Haggai 2:1-5
Haggai 2:1
(KJV)
In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of
the month, came the word of the LORD by the prophet Haggai, saying,
This next message that the Lord gave to Haggai had come
at the end of the Feast of Tabernacles.
It was King Solomon that dedicated the first temple in the seventh month.
There may be a correlation between the timing of this divine message and
the timing of the dedication of Solomon’s temple.
Haggai 2:2
(KJV)
Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor
of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and to the residue
of the people, saying,
God now wanted Haggai to deliver the message not only to
Zerubbabel and Joshua, but this time he includes the residue of the people.
These were the people who came out of Babylon to rebuild the temple and
does not mean the entire nation of Judah that went into captivity in 586 B.C.
This message came at a time when encouragement was needed in rebuilding
the temple.
Haggai 2:3
(KJV)
Who is left among you that saw this house in her first
glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as
nothing?
It has been 66 years since the tribe of Judah was
removed to Babylon and now God is posing the question to them of who had
witnessed the glory of the first or Solomon’s Temple?
If there would have been any there who did remember, they would probably
be well into their 80s or 90s. God
also asks them to make a comparison between what they saw 66 years ago and what
they are seeing now. In their minds
and eyes what do they think in comparison to what they had before they went
after other gods? Old men have a
tendency to make comparisons of what they had years ago and what they have
today. God then asks them that in
comparison to the glory of Solomon’s temple are you determining in your mind
that this temple is nothing in comparison to the glory of Solomon’s temple?
Some of the old men may have been claiming that this temple of Zerubbabel
was so small and basic in comparison to Solomon’s temple that it may not have
been worth rebuilding it. Maybe
this was one of the reasons God sent that second message of encouragement
because maybe the leaders were becoming discouraged too.
The size of the temple plus the outside persecution they were receiving
may have added to discouragement which was no doubt spreading throughout the
entire congregation.
Haggai 2:4
(KJV)
Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be
strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people
of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of
hosts:
Then the Lord gives an individual message of
encouragement to all three by name.
He tells Zerubbabel to be strong, then he tells Joshua to be strong, and then he
tells all the people who came back to build the temple to also be strong and
then the Lord states they are not alone in this venture but that he is with
them. He tells them to continue in
the work and to realize they were not just building some type of religious or
social building, but it was the temple and when God’s people are involved in
God’s work, he promises to be with them as he promised them here.
So no matter what hardships or persecutions they faced, God was with them
through the entire process.
God identifies himself as the “Lord of Hosts” which signifies he is the Lord of
the armies of Heaven and earth.
Haggai 2:5
(KJV)
According to
the word that I covenanted with you when
ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.