Haggai 2

It’s one thing to get God’s people back to work and quite another thing to keep them on the job. Dr. Bob Jones Sr. often said that the greatest ability a person can possess is dependability, but too often potential workers excuse themselves and say, “Here am I, Lord; send somebody else.” God’s pattern for His workers is stated in 1 Corinthians 15:52. “To work is to pray,” said Saint Augustine, and God’s people can do any legitimate task to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31).

The rebuilding of the temple was a very special task, for it meant the restoring of true worship in Jerusalem; and completing the project would please the Lord and be a great testimony to the unbelieving nations who were watching the remnant in Jerusalem. Haggai delivered three more brief messages to encourage the laborers to complete their assignments. In each message, he asked them to look in a specific direction to learn what God wanted them to learn.

When the foundation of the temple had been laid sixteen years before, some of the older men had looked back in sorrow as they remembered the glory and beauty of Solomon’s temple (Ezra 3:8–13). It’s likely that Haggai was a member of the older generation and had seen the temple before it was destroyed, but he certainly didn’t weep with the rest of his peers. He rejoiced that the work had begun, and he wanted to see it completed.

Discouragement (vv. 1–3). Rather than ignore the problem of discouragement that was sure to come when the people contrasted the two temples, the prophet faced the problem head-on. He picked an important day on which to deliver his message: October 17, the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles. This feast was devoted to praising God for the harvest and for remembering Israel’s pilgrim days in the wilderness (Lev. 23:34–43).

But the important thing about the date was this: it was during the Feast of Tabernacles that King Solomon had dedicated the original temple (1 Kings 8:2), and Haggai wanted the people to think about that. The restored building had nothing of the splendor of Solomon’s temple, but it was still God’s house, built according to His plan and for His glory. The same ministry would be performed at its altars and the same worship presented to the Lord. Times change, but ministry goes on.

Encouragement: God’s presence (vv. 4–9). Haggai didn’t deny that the new temple was “as nothing” in comparison to what Solomon had built, but that wasn’t important. The important thing was that this was God’s work and they could depend on Him to help them finish it. Haggai said “Be strong!” to the governor, the high priest, and the people working on the building, and those two words would be very significant to them.

During the Feast of Tabernacles, the Jews had the book of Deuteronomy read to them (Deut. 31:9–13), so they heard the record of the three times Moses told Joshua and the people to be strong (Deut. 31:6–7, 23). No doubt they also remembered that three times the Lord told Joshua to be strong (Josh. 1:6–7, 9); and when King David charged Solomon with the task of building the original temple, three times he told his son to be strong (1 Chron. 22:13; 28:10, 20). “Be strong” wasn’t an empty phrase; it was an important part of their own Jewish history.

It’s one thing to tell people to be strong and work and quite something else to give them a solid foundation for those words of encouragement. Haggai told them why they should be strong and work: because the Lord was with them (Hag. 2:4; see 1:13).

The promise of God’s presence was an encouragement to both Joshua (Josh. 1:5, 9; 3:7) and Solomon (1 Chron. 28:20). Believers today can claim the same promise as they serve the Lord, “For he himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Heb. 13: niv; and see Deut. 31:6, 8).

Encouragement: God’s covenant (v. 5). The promise of God’s presence with His people is guaran-

teed by His unchanging Word (v. 5). When the tabernacle was dedicated by Moses, God’s presence moved in (Ex. 40:34–38), for the Lord had promised to dwell with His people. “Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. They will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them” (Ex. 29:45–46 niv). The same Holy Spirit who enabled Moses and the elders to lead the people (Num. 11:16–17, 25; Isa. 63:11) would enable the Jews to finish building the temple.

The prophet Zechariah, who ministered with Haggai, also emphasized the importance of trusting the Holy Spirit for the enablement needed to do God’s will: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts” (Zech. 4:6). A. W. Tozer once said, “If God were to take the Holy Spirit out of this world, much of what we’re doing in our churches would go right on, and nobody would know the difference.” What an indictment!

Encouragement: God’s promise (vv. 6–7, 9). With prophetic insight, Haggai looked ahead to the time when the Son of God would minister in this temple and bring the glory of God into its precincts (John 1:14). Herod’s temple replaced the temple Zerubbabel built, but the Jews still considered it “the second temple.” Certainly the glory that Jesus brought into that temple was greater than the glory of the tabernacle or the temple Solomon built.

Then Haggai looked even further into the future and saw the end of the ages, when God would shake the nations and Jesus would return (Hag. 2:7). This verse is quoted in Hebrews 12:26–27 and applied to the return of Christ at the end of the age. God had shaken Sinai when He gave the law (Heb. 12:18–21; Ex. 19:16–25), and He will shake the nations before He sends His Son (Matt. 24:29–30). But today, God’s people belong to a kingdom that cannot be shaken (Heb. 12:28); and they will share the glory of Christ when He establishes that kingdom on earth.

In both Jewish and Christian tradition, the phrase “the desire of all nations” (Hag. 2:7) has been generally interpreted as a messianic title of Christ. The nations of the world inwardly desire what Christ alone can give, whether they recognize this spiritual yearning or not. Charles Wesley followed this interpretation when he wrote in his Christmas hymn “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” Come, Desire of nations, come! Fix in us Thy humble home …

In the Hebrew text, the verb “will come” is plural, while “desired” is singular; so some interpreters translate “desired” as a compound noun: “the desirable things of the nations,” that is, their treasures. The remnant had no beautiful treasures with which to adorn their temple, but when Messiah comes to reign, the treasures of the nations will be brought to Him and will be used for His glory.

The glory referred to in Haggai 2: is the glory that Jesus brought to the temple in Jerusalem, but the glory in verse 9 refers to the glory of the millennial temple that will function during Christ’s reign on earth (Ezek. Third message: contamination 40—48; see 43:1–12). Isaiah 60:1–5 and Zechariah 14: teach that the nations will bring their wealth to the King when Israel is established in the promised kingdom.

God not only promised the coming of Messiah and the glory of God in the future temples, but He also promised peace (Hag. 2:9). “In this place” refers to the city of Jerusalem where the Messiah will reign as “Prince of peace” (Isa. 9:6). Those who believe on Jesus today have peace with God (Rom. 5:1) because of His atoning death and victorious resurrection (Col. 1:20; John 20:19–21). They may also enjoy the “peace of God” as they yield to Christ and trust wholly in Him (Phil. 4:6–9).

Encouragement: God’s provision (v. 8). Finally, the Lord assured them that, in spite of the bad economy and their lack of wealth, He was able to provide all they needed. “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine” (v. 8). True, the remnant had promises of provision from the government (Ezra 1:4; 3:7; 6:4), but government grants are limited. God owns all the wealth, even the wealth stored in the king’s treasury, and He can distribute it as He desires. God promises to supply all our needs according to His riches in glory (Phil. 4:19).

It’s better to fail in an endeavor that you know will ultimately succeed than to succeed in an endeavor you know will ultimately fail. The humble temple the Jewish remnant was constructing would not last, and even Herod’s ornate temple would be destroyed by the Romans, but there would one day be a glorious temple that nobody could destroy or defile. Knowing this, the discouraged remnant could take courage and finish their work.

About two months later (Dec. 18), the Lord spoke to Haggai again and gave him a message about sin. God couldn’t bless the people the way He wanted to because they were defiled, so it was important that they keep themselves clean before the Lord. “Clean” and “unclean” were very important concepts to the Jews living under the old covenant; in fact, this is one of the major themes of the book of Leviticus. If a Jew became defiled, perhaps by touching a dead body or an open sore, he was separated from the rest of the camp and required to bathe before being allowed to return. In some instances, he had to offer a proper sacrifice to restore fellowship with the Lord.

Haggai went to the priests, who were the authorities on this subject, and asked them two simple questions, not for his own education (he certainly knew the law) but for the benefit of the people who were present.

Question #1—holiness (vv. 11–12). When an animal was presented on the altar as a sacrifice, the meat was considered holy; that is, it belonged to the Lord and was set apart to be used only as He instructed. The priests and their families were permitted to eat portions of some of the sacrifices, but they had to be careful how they ate it, where they ate it, and what they did with the leftovers (Lev. 6:8—7:38).

“If a garment containing a piece of consecrated meat touches food,” Haggai asked, “does the garment make the food holy?” The priests replied, “No.” Why? Because you can’t transmit holiness in such a simple manner. Even though the garment is holy (set apart) because of the sanctified meat, this holiness can’t be imparted to other objects by the garment.

Question #2—defilement (v. 13). “Suppose somebody touched a dead body and became unclean,” Haggai said. “Could that person touch another person and make him unclean?” The answer was obviously yes. Haggai had made his point: you can transmit defilement from one thing or person to another, but you can’t transmit sanctity. The same principle applies in the area of health: you can transmit your sickness to healthy people and make them sick, but you can’t share your health with them.

The application (vv. 14–19). “What is Haggai driving at?” the people no doubt were asking, so he told them. The people working on the temple couldn’t impart any holiness to it, but they could defile it by their sins. Not only was it important that they do God’s work, but it was also important that they do His work from hearts that were pure and devoted to God. The prophet reviewed their recent history. During the years when they were selfish, they experienced the discipline of the Lord (1:1–11). The Jews weren’t keeping the terms of the covenant, so God couldn’t bless them as He promised, and their economy fell apart. When the grain was in the fields, God smote it with mildew and hail, and after the grain had been harvested, the supply didn’t last (Deut. 28:22).

Why had God done this to His people? To get them to turn back to Him with all their hearts. “Yet you did not turn to me” (Hag. 2: niv). They were so concerned to build their own houses that they ignored the house of God, and yet the rebuilding of the temple was the task that had brought them to Jerusalem!

Haggai was issuing a call to repentance, and with that call came the assurance of God’s blessing (vv. 18–19). He was reminding the people of the promise God gave Solomon after the dedication of the temple: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chron. 7:14).

Had the workers been devoted to the Lord when the foundation of the temple was laid, God’s blessing would have followed immediately; but the people were sinful at heart, and their sin grieved the Lord and defiled their work. “Is the seed yet in the barn?” he asked his congregation (Hag. 2:19); and they would have had to answer, “No.” It was late December and the men had just plowed the fields for the winter crops. Haggai was calling on them to trust God for the future harvest. It was another example of Matthew 6:33: put God’s interests first and He’ll take care of the rest. “From this day will I bless you” (Hag. 2:19).

Many local church constitutions assign to the elders the “spiritual direction” of the church, and to the deacons the responsibilities for the “material” aspects of the ministry. For organizational purposes, this may be convenient, but this separation of “material” and “spiritual” is not biblical. The construction of a new church sanctuary should be just as spiritual an endeavor as an evangelistic crusade or a missions conference. One of the best ways to show our spiritual devotion to the Lord is by using material things to His glory, including money and buildings. The managing of material blessings demands as much sanctity as the managing of the “spiritual” ministries of the church.

It must always be that sin hinders the work of God and robs us of the blessings of God. It was the sins of the people that brought about the destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity of the nation, and their sins could hinder the rebuilding of the temple and the renewing of the Jewish nation in their own land. “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Prov. 14: nkjv).

Haggai has asked the people to look back and then to look within. They’ve learned about God’s glory and God’s holiness.

There is now a third look and a third lesson to learn.

Haggai has encouraged the Jewish people to stay on the job and finish God’s house. Now he has a special word of encouragement for Zerubbabel the governor, and it was delivered on the same day as the third message, December 18. Being a faithful preacher of the Word, Haggai was always listening for God’s voice and sensitive to whatever the Lord wanted him to say and do.

Zerubbabel was the grandson of King Jehoiachin

(Jeconiah, Matt. 1:12; Coniah, Jer. 22:24, 28), and therefore of the royal line of David. But instead of wearing a crown and sitting on a throne, Zerubbabel was the humble governor of a struggling remnant of the Jewish nation, trying to complete the building of a rather inglorious temple. What a discouraging situation for a royal prince to be in!

So, God gave His servant Haggai a special word of encouragement for the governor. Were the nations around Jerusalem larger and stronger? Rest assured that the Lord will care for His people Israel as He has always done in the past. The same God who enabled Moses to defeat Egypt, and Joshua to conquer the nations in Canaan, would protect His people so that His purposes could be fulfilled through them. Israel will endure until the last days, and then the Lord will defeat her enemies and establish her in her kingdom.

The Lord called Zerubbabel “my servant,” an exclusive title reserved for specially chosen people, and Zerubbabel was indeed chosen by the Lord. God compared him to a royal signet ring. The signet ring was used by kings to put their official “signature” on documents (Est. 3:10; 8:8, 10), the guarantee that the king would keep his promise and fulfill the terms of the document.

Zerubbabel’s ancestor, King Jehoiachin (Coniah), had been rejected by God, but Zerubbabel was accepted by God. “‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet on My right hand, yet would I pluck you off’” (Jer. 22: nkjv). God was reversing the judgment and renewing His promise that the Davidic line would not die out but would one day give the world a Savior. That’s why we find Zerubbabel named in the genealogies of Jesus Christ (Matt. 1:12; Luke 3:27).

This message must have encouraged Zerubbabel to stay on the job and finish the work God gave him to do. He was special to God, chosen by God, the servant of God! He was as near and dear to God as a king’s signet ring. The people of Israel would have many centuries of struggle and suffering before them, but the Messiah would come, and one day, Israel’s enemies would be defeated and the glorious kingdom established.

As you read the Old Testament, you see how “salvation history” progressed from age to age, always moving toward the fulfillment of the messianic promise. Many people played different roles in the drama, but each of them was important. Abraham founded the nation, and Isaac and Jacob built it. Joseph protected it in Egypt and Moses redeemed the people from Egypt. Joshua gave them their promised inheritance, and David established the kingdom. In spite of sin, suffering, and failures, the Davidic line never ceased, and the day came when Jesus Christ, the Son of David, was born in Bethlehem.

When the Christian church celebrates the birth of Christ, people remember Mary and Joseph, the magi, the shepherds, and even wicked King Herod; but they rarely think about Zerubbabel, a humble player in the drama, but a faithful one.

We can’t leave Haggai without noting some practical lessons for God’s people today.

1. The work of God is begun, sustained, and encouraged by the Word of God. “So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo” (Ezra 6: niv). When God’s servants proclaim God’s Word in the power of the Spirit, things begin to happen. “Is it not clear, as you take a bird’s-eye view of church history,” said Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, “that the decadent periods and eras in the history of the church have always been those periods when preaching had declined? What is it that always heralds the dawn of a Reformation or of a revival? It is renewed preaching.”

2. God’s servants must work together to build God’s temple. Haggai and Zechariah, an older man and a younger man, both ministered the Word to the Jewish remnant, and God blessed their mutual efforts. It’s tragic when preachers and churches compete with one another and even carry on public disputes that give the enemy ammunition to oppose the gospel. “For we are laborers together with God” (1 Cor. 3:9).

3. When the outlook is bleak, try the uplook. Apart from God’s promises, we have no hope. As Vance Havner used to say, “Faith sees the invisible, chooses the imperishable, and does the impossible.” Our work today is a part of God’s work in the future, and we want to do our best.

4. Putting God first is the guarantee of God’s best blessing. Why should God’s work suffer while we pursue pleasure and comfort for ourselves? An affluent generation of Christians that is wasting God’s generous gifts on trivia and toys will have much to answer for when the Lord returns. Matthew 6: is still in the Bible, and so is Romans 14:12.

5. Apart from the power of the Holy Spirit, our labors are in vain. “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Phil. 2: nkjv). God still demonstrates His power and receives great glory through the weak things of this world (1 Cor. 1:26–31). If we’re too strong in ourselves, the Lord can’t use us. That’s what ruined King Uzziah, “for he was greatly helped until he became powerful” (2 Chron. 26:15).

Z E C H A R I A HNow, we turn to Haggai’s associate, the young prophet Zechariah, and study his striking prophecies and Jerusalem, the Jews, and the Messiah.