Haggai--Introduction and Chapter 1

Introduction—We know nothing of the personal history of this prophet. He is one of three—Zechariah and Malachi being the other two—who prophesied after the Jews returned from Babylonian captivity (Zechariah was a contemporary, Malachi came about 100 years later). Haggai began his work approximately 16 years after the return from Babylon; that would be around 520 B. C. When they got back to Judea, the Jews began working on God’s temple, but stopped because of opposition from some Samaritans. That story is found in the book of Ezra, chapter 4. Samaritans were foreign peoples who populated the land following the removal of the northern kingdom into captivity by Assyria in 722/21. They interbred with the Jewish riff-raff that the Assyrians left in the land, thus were “half-breeds,” and despised by the Jews. This is clear from several New Testament passages (e.g., “Jews have no dealings with Samaritans,” John 4:9). These people are never called “Samaritans” in the Old Testament, but that’s who they were. With this opposition, the Jews, who had laid the foundation of the temple (Ezra 4), ceased their work and didn’t begin again until Haggai and Zechariah exhorted them to do so (Ezra 6:14). It took about four years to totally finish the work. Haggai constantly attributes his message to the Lord. Almost 30 times in 38 verses, he says something like “the word of the Lord came,” or “thus saith the Lord.” Every preacher needs to fill his preaching with “thus speaks the Lord.”

Chapter One

The bag with holes (vs. 1-11)—Haggai doesn’t even tell us who his father was, but he does date his prophesy minutely. Darius was a king of Persia, Zerubbabel was the governor of Judah, and Joshua was the high priest (v. 1). Again, as noted in the introduction, this would be about 520 B.C. Haggai chides the people for their failure to rebuild the temple (v. 2), the first of which (Solomon’s) had been destroyed in 586 by Nebuchadnezzar. They had been building their own “paneled houses,” and allowed God’s house “to lie in ruins” (v. 4). Thus, the Lord said to “consider your ways” (v. 5). The land was unproductive (v. 6); “’Why?’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of your runs to his own house'” (v. 9). The Lord had withheld the dew, and “the earth withholds its fruit” (v. 10). Drought came and so “the labor of your hands” was unfruitful (v. 11). The most picturesque description of this calamity is found in verse 6: “he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes." I’ve got a pair of pants like that. Thus, again, the message is “Consider your ways” (v. 7), and get to work on the Lord’s temple (v. 8).

The people obey (vs. 12-15)—More often than not, the preaching of God’s word gets results—either positive or negative—and in this case, good came from it. The governor, Zerubbabel, and the high priest, Joshua, “with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God” (v. 12). When they started work, the Lord told them “I am with you” (v. 13). The Lord “stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel” (v. 14); how? Verse 13 gives a clear answer: “Then Haggai, the Lord's messenger, spoke the Lord's message to the people.” Stirring up people to obedience is the main purpose of “Thus saith the Lord.” The people did more in 24 days than they had in the previous 16 years (v. 15). Preacher, preach the Word!