HAGGAI - THE MOTIVATOR

Ken Graydon

The prophetic book of Haggai is only thirty-eight verses long. It is very precise. Each of the prophecies is carefully dated and serves a very specific purpose.

Let us first look at the historical context of this book. Haggai writes in 520 BCE, sixteen years after the first return of Judah from captivity in Babylon. The Israelites had been constantly warned to be obedient to ETERNAL - to actually live up to the commands of Deuteronomy 28-30.

 The land was to be allowed its Sabbaths. Isaiah and Jeremiah, who both prophesied during the kingdom period warned of the coming captivity. Ezekiel and Daniel, who operated during the period of captivity, warned that obedience was still required. Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi wrote after the return and the rebuilding of the Temple.

The kingdom of Judah and Israel lasted for 490 years. The captivity lasted for seventy years. There are two ways of calculating this; from the first invasion in 606 BCE to the first return in 536 BCE [70 years] or from the destruction of the Temple in 586 BCE to the completion of the Temple in 516 BCE [70 years]. All the missed Sabbath years were taken at once. There are 70 Sabbath years in 490 years. ETERNAL is in charge! [2 Chron 36:21]

During the period of captivity the Persians defeated the Babylonians in 539 BCE. Darius became ruler. His policy, which fitted in exactly with ETERNAL's timetable, was to allow captive people to return to their homelands. So in 538 BCE Darius decreed that the people of Judah could begin to return to their homeland and rebuild the Temple.

The first returnees had begun work on the foundations of the Temple then they had left this work for fourteen years, while they built their own houses and established small farms and businesses.

So in late August 520 BCE Haggai begins his message from ETERNAL. At least 21 times, in 38 verses, the expression "so said ETERNAL" or "the word of ETERNAL" is used. This is a straight from the shoulder message - from ETERNAL to the prophet's ears, from the prophet's mouth to us.

Already, the people are getting away from the ETERNAL directed life. Their priorities are wrong. Seventy years of captivity was not enough to show these people that ETERNAL meant every word of the calling to show we love Him by doing His will. Things are going wrong for them, but no one has the wit to ask the question "why is this happening to us?" Haggai appears and he will ask the question for them and then supply the answer.

Haggai 1:1 In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, this word of ETERNAL came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest:

This verse sets the date for us. Haggai means 'feast or festival' and he begins his work on a new moon festival. His family connections are not stated so the name may be an assumed one. Although the message is addressed to the governor and high priest all the people are included.

Haggai 1:2-6 Thus said ETERNAL of Hosts: These people say, "the time has not yet come for rebuilding the House of ETERNAL." And the word of ETERNAL through prophet Haggai continued: Is it a time for you to dwell in your panelled houses, while this House is lying in ruins? Now thus said the ETERNAL of Hosts: Consider how you have been faring! You have sowed much and brought in little, you eat without being satisfied; you drink without getting your fill; you clothe yourselves, but no one gets warm; and he who earns anything earns it for a leaky purse.

Notice in verse 2 how ETERNAL distances Himself. They are not 'My people' but rather 'these people'. We saw that during the Exodus when ETERNAL would say to Moses 'these people that you brought' every time they were disobedient.

 If you come home and your partner says "Do you know what your son did today?" You know you will not be pleased, but if your partner says "Do you know what our son did today?" you will be proud.

ETERNAL says to the people, in effect, "Have a good look at yourselves! You do all this stuff and what happens? You are worse off than before." These verses are a rebuke to the people.

Haggai 1:7-11 Thus said ETERNAL of Hosts: Consider how you have fared: Go up to the hills and get timber and rebuild the House; then I will look on it with favour and I will be glorified [this could be translated 'I will glorify it'] - said ETERNAL.

You have been expecting much and getting little; and when you brought it home, I would blow on it! Because of what? - says ETERNAL of Hosts. Because of My House which lies in ruins, while you all hurry to your own houses! That is why the skies above you have withheld [their] moisture and the earth has withheld its yield and I have summoned fierce heat upon the land - upon the hills, upon the new grain and wine and oil, upon all that the land produces, upon man and beast and upon all the fruits of labor.

The original Temple was built using cedar wood from Lebanon. The timber to be found in the hills around Jerusalem is sycamore which is less suited to a large scale building. ETERNAL is saying to the people "use what you have, for My purposes, and I will glorify it.

You have been doing everything you know how to do for your own selfish purposes and I have withdrawn My blessings and punished you. Now start to do My will. Show Me you love Me, let My House be at the centre of your life, let Me live among you."

Haggai 1:12-15 Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak and all the rest of the people gave heed to the summons of ETERNAL their SOVEREIGN and to the words of the prophet Haggai, when ETERNAL their SOVEREIGN sent him; the people feared ETERNAL. And Haggai, ETERNAL's messenger, fulfilling ETERNAL's mission, spoke to the people, "I am with you- declares ETERNAL.

Then ETERNAL roused the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah and the spirit of the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and the spirit of all the rest of the people; They came and set to work on the House of ETERNAL of Hosts, their SOVEREIGN, on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month.

Just over three weeks from receiving the rebuke through Haggai the people are at work re-building the Temple. They have put ETERNAL back into the centre of their lives. This is probably the most specific prophetic objective in the Tanakh and the most successful in its accomplishment. Can you imagine, in your community, a huge project which had been neglected for 14 years suddenly being reactivated within three weeks?

So, Haggai has convicted the people and they get to work. The next call he brings is a call to be courageous.

Haggai 2:1-9. In the second year of King Darius, on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of ETERNAL came through the prophet Haggai:

Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah and to the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak and to the rest of the people:

Who is there left among you who saw this House in its former splendour? How does it look to you now? It must seem like nothing to you.

But be strong, O Zerubbabel - says ETERNAL - be strong, O high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak; be strong, all you people of the land - says ETERNAL - and act! For I am with you - says ETERNAL of Hosts. So I promised you when you came out of Egypt, and My spirit is still in your midst. Fear not!

For thus said ETERNAL of Hosts: in just a little while longer I will shake the heavens and the earth, the seas and the dry land; I will shake all the nations. And the precious things of all the nations shall come here, and I will fill this House with glory, said ETERNAL of Hosts. Silver is Mine and gold is Mine - says ETERNAL of Hosts. The glory of this latter House shall be greater than that of the former one, said ETERNAL of Hosts; and in this place I will grant prosperity - declares ETERNAL of Hosts.

The people had been in captivity for 70 years so it would only be the oldest ones among them who had seen the first Temple but all of them would have a picture in their mind of what it was like. The Temple being re-built in front of them from second-hand materials does not seem like the real thing. ETERNAL tells them "Be strong, work together, do it!" ETERNAL will bless the work of your hands that He calls you to. He will find extra-ordinary ways to bless what we do - when we are doing what He puts before us.

Although the Temple had been destroyed and the people scattered and now returning - ETERNAL tells them that the promise made during the exodus, that He would be with them, is still in effect. ETERNAL wants a Temple but He doesn't need one. He wants a material place to be a focus for spiritual power. He wants to bless and prosper that place and the people who worship Him through it. His spirit is still in their midst.

It is this incredible focus of ETERNAL's blessings and power toward the site He chose for the Temple that makes it the most bitterly contested piece of real estate in the world - as if people who do not follow ETERNAL's teaching could somehow receive His blessings just because they have a temporary presence in the physical site. ETERNAL tells them they are in for a shaking. When ETERNAL shakes a nation there will be no doubt about it.

 We also recall that when Moses dedicated the first Tabernacle, it was furnished with precious objects of gold and silver - most of which was taken from the Egyptians as the Israelites left. The Temple of Solomon was largely furnished with gold and silver collected as tribute from other nations by both King David and Solomon. There is a pattern here that is clearly described in Isaiah 60:4-14 [you can read it later in your Tanakh] where the riches of the nations will come to the Temple. Isaiah wrote before the captivity so we know that prophecy has not been fulfilled yet.

Haggai 2:10-14. On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of ETERNAL came to the prophet Haggai:

Thus said ETERNAL of Hosts: Seek a ruling from the priests, as follows: If a man is carrying sacrificial flesh in a fold of his garment, and with that fold touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any other food, will the latter become holy? In reply the priests said "No"

Haggai went on, "If someone defiled by a corpse touches any of these, will it be defiled?" and the priests responded, "Yes".

Thereupon Haggai said: That is how this people and that is how this nation looks to Me - declares ETERNAL - and so too, the work of their hands: Whatever they offer there is defiled.

You cannot catch goodness, it's not contagious. You have to work at it. Whereas wickedness is easy to catch. We are not doing ETERNAL's will by simply being around other people who are. Or by being in a particular family. Our actions, our intentions, our love of ETERNAL, our obedience to Torah determine our relationship with Him and His acceptance of us.

Haggai 2:15-17. And now take thought, from this day backward: As long as no stone had been laid on another in the House of ETERNAL, if one came to a heap of twenty measures, it would yield only ten; and if one came to a wine vat to skim off fifty measures, the press would yield only twenty. I struck you - all the works of your hands - with blight and mildew and hail, but you did not return to Me - declares ETERNAL.

This is describing the situation of the people, perhaps it describes our situation too. Everything they produced, or worked on, or expected - gave them poorer results. Something always went wrong.

 Now every one of them, like each one of us now, knows they are a covenant people. They should be blessed right out their socks. Things should be going better than expected with the right results coming at the right time.

If this is not happening - they [or we] should be going before ETERNAL asking "What am I not doing right? How am I failing you? Please let me know so that I can be in your will for my life."

This is what has made ETERNAL angry with them. He had made them promises about the way things should be - how wonderful, how rewarding, how blessed. Hardly anyone had been aware enough to see that, knowing that ETERNAL cannot tell a lie, if their life was not measuring up to the Torah promises, they should be urgently asking ETERNAL how to get back on track. Instead they had been complaining, moaning and ignoring the CREATOR of the Universe.

Haggai 2:18-19. Take note, from this day forward - from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day when the foundation was laid for ETERNAL's Temple - take note while the seed is still in the granary, and the vine, fig tree, pomegranate and olive tree have not yet borne fruit. For from this day on I will send blessings.

Do you see how wonderful this is? ETERNAL tells them - make a note of the date! See how I bless you from now on. Not, when you finish My Temple, I'll do good things for you - but, because you are starting to do My will for you - I'll bless every part of your life from now on. It's like being paid your wages in advance. Can you imagine any employer saying to us - I know you mean to do a good job so I'll give you next year's wages now.

 The CREATOR of the Universe says "I can see your heart, I know you mean to do My will and follow My laws - you will be blessed from now on. Surely, this is an offer you cannot refuse.

Haggai 2:20-22 And the word of ETERNAL came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month: Speak to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah: I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. And I will overturn the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the might of the kingdoms of the nations. I will overturn chariots and their drivers. Horses and their riders shall fall, each by the sword of his fellow.

Having already told the people how they should conduct their lives to receive blessings ETERNAL turns to an international prophecy, which is still being fulfilled. Nations, or groups of nations will arise but He will bring about their downfall. Systems of government will come into force and then fall. Civil wars will occur. All the stuff we see on television news.

It is interesting that this prophecy is given only to the governor so that we understand that it is about worldly governments and nations - people who do not respond or relate to the Torah or the words of ETERNAL.

Haggai 2:23 On that day - declares ETERNAL of Hosts - I will take you, O My servant Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel - declares ETERNAL - and make you as a signet; for I have chosen you - declares ETERNAL of Hosts.

To make you a signet - is to give you authority to act for ETERNAL. Zerubbabel is a descendant of King David and part of the covenant ETERNAL made with David. Zerubbabel is the grandson of King Coniah who was cursed in Jeremiah 22:30 Thus said ETERNAL: Record this man as without succession, one who shall never be found acceptable; For no man of his offspring shall be accepted to sit on the throne of David and to rule again in Judah. Zerubbabel is a governor appointed by the Persians, not King of Judah. {It's always a puzzle that one of the genealogies of JC includes the cursed  Coniah.}

We can draw some lessons from the prophet Haggai.

1. The work of ETERNAL should never be delayed [1:2]

2. Wrong priorities stop ETERNAL blessing you [1:4,9]

3. ETERNAL wants to glorify the work He calls you to do [1:8]

4. ETERNAL disciplines us through nature [1:6,10,11]

5. Love and obedience are necessary to achieve ETERNAL's blessing [1:12-14]

6. It is never too late to become obedient [1:12-14]

7. We gain courage through knowing of ETERNAL's presence [2:1-4]

8. Overcome discouragement by seeking ETERNAL's perspective[2:6-9]

9. Everything is in ETERNAL's hands[2:8,9]

10. Goodness is not contagious[2:11,12]

11. Our sins will contaminate everything we touch[2:13,14]

12. Disobedience brings punishment, obedience brings blessings[2:14,17]

13. Blessings begin as soon as we begin to obey ETERNAL[2:18,19]

14. ETERNAL is sovereign over world affairs[2:21,22]

15. ETERNAL's covenants are sure to be fulfilled[2:23]

kgraydon@erskinegrove.com.au