Around eighteen years after the Jews returned to their homeland from their Babylonian captivity, God called upon His prophet Haggai to speak to His people. This was some sixty-seventy years after Habakkuk. At this point, the temple in Jerusalem was in absolute ruins and the leaders were extremely discouraged because of the horrendous opposition that they faced when they initially returned to the land.
The Samaritans had been developing in the land and didn’t want the Jews to re-establish their identity, so as we can imagine, there was some weariness among the leaders of the returned Jews, Ezra / Nehemiah. When Haggai arrived on the scene, Darius Hystaspes was the king of Persia. King Cyrus had previously ordered a decree to stop the rebuilding of the temple, but Darius was interested in the development of local religious beliefs, so he, reversed the decree.
The Jews were special to Cyrus because God had foretold through the prophet Isaiah that this would happen, Isaiah 44:24-28 / Isaiah 45:1-13 / Ezra 1:1-6 / Jeremiah 25:11-12 / Jeremiah 29:10. Cyrus was shown this prophecy and saw its significance. It was through the preaching of Haggai and Zechariah, that God commanded the Jews to rebuild the temple.
The date of Haggai’s writing is generally accepted as being 520 B.C. Haggai 1:1 / Haggai 2:1 / Haggai 2:10 / Haggai 2:20. In 536 B.C. the Jews came back from captivity and the foundation of the temple was laid. In 539 B.C. the work had stopped because of the Samaritans. Why? Because the Jews referred to themselves as the remnant of God, Haggai 1:14.
In 520 B.C. Haggai is an old man and his job is to encourage the people to complete the temple. In 516 B.C. the temple is finished. In 458 B.C. Ezra comes back to fix the work within the temple and in 445 B.C. Nehemiah comes back to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
As with most of the prophets, we don’t really know a lot about Haggai’s personal life, we do know that his name means ‘Festival’ or ‘Festive’. It’s possible that he may have been one of the captives taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. He is mentioned in Ezra 5:1, and Ezra 6:14, and his work lasted three months and thirty-one days.
He began his ministry about sixteen years after his return. The foundation of the temple had been laid shortly after the arrival under the leadership of Zerubbabel in 536 B.C., Ezra 3:8-13, but the rebuilding work of the temple was stopped because of opposition from the Samaritans, this opposition lasted sixteen years, Ezra 4:1-24, it was then that God raised up His prophets Haggai and Zechariah, Ezra 5:1-2 / Ezra 6:14. His message is fairly straightforward, God says ‘finish building His temple’.
These discourses are referred to in Ezra 5:1 / Ezra 6:14.
God spoke to Haggai during the reign of Darius in 520 B.C., Haggai 1:1, and what better time to deliver the message than sitting around a table enjoying some food and fellowship, it came during a Jewish feast, 2 Kings 4:23 / Amos 8:5. This was a perfect time because everyone was together, and so Haggai took full advantage of the occasion to deliver a message to encourage the leaders to start building again.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following, concerning the date.
‘When the Israelites returned from exile in Babylon, they continued to follow the Babylonian calendar and began their years in the spring rather than in the fall, Exodus 23:16 / Exodus 34:22. Each new month began with a new moon, and the Israelites commonly celebrated the occasion with a new moon festival, Numbers 28:11-15 / Isaiah 1:14 / Hosea 2:11.’
The word LORD’, Haggai 1:1, is ‘Yahweh’ and it occurs thirty-four times in the thirty-eight verses of Haggai. The message was given to Zerubbabel the governor of Judah, who led the first group of exiles back home, Ezra 1-2 / Ezra 3:8-13 / Ezra 6:14-15, and to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, Haggai 1:1 / 1 Chronicles 6:15 / Ezra 3:2 / Ezra 3:8 / Nehemiah 12:1 / Nehemiah 12:8.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following, concerning Darius.
‘This was Darius the Great of Persia, also called Darius Hystaspes, after the name of his father. He reigned over the Medo-Persian Empire from 522-486 B.C. He continued the benevolent policies that had characterized the reign of Cyrus who issued the original order for the rebuilding of the Temple and the return of the Jewish captives to Jerusalem.’
Zerubbabel is called the son of Pedaiah in 1 Chronicles 3:19. Although he was the son of Pedaiah, through a levirate marriage he was also the legal son of Shealtiel, Deuteronomy 25:5-10. Because his grandfather was King Jehoiachin, he was a descendant of the Davidic kings, Haggai 2:20-23.
Joshua was the first high priest after the Jews returned from Babylonian captivity, Ezra 2:1-2 / Ezra 2:36 / Ezra 2:40 / Ezra 3:2-8. His father was the high priest who was taken into captivity, 1 Chronicles 6:15, and his grandfather, Seraiah, was killed by Nebuchadnezzar when Jerusalem was destroyed in 586 B.C. 2 Kings 25:18-21.
For possibly around fifteen years there has been no building and they said it’s not a good time to start building, Haggai 1:2. It’s easy to understand why the Jews thought it wasn’t time to start rebuilding the temple again, they thought the opposition they were getting from the Samaritans, Ezra 4:1-5, was actually a sign from God to say, ‘don’t build the temple’, Jeremiah 25:11-12 / Jeremiah 29:10.
If you’ve ever studied the Book of Hebrews you will notice that one word, a word which you would think would be mentioned in the letter, isn’t mentioned at all. Do you know what that one word is? It’s the word temple. Why is that? Well, it’s not mentioned because God never asked for a temple to be built in the first place, 1 Chronicles 17:1-6. The building of the temple was David’s idea, not God’s. God says, when have I ever asked for a house to be built? Acts 7:44-50 / Acts 17:24.
God gave Moses up on the mountain instructions pertaining to the construction of the tabernacle and its contents, Exodus 25-40, but you won’t find anywhere in the Bible where God gave instructions about the construction of the temple.
So why is God emphasising the importance of the temple being built here in Haggai? After all, it’s going to be destroyed in A.D. 70. What made the temple so important at this point in time? After all, the proper sacrifices and rituals could be carried out on a makeshift altar.
Could it be that this was more about obedience to the will of God? Could it be that God’s reputation was at stake? Could it be that God couldn’t be properly honoured so long as the house He called home lay in ruins? Could it be that the temple symbolised God’s presence and Israel’s priorities? Could it be that God is so upset and then punished them, to get their attention? Proverbs 20:30. God used pain in their lives to get them back on the right track, for this to happen they needed to demonstrate obedience to God, Psalm 119:67 / Job 36:15.
Wiersbe, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Too often we make excuses when we ought to be making confessions and obeying the Lord. We say, ’It’s not time for an evangelistic crusade,’ ’It’s not time for the Spirit to bring revival,’ ’It’s not time to expand the ministry.’ We act as though we fully understand ’the times and the seasons’ that God has ordained for His people, but we don’t understand them, Acts 1:6-7.’
The word of God came through the prophet Haggai and He asks, is it a time for them to be living in their panelled houses, while God’s house remains a ruin? Haggai 1:3-4. It appears the people have become very comfortable in the land and so they’re making themselves at home and looking after themselves. However, they had got to the point where they had either forgotten or totally neglected God’s house and so Haggai needs to remind them about their priorities.
Panelled houses were usually made out of stone and mud, but here the people are just using wood. The wood came from Lebanon and it was expensive to buy and expensive to transport. It seems they were spending all their money on D.I.Y. whilst God’s house was in ruins, Haggai 1:4.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘King Cyrus had provided the Jews with money to buy hardwood timber to rebuild the temple, Ezra 3:7. It appears that the restoration Jews had used this superior wood to build their own homes rather than to rebuild the temple.’
Notice the phrase, ‘give careful thought’, this is a phrase which appears throughout the book, Haggai 1:5 / Haggai 1:7 / Haggai 2:15 / Haggai 2:18. In Haggai 1:5, God wants them to seriously think about what they are doing and what’s happening around them.
They planted much, but harvested little, they eat, but never have enough, they drink, but never have their fill, they put on clothes, but are not warm and they earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it, Haggai 1:6. They put a lot of effort into their work, but they received little in return. This is a picture of famine and want which was the result of their neglect.
It’s possible that there was a famine happening at this time because of their disobedience, Leviticus 26:18-20 / Deuteronomy 17:16 / Deuteronomy 28:20 / Deuteronomy 28:41 / Deuteronomy 32:34 / Jeremiah 44:12 / Jeremiah 42:19. They were too busy looking after their own physical lives, they neglected their spiritual lives and because of this God wasn’t allowing them to prosper, Matthew 6:25-34.
Jamieson, in his commentary, says the following concerning Haggai 1:6.
‘Nothing has prospered with you while you neglected your duty to God.’
God again, says to His people, ‘give careful thought to their ways,’ Haggai 1:7. In other words, they need to seriously think about this and if they want to get out of this situation, they need to start the building work on the temple again and everything will be alright and God would reward them because God will be glorified.
God admonished them to go up to the mountains so that they could get wood for the temple, Haggai 1:8 / Ezra 3:7. Why the urgency? God had earlier promised that He would have the temple rebuilt, but at the moment this wasn’t happening, Isaiah 40-60. God couldn’t take pleasure in it and be honoured while it lay incomplete, Haggai 1:8.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following, Haggai 1:9.
‘There are six occurrences of the phrase ‘declares the LORD of hosts’ in Haggai, Haggai 1:9 / Haggai 2:4 / Haggai 2:8-9 / Haggai 2:23, (twice) and six occurrences of the shorter phrase ‘declares the LORD’, Haggai 1:13 / Haggai 2:4, (twice), Haggai 2:14 / Haggai 2:17 / Haggai 2:23. This is unusual for a book as short as Haggai. Obviously, the writer wanted to emphasize the divine origin of his message to the people.’
They expected so much for themselves, Haggai 1:9, but God wasn’t allowing it to happen. They looked for much, but what little they did have God blew it away, Haggai 1:9. Because they were busy building their houses, God’s house lay in ruins, Haggai 1:9, and so, God had called for a drought on the land and its fruit, Haggai 1:10-11 / Leviticus 26:19-20 / Deuteronomy 28:22-24, in an effort to get them to listen and finish building what they had neglected to finish, Matthew 6:33.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following, concerning Haggai 1:10.
‘These are most significant words, and they point squarely to the following passage from Genesis, Cursed is the ground FOR THY SAKE! Genesis 3:17. The teaching of the Bible reveals emphatically that providential intervention is continual, and a constant possibility in all of the affairs of men. God often called for drought upon Israel, and sent prophets to announce it in advance, nor are such episodes confined to the Old Testament. Agabus prophesied a four-year famine under Claudius Caesar, Acts 11:28. That was in this current dispensation and the same God who can foretell a great drought can as easily send or withhold it! All such impediments to man’s ease and prosperity are intended as guideposts to point him to the Father in heaven. For Adam’s sake, Genesis 3:17, For your sake, Haggai 1:10.’
The people respond to the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua in fearful obedience to God’s commands and the message of the prophet Haggai because God had sent him and the people feared the LORD, Haggai 1:12. Notice the promise from God, He says to them, ‘I am with you’, Haggai 1:13 / Genesis 28:15 / Exodus 3:12 / Joshua 1:1-9 / Haggai 2:4 / Matthew 28:19-20 / James 1:5.
Notice God stirred up the spirits of Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the whole remnant of the people, Haggai 1:14 / 2 Chronicles 36:22-23 / Ezra 1:5.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following, concerning this stirring up of the people, Haggai 1:14.
‘The words are used of any strong impulse from God to fulfil His will, whether in those who execute His will unknowingly as Pul, 1 Chronicles 5:26, to carry off the trans-Jordanic tribes, or the Philistines and Arabians against Jehoram, 2 Chronicles 21:16, or the Medes against Babylon, Jeremiah 51:11, or knowingly, as of Cyrus to restore God’s people and rebuild the temple, Ezra 1:1, or of the people themselves to return Ezra 1:5.’
Lindsey, in his commentary, says the following, concerning the remnant, Haggai 1:14.
‘Haggai referred to the people as a remnant, here and also in Haggai 1:14 and in Haggai 2:2, not merely because they were survivors of the Babylonian Exile but also because they were becoming what the remnant of God’s people should always be-those who are obedient within their covenant relationship to the Lord, Isaiah 10:21.’
Because the people feared the Lord and had the promise of His presence, the people are happy to get on with the work, Haggai 1:14 / Haggai 1:1 / Matthew 28:20.
Verhoef, in his commentary, says the following, concerning the date, Haggai 1:15.
‘Work began again on the twenty-fourth day of that very month. Perhaps it took three weeks for the people to make their decision and make preparations, including cutting wood, Haggai 1:8. There was also a harvest of figs, grapes, and pomegranates in the month of Elul, which may also have delayed them.’
If they work, they will be blessed but if they don’t, they won’t be. How did Haggai get them back to work? He spoke the word of the Lord and God stirred the spirits of His people. Haggai’s first message was to stir up the people into action, it was successful.
Remember the original books of the Bible didn’t have chapters like we have today and so the second part of Haggai 1:15, where it says, ‘in the second year of King Darius,’ is a perfect example of a bad chapter break. This verse belongs in the next chapter.
Good spiritual leadership is so important, especially when it comes to God’s work within His church, Hebrews 13:17. If God can motivate the leaders to do something, then other people will follow.
If evangelism isn’t important to the leadership, then the chances are, evangelism won’t be important to the congregation. If Bible study isn’t important to the leadership, then studying the Bible won’t be important to the congregation, Acts 2:42. It’s important that leaders, lead from the front and set the example for the rest of the church to follow, John 13:15 / 1 Corinthians 11:1 / 1 Peter 5:2-3.
Through Haggai’s message, Zerubbabel and Joshua managed to encourage the Jews to do two things, obey and fear God, Haggai 1:14. Fear and obedience are topics which are often overlooked these days, they are sometimes seen as old fashioned and out of date. The truth is, we cannot ignore these topics, as they are central to our being and central to what God wants from everyone, Ecclesiastes 12:13.