Haggai 1:1-15
"to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest" (v1)
Who are the leaders of the returned remnant?
2:1 In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet. (hint: v5)
What is the last day of the Feast of Booths (or Tabernacles, commemorating the exodus, 7 days: 15-21)?
10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, 11“Thus says the Lord of hosts: Ask the priests about the law: 12‘If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy?’” The priests answered and said, “No.”
What is to consecrate? (Lev 6:27)
To conclude this short book, God only addresses Zerubbabel through Haggai.
What is God's promise to Israel, the Jewish people?
"May all the gods whom I have placed within their sanctuaries address a daily prayer in my favour."
The Cyrus Cylinder
4“Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? 5Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. 6You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes."
What is the problem?
4Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts
What does strength look like when we believe God is with us? It looks like work, not passive waiting (Jesus in Mark 6:50, ‘Take heart, it is I; have no fear.’)
13Then Haggai said, “If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?” The priests answered and said, “It does become unclean.”
What is to defile? (Lev 11:28)
21Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I am about to shake the heavens and the earth, 22and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and overthrow the chariots and their riders. And the horses and their riders shall go down, every one by the sword of his brother.
What is imminent because it has happened before?
Around 680 BC, Isaiah 45:1 writes, "Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed."
What is prophecy? In October 539 BC Babylon, last bastion, fell and Cyrus’s empire was complete. In the original Hebrew Bible (Tanakh / Old Testament), the name Cyrus appears as כּוֹרֶשׁ (Koresh) or the closely related form כֹּרֶשׁ. The Hebrew form (Strong’s H3566) occurs 15 times. The Aramaic form (Strong’s H3567, used in the Aramaic sections of Ezra and Daniel) occurs 8 times. These total 23 occurrences by name.
7“Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. 8Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the Lord."
What is the solution?
2 cups are harder to crumple than 1 cup.
What is community with one another where we help one another, and what is community with God where God helps us?
First, graduate from high school; secondly, work full time, and then finally, get married before having kids.
How to not be poor?
23On that day, declares the Lord of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the Lord, and make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the Lord of hosts.”
What is official and ultimate authority? (only Jesus who is both God and man)
The LORD Almighty will bless them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance.” Isaiah 19:25
What is eternal peace?
14And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God
Who changes the spirit, or changes us from the inside?
6For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. 7And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts. 8The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts.
What is the prophecy regarding the temple? In 521 BC, Ezra 6 (1-5 Darius reorders Cyrus' order, 6-10 enemies pay for the construction, 11-12 punishment for interfering). In 19 BC, Herod also reconstructs the temple and doubles its size.
14Then Haggai answered and said, “So is it with this people, and with this nation before me, declares the Lord, and so with every work of their hands. And what they offer there is unclean."
What is hypocrisy?
Pattern (big picture repetition):
A) Accusation (1:1–11), then response (1:12–15), followed by assurance of ultimate success (2:1–9).
B) Accusation (2:10–17), then response (2:18-19), followed by assurance of _______ _______ (2:20–23).
What is ultimate success? Jesus will reign from Jerusalem
"Lord of hosts" is Haggai's favorite way to represent God.
What is repetition? 5+9=14 (37%). Haggai is saying that God is powerful enough to fulfill all his promises even when nothing in the present looks promising.
2 Maremma guardian dogs save all the penguins.
What is leadership? (where you get to lead, save the rest, and where you don't get to lead, pray for God to change the leaders, literally or from the inside out)
9The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.
What is the ultimate future, or prophecy, of the temple? (Jerusalem means the city of peace) The world, not just the Jewish people, will eventually have peace when Jesus returns and reigns from Jerusalem.
While the percentage of young adults with high school diplomas increased from 50% to 55% between 2017 and 2023, that group also saw the largest decrease in scores on tests measuring literacy skills compared to older adults with diplomas.
How to defile high school students and the future of a country?
23On that day, declares the Lord of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the Lord, and make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the Lord of hosts.”
Who is doing all the work of fulfilling the promises to Israel?
24After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree! Romans 11:24
What is the future promise to Israel?