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Winter trees at dawn

Haggai 2:1-9 – The Promise of Better Things

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Summary

After many years of exile in Babylon, God brought a remnant home to Jerusalem to rebuild God’s temple, the dwelling-place of God (at that point in history) with his people. But opposition brought that rebuilding to a halt, and years passed. God sent Haggai to call God’s people to reshape their priorities and resume building his temple, reflecting their devotion to him.

Looking at progress, the temple rebuild appeared slow and the end-result destined to look inferior to the first temple. Like slogging through a thick bog, the lack of progress could be discouraging. So again God spoke to his people through Haggai (2:1-9), encouraging them to remain devoted to their God. God acknowledges their present situation, announces his presence with them, and promises future glory.

Our passage explained

v1-5

Approximately one month after God’s people begin rebuilding the temple, God once again speaks to the people through Haggai (vv.1-2). God acknowledges their present situation, saying “‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes?” (v.3). God acknowledges that some of his people remember seeing Solomon’s temple, the house in its former glory. They are upset when they see the new temple, because it cannot possibly match the former (cf. Ezra 3:12-13).

Not only did the new temple seem inferior in looks, it seemed inferior in presence. God came and dwelt with his people in the tabernacle at Sinai when he covenanted with them (Exodus 40:34-35), and the Glory Cloud moved to Solomon’s temple when it replaced the tabernacle (1 Kings 8:10). Yet the glory of God departed the temple due to the people’s rejection of God (Ezekiel 10). Would not the new temple also be inferior, because God’s glory was no longer present there?

If this was the thinking of a great many of God’s people, then Haggai’s words offered encouragement. God announces that he will be present with them. Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the people are all in turn encouraged to “be strong” and continue to “work, for I am with you, declares the LORD of hosts, according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt” (vv.4-5).

While God’s people had departed from God’s covenant, God’s faithfulness endured. And God was still working through his people to bring about his salvation plan. The outward inferiority was only outward, because “my Spirit remains in your midst”: God still dwelt with his people. Therefore, they should “fear not” (v.5).

v6-9

God’s salvation plan was still in effect, and the future glory will exceed that of the past! God promises that “In a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land” (v.6), bringing judgment and destruction on everything wicked (see Hebrews 12:25-29). In this judgment, all the ill-gotten riches of the nations would come to God’s presence, to glorify him, since they truly belong to God (vv.7-8).

Though the temple may appear inferior, and God’s people a small and insignificant part of a foreign empire, God would still achieve his salvation aims. “The 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” (v.9). 

Our passage applied

The temple they built would be more glorified than Solomon’s temple, because it was that temple which Jesus, the true dwelling-place of God with man (John 1:14, 2:13-22), came to in the latter days, bringing peace (Luke 2:32). The true peace of God’s covenant blessing would be found in Jesus, and will be fully experienced when he returns to earth to shake the heavens and earth in judgment once more.

As we struggle with our sins, or perhaps look at the church and wonder where progress is, this passage reminds us better things are coming. It seems like we do not grow in personal holiness, or the church does not advance. We can get discouraged, and weep like those older Jews at the sight of the temple.

But in the midst of discouragement, God is still present with us, our God who is faithful to his promises. He encourages us to persevere in putting sin to death, to keep sowing the seeds of his kingdom even though we are weeping (Psalm 127).

Not only is God present, but through Jesus we have true peace with God (Ephesians 2:11-16). And one day, when God shakes the heavens once more, we will be found with him and receive the riches of the earth as an inheritance.

This passage reminds us that God is not done yet. In the midst of discouragement, we can still be strong and carry on, knowing God is with us and will bring peace with the glory of his presence displayed for all the world to see.

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Hammer and nails

Haggai 1 – Reshaping our Priorities

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Summary

After many years of exile in Babylon, God brought a remnant home to Jerusalem to rebuild God’s temple, the dwelling-place of God (at that point in history) with his people. But opposition brought that rebuilding to a halt, and years passed. Homes were rebuilt, while a shell sat on the Temple Mount. God’s people focused on their own desires, not on serving God.

Into this scene, God sent two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, to encourage his people to trust him and focus on him. The book of Haggai opens with a call to God’s people to reshape their priorities. They should reflect on their present barrenness, return their devotion to God, and resume building his temple.

Our passage exlpained

v1-6

In verses 1 to 6 of chapter 1, God tells his people to reflect on their present barrenness. Haggai speaks to the people through Zerubabbel the governor and the High Priest Joshua, representing the civil and spiritual leadership of God’s people (v.1). He points out that the ‘conventional wisdom’ of the time was not to rebuild the temple, because of the opposition and hardship felt by the people (v.2).

Responding to this, God asks “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your panelled houses, while this house lies in ruins?” (v.4). In other words, while God’s temple remains unfinished, the people as a whole have rebuilt their homes and even lavishly decorated them with wood panels. 

Instead, they should “consider their ways” (v.5) and reflect on their overall situation. “You 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” (v.6). What they have is not enough, and what they earn does not go far enough. It is as if their wallet has a hole in it, and the coins keep falling out. They are barren in their wealth, even as they live in nice houses.

v7-11

Having reflected on their present barrenness, Haggai instructs them to return their devotion to God (vv.7-11). For many years they sought after their own material worth. Instead, God tells them to “consider their ways” and go to the hills to bring wood down: not for their own walls, but for God’s temple (vv.7-8). They should do this so “I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified” (v.8).

Looking after themselves and not focusing on God had brought them nothing (v.9). God himself had withheld his covenantal blessings on their labours, refusing them the blessings of fruitful crops (vv.10-11). They did not trust in God to protect them from their enemies, and continue building the house where he dwelt with them. They needed to return their devotion to God.

v12-15

Convicted by God’s condemnation of their living, the people heard God’s call to resume building the temple. The people heard the message, and “feared the LORD” (v.12). God declared in response “I am with you” (v.13) promising his covenantal help. Reflecting the message of God delivered through Haggai, they resumed building the temple within a month (vv.14-15).

Our passage applied

This passage looks like a free hit for a moralistic message about giving more in the expectation of blessing, but that is not the issue here. Instead, this passage is a reminder that our hearts and lives should be devoted first of all towards God, not ourselves.

God’s people abandoned the place half-built that in that age was meant to represent the glory and dwelling-place of God, and focused on their own material gain. Like them, we can get hooked on our own material gain: be that possessions, careers, the kids. We put God on the back-burner, skipping prayer, and missing church services where we are fed from his word and the sacraments.

Like God’s people in Haggai’s day, we need to reshape our priorities. God calls us to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matt. 6:33). Our hearts and lives should seek to worship God and bring Him glory, despite the opposition we may face in our own day, or the sacrifice of time and resources for our own advancement.

Because we are sinners, we must admit we cannot do this with our whole hearts. But just as God’s people repented and heard God’s promise that “I am with you” as they turned their lives back to God, so too God is with us. Jesus’ zeal for God’s house was perfect and complete (John 2:12-17), and it is Jesus’ righteousness exchanged for our sin on the Cross (2 Cor. 5:21).

This passage exhorts us to reshape our priorities to focus our hearts and our lives on serving and glorifying God. As we look to honour and worship God by seeking his kingdom, we can be sure that God is with us, blessing us with the riches of his love and mercy, and the promise of eternal life.

Resources

Questions? Please contact us. Inspired? Come and worship with us on Sundays.