Haggai 1

Introduction

Cyrus the Great (reign c. 559 – c. 529 BC) founded the Achaemenid Empire in Persia (today’s Iran). It was the largest and most expansive empire the world had ever seen. [1] Cyrus was a benevolent ruler and the Bible records how he allowed the Jewish captives to return to their land and rebuild their temple (2 Chron. 36:22-23). Centuries before Cyrus was born, he was named and called “God’s shepherd” and “his anointed” regarding the return of the Lord’s people. He was called this through the prophet Isaiah (Isa. 44:28; 45:1). Cyrus even sent along with the returnees 5400 items of gold and silver that once belonged to the temple (Ezr. 1:11). He thus set the stage for the post-exilic return to the land as well as the ministry and writings of Haggai, Zechariah, and later Ezra, Nehemiah and Malachi.

The people returned to the land in 537 BC. Despite its miraculous beginning the temple was not built. This happened due to the general discouragement brought about by their hostile neighbors and then by an adverse decree from the new ruler. The temple project was abandoned for the next 16 years, until the preaching of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah.

God works in mysterious ways. He raised up another ruler of the empire and his name was Darius I, commonly known as Darius the Great (reign 522-486 BC). Darius soon decreed that the temple work should continue, putting him in alignment with God’s great purpose. With this new ruler and by means of two fiery prophets, the work began once more. The temple was finished in 516 BC.

Haggai was the first to prophesy about the temple reconstruction. We have to say that Haggai certainly had a zeal for holy things. Trinity College dean, Joyce Baldwin, says of him: “He was probably born on a feast day and therefore named ‘my feast.’” [2]

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: Haggai 1:1

Today, so many “start-up” religions have no anchor whatsoever in history. They simply emerge from someone’s dream, vision or wild idea. It is truly interesting that throughout the Bible, there are numerous, clear anchors in history (For an excellent example see Luke 3:1-2).

Haggai is dated in the reign of the Persian king Darius. This was Darius I the Great of Persia, also called Darius Hystaspes, named after his father. Darius I, was the third king of the Achaemenid Empire, and he reigned from 522 BC until his death in 486.

The timing here is precise, in the second year of this king. To be more accurate still, it is dated on the first day of the sixth month. This would be equivalent to our August/September and the year would have been 520 BC. The first day of the month in the ancient Jewish culture was a day of worship. It was the “new moon” in the lunar calendar and thus a holy day (cf. Psa. 81:3; Isa. 1:13, 14; 66:23; Hos. 2:11; Am. 8:5). [1]

It is generally felt that the prophet Haggai was an older man who had survived much of the exile in Babylon (cf. Ezr. 5:1; 6:14). He was the first post-Exilic prophet to minister to the returning exiles. The period of his prophecy continued only through mid-December of 520 and we never hear from him again. Perhaps he simply died of old age after delivering his important messages.

His messages were delivered to Zerubbabel the governor of Judah and to Joshua the high priest. These two were the divinely established rulers of the returning exiles. Zerubbabel’s name has the meaning “offspring of Babylon.” He was the son of Shealtiel (Matt. 1:12) and grandson of King Jehoiachin (1 Chr. 3:17). [2] Joshua the priest was the son of Josedech, who was son of Seraiah, the high priest in the time of King Zedekiah. Seraiah was taken captive and put to death by Nebuchadnezzar (2 Ki. 25:18-21).

Almost fifty thousand Jews did return to the land and they began at once to establish the worship of God. An altar was first built (Ezr. 3:2-3) and then the foundations of the new temple were laid (Ezr. 3:10-13). However, due to the opposition of the surrounding people and an adverse decree from the new ruler, the work stopped.

“This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘These people say, “The time has not yet come to rebuild the LORD’s house”’” (1:2). We cannot help but notice the Lord’s expression “These people” instead of “My people.” The Lord was showing some disgust with them. Benjamin Franklin once wrote, “I never knew a man who was good at making excuses who was good at anything else.” [3]

There is a possibility that the scholars in the group had questioned whether or not the seventy years of captivity spoken of by Jeremiah had elapsed (Jer. 25:1-14). However, if we subtract the date of the new temple’s completion in 516 BC from the date of the old temple’s destruction in 586 BC, we come up with exactly 70 years. [4] We can see from Daniel’s prophecy of the seventy-sevens that God’s timing has something to do with the temple in Jerusalem (Dan 9:24-27).

“Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: ‘Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?’” (1:3-4). The Hebrew s e-fu-nim from sa-fan can mean “to cover, cover in or panel.” [5] It is likely that here was paneling or wainscoting on the inside of their houses and this spoke of some luxury. This type of decoration was normally found in the palaces of kings (cf. 1 Kgs. 7:7; Jer. 22:14). Some have wondered if the cedars of Lebanon that were meant for the temple (Ezr. 3:7) were being used to pretty-up their own houses.

It was too bad that they did not have Jesus’ words: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt. 6:33). It is of note that King Solomon first built the house of the Lord and then he built his own house. [6]

“Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it’” (1:5-6). All this reminds me of an earlier time in our marriage when my wife and I were not closely following the Lord. At that time, it did not seem to matter how much money we made because our bank account was always near zero. God had given us a bag with holes. Later in life, as we were following the Lord more carefully, money just seemed to come from everywhere and our coffers had a plentiful supply.

God asks that we give careful thought to our ways. Bible professors Charles Pfeiffer and Everett Harrison say, “To be thankful one must be thinkful.” [7] We need to think about our ways. Are we serving God or serving ourselves? Do we have a bag full of holes? Incidentally, this is the first time that the use of actual money is mentioned in the Old Testament. [8]

“This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,’ says the LORD” (1:7-8). God asks again that they think carefully about their ways.

At this time in Bible history the hills of Judea were wooded. Nothing is said here about the stones necessary for the temple. James Burton Coffman, prolific author and teacher, mentions that the rubble of the destroyed city probably provided all the stones they needed. [9]

We might ask why it was so necessary for the actual temple to be rebuilt? We know today that the members of Christ’s body on earth make up his temple (1 Cor. 3:16). William Cowper wrote of this in his beautiful hymn:

Jesus, wher’er thy people meet,

There they behold thy mercy-seat;

Where’er they seek thee, thou are found,

And every place is hallowed ground. [10]

Nevertheless, in the olden days, the temple was necessary. It was the only place where sacrifices could be offered. It was the first step in their messianic expectations. [11] “The honor of the Lord was bound up with the rebuilding of the temple.” [12] The Lord’s honor was bound up with it and yet the people had not lifted a hand to build it in the last 16 years.

“‘You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?’ declares the LORD Almighty. ‘Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house’” (1:9). The Bible connects good blessings upon the earth with the obedience of the people. We note in Leviticus 18:25: “Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants.” God was speaking of the evil Canaanites who possessed the land before Israel. But note what God says to Israel: “And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you” (Lev. 18:28). Unfortunately, they did and it did.

In the 1800s Maltbie Davenport Babcock penned these words:

Back of the loaf is the snowy flour,

And back of the flour the mill;

And back of the mill is the wheat and the shower,

And the sun and the Father’s will. [13]

Commentators have pointed out the great emphasis on the use of God’s name (YHWH) in this section. It is mentioned three times in 1:12, three times in 1:13 and twice in 1:14. [14] God really is in control of the natural world. He can make it a blessing or a curse depending upon the faithfulness of humankind. We remember the original curse that came upon the whole earth due to Adam’s transgression (Gen. 3:17).

“Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops” (1:10). Baldwin says, “Dew was important, especially in August and September, to prevent ripening grain from wilting in the heat.” [15] Of course, there is no rain from about May to September in Israel. Throughout the Bible dew was considered as a blessing from heaven (Gen. 27:28; Zec. 8:12).

“I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands” (1:11). Warren Wiersbe, one with much experience in Christian ministry, teaching and broadcasting says: “In verse 11, Haggai named the basic products that the people needed to survive: water, grain, wine, and oil (Deut. 7:13; 11:14).” [16] Because of God’s curse these things were severely lacking among the returnees. If they had anything left from all their labors God simply blew it away (1:9). Pfeiffer and Harrison say, “Lower creation is always involved in the fortunes of man (Rom 8:19-21).” [17]

Arising To Do God’s Will

Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the LORD their God had sent him. And the people feared the LORD. Haggai 1:12

Wiersbe says: “Haggai delivered this first message on August 29, 520, but it wasn’t until September 21 that the people resumed their work on the temple. Why the three-week delay? For one thing, it was the month when figs and grapes were harvested, and the people didn’t want to lose their crop.” [18] I can remember as a child in grade school how classes used to be suspended for several weeks during cotton picking time in the fall. In those days that was the money crop and farmers needed all the help they could get in picking it. Wiersbe adds: “The Jews had to remove the debris from the temple site…It’s also possible that they took time to confess their sins and purify themselves so that their work would be pleasing to the Lord (Ps. 51:16-19).” [19] It is amazing how people listen and respond when a real man of God appears in their midst. Everyone recognized that Haggai was a true prophet of the Lord and they readily obeyed his message.

“Then Haggai, the LORD’s messenger, gave this message of the LORD to the people: ‘I am with you,’ declares the LORD” (1:13). This was a much-welcomed message for God had not been with them in the recent past. Instead, God had sent natural curses upon them and upon all their selfish efforts. Pfeiffer and Harrison remark that “Every good intention and purpose of the people of God emanates from the Lord.” [20] Ultimately, it is God who stirs up the people so that they can do his will. We can imagine how the message that the temple was restored spread like wildfire to the Jewish communities abroad. It was a symbol of hope and unity to those still scattered. [21] We can understand how it inspired others to keep the faith.

Coffman relates a story from the days when the Statue of Liberty was being erected in New York harbor. “The City of New York was participating in a campaign among the immigrant poor of the great city to raise funds for the construction of the pedestal and supporting tower upon which Bartholdi’s Statue of Liberty would be erected. The campaign was lagging until a poor woman sold her bed for $13.00 and contributed the money. Inspired by that, the people quickly responded and gave more than was needed.” [22]

“So the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the LORD Almighty, their God, on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month. In the second year of King Darius” (1:14-15). Pfeiffer & Harrison say, “The Lord stirred up. Every good intention and purpose of the people of God emanates from the Lord.” [23] It is the Lord who raises up and it is the Lord who gives strength, so in the end it is the Lord who is to be praised for any worthwhile endeavor. We can only imagine how the raising up of this new temple became a symbol of hope and unity for those in the land and those who were waiting and watching in far-away Babylon.

Footnotes

1. Joyce G. Baldwin, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1972), pp. 14, 25.

2. Ibid, p. 28.

Chapter 1

1. Baldwin, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, p. 37.

2. Ronald F. Youngblood, gen. ed., Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1995), p. 1335.

3. Quoted in Warren W. Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2007), p. 1492.

4. James Burton Coffman, “ Commentary on Haggai,” “ Coffman Commentaries on the Bible.” https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bcc/haggai-1.html. (Abilene Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. 1983-1999). v. 1:2.

5. Francis Brown, S. R. Driver & Charles A. Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1957), p. 706.

6. John Trapp, quoted in David Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Haggai, 2018, verse 1:4. https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/haggai-1/

7. Charles F. Pfeiffer & Everett F. Harrison, eds., The Wycliffe Bible Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1979), p. 890.

8. Pett, “ Commentary on Haggai. ” “ Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, ” vs. 1:5-6.

9. Coffman, “Commentary on Haggai, v. 1:7.

10. Hymnary Org. https://hymnary.org/text/jesus_whereer_thy_people_meet.

11. Pett, “Commentary on Haggai,” “Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible,” vs. 1:7-8.

12. Baldwin, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, p. 19.

13. https://wordwisehymns.com/2010/08/03/today-in-1858-maltbie-babcock-born/Bab.

14. Pett, “Commentary on Haggai,” “Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible,” vs. 1:9-11.

15. Baldwin, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, p. 42.

16. Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT, p. 1493.

17. Pfeiffer & Harrison, eds., The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 891.

18. Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT, p. 1494.

19. Ibid.

20. Pfeiffer & Harrison, eds., The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 891.

21. Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset, & David Brown, David, “Commentary on Haggai”. “Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible,” 1871. vs. 1:14-15. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/jfb/haggai-2.html.

22. James Burton Coffman, Commentary on Mark, Coffman Commentaries on the Old and New Testament, vs. 12:43-44. http://www.studylight.org/com/bcc/view.cgi?book=mr&chapter=001. (Abilene Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. 1983-1999).

23. Pfeiffer & Harrison, eds., The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 891.