What's Going On in Judea?

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For sake of time, I’m only going to look at the verses that we’re looking at each Sunday.

Read on your own: 2 Chapters - 38 verses.

Haggai 1:1-11 In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, 2 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘This people says, “The time has not come, even the time for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt.” ’ ”

3 Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate?”

5 Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, “Consider your ways! 6 “You have sown much, but harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes.”

7 Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Consider your ways! 8 “Go up to the mountains, bring wood and rebuild the temple, that I may be pleased with it and be glorified,” says the Lord. 9 “You look for much, but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home, I blow it away. Why?” declares the Lord of hosts, “Because of My house which lies desolate, while each of you runs to his own house. 10 “Therefore, because of you the sky has withheld its dew and the earth has withheld its produce. 11 “I called for a drought on the land, on the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on what the ground produces, on men, on cattle, and on all the labor of your hands.”

Opening Prayer

Historical People

Haggai (539-538 BC)

Prophet of God for a short recorded ministry of approximately 3-4 months.

Haggai and Zechariah, both, prophesied to the Jews for the building of the second temple.

Both, Haggai and Ezra show that Haggai was used by God to influence the people to complete the Temple rebuilding project.

Rabbinic tradition holds Haggai as one of the last Hebrew prophetic witnesses.

An important figure that predates the book of Haggai, but that you read about in Ezra is...

Cyrus the Great – King of Persia

Conquers Babylon, which is who took the Jewish people captive to Babylon.

He allowed Judean captives to return to Judea.

After the decree of the Persian emperor Cyrus in 538 B.C.,

Exiles led by Zerubbabel returned to the land of Judah (Ezra 1).

At the site of Solomon’s temple they built an altar and reinstituted the sacrifices called for by the Mosaic law (Ezra 3).

Upon King Cyrus’ death and before King Darius took the crown...

The Jews who had returned to Judea also prepared to rebuild the temple.

But work stopped in response to opposition from neighboring enemies.

In the sixteen years that followed, the people built themselves houses.

But no work was done on the Lord’s house until the prophets Haggai and Zechariah rebuked and challenged the people (Ezra 4:24–5:2).

Another key figure to the Book of Haggai and the Second Temple period is...

Zerubbabel

He was the governor of the region of Judea.

This was role that was subservient to Babylon and King Darius at this time.

Zerubbabel was sanctioned in this role to serve the best interest of Babylon.

Zerubbabel was of the lineage of David.

So, he had a right to the throne of Israel, but Israel was in no position to have King on the throne.

But, as we read and study Haggai, it will be important to note that Zerubbabel is of the lineage of David.

Joshua/Jeshua

He was a Levitic Priest.

High Priest at the time of Haggai.

The book of Haggai shows that Joshua was instrumental to the building of the second temple.

Zechariah’s visions describes ceremonies that purify Joshua and empower him with authority and prerogatives reserved for Kings.

Ezra & Nehemiah show that Joshua was one of the leaders of the return of the exiles and attribute to him an important role in building the altar, restoring religious practices, and initiating the building of the temple.

In 1 Chronicles 6:1-15 you see the family priestly line, with Joshua’s father, Jehozadak being taken captive and to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar.

So, Joshua was born in Babylon, under captivity and exile, and was a leader in bringing Israelites back to Judea.

An important figure in the story within the Book of Haggai and Ezra is...

Darius–King of Persia

Takes over the Crown about 14-16 years after Cyrus

At least two, possibly more, short term Kings were in between

Darius I Hystaspes, in whose second year Haggai ministered (1:1), came to the throne of the Persian Empire in confusing circumstances.

His predecessor, Cambyses, returning through Palestine from an Egyptian campaign, learned of serious rebellion at home and died somewhat mysteriously.

His relative Darius, supported by the army, returned to Media and overthrew the usurping Gaumata.

It took Darius two years to restore calm to the empire.

Darius allows the Jews to continue building the Temple

In spite of the trouble-makers trying to stop them.

Same trouble makers that successfully stopped the Temple rebuilding w/King Artaxerxes.

Historical Context

SO, because of Haggai taking place in the midst of the Book of Ezra...

I want to give us the historical, biblical context of the setting of Haggai...

Ezra 1:1-4 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, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:

2 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem. 4 And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.”

So, in the first few chapters of Ezra you see the Jews being released to come back to Judea to rebuild the temple.

Ezra 4:4-5 Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build 5 and bribed counselors against them to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

So leaders from a neighboring region (Samaria), didn’t like what the Jews were doing by rebuilding...

So, they did all they could do to frustrate the rebuilding while King Cyrus was alive.

When King Cyrus died, sometime before King Darius reigned...

The neighboring leaders wrote the new King and had the Temple rebuilding stopped by Royal decree. (Ezra 4:7-24)

Now, after more than a decade of labor and toil, the people are discouraged.

Can you blame them?

They were few in number, exhausted, and had little to show for it.

Opposition all around.

So, we read in Haggai 1:2 Thus says the Lord of hosts: “The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.”

Ezra 5:1–6:13 also show us that Haggai and Zechariah show up on the scene and speak the word of God to the Zerubbabel and Joshua...

God wants the Temple to be rebuilt.

But, there is still opposition and another letter goes to the King...

But, this time the King is Darius and Darius looks up in the records to see if they had permission from King Cyrus...

Well, they did.

And King Darius not only says, “Continue.”

But, King Darius tells the neighboring leaders that they are to support the building with resources.

All of this is the back drop and context of Haggai.

Now, in the remainder of our time, I want to turn our attention to this very important question...

Who are these Israelites, anyway?

Haggai 1:1-11 In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, 2 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘This people says, “The time has not come, even the time for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt.” ’ ”

3 Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate?”

5 Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, “Consider your ways! 6 “You have sown much, but harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes.”

7 Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Consider your ways! 8 “Go up to the mountains, bring wood and rebuild the temple, that I may be pleased with it and be glorified,” says the Lord. 9 “You look for much, but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home, I blow it away. Why?” declares the Lord of hosts, “Because of My house which lies desolate, while each of you runs to his own house. 10 “Therefore, because of you the sky has withheld its dew and the earth has withheld its produce. 11 “I called for a drought on the land, on the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on what the ground produces, on men, on cattle, and on all the labor of your hands.”

Well it’s obvious from what we’ve read in the passage that they are Israelites who are disobeying God.

But I reiterate...Why is this question extremely important?

Why is it important to know who these Israelites are?

My answer...

Because, usually, when we think of people being disobedient to God...

We often think of others, rather than our self.

It’s hard to miss the prophet’s opening rebuke of God’s people for prioritizing personal comfort ahead of God’s glory.

It’s important to note that Haggai’s challenge isn’t to typical backsliders, but those who were relatively diligent and faithful.

Haggai addresses the first wave of Jews who returned from Babylonian captivity. According to Ezra and Nehemiah, there were only 50,000 Jews who returned, a small minority compared to those who remained.

Historic records estimate that there was a Jewish population of over 1 million Jews living in Babylon at the time King Cyrus permitted them to go back to Judea.

50,000 coming back is only 5% of the Jewish population.

Those who stayed were content, comfortably settled in Babylon and couldn’t be bothered with the rebuilding of Jerusalem.

So Haggai’s audience was the faithful ones.

Having denied themselves, they returned to Zion and began rebuilding the temple.

This remnant put God’s kingdom ahead of their own personal comfort—at least in the early days.

So, who are these Israelites?

These are the faithful Israelites that lived in Babylon.

The Israelites that cared about going to Church.

The Israelites that cared about being marked as the people of God.

The Israelites that did ministry in the name of the Lord.

These are the Israelites that were willing to leave behind all the comforts that they had accumulated in Babylon.

So, what are these, seemingly faithful, Israelites doing wrong?

Why is God rebuking them?

Why is God calling them on their behavior?

The Challenge to the People of God

Read Haggai 1:2-11 again.

The people are building their houses...

And not only homes, but elaborate homes...

Cushy homes, while not being concerned with the Temple lying in ruins still.

In many ways, a home is more important than a Temple...

Home is seven days a week.

Homes give you shelter from storms and inclement weather.

Homes allow you to store up food and supplies for survival.

Homes give you shelter from predatory animals that would count you as a snack.

I’m not discounting the symbolic importance of a place of worship...

I’m just noting the importance of a home.

Is God saying, build the Temple before you have all the things a home can provide?

Why does a building matter?

Why does God care about the Temple being rebuilt?

He’s the One that let it be destroyed.

It cannot contain God.

God says that Himself.

God does not actually live in the Temple.

Why does God want them to rebuild the Temple?

Especially, when it will be a lesser Temple in appearance?

Isn’t it the appearance of the Temple that matters?

If so, then why not wait until it can be the most magnificent building Israel has ever known?

If it’s not the appearance of the Temple that matters, then what is it that matters most to God?

Here’s what is being exposed here to the Jews...

The refusal to build the Temple was the rejection of the offer of grace, the grace of divine indwelling.

The Temple symbolized the needed and wanted presence of God.

Canaanite religion dealt in techniques—earthly acts supposed to exert pressure on the “gods.”

But biblical religion deals with the heart.

The motive of our obedience.

The building of the Temple is not a religious technique whereby humans pressure or even seek to please God.

It is an act of obedience performed in the faith that God will keep his promise.

What is that promise?

God with us!

The Lord’s case against Haggai’s people is simple:

“You do not want me”

You do not care whether I dwell with you or not.

Let me ask this question...

How often do we behave in the same manner?

We wouldn’t verbalize such a thing.

But, how often do we flesh it out at the expense of God’s name being honored on earth as it is in heaven?

What Needs to Happen?

Its the same for the Jews here in Haggai.

Its the same for us today.

We need to repent of zeal-less worship.

Quit going through the motions.

It is not honoring to God.

Its not God-honoring.

It’s self-honoring.

I pray we see ourselves in Haggai.

I pray we see a God who loves His people enough to speak.

I pray we see our need in 2021...

From God’s dealings with His people from the days of Haggai.

Closing Prayer