Haggai
By Joe Mack Cherry
I. Background
A. Babylonian Captivity
1. Lasted from 606 BC to 536 BC
2. Jeremiah prophesied of it
a. He was not taken; he was left behind with other older Jew man, along with some women and children.
b. During this time, he wrote the book of Lamentations.
c. Got wind that the remaining Jews were planning to rebel against Babylon and he and others fled to Egypt.
3. Ezekiel prophesied and was taken along with other prominent Jews
a. Ezek. 4:12-15 – he is commanded to cook his food over cow dung. This references that the Jews would be unclean during their captivity because they could not give of their first fruits.
b. Ezek. 24:16-17 – this was a reference to how quickly they would be overtaken by the Babylonians. His wife would die and he was not to cry or mourn.
4. Daniel was taken as a young man and lived through it.
B. The Return
1. In 536 BC, King Cyrus releases the Jews back to their homeland.
2. The book of Nehemiah chronicles the opposition brought on by the Samaritans.
3. They lay the rebuilt the altar and foundation but stopped due to Samaritan opposition for 16 years. Ezra 4.
4. Isaiah prophesied that Jerusalem would be rebuilt before the temple was in
Isa. 44-45.
C. Haggai arrives in August 520 BC
1. Prophesies about 4.5 months
2. Haggai spoke directly to two officials.
a. Zerubbabel – Governor of Judah
b. Joshua – High Priest
3. His preaching moved the nation to start back to work on the temple in 23 days.
4. The temple was rebuilt in 4 years. They worked and stood guard against the Samaritans to complete it.
II. Lesson
A. Excuses not to build
1. The Jews were paralyzed by procrastination.
2. There were several reasons.
a. They were being threatened by surrounding kings.
b. The older men saw that the temple would not have the same curb appeal as the first one.
c. They were too busy building their own extravagant houses to build God’s house.
3. These justifications were not acceptable to God. God demands to be first in our lives; He is a jealous God.
a. Speaking of idols, God says in Ex. 34:14, do worship other gods because He is a jealous God.
b. Anything that we put in front of God is equivalent to an idol; in this case it was their houses.
4. Hag. 1:4 – They were living in panel houses meaning their homes had ceilings while the temple of God lay open and in ruin.
5. Priorities get jumbled up when we start to procrastinate.
B. Haggai starts out with a “Thus saith the Lord”
1. The best lessons, sermons, etc. start with a “thus saith the Lord”.
2. Read Chapter 1: 5-6
3. Will God do to us today what He did to the Israelites?
4. Have we put God in a box and said, “Oh, He doesn’t work that way.”?
a. Planted much and harvested little
b. Eat but never satisfied
c. Drink but never full
d. Put on clothes but are never warm
e. Earn wages and put them in pockets with holes in them.
5. Give careful thought to your ways. Vs 7-11
a. You expected much from God but received little.
b. What you brought home, I blew away.
c. God caused a drought that hamper growth of everything living.
d. This can happen to us today, believe it or not. We should also give careful thoughts to our ways.
C. God gave them guidance
1. Vs. 8- “Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house.”
2. We can find guidance from God to get through even the problems we create.
a. When the Spirit moves you get up and do something. Vs. 12-15
b. Just as procrastination is contagious, so is working!
3. In vs. 13, “God says commit and I am with you!” He gives them:
a. The intestinal fortitude to overcome the fear of the threats from others
b. The strength to get started
c. The endurance to FINISH
d. Have you ever asked God to give you strength to get through something?
4. So many times, the solutions are simple, but we complicate them with our emotions and selfishness.
D. God answers a question on the older men’s mind.
1. The old temple “Solomon built” was beautiful.
2. Nothing they could build would compare.
3. God doesn’t see beauty the way that we do.
a. The gold and silver and all the jewels belong to God anyway. They don’t have to be in the temple to be his.
b. Vs. 9 – the glory of this second house will be greater than that of the first.
c. God encourages them to continue working even though it will not be as pleasing to the eye.
d. The beauty of the second will be eternal not temporal and spiritual not physical.
e. Peace will be granted here. Something the Israelites, due to their on again-off again relationship with God, did not get to experience.
f. Gods ways are not our ways. Isa. 55:8
E. Working but still unclean
1. Read vss. 10-14
2. God was not getting the best “first fruits” yet.
3. Refer again to Ezek. 4:12-15.
4. God cautions/reminds again about not finishing. Remember when you quit last time. Life was ok, but not great.
a. When you came to a heap for 20 measures there were only 10
b. When you came to the wine vat for 50 measures there were only 20.
c. God struck all their works with blight, mildew, and hail. There really was no “unblemished offering” to be offered during this time. The altar they rebuilt was holy, but the sacrifices were not.
d. They were so engrossed in their life as it was that they could not see what they were missing.
F. Blessings for a defiled people
1. There is profit in serving God.
2. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Heb.11:6. Faith played a part in them returning to God. God rewarded their faith.
3. He cautions again in vs 18 to remember.
a. Vs 19 – He reminds them that there was little seed left in the barn and that the vine, fig tree, pomegranate, and the olive tree had not borne fruit.
b. This will be his blessing/reward to the Israelites.
c. He would provide what they needed to receive their blessings.
4. God rewards progress. He delights in showing mercy. Mic. 7:18
III. Closing
A. Messianic Prophesy
1. Read Hag. 2:20-23
2. The prophecy is fulfilled through in Christ.
3. He was the signet ring. He represented God.
4. Christ was a descendant of Zerubbabel on Joseph’s side. Mt. 1:13
B. Zerubbabel Characteristics
1. He led them out of Babylonian captivity.
2. He led the rebuilding of the temple.
3. He was a working leader.
4. He answered God’s call in the same manner Christ did. In the face of an evil world with those trying to trap or kill him.
5. He was God’s man on earth.
