Category: Haggai

Haggai

~ Patricia ~ Leave a comment

Only 2 chapters in this book

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  • 2nd shortest book in the old Testament.  38 verses. BUT a BIG Message.
  • The year is 520 BC.  16 years after the foundation was built and then construction halted.

People to note:

As most prophets do, he time stamps his message: it is 520 BC

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

2 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house.’”

“These people” meaning-The Jewish.

Did the Lord tell them to stop building??  Oh how easy it is when an obstacle comes today “Oh well, the Lord is closing that door”  “If it was His will, it wouldn’t be this hard” “It is not the right time for me to…..”  Mercy!  Imagine if Paul in the New Testament said that!  One letter was written and the people put down their hammers and said “Well, I will stop the Lord’s work and work on my own stuff for now”

4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?”   

5 Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways.  (He will say that 4 times!)

After the message,  they obeyed!  So they heard what the Lord wants and they did it.  They did not ignore it.  Rationalize it.  Make an excuse…like I do.

Chapter 2

Do you remember in Ezra 3:

11 With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord:

“He is good;
    his love toward Israel endures forever.”

And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. 12 But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. 

He now says in Haggai to those people:3 ‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? 

He is saying: Don’t compare!  I am with you! (and that is all that matters.)  Solomon’s temple may have been more beautiful…but Zerrubbabel’s Temple will bring the Messiah!

9 ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

The Blessings for defiled people.   If you bring something pure to something unclean will it make it pure?  NO.  BUT if you bring something unclean to something pure, does it make it unclean? YES!  Let’s make a fake example out of an illness-

If I am healthy and you are sick-does my healthiness heal you?  NO

If I am sick- and you are healthy, do I make you unhealthy? YES

In this context- Do the work of the Lord BUT your unrepentant sin defiles the Temple.

Signet Ring

Alwin Thomas on Twitter: "I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,'declares the Lord Almighty.” Haggai 2.23 #dailybreath #ruah #ruahchurch #ruahministries #promiseverse #promiseoftheday #blessingword #wordofgod #Ihavechosenyou #haggai…

 

Haggai Overview

~ Patricia ~ Leave a comment

We are in the home stretch to the New Testament.  Less than 2 weeks to go and we have 11 days of excellent reading to do!

Let’s do some summary here so we can feel this book come alive.  There are 16 prophecy books, right?

  • 11 Before the Captivity
  • 2 During the Captivity
  • 3 After the captivity

So who are the last 3 prophecy books? Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi! 

So here is the 1-minute recap:

Judah (the southern nation) has been conquered by Babylon under the reign of Nebuchadnezzar.

The capital (Jerusalem) was demolished and all the plunder was carried away. (586 BC).  This is called the captivity.

70 years have passed and just as prophesied a Persian King named Cyrus released the Jews to go back to the homeland but only about 50,000 go. :(

They began to rebuild the temple and after they laid the foundation the work stopped, due to pressure from the enemies.  Nothing advanced in construction for 15 years.

A new king is on the throne named Darius and 2 men began to bring a message to the people of encouragement to complete God’s work: Haggai and Zechariah.

Haggai is an elder who probably remembers the first temple.

So here is a book that I know will give you a personal message from the Lord about staying the course when it looks like you should give up on a task the Lord has given you.  Don’t let the enemy win.