Haggai was a post exile prophet addressing Judah on their return to the land from the exile in Babylon. He was writing shortly after Daniel and Ezekiel. He had a very brief ministry; over a period of four months in 520 BC. Almost uniquely we know exactly when he received his instructions from Adonai with the messages he was to deliver.
Little is known about the prophet. His name comes from the word meaning “festival”; he may have been born on a feast day. He is mentioned in the Book of Ezra (Ezra 5:1 – 6:14) in association with Zechariah and the rebuilding of the temple.
The political background to the Book of Haggai was that Cyrus, king of Persia, had decreed in 538 BC that the Jews could return to the land. Zerubbabel led a group of 50,000 returnees with the expressed purpose of rebuilding the temple. Not all the Jews who had been taken captive or born abroad elected to return to their homeland. Many remained spread throughout the Persian empire.
The Book of Ezra records the various forms of opposition that the returning exiles faced. However, in 520 BC King Darius of Persia confirmed Cyrus’s initial decree and rebuilding of the temple was allowed to continue.
Haggai was the first of three prophets to minute the return from exile. The other two were Zechariah and Malachi. Chapter 2 verse 3 of Haggai, may suggest that he had seen the glory of Solomon’s temple before it was destroyed. This would make him over seventy years of age when writing his prophecy.
The Progress in Rebuilding the Temple.
As we noted, the first returnees arrived back in the land in 538 BC determined to restore the worship of Adonai in its rightful place at the centre of their lives. They planned to build a new temple in Jerusalem. Sadly, their resolve seems to have diminished shortly after their arrival in Jerusalem. They built an altar on the original temple site and laid the foundations for a new building.
But when enemies who lived in the vicinity complained, the Persian king ordered the work on the temple to cease. This came at a time of great discouragement for the returnees. Apathy set in as many of the hopes of the people were not fulfilled. The walls of the city were not repaired; the temple was not rebuilt; there was famine in the land; and the people were still under Persian control.
However, by 520 BC the Persian empire was at peace after a period of war with Egypt and the crowning of the new king (Darius) ended a period of political upheaval. In these circumstances, Darius lifted the restriction that had been placed on the rebuilding of the temple and he told them to proceed. But even when the barriers had been lifted, the people lapsed into spiritual lethargy. The work had stood idle for 16 years.
The people here were not the idolators that their ancestors had been, but they had lost their passion for the worship of Adonai. They explained their behaviour by saying that the time was not right!
But when challenged by Haggai, the governor Zerubbabel and the high priest Joshua, the people responded quickly and within weeks they recommenced work on the temple. The rebuilding was completed within four years of the recommencement of the work.
The Role of the Book of Haggai.
The Book of Haggai is the second shortest in the Old Testament and is only quoted once in the New Testament (Hebrews 12: 26).
Haggai’s task was to force the people who had returned from exile to see where their hearts and priorities really lay. He urged them in his writing to do what they should have done from the start; rebuild the temple with a willing heart. To these admonitions, he added the promise of Adonai to be with them. With this promise the people could return to their initial enthusiasm and carry out Adonai’s purpose for them. Thus, their worship would be joyous and sincere.
Haggai’s call for the people to get their priorities right and place Adonai first by rebuilding the temple was of great importance. It also showed that Adonai was with the remnant and that the promises of restoration had begun to be fulfilled.
The temple was more than a building. It was the site of the peoples’ meeting with the living God. If the people ignored the physical ruin of the temple, they were ignoring the spiritual wreckage of their lives.
Their obedience in this matter declared Adonai’s glory and this brought Him pleasure. It served to vindicate the Lord, since the destruction of the temple had disgraced His name.
Their obedience to the commission given to Haggai and Zerubbabel would serve as a pledge to the new covenant and the messianic age. The restoration of the temple was a sign that Adonai had not revoked His covenant. He would provide cleansing and restoration through a glorious temple and a messianic ruler.
By means of four messages over a four-month period, Haggai at the command of Adonai exhorted the people to renew their efforts to build the house of Adonai. He motivated them by noting that the recent drought and crop failures were caused by their misplaced priorities (chapter 1: 9 – 11). He revealed the glory of the messianic temple still to come (chapter 2: 7), the blessing of future peace (chapter 2: 7), future prosperity (chapter 2: 8) and divine rulership and national blessing (chapter 2: 23) in the millennium.
Haggai’s First Message. The First day of the Sixth month. Chapter 1 vv. 3 – 14.
Chapter 1: 3 – 6.
“Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your panelled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?” Now therefore says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways!”
“You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but are not filled with drink; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.””
In Haggai’s first message, Adonai rebukes the people for not giving importance to the rebuilding of the temple. The roots of their reluctance to rebuild lay in selfishness and indifference to the Lord.
The principal building material in Jerusalem was stone. Those who wanted to make their homes more elegant installed wooden panels. The people of Haggai’s time were panelling their own homes and neglecting work on the temple.
They needed to re-think their priorities!
Adonai had brought about the recent drought and famine in the land because of their wrong priorities: “you eat but do not have enough”. As Adonai’s house was neglected, they could expect nothing but tribulation.
Verses 7 and 8.
“Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! Go up to the mountain and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,” says the Lord.”
The people are to reconsider their priorities. But just to help them along, they are shown the remedy for their ills; show commitment to rebuilding the temple.
If it was rebuilt, Adonai could take joy in His temple. This is related to His pleasure in the people whose worship in it would be sincere and therefore glorify Him.
The peoples’ faulty principle of life was being shaken by Adonai.
Verses 13 and 14.
“Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, spoke the Lord’s message to the people saying, “I am with you, says the Lord,” So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God…”
Twenty-three days after the Lord spoke to Haggai, the people returned to work on the temple. The people’s response and repentance allowed Adonai’s Spirit to energise them for the task.
In verse 13 the Lord promises. “I am with you.” This message of comfort and encouragement should have reminded the people of Adonai’s promise to Moshe (Exodus 3: 12): “I will certainly be with you”, and to Joshua (Joshua 1: 5): “… as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave or forsake you.”
Thus, despite being oppressed by hostile force from without and famine from within, the Lord responded to their genuine repentance and obedience, assuring them of His presence with them.
In verse 14 we see the work of Adonai’s Spirit on the human spirit of the leaders and the people to accomplish His task. It is reminiscent of Adonai’s work in stirring up the people to build the original tabernacle.
Exodus 35: 29.
“The children of Israel brought a freewill offering to the Lord, all the men and women whose hearts were willing to bring material of all kinds of work which the Lord, by the hand of Moses, had commanded to be done.”
Exodus 36: 2.
“Then Moses called Bezalel and Aholiah, and every gifted artisan in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, everyone whose heart was stirred, to come and do the work.”
Where people’s aim is to glorify Adonai, He is honoured, and they become blessed in the secondary things of life.
Haggai’s Second Message. Twenty-First day of the Seventh month. Chapter 2: 1 – 9. Further assurance of the Lord’s presence but the people must stay committed to the plan of Adonai.
Chapter 2 vv. 4 and 5.
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““… be strong all you people of the land”, says the Lord, “and work; for I am with you”,” says the Lord of hosts. “According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!””
This message came on the last day of Sukkot (Hoshana Rabbah). The word from Adonai, at the end of the festival commemorating His presence during the wilderness years, His covenant commitment and the promise of His Spirit’s presence, are strong encouragement for the work they are doing.
This may have been particularly directed to the elderly who had seen Solomon’s temple before its destruction. Although Solomon’s temple had been of greater magnificence, Adonai urged the people to be courageous, assuring them of His continued presence, His faithfulness to His covenants and a promise of a more glorious future temple (the millennial temple).
The events surrounding the decline of the nation and the people’s captivity in Babylon had not rescinded the covenant relationship that Adonai would be with His people.
We should remember that Herod lavished a great deal of treasure on this second temple to gain favour with the people. But, of course, he profaned the temple much more than he adorned it. He did not have divine approval for his work and the labours of such a horrible wretch as Herod could never be sanctified.
Verses 6 and 7.
“I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations …”
This is another way of speaking of the day of the Lord; the preparation of the earth for the glorious reign of Messiah. His kingdom will never be overthrown. This is Adonai’s ultimate promise to Israel. They must stay committed to Him to enjoy His peace: ““And in this place I will give peace,” says the Lord of hosts.”
Haggai’s Third Message. The Twenty-fourth Day of the Ninth month. Holiness and the worship of Adonai. Chapter 2: 10 – 19.
Verses 18 and 19.
“Consider now from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day that the foundation of the Lord’s was laid – consider it: Is the seed still in the barn? As yet the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. But from this day I will bless you.”
Haggai is instructed to ask two questions of the priests. The responsibilities of the priests included leading the people in worship and instructing them in the nature and meaning of Adonai’s law.
Since the role of the priests was to interpret Adonai’s law, it was quite reasonable to address questions about holiness to them. Haggai asked whether holiness could be transferred by contact. The answer was “No”.
The priests were asked if a ritually unclean person, someone who had perhaps touched a corpse, could contaminate someone else by touch. The answer was “Yes”.
The people were being told that although they had worked hard to rebuild the temple, their worship would still be unacceptable. The existence of a building signified nothing. Their sin had caused their sacrifices to be contaminated and ineffective. And their good works (their offerings) could not transfer cleanness. In other words; sin is contagious (it contaminates work and worship) but righteousness is not.
The people are encouraged to think about their circumstances before they started to build. None of their past offerings had brought blessing. They had experienced shortages of grain and wine, and their crops had suffered blight, mildew and hail. Their interminable delays in rebuilding had brought the chastisement of Adonai in hardship and deprivation.
But the people had re-ordered their priorities. From the day they started work with obedient hearts, Adonai would bless them. They had put the worship of the Lord before their own selfish interests.
They would now be able to bring the proper sacrifice of true worship into the rebuilt temple. The people could please Adonai by living godly lives.
Haggai’s Fourth Message. Also, on the Twenty-fourth day of the Ninth month. Chapter 2: 20 – 23. The people must serve Adonai faithfully. The people are encouraged by the promise of the overthrow of the Gentile nations and the establishment of Messiah’s millennial rule.
Verses 21 and 22.
“I will shake heaven and earth. I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms; I will destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms. I will overthrow the chariots and those who ride in them; the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.”
Haggai focuses on the power of Adonai to do as He wills among the nations. These words speak both in a general way of the sovereignty of Adonai throughout history, as well as more specifically of Adonai’s final judgment at the time when He institutes the rule of the Lord Yeshua.
Haggai completes his writing with a word about Zerubbabel; the spearhead to the completion of the temple.
He describes him as a “signet ring”. Such an item was of great value in the ancient world. This indicated that Zerubbabel was highly valued and represented Adonai’s authority in his leadership of the people. He was to be their leader through these difficult, spiritually trying times.
We should note that Zerubbabel was a grandson of King Jehoiakim. And this declaration of authority in him, re-established the Davidic lineage of kings which culminated in the millennial rule of the Lord Yeshua.
The concept of the Jewish king as Adonai’s signet ring is found in Jeremiah 22: 24 when King Jehoiachin (Coniah) is cursed when Adonai “pulled off from his hand, the signet ring” (the king) and hurled it into exile in Babylon.
Thus, the people were encouraged by the promise of the overthrow of the Gentile nations which had oppressed them and the establishment of Messiah’s reign.
Conclusion.
Throughout the bible there is the call and a reminder to place Adonai first and this we see clearly in the Book of Haggai. The period following the return of the exiles was no exception to this rule.
Haggai’s challenge was to call the post-exile community living in Jerusalem not to focus on their own creature comforts but to honour Adonai with a true heart. Indeed, to do so proved to be very much in their own interest.
Their renewed commitment would be reflected in their work on the temple, and we can compare their experience with the words of the Lord Yeshua in Matthew 6:33.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
We should aim for in all that we do Adonai is glorified; that He might take pleasure in what we do. It does not matter who we please, if Adonai is not pleased. It does not matter who we give honour to, if Adonai is not glorified as a result. The Book of Haggai guides us in this.
Amen.