Haggai: Encouragement
Lessons From Haggai
- Prosperity often distracts one from being faithful
- The cure for discouragement is hard work
- The successful individual listens to 'thus saith the LORD'
- The successful individual often considers the direction his life is going
- The time to do great work is now
Purpose:
To call the people to complete the rebuilding of the temple Author: Haggai Original Audience: The people living in Jerusalem and those who had returned from exile |
Date Written:
520 B.C. Setting: The temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed in 586 B.C. Cyrus had allowed the Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild their temple 538 B.C. They had begun the work but had been unable to complete it. Through the ministry of Haggai and Zechariah, the temple was completed (520-516 B.C.). |
Key Verse:
"Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?" (1:4). Key People: Haggai, Zerubbabel, Joshua Key Place: Jerusalem |
Key Themes:
Right Priorities, God's Encouragement Special Features: Haggai was the first of the postexilic prophets. The other two were Zechariah and Malachi. The literary style of this book is simple and direct. |
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"Observe the sin of the Jews, after their return from captivity in Babylon. Those employed for God may be driven from their work by a storm, yet they must go back to it. They did not say that they would not build a temple, but, not yet. Thus men do not say they will never repent and reform, and be religious, but, not yet. And so the great business we were sent into the world to do, is not done. There is a proneness in us to think wrongly of discouragements in our duty, as if they were a discharge from our duty, when they are only for the trial of our courage and faith. They neglected the building of God's house, that they might have more time and money for worldly affairs. That the punishment might answer to the sin, the poverty they thought to prevent by not building the temple, God brought upon them for not building it." —Matthew Henry |
“First there was an appeal to the mind. He told them that at the very beginning. He said, ‘You say it is not time to build God’s house? I want you to think about this, how is it that you are living in fine houses?’ And that was the appeal to the mind. The second was the call to consider. And that was an appeal to the heart. He says, ‘Set your hearts, lay your hearts to this.’”
–Dr. Frank Morgan