The Book of Haggai (biblestudy)

Tonight’s lesson will primarily be coming out of the book of Ezra and then next week, we will pickup with the book of Haggai.

Intro:

The book of Haggai is the second shortest book of the Old Testament. It includes the prophecies of the minor prophet Haggai during the post-exilic period.

Purpose:

The purpose of this book or the prophecies rather, were to motivate God’s people to rebuild the Temple. The Israelites lost their zeal to rebuild the Temple of God.

And like some, their attention went from pleasing God to pleasing theirselves.

Contemporaries:

Haggai’s contemporaries were Ezra, Zerubabbel the governor of Judah, Jeshua the Hight Priest, and the prophet Zechariah. In addition, the books of Ezra and the book of Zechariah.

I. The Israelites are released from captivity.

Ezra 1:1–4 KJV

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.

So the first chapter of Ezra is about God stirring the heart of King Darius to release the Israelites, or specifically the Jews (Judah) and how the LORD has appointed him to rebuild the Temple at Jerusalem.

Question:

So I pose this question. Why are the Israelites released? ANS: They are released to return to their land and to rebuild the Temple of God.

I believe that when God saves us, he saves us with the purpose of us building the kingdom of God.

Acts 1:8 KJV

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

When God baptized us with the Holy Ghost, not only is it designed to mark us and identify us as God’s people, it is given to us to empower us, not only to live right, but for the purpose of being witnesses and to tell people everywhere about Jesus.

In a sense, when God delivered us out of Babylon (type of sin) He delivered us to build God’s house too. We are to build the kingdom of God. We are to contribute in some way or form.

BACK TO EZRA:

Chapter 2 of Ezra

Is about the number of exiles who returned to Jerusalem to start the work of rebuilding the Temple, it is a census.

Chapter 3 of Ezra

The Altar is rebuilt at the site of the Temple and they began to offer sacrifices to the LORD. The Bible declares in verse 3, that they were afraid of the local residents, Samaritans, and other people who moved in and occupied Jerusalem while the Jews were in captivity.

In verse 7 the people start to rebuild the temple, they hired masons and carpenters, and bought cedar logs from the people of Tyre and Sidon, paying them with food, wine, and olive oil.

Verse 10, they completed the foundation of the LORD’s Temple. They celebrated the laying of the foundation, but notice in verse 12 that many of the older priests and Levites, and other leaders who had seen the first temple (Solomon’s Temple) wept. They wept, because it wasn’t the same as the first temple, but they were thankful that they were given the opportunity to have a new temple built.

Chapter 4

But anytime you set out to do work for the LORD, the enemy is going to try and hinder you in some form or fashion. I said the enemy is going to try to hinder you! He’s going to try and get in your head, He’s going to not only attack you personally, he’ll use people around you to discourage you, he’ll use circumstances to try and deter you.

Ezra 4:1–5 KJV

Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the LORD God of Israel; Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither. But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the LORD God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us. Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Take a close look at verse 6:

Ezra 4:6 KJV

And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

Years have expired and the temple has still not been rebuilt. They got the foundation laid, but the Temple is not rebuilt.

IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO GET STARTED....YOU’VE GOT TO FINISH WHAT YOU’VE STARTED!!!

Yall bought to be mad at me:

We started prayer on Saturdays and I know that there will be times in which you can’t make it, I haven’t been at prayer for 2 Saturdays. Last Saturday I was sick, and Saturday before that I needed to rest my body.

We started prayer and everybody was motivated initially. Then after about 4 weeks, we slipped back into business as usual.

We started a baptism initiative in February and we were excited because souls were coming in, and after 4 weeks, there was a drop off.

The word is preached, and we shout and dance off of the word. But then trouble come, and all of a sudden we lost our joy, one week we are in the service, the following week we are DEAD!

IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO START.....YOU’VE GOT TO FINISH WHAT YOU STARTED!

Those watching, those who use to come to church but now you’re too good to fellowship with the saints. Those that have been baptized in Jesus’ name and received the Holy Ghost, but you don’t go to church anymore. You are doing your own thing now.........IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO START.......YOU’VE GOT TO FINISH WHAT YOU STARTED!

This sounds just like today’s time. Someone has discouraged you, so you stop coming to church. You got a good job now and you gotta take care of your family and pay the bills.....You’re too busy to come to church.

Ezra 4:24 KJV

Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

So the Jews started, but they didn’t finish and the Temple lied in ruins for years. You know what they did?

They started looking out for themselves, they started staying home and started working on their own houses instead of working on God’s house.......THEY PUT THEMSELVES AND THEIR OWN HOUSES AND THEIR OWN FAMILIES BEFORE GOD.

And you know what God did? He allowed them to do for a period of time. God is merciful isn’t He? He could’ve took them out. But He is patient and longsuffering towards us.

See God is only going to allow you to wallow in that stuff but for so long before He calls you and tells you it’s time to come out.

Chapter 5

Ezra 5:1–2 KJV

Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them. Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them.

So the LORD used Haggai and Zechariah and sent a word through them to the people. They prophesied in the name of the God of Israel who was over them.

And when the word came, there was a response. NOW THE QUESTION BECOMES.......HOW WILL YOU RESPOND? For some, there will be no response at all.

What was their response?

They responded by starting again to rebuild the Temple of God in Jerusalem and the prophets helped them and I believe they encouraged them. PREACHERS!!! WE HAVE GOT TO BUILD GOD’S HOUSE......WE HAVE GOT TO BUILD THE KINGDOM OF GOD!!!

So what was said to the people that motivated them to resume the rebuilding of the Temple. Remember, that initially they were discouraged by the residents that had moved into Judah. Then they got comfortable and was focused on building their own homes.

Haggai 1:1–2 KJV

In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD’S house should be built.

Let’s stop there and resume back with this next week.