said the LORD of the hosts...
The glory of this latter house
shall be greater than of the former....
In this place I will give PEACE.
God showed Himself as a comforter. He knew their sorrow. But He also wanted to bring the Israelites vision and hope. God promised at that time that He would once again bring His glory to the nation of Israel.
In fact, God gave Haggai this message: “The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former.” Let me emphasize. This new temple would have greater glory.
It seems to me that God is speaking to our nation right now with these same words and same message. The central structure for the Israelites was the temple. Our central legal document is our Constitution, which has been progressively torn down by foolish and sinful “interpretations” of activist Supreme Court justices. People know things are wrong, but they don’t always know what to do to change the wrong.
The answer—our need—is the Convention of States. Our time of renewal, I believe, is close.
We in our nation have at our disposal the Constitution and thousands of pages of why our Founders put it together that way. We can reclaim the wisdom of our Founders to a great degree. It’s worthwhile to do that. Our Founders searched out the previous five thousand years of human history.
We can also reclaim previous glory because, in the year 2020, we will have the wisdom of 20/20 hindsight. The convention will propose ways to correct the mistakes of the past 230-plus years, within the confines of the COS proposal.
Let me take another completely different approach at this. There were three groups of people that were not really part of producing the original Constitution: women, slaves, and Native Americans.
During the upcoming Convention of States, many women will express their voices. The descendants of slaves and the descendants of native Americans will also exercise their rights through their state legislators. The state legislators will have to ratify any constitutional amendments proposed by the Convention of States. That will be part of the greater glory.
What is the goal of the Convention of States? The most obvious goal is to minimize federal overreach. An unspoken goal of the convention is unity. Another unspoken goal is peace. God told Haggai concerning the building of the second Temple, “In this place I will give peace.”
America has more unity than people think. Despite what the media would have us believe and despite the rhetoric, I wouldn’t be surprised if 80% of us agree 80% of the time on our political future.
Now we must enshrine these agreements into law. Through the efforts of We the People and our states legislators and through the prayers and fasting of millions of Americans, this greater glory will push its way through.
We need the Convention of States. It’s a safe and worthy pursuit, and it’s time.
