Major Lessons from Minor Prophets
First Things First! (Haggai)
Lesson #10 for June 8, 2013
Scriptures: Haggai 1; 2;John 2:19; Ezra 3:1-6; Matthew 1:23; 12:6; Luke 24:13-27.
- Haggai’s short book of only two chapters is all about priorities. What are our priorities? Take a look at the chronology surrounding the experiences of Haggai and Zechariah:
August 536,535 B.C. (1% of Jews returned with Zerubbabel and company to Jerusalem)
August 29, 520 B.C. (Haggai 1:1);
September 15, 520 B.C. (Haggai 1:15);
October 17, 520 B.C. (Haggai 2:1); and
December 18, 520 B.C. (Haggai 2:10 andHaggai 2:20).
March 12, 515 B.C. (Ezra 6:15) - Temple finished.
All four oracles of Haggai are precisely dated in the year 520 B.C., the second year of the reign of Darius I (521-486 B.C.), king of Persia. The first oracle was delivered on the first day of Elul (August-September), the second on the twenty-first day of Tishri (September-October), and the last two on the twenty-fourth day of Kislev (November-December). Later the messages were compiled into what is now known as the Book of Haggai. For the historical background of the book, see Ezra 1-7. (Believer’s Study Bible) [Compare The Anchor Bible, Haggai, Zechariah 1-8, p. xlvi] [Haggai may have seen Solomon’s temple which was destroyed in 586 B.C. Some think Haggai was born in Babylon.]
- Haggai’s book, one of the shortest in the Bible, was written at a critical time in the life of Judah. The exiles had returned from their captivity in Babylon almost twenty years before; yet, they seemed to have forgotten the reason for their return. They let God’s temple sit in ruins while they devoted their energy to building their own houses. Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide for June 1, 2013. [And what are we doing today? Do we pay a faithful tithe?]
- Read Haggai 1.
For over a year the temple was neglected and well?nigh forsaken. The people dwelt in their homes and strove to attain temporal prosperity, but their situation was deplorable. Work as they might they did not prosper. The very elements of nature seemed to conspire against them. Because they had let the temple lie waste, the Lord sent upon their substance a wasting drought. God had bestowed upon them the fruits of field and garden, the corn and the wine and the oil, as a token of His favor; but because they had used these bountiful gifts so selfishly, the blessings were removed.—Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 573.
- Does God actually send drought? Does He take away blessings, even allowing people to starve if they do not do what He wants them to do? Does that sound like a God of love? Is it important for us to keep our priorities straight? Had God warned them what would happen if they ignored Him? (Leviticus 26:16,20) Are you comfortable with these words from God? Is this the “health and wealth” gospel?
- In last week’s lesson, we noticed that there were people in Zephaniah’s day claiming that God would never do anything–neither good nor bad. (Zephaniah 1:12) Well, God certainly did something! They went into Babylonian captivity; and then in Haggai’s day, they were brought back. But, they were acting like they were just as ignorant of God’s plan for them as their ancestors had been. Do you see any warning for us?
- In Haggai’s day, the question was about building God’s temple in Jerusalem. After returning from Babylon, they had built a small altar presumably on the bare rock on Mount Moriah to give offerings to God. But, years had gone by and no further progress was made, partially because of the opposition of their neighbors.
- But then, suddenly, Haggai and Zechariah appeared and began speaking on God’s behalf. In a very short period of time–about three and half months–Haggai gave four messages to the people and one message personally to Zerubbabel. The work on the temple began; and people did what they could; and in a period of about four years, the temple was completed.
- Apparently, Haggai and Zechariah were two of the most immediately successful of the prophets of Old Testament times. Note that the book of Haggai consists of five messages:Haggai 1:1-15; 2:1-9; 2:10-19; and 2:20-23; and finally, there was a fifth message for Zerubbabel. Only Jonah and Nehemiah rivaled the success of these two!
- ReadHaggai 1:12-14. Did God’s statement, “I am with you” remind them of those earlier statements inGenesis 26:3; Exodus 3:12; andNumbers 14:9? Were these personal messages?
- Today, do we act as if God is with us? Of course, the greatest manifestation of God being with us as a human family was when Jesus came down to this earth. (SeeIsaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23; 28:20) Why does God care so much about this tiny blue marble in space? One day–after the millennium–God will make our world the headquarters for the universe!
- ReadHaggai 2:1-5. The people had begun to lay the foundations for the new temple. Remembering the magnificent glory of Solomon’s Temple, the older people wept as they saw this one by comparison. (Ezra 3:12; Haggai 2:3) They realized they would never be able to build another temple like Solomon’s.
- But, God had great plans for this new temple! At the dedication of the tent-tabernacle in the wilderness, God’s presence had descended to fill it so that not even Moses could go inside. A similar occurrence happened at the dedication of Solomon’s Temple. But, this temple, later massively expanded to become Herod’s Temple, did not have any of the special manifestation of God’s Spirit at its dedication. There was no covenant box in the most holy place; there was no altar of incense and no table of showbread. But, this temple was to be more glorious than even Solomon’s magnificent temple. (SeeExodus 40:34,35; Numbers 9:15,16; 1 Kings 8:10,11; Isaiah 6:4; Ezekiel 43:4,5; Revelation 15:8; Matthew 12:6)
- What is God trying to teach us inHaggai 2:6-9? How could that new temple be more glorious?
But the second temple had not equaled the first in magnificence; nor was it hallowed by those visible tokens of the divine presence which pertained to the first temple. There was no manifestation of supernatural power to mark its dedication. No cloud of glory was seen to fill the newly erected sanctuary. No fire from heaven descended to consume the sacrifice upon its altar. The Shekinah no longer abode between the cherubim in the most holy place; the ark, the mercy seat, and the tables of the testimony were not to be found therein. No voice sounded from heaven to make known to the inquiring priest the will of Jehovah.
For centuries the Jews had vainly endeavored to show wherein the promise of God given by Haggai had been fulfilled; yet pride and unbelief blinded their minds to the true meaning of the prophet’s words. The second temple was not honored with the cloud of Jehovah’s glory, but with the living presence of One in whom dwelt the fullness of the Godhead bodily–who was God Himself manifest in the flesh. The “Desire of all nations” had indeed come to His temple when the Man of Nazareth taught and healed in the sacred courts. In the presence of Christ, and in this only, did the second temple exceed the first in glory. But Israel had put from her the proffered Gift of heaven. With the humble Teacher who had that day passed out from its golden gate, the glory had forever departed from the temple. Already were the Saviour’s words fulfilled: “Your house is left unto you desolate.”Matthew 23:38. Great Controversy 24.1,2