Haggai
Rebuilding the Temple
Central Teaching
Haggai exhorts the returned exiles in Jerusalem to put aside selfish attitudes and to rebuild the temple of God.
Memory Verse
Setting
Haggai was a prophet living in Jerusalem during the postexilic time, delivering the words of his prophecy in 520 BC. The Israelite exiles had recently returned from Babylon and were beginning to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. Throughout the book, the continued reference to the reign of Persian kings (1:1, 15; 2:10) reminds the reader that the Persians still dominated the area and that Davidic kings did not sit on the throne in Jerusalem.
“I will make you like my signet ring” (Hag. 2:23). Signet rings were used to authorize and authenticate royal documents. Shown above is an Egyptian royal signet ring (575 BC).
Message
Many of the Israelite exiles returned to Israel after the Persian king Cyrus decreed that such peoples could go back to their lands. But such a return was difficult. Resources were scarce and these former exiles were not wealthy. While many of them resettled in Jerusalem and began to rebuild the society and the commercial structure there, the people became so focused on their own personal well-being that they neglected to keep their focus on God. They abandoned any idea of rebuilding God’s temple, thus relegating the worship of God to the fringes of their concerns. Haggai, however, confronts them over this marginalization of God and convinces them to focus again on worshiping God. Step one, Haggai proclaims, is to rebuild the temple, which is the major theme of Haggai.
The people work energetically on rebuilding the temple, but they simply do not have the resources to build an impressive building, much less a spectacular structure such as their forefather Solomon built. As a result, they are disappointed in their new temple. God, however, does not seem to be bothered by this, and he exhorts them to be strong and continue the work, restating that “I am with you” (2:4). The presence of God among them is more important than the splendor of the stones in the physical temple structure. In 2:9 the Lord declares, “The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house.” This is a surprising statement, especially when one compares the rebuilt structure with the spectacular grandeur of the Solomonic temple. God’s promise finds fulfillment, however, when Jesus Christ enters this temple 550 years later, bringing such glory with him that it overshadows the glory of the Solomonic temple, even with all of its gold and splendor.
Outline
Interesting Features
- The book of Haggai stresses the continued Persian domination.
- Haggai focuses on rebuilding the temple.
- Haggai speaks of the future glory (Christ) that will come to this temple.
A model of the Second Temple in the time of Herod
Connections
For many of us in the church today, Haggai nails us right between the eyes. Haggai points out to the people of Jerusalem that they have their priorities mixed up; they are more concerned with their own houses than with the worship of God. Does this apply to us today? Most certainly. We spend more time and money on ourselves, often giving to the Lord our meager leftovers, if even that. Haggai tells us to make serving and worshiping the Lord our top priority in everything, including our budgets.