Introduction to Haggai

Introduction to Haggai

Series: The Minor Prophets

Text: Haggai 1:1-15

Introduction: (What?)

After 70 years of captivity under the Babylonians, the Jews were finally given the freedom to return to Jerusalem. The city was in ruins, and the temple had been destroyed. For a lot of the people their first priority was to repair or rebuild their homes, and get businesses up and running. However, God had a different agenda which He delivered through Haggai and Zechariah. Basically, their message was, “Get your priorities straight!”

Examination: (What?)

1. God Weighs in

Hag 1:1-6 “In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest: “The Lord of Armies says this: These people say: The time has not come for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt.” The word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: “Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?” Now, the Lord of Armies says this: “Think carefully about your ways: You have planted much but harvested little. You eat but never have enough to be satisfied. You drink but never have enough to be happy. You put on clothes but never have enough to get warm. The wage earner puts his wages into a bag with a hole in it.””

On August 29, 520 B.C. God spoke through His prophet Haggai and to the High Priest, Joshua Bar Jehozadak with a message for the people who had returned to Jerusalem from 70 years of captivity in Babylon. They had been approached by their neighbors, enemies of Israel, and tempted to let them help rebuild the temple. Knowing that this was not God’s will, the leaders of Israel nixed the idea and said, “We will do it ourselves, as God has commanded.” But the returning refugees decided that the job was too big for them at the time,so they wanted to wait until after they had settled in their own restored houses. God’s message was cryptic; He even referred to them not as “My people” but rather as “This people”. “Do you think this is right to build your own houses while My house lies in ruins? Think about your current situation. Things are not going to get better.”

So often our approach to serving God is, “Well, when I retire I’ll do such and such.” or “After I’ve settled my own affairs, I’ll give to God.” That is dangerous thinking. Remember the experience of the widow of Zaraphath in 1 Kings 17:7-14 “After a while, the wadi dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the Lord came to him: “Get up, go to Zarephath that belongs to Sidon and stay there. Look, I have commanded a woman who is a widow to provide for you there.” So Elijah got up and went to Zarephath. When he arrived at the city gate, there was a widow gathering wood. Elijah called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup and let me drink.” As she went to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand.” But she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I don’t have anything baked—only a handful of flour in the jar and a bit of oil in the jug. Just now, I am gathering a couple of sticks in order to go prepare it for myself and my son so we can eat it and die.” Then Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid; go and do as you have said. But first make me a small loaf from it and bring it out to me. Afterward, you may make some for yourself and your son, for this is what the LORD God of Israel says, ‘The flour jar will not become empty and the oil jug will not run dry until the day the LORD sends rain upon the earth.’”

When we first seek God’s agenda and make that a priority, He will see that our needs are met.

2. Time for second thoughts

Hag 1:7-11 “The Lord of Armies says this: “Think carefully about your ways. Go up into the hills, bring down lumber, and build the house; and I will be pleased with it and be glorified,” says the Lord. “You expected much, but then it amounted to little. When you brought the harvest to your house, I ruined it. Why?” This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies. “Because my house still lies in ruins, while each of you is busy with his own house. So on your account, the skies have withheld the dew and the land its crops. I have summoned a drought on the fields and the hills, on the grain, new wine, fresh oil, and whatever the ground yields, on people and animals, and on all that your hands produce.””

For the second time God used the phrase “Think carefully about your ways.” God this tells them point blank that the reason their crops are failing and their bank accounts are shrinking is because He is causing it to happen. This sound a lot like what God said to Solomon in 2 Chronicles 7: 13-14 “If I shut the sky so there is no rain, or if I command the grasshopper to consume the land, or if I send pestilence on my people, and my people, who bear my name, humble themselves, pray and seek my face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.” Three times God says, “If I...” regarding the disasters described. Let’s think about our ways today. We are having unprecedented so-called “natural disasters” across our nation today. Could it be that God is trying to get our attention? Could He be saying, “Leave your agenda and daily pursuits and pursue righteousness through confession of sin, repentance and obedience to My commands?”

Today the “house of the LORD” is not built with wood, steel, concrete and mortar, but rather with time in prayer, meditation on God’s Word and obedience to His commands. He lives in us, if we have surrendered to Him. We are His dwelling place here on earth until Jesus comes again.

3. The people get it

On Sept. 21, 520 B.C. Haggai brought another message from God. Since they had listened when God said, “Consider your ways”, and repented and obeyed His command to build His house, He now promised to be with them.

Hag 1:12-15 “Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and the entire remnant of the people obeyed the Lord their God and the words of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. So the people feared the Lord. Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, delivered the Lord’s message to the people: “I am with you—this is the Lord’s declaration.” The Lord roused the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, the spirit of the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. They began work on the house of the Lord of Armies, their God, on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of King Darius.”

The promise, “I am with you” is the promise of revival. When God is with us, we live and move and operate in His strength. Things that once seemed impossible become every day occurences. Just as at Pentecost, the LORD adds to the church those who are being saved. We’ll know that revival has come when we delight in doing the will of God and He responds by drawing the lost to Himself through the church. In just 23 days, and with only 2 messages being preached revival came to the people of Israel.

Application (How does this message impact me?)

My part and your part in bringing revival to the church is our personal confession and repentance from sin and my obedience to the commands of the LORD.

We must be willing to abandon our own plans and embrace the plans of God. When we do that we know we have surrendered fully to Him.