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Today's Little Lift
by Jim Bullington
Haggai – Prophet of Introspection and Exhortation (1 of 4)
Focus Text: Haggai 1.1-5
“In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, ‘Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, saying: “This people says, ‘The time has not come, the time that the LORD’S house should be built.’”’ Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying, ‘Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?’ Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Consider your ways!’”
In point of time, “the lamp of Old Testament prophecy” (as Matthew Henry calls it) was flickering and just about to be extinguished. After that light was put out, four hundred years of virtual darkness, so far as a prophet was concerned, was to occur. Haggai lived and worked within a few of generations of that great darkness. His words were always direct and pointed. Haggai caused men to look inward, the purpose of Scripture, and to compare their actions with the gold standard, the Word of God. His work is practical in that he led men to alter their attitudes so that they would amend their ways. He was a great motivator of the returning Hebrews, a motivator to look inward (introspection) and to correct the things that were lacking in their lives (exhortation).
God’s providential goodness had allowed the Jews to escape the bondage of the Chaldeans and return to their own land; they certainly had not accomplished such by their own efforts. Yet, the great rallying point for all the Jews, the Temple, lay in ruins while the people worked feverishly on their own houses; how could this be right? The only way it could be justified was for the people to say, “The time has not come, the time that the LORD’S house should be built.” Perhaps they cited specific prophecies of the past such as those uttered by Jeremiah or others to justify their deferring of work on this great symbol of national pride. Whatever the specific justification, common sense said that the cart was being placed before the horse and that the priorities of the Jews were incorrectly established. Enter Haggai the motivator!
“Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?” Even the governor (Zerubbabel) and the high priest (Joshua) were called to account; perhaps more accurately, especially the governor and the high priest were called to account. They were leaders of the people and their actions were mimicked by the people. Why should the people proceed down one path, i.e. building the temple, while their leaders went down another, i.e. seeing to their own personal desires? Haggai went to the source of the problem and did not just treat the symptoms as perhaps we as humans are prone to do so frequently where spiritual matters are concerned.
Did we mention courage? No, but it is certainly implied in the work of Haggai! He did not spare in his calls for repentance and played favorites to none. He is a model in that respect to all who teach or preach the word of God!
Questions:
1. What role had the temple formerly played as a rallying point for the Jews?
2. Why would God see its rebuilding as a priority at this time?
3. What had been done to destroy the Jews sense of National pride and identity?
4. By going to the governor and the high priest first, what message did Haggai send to the people?
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