The Book of Haggai
We do not know a lot about Haggai except that he served as a prophet together with Zechariah during the post-exilic period. Although God has miraculously brought some of the exiles back from captivity through the decree of King Cyrus of Persia (538 B.C., Ezr. 1:1ff.), because of opposition from hostile neighbors, the work of rebuilding the temple had come to a halt for almost 2 decades. However, as another king, Darius came into power, he revived the former decree of Cyrus and gave permission to the Jews to resume their work and “so the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching Haggai the prophet and Zechariah” (Ezr. 6:14; 520/519). The temple was completed in 516 B.C.
(1) One of the features of the book of Haggai is that his messages are precisely dated:
a. What is the date of his first message? (v. 1)
b. What insight might it provide concerning the background of his message? (see Ezr. 5:1-2; 6:13-14)
(2) The first message is addressed to:
a. Zerubbabel: Who is he? (v. 1b; see Ezr. 2:2; Zech. 4:6-9)
b. Joshua: Who is he? (v. 1b; see Ezr. 2:2; 3:2 and Zech. 3:1.
(Note that Jeshua is a variant of Joshua.)
(3) The charge of spiritual apathy (vv. 2-4)
a. The halting of the rebuilding of the temple
- What was the cause for the stoppage of this work? (see Ezr. 4:23)
- How do the people respond to the decree? (v. 2)
- Are they not correct in so saying? Why or why not?
b. How does the Lord rebuke them of such an attitude? (v. 4)
c. What’s wrong with their attitude?
(4) The judgment of their spiritual apathy (vv. 5-11)
a. What are the signs that speak to their sin? (vv. 5-6)
b. What reason is given for their futile labor? (vv. 9-11)
c. How might you learn from this rebuke?
d. How should they repent? (vv. 7-8)
(5) Immediate obedience (vv. 12-15)
a. How do Zerubbabel, Joshua and the people respond to the words of the prophet? (v. 12)
b. According to Ezra 5:2, has the decree of prohibition been lifted at the time?
c. How do their hostile neighbors respond to their action? (Ezr. 5:3ff)
d. Why do they have the courage to disobey the king’s decree? (v. 12b)
e. In spite of opposition, what promise does the Lord make to them? (v. 13)
f. How long does it take for the people to respond to the message of the prophet and put it into action? (vv. 1, 15)
(6) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
請細心慢慢讀每天指定的經文至少兩遍，然後反複思考問題。
哈該書
我們對哈該其人所知不多，除了他是與撒迦利亞一起在被擄歸回的時代作先知的。當時雖然神已顯大能藉波斯的古列王把部份的以色列帶回耶路撒冷作重建聖殿的工作（主前538年；見拉1:1ff.），但因鄰近的敵人的反對，聖殿的工程就停止了差不多二十年。當另一位波斯王大利烏作王時，因著他的允許，“猶大長老因先知哈該和易多的孫子撒迦利亞所說勸勉的話，就建造這殿，凡事亨通” (拉6:14; 主前520/519年) 。聖殿也在主前516年完工。
(1) 哈該書的其中一個特色，就是先知的信息都是清清楚楚有日期的記載的：
a. 這第一個信息是那時說的？(1:1)
b. 這日期的記載給我們對信息的背景有什麼了解？（參拉1:2; 6:13-14）
(2) 這信息是向以下兩人發出的：
a. 所羅巴伯：他是什麼人？(1:1b; 見拉2:2；亞4:6-9)?
b. 約書亞：他是什麼人？(1:1b; 見拉2:2; 3:2；亞3:1。註：耶書亞即約書亞)
(3) 靈性墮落的指責（1:2-4）
a. 聖殿停工的指責
i. 聖殿的工程為何要停頓？(見拉4:23)
ii. 百姓對此作出什麼回應？(1:2)
iii. 這回應對嗎？為什麼？
b. 神如何責備他們的回應？(1:4)
c. 他們的回應錯在什麼地方？
(4) 神的管教(1:5-11)
a. 神用什麼來提醒他們？(1:5-6)
b. 他們事倍功半的原因是什麼？(1:9-11)
c. 這責備又如何給你作為提醒？
d. 他們應該怎樣悔改？(1:7-8)
(5) 立刻的順從（1:12-15）
a. 所羅巴伯、約書亞和百姓怎樣回應先知的話？
b. 按以斯拉記5:2所記載，王的禁命更改了沒有？
c. 他們的敵人如何處理他們重新建殿的行動？（拉5:3ff.）
d. 為何他們現在能有這樣的勇氣？（1:12b）
e. 雖有敵人的反對，神給予他們什麼應許？（1:13）
f. 他們等了多久就作出回應的行動？（1:1, 15）
(6) 今天你得到的主要提醒是什麼？你會怎樣應用在你的生命中？
“They came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of King Darius.” (Hag. 1:14b-15)
We have often bashed the Israelites for their stubborn rebellion to the Lord throughout their history, and rightfully so. However, we also often overlook that, at times, they exemplified obedience that should put us, NT believers, to shame. Their immediate response to the words of the prophet Haggai is a case in point.
After the stoppage of the rebuilding work of the temple as decreed by the king, they have focused on the rebuilding of their homes and vineyards. Given the abject poverty that had plagued Jerusalem after their captivity, one can appreciate that the re-cultivation of the land was not going to be easy; it would take a lot of effort and time. Just the same, the prophet rebukes them for using it more as an excuse in totally forgetting their main mission of coming back to Jerusalem which is the rebuilding of the Lord’s temple.
As the prophet reminds them of the futility of their effort, (basically seeing very little result from their labor and toil done for themselves) and points out that it is, in fact, God’s judgment of their negligence of their primary mission (1:6-11), amazingly they repent and resume the rebuilding of the temple of the Lord.
The most amazing part is the fact that they resume this sacred project even when the royal decree has not been lifted. That speaks volumes of their obedience, which is not only immediate—taking only 23 days for them to resume the project (1:1; 15), but one that is certainly risky.
However, as is always the case with our obedience to God, when they step out in faith and obedience, the Lord honors His promise to be with them (1:13) and causes a new king, Darius to lift the royal decree (Ezr. 6:13).
「他們就來為萬軍之耶和華他們神的殿做工。 這是在大利烏士王第二年六月二十四日。」(該1:14b-15)
我們常常覺得以色列人總是頑固的悖逆神，少有欣賞他們也有立刻順從神的時刻。哈該書第一章就給我們看到後者的例證，足以成為我們新約信徒的榜樣。
在聖殿重建的工程停止後，這些被擄歸回的以色列人就索性專心重建家園和葡萄園。我們要知道他們重回到的耶路撒冷是極其貧瘠的，重建家園是倍感困難，且需要不少人力、物力和時間的。雖然如此，先知仍責備他們以此為藉口，完全忘記他們回歸的重要任務是重建聖殿。
故此，先知就指出這些年間，雖然他們努力的重建家園，卻明顯是事倍功半，是徒然的努力。他更指出這其實是神對他們的管教（1:6-11）。料不到他們一聽之下，立刻悔改，且重新動工建殿。
最值得我們注意的是，他們如此行，是在王的禁命尚未取消之時，這不能不叫我們佩服他們的順從，並且，他們是在短短的廿多日後，就冒著犯王命的危險，重新開始建殿的工程（1:1, 15）。
神就是這樣的信實和奇妙的：每當我們願意順命、踏出信心的腳步時，祂就立刻為我們開路—神就驅使這新在位的大利烏王取消禁命，另立新命，允許他們立刻的動工建殿(拉6:13)。