Good Old Days

Those who are older often speak of the past as "the good old days" when they think things were better. Doubtless much good has been lost over the years. But things old are not always better than things new.

One of the problems Haggai faced in encouraging the rebuilding of the temple was the discouragement that stemmed from the critical comparison some were making between the old temple and the new one. "This is nice but you should have seen the first one," was the essence of their comment.

But God said the glory of the new temple would surpass that of the first. The value of a thing is not always infallibly determined by age.