Haggai 1

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Dave Burnette's Commentary

Haggai Chapter 1

Written By: God through Inspiration

Penned By: Haggai

Date Penned: BC 520

Overview: To Call the People to Rebuild the Temple (c 1-2)

Theme: The Call to Rebuild the Temple (c 1)

Message: The Call to Rebuild the Temple (v 1-15)

Haggai: Chapter 1 Commentary

(1:1) The Jews would have returned from Babylon in 537 BC to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem were not able to finish their work because they were hindered by their enemies. There was no further work done on the Temple for over 15 years. In August 520BC Haggai delivered a message to encourage the people to rebuild the Temple. Haggai was probably born in captivity in Babylon and returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel in 537 BC (Ezra 1) Haggai and Zechariah, 2 prophets who encouraged the Temple rebuilding, and mentioned in Ezra 5. Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, and Joshua, the High Priest, were key leaders in rebuilding the Temple. They had already reestablished the altar, but work had slowed. Haggai sent a letter to these outstanding leaders and to the exiles who had returned from Babylon encouraging them to complete the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem.

(1:2) Haggai encouraged the people to finish rebuilding the Temple. Opposition from hostile neighbors had caused them to feel discouraged, neglect the Temple, and thus neglect God. But Haggai's messages turned them around and motivated them to pick up their tools and complete the work they had begun.

(1:3-5) God asked his people, "How can you live in luxury when my house lies in ruins?" The temple was the local point of Judah's relationship with God, but it was still lying in ruins. Instead the people put their energies into rebuilding and beautifying their own homes. However, the harder the people worked for themselves, the less they had because they ignored their spiritual lives. The same happens to us. If we put God first, he will provide for our deepest needs. If we put him in any other place, all our efforts are futile. Caring only for your physical needs while ignoring your relationship with God will lead to ruin.

(1:6) Because the people had not given God first place in their lives, their work was not fruitful or productive and their material possessions did not satisfy. They concentrated on building and beautifying their own homes, but God's blessing was withheld because they no longer put him in first place. Moses had predicted that this would be the result if the people neglected God (Deuteronomy 28)

(1:9) Judah's problem were confused priorities. Like Judah, our priorities relating to work, family, and God's work are often confused. Jobs, homes, vacations, and leisure activities may rank higher on our list of importance than God. What is the most important to you? Where does God rank?

(1:11) Grain, grapes, and olives were Israel's major crops. The people depended on these for security while neglecting the worship of God. As a result, God would send a drought to destroy their livelihood and call them back to himself.

(1:14,15) The people began rebuilding the Temple in just 23 days after Haggai's first message, Rarely did a prophet's message produce such a quick response. How often we hear a sermon and respond. "That was an excellent point - I ought to do that." only to leave church and forget to act. These people put their words into action. When you hear a good sermon or lesson, ask what you should do about it, and then make p;ans to put it into practice.

Dave Burnette's Life Application
Make the Lord First in Your Life

Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we start the book of Haggai with Chapter 1. In our text today we see the call for Israel instructed to rebuild the temple after their return from Babylon but due to their fears and misplaced priorities the plan of the Lord was delayed. In making application we see the importance of placing the Lord 1st in your life. Things will come and go but it if you place the Lord first you will see Him accomplish His Will in you. How about you? Is the Lord your #1 priority? Let us learn from our text today and the warning of Haggai to see that we must put the Lord first to see His Will completed in our lives.

Haggai 1

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Haggai 1

¹In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying,

²Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD's house should be built.

³Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying,

⁴Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?

⁵Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.

⁶Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.

⁷Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.

⁸Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.

⁹Ye looked for much, and, lo it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.

¹⁰Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit.

¹¹And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands.

¹²Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD.

¹³Then spake Haggai the LORD's messenger in the LORD's message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the LORD.

¹⁴And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God,

¹⁵In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.

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