Day 354

Haggai 1:1–2:23; Revelation 11:1-19; Psalm 139:1-24; Proverbs 30:15-16

TODAY WE READ the tenth of the twelve books of prophecy known as the Minor Prophets —the book of Haggai —and like many of the Minor Prophets, this book doesn’t give us much in the way of a biographical sketch. We know that Haggai was among those who had returned from the Babylonian exile and were living in Jerusalem —he was probably in the first wave of exiles to return. We also know that he had access to those in power, because the opening verse indicates that his message was delivered to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah (who we learned of in Ezra and Nehemiah), and Jeshua, the high priest.

Haggai’s message was largely motivational, but to understand why, we need a very short timeline: Babylon conquered Jerusalem and led her people into exile around 586 BC. Babylon was subsequently conquered by the Persian Empire in 539 BC. The Persian king Cyrus allowed the first of the exiles to return to Jerusalem under Zerubbabel’s leadership around 538 BC.

Haggai’s message came eighteen years later, in 520 BC. In fact, Haggai’s prophecies are some of the most precisely dated utterances in the Bible, because the dates are contained in the book ——August29 through December 18, 520 BC.

During those eighteen years, the Temple remained incomplete. Political opposition and the intimidation of the surrounding nations had stalled efforts to rebuild it. The people had instead rebuilt their homes and lives, without concern for the Temple as their centerpiece. Through the prophet Haggai, God voiced His displeasure: “Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins?” (Haggai 1:4).

God revealed to the people that, since their return, their toil and attempts to rebuild had been thwarted and their crops had not yielded their intended bounty because the people had become self-absorbed and left God’s Temple neglected. They needed to change their priorities and get busy, because God had future plans of judgment. Therefore, God commanded them, “Go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the LORD” (Haggai 1:8).

Construction began again on September 21, 520 BC, and less than a month later, on October 17 of the same year, God again spoke:

Does anyone remember this house —this Temple —in its former splendor? How, in comparison, does it look to you now? It must seem like nothing at all! But now the LORD says: Be strong, Zerubbabel. Be strong, Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people still left in the land. And now get to work, for I am with you, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. My Spirit remains among you, just as I promised when you came out of Egypt. So do not be afraid.

Certainly, God wanted to restore the Temple —it was a central part of covenant life in the community of God’s chosen. But God had specific plans for this work, and He wanted no more delay:

This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: In just a little while I will again shake the heavens and the earth, the oceans and the dry land. I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will be brought to this Temple. I will fill this place with glory, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. The future glory of this Temple will be greater than its past glory, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. And in this place I will bring peace. I, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!

As we can see, God’s people had spent their energy trying to make life work on their own, but their efforts yielded far less than expected because they had put themselves first, ignoring the rebuilding of the Temple. God’s plan had been to consolidate the prosperity of other nations and bring it flooding into the Temple. In other words, if they had put God first, their toil would have been more fruitful —a lesson for each of us, every day of our lives.

WORSHIP:

The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.