Haggai Chapter 1 Treasures
From the Book of Haggai
Haggai 1: [1]
In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of
the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel,
governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech,
the high priest, saying,
Haggai Delivers Gods Message to Convict
the People of Sin
1. The Destruction of Jerusalem (1)
GOD
had always met with His people at the tabernacle.
King David wanted to build the House of the LORD (2 Samuel 7); to be a place of
permanence.
GOD would not allow David to build, but GOD did choose
Solomon (David’s son) to build the Temple.
The Temple stood for 424 years.
Israel sinned against the LORD and GOD sent the Babylonians
led by Nebuchadnezzar to chastise Israel
The Babylonians conquered Israel and destroyed the city
of Jerusalem along with the Temple.
Thus Babylon carried away the children of Israel into
captivity.
2. The Decree (1)
After
70 years of captivity (Jer 29:10), GOD would allow Israel to be
released.
Here is how it happened. The Medes and the Persians
invaded and conquered Babylon.
The new king, King Cyrus, decreed that Israel be freed
and go and rebuild the Temple (Ezra
1:1-3).
Israel’s return to Jerusalem was led by their governor Zerubbabel and their High Priest Joshua.
49,897 persons left Babylonian captivity, travelling 900
miles back to the ruins & rubble of Jerusalem.
3. The Difficulties (1)
The
first thing the returning people did upon their return was build an altar to
the LORD.
They began to sacrifice to the LORD and the inhabitants
of the land complained.
Then the people took 2 years to lay the foundation for
the new House of the LORD.
There was a great time of dedicating the foundation.
The workers were met by stiff opposition, resistance,
attacks, disruptions, threats and frustrations grew.
The land was in ruins and the workers were greatly
discouraged.
The work on the Temple was hindered and a work stoppage
continued for over 15 years.
Haggai 1:[2] Thus speaketh
the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that
the LORD's house should be built. [3] Then came the word of the LORD by
Haggai the prophet, saying, [4]
Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled
houses, and this house lie waste? [5]
Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. [6]
Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye
drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm;
and he that earneth wages earneth
wages to put it into a bag with holes.
4. Delivering GOD’s
Messsage (1-6)
After
15 years of work stoppage, in the 2nd year of King Darius, successor of Cyrus,GOD sent His men.
GOD sent the prophets Zechariah and Haggai to encourage Zerubbabel, Joshua and the people.
Zechariah was a man with his head in the clouds; a man of
vision boldly proclaiming GOD’s word.
Haggai was a man with both feet on the ground; a
straightforward man of GOD.
In the midst of discouragement, Haggai says “Thus speaketh the LORD.”
The LORD says “this people say” rather than “my
people say.”
Evidently the people are not living like GOD’s people.
A.
Procrastination (2-5)
The
people practiced sinful procrastination. They were putting off what GOD told
them to do.
The people say “the time is not come, that the LORD’s House should be built.”
They reason that the work was hard and the opposition was
great; therefore it’s not GOD’s time to build.
Yet, according to verse 4, the people were able to build
their own personal houses.
Their own houses were “ceiled” which means
paneled or elegant while GOD’s House lies in waste.
Therefore GOD says in verse 5, “Consider your ways.”
Examine your hearts and amend your ways.
B. Priorities (2-6)
GOD
knows the real motives and the people had better stop to consider them as well.
GOD knows their reasons and excuses; and now it is time
for GOD to expose the real problem.
The problem is not timing but priorities.
The people were content to let the cause of the LORD
suffer for their own personal comfort.
The people were concerned about their selves but had no
concern for the house of GOD.
Deuteronomy
8:18
[18]
But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is
he that giveth thee power to get wealth.
Since GOD gives the power to gain wealth, He has the
power to take wealth.
GOD says “Consider your ways.”
Since
their priorities are so mixed up, then GOD will chastise them to bring
correction.
GOD says “Ye have sown much, and bring in little.”
They are stifled by selfishness.
GOD has allowed finances to get tight because you have
the wrong priorities.
GOD says “you are never satisfied because you have no
real interest or investment in my house.”
GOD says “your wages are put into a bag with holes”
because of your bad motives you are cursed.
The
people thought since things are tough then GOD is against building the Temple
right now.
Maybe they think “well the economy is bad and we have
such little left over to give.”
GOD knew their money was tied up in houses, chariots,
horses, possessions and investments.
Some people had more houses or properties than one. They
think having more is good.
The
property of the people was valued more than the House of GOD.
They could not figure out their problems were self
inflicted because they refused to trust GOD.
Haggai 1:[7] Thus saith
the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. [8]
Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure
in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD. [9] Ye looked for much, and, lo, it
came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did
blow upon it. Why? saith the
LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto
his own house. [10] Therefore
the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit.
[11] And I called for a drought
upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new
wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth
forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour
of the hands.
5. Duty Encouraged (7-11)
Haggai
again says “Thus saith the LORD of hosts; consider your
ways.”
Stop long enough to understand what is happening is your own
neglect and amend your ways.
The people are told “go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and
build the house.”
It will take faith, action, dedication and commitment,
but they must finish the House of the LORD.
What is our commitment to the LORD? What does GOD compete
with for your attention and affection?
GOD says if you will be obedient and build that HE “will
take pleasure in it and be glorified.”
In verse 9, Haggai reminds the people if they choose to
neglect this warning, nothing will go right.
They have great expectations, but it will never happen
because GOD has cursed them for disobedience.
“Why?” GOD’s
House is not first. The people were living for self and not for the Savior.
In the 15 years since the work stopped, GOD has taken
away blessings.
Look at verse 10 & 11, GOD has sent drought and
famine to get the attention of the people.
The crops, grain, grapes and oil, will suffer. The land,
the livestock and the economy will suffer.
Haggai encourages the people, just return to the work at
the House of GOD.
Haggai 1:[12]
Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel,
and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with
all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the
words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people
did fear before the LORD. [13]
Then spake Haggai the LORD's
messenger in the LORD's message unto the people,
saying, I am with you, saith the LORD. [14] And the LORD stirred up the spirit
of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel,
governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech,
the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the
house of the LORD of hosts, their God, [15]
In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius
the king.
6. Decision Expressed (12-15)
In
verse 12, Zerubbabel, Joshua and the people obeyed
the LORD.
As they responded in obedience, they are reminded by the
LORD “I am with you.”
I am sure that opposition is quickly forthcoming, when
the believer is acting in obedience to GOD.
But GOD is with you!
The LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel,
Joshua and the people.
After 15 years of neglect, the people went back to work
on GOD’s House.
Haggai had prophesied on the 1st day of the 6th
month (v1) and they went back to work on the 24th day.
It took just over three
weeks of preaching and proclaiming GOD’s Word.
The project of building GOD House may be delayed BUT it is not defeated.