Putting off vs. putting on

Here we have a prophet who has been sent by God to jump start a project that the people should have already had their whole hearts set on doing, but they had given up. They had come back to the land and God wanted them to rebuild the temple as a national rallying point but instead all they could see was their own individual needs. Their priorities were wrong, potential was being wasted, and their profits were withered because they kept on putting off what God wanted them to do. Then the prophet started preaching and things changed. The people began to perform the work this lead to God and His promised word coming to their aid. With more people getting stirred up more was accomplished. All because they started putting on the promises of God.