Haggai: Haggai 1:7-The Lord Repeats the Command in Haggai 1:5 to Prompt Repentance on the Part of the Remnant of Judah Lesson # 14

Haggai 1:1 On the first day of the sixth month of King Darius’ second year, the Lord spoke this message through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak. 2 The Lord who rules over all says this: “These people have said, ‘The time for rebuilding the Lord’s temple has not yet come.’” 3 So the Lord spoke through the prophet Haggai as follows: 4 “Is it right for you to live in richly paneled houses while my temple is in ruins? 5 Here then is what the Lord who rules over all says: ‘Think carefully about what you are doing. 6 You have planted much but have harvested little. You eat but are never filled. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but are not warm. Those who earn wages end up with holes in their money bags. 7 Moreover, the Lord who rules over all says: ‘Pay close attention to these things also.’” (NET)

Haggai 1:7 repeats Haggai 1:5 but not verbatim.

The latter is introduced by the conjunction w which is not the case here in Haggai 1:7, and functioned as a marker of inference thus, we translated it “therefore.”

Secondly, verse 7 does not have the adverb of time ʿǎt·tā(h) (עַתָּה), which served to emphasize the present circumstances of the remnant of Judah when they received this command from the Lord.

Otherwise, Haggai 1:7 is the exact same statement that appears in Haggai 1:5.

The reason for the repetition of this command is obvious, namely, to drive home the point to the remnant of Judah that they must repent of this sin of failing to complete the rebuilding of the Lord’s temple in which to worship Him.

In other words, the repetition is designed to emphasize the urgency that this remnant repent of this great sin and complete the work of rebuilding the temple.

Richard Taylor writes “Once again the prophet calls attention to the fact that it is the Lord who is speaking through the prophetic message (cf. vv. 1, 2, 3, 5). And once again he urges the people to consider their ways (cf. v. 5). The implication is that proper reflection on their past course of action should lead to a change of behavior for the future.”[1]

Therefore, as was the case in Haggai 1:5, the Lord through the prophet Haggai here in Haggai 1:7 issues a command directed at Zerubbabel, governor of the remnant of Judah and Joshua, the high priest and ultimately the remnant of Judah.

Also, as was the case in Haggai 1:5, the command here in Haggai 1:7 requires that each and every one of the citizens of the remnant of Judah examine carefully their hearts with regards to their ways.

The obvious implication of this statement is that the remnant of Judah was totally and completely wrong to not complete the rebuilding of the Lord’s temple when they themselves lived in richly paneled homes.

In other words, this statement is designed to get them to reconsider their attitude towards the rebuilding of this temple and thus their priorities.

As we noted in our study of Haggai 1:5, this command in this verse is an inference from the rhetorical question in Haggai 1:4, which is posed by the Lord through Haggai to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah and Joshua the high priest and ultimately remnant of Judah.

This rhetorical question demands an emphatic negative response.

The Lord asks, “Is it time for each one of you, yes each and every one of you to live in your richly paneled homes while on the other hand, this temple is in a state of disrepair?”

However, here in Haggai 1:7, this command is an inference from the five declarations in Haggai 1:6.

In the latter, the Lord through the prophet Haggai solemnly presents the consequences of the remnant of Judah not making the completion of the rebuilding of the Lord’s temple the number one priority in their lives.

This verse contains five statements which are directed at the remnant of Judah.

The first states that the remnant of Judah sowed an abundance but harvested a small number of crops.

The second states that they had eaten but were never satiated.

The third states that they drank but their thirst was never satisfied.

These first three assertions reveal that what the remnant of Judah harvested barely met their needs.

The fourth states that they put on clothes but were never warm by doing so.

This assertion reveals that the clothing worn by the remnant of Judah was very thin as a result of having little fiber from which to make their clothing.

The fifth and final statement says they when they earned wages, they earn wages for a money bag pierced with holes.

This assertion reveals that the money this remnant earned was quickly gone or spent to pay their bills.

So therefore, the command here in Haggai 1:7 is an inference from these five declarations which basically are asserting that the remnant of Judah was being disciplined by the Lord for not completing the rebuilding of His temple.

The purpose of this command is to motivate this remnant to repent by confessing their sin of not making it a priority to rebuild this temple and then obeying the command in Haggai 1:8 which required that they complete this project.

In other words, this command is designed to remove the discipline they were experiencing so that God could bless them instead.

As was the case in Haggai 1:2 and 5, the God of Israel here in Haggai 1:7 describes Himself as “the Lord who rules over all” which I render “the Lord who rules over the armies” since the term “armies” (ṣābāʾ) pertains in this context to a military congregation as a large fighting or combat unit and denotes a large organized body of armed personnel trained for war especially on land.

These armies refer to both human and angelic armies because we are speaking in the context of God.

Therefore, this expression “the Lord ruling over the armies” is speaking of the God of Israel’s sovereignty over all creation and every creation, both human and angelic beings.

Now, in Haggai 1:2, 5 and now 1:7, the expression “the Lord ruling over the armies” would be a reminder to this remnant of Judah that the God of Israel was in control and not the human rulers on the earth who might be hindering this rebuilding project or preventing them from performing this task.

If the God of Israel is the Lord ruling over the angelic and human armies, then this remnant has no excuse for not rebuilding the Lord’s temple.

If the God of Israel wants this remnant to rebuild His temple, they should waste no time in doing so since no one will be able to stop this task from being accomplished if God is sovereign and ruling over human and angelic armies and rulers.

Notice the command in Haggai 1:5 and 7 required that each person belonging to the remnant of Judah think carefully about what they were doing which could also be translated “Each and every one of you examine carefully your hearts with regards to your ways.”

Though it translates the sense of the passage, the NET Bible does not translate the Hebrew word for heart which denotes that aspect of the soul of each person belonging to the remnant of Judah, which circulates their thoughts or mental activity and is where their frame of reference and memory center resides.

It is also the place where their vocabulary and the classification of their thoughts reside as well as the conscience where their norms and standards reside.

It is where their thoughts circulated and was the place where their subconscious resided where various categories of things that shock or impress from adversity, sin, failure or disappointment are located.

Also, it contains their volition, which they used to make their decisions to oppose their God.

Therefore, the Lord is requiring in Haggai 1:5 and again Haggai 1:7 that each individual belonging to the remnant of Judah examine carefully their conscience and decision making.

As was the case in Haggai 1:5, when the Lord commands the remnant of Judah in Haggai 1:7 to examine carefully their hearts “with regards to your ways,” (“what you are doing” (NET), he is emphasizing the manner in which they lived their lives and specifically their decision making.

The implication is that they must examine their priorities.

In other words, the reason why this remnant never completed the rebuilding of the Lord’s temple was because of wrong priorities meaning that with them doing the Lord’s will did not take precedent over what they wanted in life.

Or, we could say what they wanted came first in their priorities followed by what the Lord wanted.

So, these verses make clear that the reason why the rebuilding of the Lord’s temple was not completed was not because of the enemies of the remnant of Judah or any nation, but rather it was because they did not have their priorities right.

Now, as we noted in our study of Haggai 1:4-6, Haggai 1:7 is paralleled by or corresponds to Haggai 1:5 because of the chiastic structure Haggai 1:4-9.

This also indicates that the emphasis of Haggai 1:4-11 is Haggai 1:8 in which the Lord commands the remnant of Judah to complete the rebuilding the temple by procuring lumber for the project.

[1] Taylor, R. A., & Clendenen, E. R. (2004). Haggai, Malachi (Vol. 21A, p. 128). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.