Haggai: Haggai 2:3-5-The Lord’s Promise of His Enabling Presence

Haggai 2:1 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet 2 “Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, 3 ‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? 4 But now be strong, O Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 5 ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’” (NIV84)

Haggai 2:3 contains three rhetorical questions which begin the content of the second message that the God of Israel communicated to the remnant of Judah in 520 B.C. through the agency of the prophet Haggai, and which message ends in Haggai 2:9.

The God of Israel communicated to Zerubbabel, Joshua and the remnant of Judah three rhetorical questions, all of which are presenting a comparison between Solomon’s temple prior to its destruction in 586 B.C. and this temple when it was being rebuilt by this remnant in 520 B.C.

Those individuals among this remnant who were old enough to see both are being addressed by the Lord in each of these questions.

The first rhetorical question is related to Solomon’s temple during the height of its magnificence prior to its destruction in 586 B.C. by Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army and assumes that there were some Jews who saw Solomon’s temple prior to its destruction.

The second assumes a positive response to the first and is related to this temple during its reconstruction period in 520 B.C.

The third answers the second and presents a comparison between this temple prior to its destruction and when it was being rebuilt by the remnant of Judah under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua.

Now, as we noted the third rhetorical question which appears in Haggai 2:3 is posed by the Lord through Haggai and is addressed to Zerubbabel, Joshua and the remnant of Judah.

The purpose of this question is designed to encourage Zerubbabel, Joshua and the remnant of Judah to complete the task of rebuilding the temple and emphatically asserts that there was absolutely no comparison between the two temples.

In other words, the building being reconstructed in 520 B.C. under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua could not be compared to the magnificence of Solomon’s temple prior to its destruction by Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army in 586 B.C.

Now, the Lord makes this comparison between Solomon’s temple prior to its destruction in 586 B.C. and this temple being reconstructed in 520 B.C. because the remnant of Judah under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua were making these comparisons and He wanted them to stop doing so.

This comparison was also made by those who laid the foundation of this temple in 536 B.C.

The people were making an erroneous comparison because the circumstances in both instances were totally different.

Solomon’s was an age of economic prosperity and thus he possessed tremendous resources for his numerous building projects which included the temple.

1 Kings 10:27 asserts that “silver [was] as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees.”

In contrast, Zerubbabel, the governor of the remnant of Judah had come out of exile to a land that had been decimated by war and neglect and he also had few resources from which to build the temple.

Haggai 2:4 contains four commands which the Lord, the God of Israel issued to Zerubbabel, Joshua and all the citizens of the kingdom of Judah through the prophet Haggai.

The first required that Zerubbabel be strong and the second required that Joshua, the high priest, Jehozadak’s son be strong as well and the third required that each and every one of the citizens possessing the land, i.e. the citizens of Judah be strong.

The fourth is an inference from the first three and required that Zerubbabel, Joshua and all the citizens of Judah work to complete the rebuilding of the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem.

The fourth is followed by a causal clause which presents the reason why Zerubbabel, Joshua and all the citizens of Judah must obey this fourth command and asserts that the Lord was with each and every one of them.

All of these commands stand in direct contrast to the three rhetorical questions which appears in Haggai 2:3, and are presenting a comparison between Solomon’s temple prior to its destruction in 586 B.C. and this temple when it was being rebuilt by this remnant in 520 B.C.

Those individuals among this remnant who were old enough to see both are being addressed by the Lord in each of these questions.

So therefore, if we compare Haggai 2:3 with Haggai 2:4, the remnant of Judah were to be strong and complete the work of rebuilding the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem despite the fact that Solomon’s temple was superior in magnificence to the one they were working on because the Lord was with them.

The implication of this command is that Zerubbabel, Joshua and the citizens of the remnant of Judah were discouraged that this building project was inferior to Solomon’s temple.

When the Lord authoritatively directs Zerubbabel, Joshua and all the citizens of Judah to be strong, this means that they were to become strong or powerful in order to possess the ability to complete the rebuilding of His temple in Jerusalem despite opposition from the enemies of the kingdom of Judah.

It also implies that they were to possess an element of resolve in order to complete this task assigned to him by the God of Israel who has empowered them to do so.

As we noted, the fourth command in Haggai 2:4 is an inference from the previous three commands to be strong and required that Zerubbabel, Joshua and all the citizens of Judah complete the work of rebuilding the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem.

Therefore, this indicates this command to work is inferred from the commands to be empowered and the implication is that the Lord empowered them in order to complete the work of rebuilding of His temple.

Now, we noted the fourth command has a causal clause following it, which presents the reason why Zerubbabel, Joshua and all the citizens of Judah must obey this fourth command and asserts that the Lord was with each and every one of them.

Therefore, this indicates that Zerubbabel, Joshua and all the citizens of Judah were to be strong and complete the work of rebuilding the Lord’s temple because the Lord was with them and this would not only encourage this remnant, but also empower them to complete the project.

The three commands to be strong and the command to work are tied to the assertion that the Lord is with this remnant.

The implication is that this remnant would become strong or empowered to complete the work of rebuilding the Lord’s temple by accepting by faith the Lord’s assertion that He was with them.

In other words, they would become strong so at to complete this work by exercising faith that the Lord was with them.

This is the second time in the book of Haggai that the Lord asserts that He was with the remnant of Judah since the first was in Haggai 1:13.

Haggai 2:5 begins with a relative pronoun clause which asserts that the Lord’s promise to the remnant of Judah to be with them corresponds to His promise to the Exodus generation to be in their presence (Ex. 33:1-17).

It is followed by a statement which asserts that the Lord’s Spirit stood in the midst of each one of the citizens of the remnant of the kingdom of Judah while they completed rebuilding His temple after they departed from Babylon.

This statement corresponds to the Lord’s promise to the Exodus generation to be in their presence when they departed from their captivity in Egypt and so therefore, the Lord’s first two assertions in Haggai 2:5 are drawing on the golden calf rebellion and aftermath which are recorded in Exodus 32-34.

These two assertions in Haggai 2:5 are designed to encourage the remnant of Judah by reminding them that His promise to have His Spirit dwell in their midst corresponds to the same promise He made to the Exodus generation after the golden calf rebellion.

The Lord promised the Exodus generation that His Spirit would dwell in their midst despite the fact that they rebelled against Him by worshipping the golden calf.

In the same way, the Lord promised the remnant of Judah that His Spirit would dwell in their midst despite the fact that they rebelled against Him by committing idolatry as well which resulted in their deportation to Babylon for seventy years.

Haggai 2:5 comes to an end with the Lord solemnly issuing the citizens of the remnant of the kingdom of Judah a prohibition, which required that the citizens of the remnant of the kingdom of Judah not enter into the state of fear as they completed the work of rebuilding the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem.

A comparison of Haggai 2:4 with 2:5 makes clear that the citizens of the remnant of the kingdom of Judah must not be afraid of anyone or anything while they completed the work of rebuilding the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem since He was in their presence to protect them and give them success in this task.

This remnant’s greatest fear were the nations which surrounded them.

However, the Lord in Haggai 2:6-7 asserts that He will judge these nations.

Thus, this remnant need not fear these nations because the Lord will intervene on their behalf by judging these nations.