Fall Preaching Series on THE MINOR PROPHETS

God's Mechanic: HAGGAI

The Minor Prophets: HAGGAI

 Historical Context            Haggai's ministry was carried on almost entirely during the year 520 BC, each section of the book is carefully dated. Using the equivalent of our calendar, 1:1-11 comes from August 29, 1:12-15a from September 21, 1:15b-2:9 from October 17; and 2:10 and 2:20-23 both from December 18.            During the ministry of Haggai, Judah is nothing but a sub-province in the Persian Empire, and her inhabitants were in desperate straits. The only territory left to them after they returned from Babylonian exile was Jerusalem and its immediately surrounding territory. While there were a few wealthy persons in Judah, most of the people were poor. Drought and the resulting crop failure had left them hungry, and inflation had eaten up there meager resources.            The Judeans  were subject to the control of Samaria, but they were allowed their own Governor, Zerubbabel, who was the grandson of the exiled King Jehoiachin (2 Kings 34:15). And they had their own priest, Joshua, the grandson of the exiled chief priest, Seraiah (2 Kings 25:18).            In 538 BC, Cyrus of Persia issued a decree allowing those Jews who had been in Babylonian exile to return to the land of Palestine and to rebuild the temple, under the leadership of Sheshbazzar, prince of Judah. However, the work was interrupted by the opposition of Samaritans from the north (Ezra 1-4). When Darius I, Hystapes, took the Persian throne and 521 BC, he ordered the opposition to the temple building to cease and commanded that those who had opposed it  pay for its reconstruction and it's a sacrificial offerings (Ezra 5:3-6:12). It is in the year after Darius's decree that Haggai preached, and his concern is to spur his countrymen to resume their work reconstruction of the house of the Lord.
 Message/Theme/Audience            The temple was central to Jewish identity. It was the place God chose for worship, and was also a sign of God's presence with his people. So even though Israel had returned to their land from the Babylonian exile, the lack of a temple was a glaring problem. This is why the message of Haggai was so important: God promised a new temple for his people. The profit gathered together the governor, the high priest, and all the remaining people to declare his message. The old temple may be destroyed, we God's presence was not lacking. They should take heart that God would not only enable them to rebuild the temple, "but the glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house" (Haggai 2:9). During the days of Ezra and Nehemiah a new temple was indeed built.