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Haggai 1 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
We just finished studying Zephaniah who warned of God’s future judgment on Judah, and as predicted, they were carried off to captivity by Babylon. That bondage lasted 70 years until Babylon was conquered by King Darius of Persia around 539 B.C. Soon after (Haggai writes it was in Darius’ second year), the Jews were released to go back to Israel. This is where Haggai picks up.
“In 538 B.C. Cyrus King of Persia allowed the exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem after 70 years in captivity. Two years later (536 B.C.) construction on the temple began, led by Zerubbabel. The work stopped after two years (534 B.C.). After 14 years of neglect, work on the temple resumed in 520 B.C. and was finished four years later in 516 B.C.”
David Guzik
Haggai’s prophecy begins in September of 520 B.C. after the 14 years of neglect. So, as you can see, the dates line up very well. The people had started working on the temple but they failed to finish. There were many factors that played into their choice to rebuild.
They Remembered Their Past
There are many reasons why we should detach from our past. We are no longer that person, and through Jesus, those decisions are covered by His blood. But God allows us to experience trials in order for us to be strengthened by His presence. He will discipline us and that discipline will produce growth. God’s people had just spent 70 years in exile. It was fresh in their minds and they knew the pain it had caused. Before that time, they were indifferent to God’s ways as they embraced sin. God used the practicality of life’s struggles to teach them His ways. When you touch a hot stove, you get burnt. Sooner or later, you learn to stop touching the stove. Freedom in Christ is not a moral checklist. It is the freedom to choose what pleases God instead of what displeases Him. Through Christ, our past can light the way to our future.
They Had A Healthy Fear
God’s people not only embraced sin, but they also ignored His prophets. So when Haggai spoke, the people knew God meant business. A healthy fear is a component of our faith that takes the Word of God seriously and cooperates with Him in His work.
Then Zerubbabel and Joshua and all the people who had returned from the exile in Babylonia, did what the LORD their God told them to do. They were afraid and obeyed the prophet Haggai, the LORD’s messenger.
Haggai 1:12 GNB
They Needed Inspiration
Many times we feel like failures so we don’t even start. Sometimes when God calls us to something, we only go half-way. God’s goal was a rebuilt temple. He promised to be with His people on this journey but they needed to commit in order for His encouragement and His presence to be felt. It was a leap of faith, but God met them in their obedience and inspired them to complete His work.
The LORD inspired everyone to work on the Temple: Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah; Joshua, the High Priest, and all the people who had returned from the exile. They began working on the Temple of the LORD Almighty, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month of the second year that Darius was emperor.
Haggai 1:14-15 GNB
When He calls us to step out, He will inspire us to finish!