Haggai1

Haggai the prophet delivered a message from the LORD to Zerubbabel and Joshua, rebuking the people for neglecting the temple's rebuilding while dwelling in their own finished homes. The LORD declared that their economic hardships, such as poor harvests and lost wages, were a direct consequence of this neglect. Upon hearing the prophet's words, the leaders and the people responded with obedience and began the work on the house of the LORD.
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Call to Zerubbabel and Joshua

1
In 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, ​
2
Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD'S house should be built. ​
3
Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying,

The Challenge to Priorities

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

The Consequences of Delay

5
Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. ​
6
Ye 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. ​
7
Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.
8
Go 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. ​
9
Ye 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. ​
10
Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit. ​
11
And 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. ​

The People Obey and Begin Work

12
Then 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. ​
13
Then spake Haggai the LORD'S messenger in the LORD'S message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the LORD. ​
14
And 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, ​
15
In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king. ​

Study Notes for Haggai 1

Verse 1

The precise dating (520 B.C.) connects this prophecy directly to the historical context of the post-exilic community under Persian rule. Zerubbabel (political governor, descendant of David) and Joshua (religious high priest) represent the two key leadership roles central to the restoration.

Verse 2

The people’s excuse, 'The time is not come,' suggests procrastination rooted either in fear of opposition or a belief that conditions (economic or political) were not yet suitable for such a large project. They prioritized survival over worship.

Verse 4

The contrast between 'cieled houses' (meaning panelled or highly finished homes) and the Temple lying 'waste' forms the core of God’s indictment. This highlights the people’s self-interest and misplaced priorities regarding comfort over covenant duty.

Verse 5

'Consider your ways' (Heb. *sîmû libbekhem 'al darkhêkhem*) is a repeated prophetic refrain in Haggai, urging the people to reflect on the direct cause-and-effect relationship between their spiritual neglect and their material poverty.

Verse 6

This verse describes the curse of futility. Despite hard labor, they experience no lasting satisfaction or gain, symbolizing the spiritual emptiness that results when God is not honored first. The 'bag with holes' illustrates wages that disappear without providing security.

Verse 8

God provides a clear, actionable command: 'Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build.' Obedience is directly linked to divine favor: God promises to 'take pleasure in it' and be 'glorified' through the Temple’s construction.

Verse 9

The phrase 'I did blow upon it' signifies active divine judgment. God was directly intervening in their harvests and stores, ensuring their efforts failed because the Temple remained neglected while they focused on their own homes.

Verse 10

The judgment is specifically identified as drought. In an agrarian society, the withholding of dew and rain was the most severe form of economic punishment, directly reversing the blessings promised in the Mosaic covenant (Deut. 28:23–24).

Verse 11

The drought is comprehensive, affecting all aspects of their life—crops, wine, oil, men, cattle, and all manual labor—demonstrating that God’s judgment touches every facet of existence when covenant relationship is ignored.

Verse 12

This verse marks the turning point of the chapter and the book. The immediate obedience of both the political and religious leaders, along with 'all the remnant of the people,' demonstrates a true fear of the LORD and acceptance of the prophetic word.

Verse 13

Haggai is explicitly called the 'LORD’S messenger.' God’s immediate promise, 'I am with you,' serves as an assurance of covenant presence and blessing, replacing the previous curse of futility with divine partnership.

Verse 14

The LORD 'stirred up the spirit' shows that the people’s obedience was not merely human effort but divinely enabled. God provides the motivation and energy necessary to accomplish the task He commands, ensuring the work begins quickly.

Verse 15

The dating of the resumption of work—only 23 days after the initial prophecy—underscores the speed and seriousness of their repentance and obedience, setting the stage for the rest of Haggai's messages.

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