Haggai

The last three books of the Old Testament have something similar. The events happened in the same period. It was during the time after the exile. Some of the Jews had returned to Jerusalem city. The soldiers of an enemy king, Nebuchadnezzar, had burned the Temple. So the first task of the Jews was to rebuild it.

This would show other people two things. First, it would show these Jews’ love for God. Then it would show their decision to put God first. But that was not as easy as it seemed to be. The people who returned thought first about themselves. Their interest was only in money and in things. They spent their time earning and saving money. They chose to do this, not to serve and to worship God.

God chose two prophets. He wanted them to deal with this situation. They were Haggai and Zechariah. (Compare Ezra 6:14.) These two men served God at the same time. And they both gave the same message. But their methods were completely different.

Haggai spoke in plain language. He used ordinary words. Zechariah was probably young. (Read Zechariah 2:4.) And he had visions. (A vision is like a dream. But the person is often awake. The person sees things happen. But nobody else can see them.) He spoke the truth. But he used word pictures. He used unusual events to describe truths. The events were signs.

The two prophets teach us something. It is this. God uses all types of people. They have different methods. But God still uses them. (Read 1 Corinthians 3:21.)

Haggai divided his book up into sections. He gave an exact date for each prophecy too. The record of his service was only about three months. His four messages were about four subjects. They were different. But they linked together.

The Present Task (Chapter 1:1-15)

Most of the people agreed that they should rebuild the Temple. But they said: ‘Not yet’. They said: ‘This is not the right time’ (1:2). The words ‘some time’ spoil many great plans and adventures. We think that we should do something. But we decide to leave it. We will do it some time in the future.

Haggai said ‘No! Some time is no good. We must build now’. This was an opportunity for the people now. It would show how much God mattered in their lives.

Their enemy, King Nebuchadnezzar, burned the Temple. (Read 2 Kings 25:9.) The main material of the Temple was stone. So, much of that stone might still be there. Haggai also emphasised the need for wood (1:4, 8).

Haggai gives us a clear principle. We should honour God by putting him first. Then everything else will work out. (Read 1 Samuel 2:30; Matthew 6:33.) This is God's principle and God's rule. If we neglect to do this, nothing will satisfy us (1:6, 9-10. Compare Deuteronomy 28:15, 38).

The situation changed in the chapter. God's word does change lives. It does change attitudes. God's word changes circumstances too. At the beginning of the chapter:

• they were neglecting God (1:3-4).
• then they heard God. (‘The Lord All-Powerful says’: 2, 5, 7, 9, 13.)
• and they obeyed God (12).
• and at last they feared and respected God (12).

The Former Grand Temple (Chapter 2:1-9)

After a few weeks, there was depression among the workers. Some of them remembered the old Temple. And the rest of them had heard about it. They compared their work, and it seemed like nothing. It had taken over seven years to build Solomon's Temple. (Read 1 Kings 6:37-38.) Now they had been working for only seven weeks.

These people in the team started to talk. Their attitude showed in 2:3. But God's word came to them again. It was clear and it was practical. ‘Do not worry, because I am with you. Do not waste your time talking about the past. The new Temple will be more grand than the old one’ (4-5, 6-9).

We might sin in this way too. Our present circumstances might be awful. We might try to escape from them. And we could do this by thinking about the past all the time. Some people are always talking about their former experiences. But they need to consider what God is doing for them now. Some sense of history is necessary. It is good too. (One example is Psalm 44:1-2.) But some people might think only about the past. And, when that happens, it is almost like an illness. (Read Philippians 3:12-14.)

The Constant Need (Chapter 2:10-19)

God demands that we serve him (1:1-15). But he demands something else too. It is this. Sin must not spoil our service. This was the subject of Haggai's third message. It is always essential to be holy. Some people were building for the wrong reasons. They had spirits that were not willing. And their attitudes were bitter.

Haggai used a priest's way to explain things here. This was probably because the Jews were working on the Temple (2:11-14). These people had some love for God. But God saw into their hearts and he saw their sin. Zechariah spoke about a similar truth at this time. (Read Zechariah 1:2-6.)

We, too, might spoil our service for God. There might be secret sins in our lives. (Read Psalm 19:12-14.) Perhaps we are not obeying God, but we will not confess it. It is much easier to sin than to be holy.

Sin spreads easily. And Haggai emphasised this. There might have been wicked workers at the Temple. And they spread evil by their own low standards. This made God very sad. God told them to give him holy service. Then he promised to give them everything that they needed (2:16-19).

The Future Plan (Chapter 2:20-23)

Zechariah said more about the future than Haggai said. But in this final message, Haggai did look to the future. He spoke to the man who had been the main leader. His name was Zerubbabel (2:21. Also read Ezra 5). He had encouraged the people to build. His leadership could have caused trouble with King Darius. But Haggai gave Zerubbabel a promise from God. It was this. God himself would protect him.

There was a final lesson for the leader. It is a lesson that God has for all of us:

Put God first. Then all other things will work out right.