Haggai 1-2
We are in the Exile Stream reading from the Easy-to-Read Version.
Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: Your people are hearing and yielding to you and your word. May our hearts be found to be likewise with our spirits following your own Lord, Amen.
1 – It is 535 B.C. 50,000 Jewish souls have returned from exile at the edict of Cyrus of Persia. The Jewish people are back and busy but struggling. There isn’t enough food, clothing, nor drink. Earnings are low and the people were weak with little energy. ..And the Temple was not repaired. They were not putting A & B together. So God told them. They needed to put Him first. Repair the Temple first. They were prioritizing their homes first – and there was a lack of everything. Have you ever visited seen or heard a church where the priority is the offering; the program and therefore the budget? They prioritize cash over Christ. Have you ever seen this? Well when they value cash over Christ it is not long before they are short on both! These ministries often fold or go secular and then the government ends up running them (poorly). Haggai’s first of four messages is to put God’s house at the top of their ‘to do’ list. The governor of Judah and the High Priest get the message as well and it is not long before the people are excited to put aside all other tasks and work on the Temple. It was a resolution and there was joy in the land.
2 – Haggai’s second message begins here, and by the way, Zechariah begins his ministry; Zech. 1:1 the same month that Haggai 2 happens. In Hag. 2 there is great encouragement given to the people as the Temple rebuild tended to not measure up the old Temple. Some reason that Haggai was old enough to remember the splendor and wealth and value of the first Temple and would therefore surmise that the people would feel defeated because the rebuild would have been shabby in comparison. Haggai assures that wealth was coming from all over and they were not to be dismayed but continue and God would supply. There is some instruction about holy and unholy and contamination matters that are spelled out. It is of note that these passages are still taken seriously today. My husband and I have spent a combined number of years in Jewish parts of the world and their care to keep things clean and uncontaminated is impressive. The concern and incidence of food poisoning is extremely rare. If there were more Jewish people present during the days and the conditions that spurred Upton Sinclair to write, “The Jungle”, that entire scenario would have shaken down differently because there would have been no one getting infected or sick. The people give it an honest effort to adhere to what the Lord wants from them and the tide turns and blessings and favor start to flow in to the land and people. Praises be.