This week, we shall finish the study
of the book of Haggai and begin studying the book of Zechariah in the Old
Testament.
(1) When is the next message given by the Lord to Haggai? (2:1)
(2) Since the people began to rebuild on the 24th day of the 6th month in the 2nd year of Darius, what have they likely encountered by the time of this second message? (see Ezr. 5:3-4)
(3) Now, with the rising of opposition, the Lord urges them to be strong (v. 4): Why does the Lord choose to address them separately and urge them with the same command?
(4) In order to encourage them, the Lord draws their attention to the following (vv. 3-5):
a. The temple (v. 3)
- What do they see now?
- What do those who have seen the former temple (some 67 years ago before it was destroyed in 586 B.C.) remember?
- What does the Lord wish to achieve by drawing attention to the former glory of the temple?
b. Who He is (v. 4)
- What reason does He give for this command or encouragement?
- How does the Lord address Himself?
- Why?
c. His unchanging faithfulness (v. 5)
- Which historical event does the Lord draw their attention to?
- What promise does He now make to help them not to fear and be strong?
(5) The promise of a more glorious future (vv. 6-9)
a. What does He promise to do “in a little while”?
b. When did He last shake the heavens and the earth? (Exod. 7-10; 19:16ff )
c. The promise of a greater glory (vv. 8-9)
- Physically, what makes the temple look glorious? (v. 8a; 1 Chr. 29:2, 7)
- But what really makes the temple more glorious than before is the coming of the one “desired of by all nations” (v. 7):
1) Who is He?
2) What will He bring to this place? (2:9b; Mic. 5:2-5a)
(6) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
本週我們會完成研讀舊約哈該書，並開始研讀撒迦利亞書。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。
(1) 哈該在那時從神得到第二次的默示？(2:1)
(2) 百姓既然是在大利烏王第二年的六月廿四日開始重建聖殿，到了這時候，相信他們已面對什麼困難？（見拉5:3-4）
(3) 面對這些困難時，神就鼓勵他們要剛強（2:4）。為什麼卻是要分別對省長、大祭司和百姓說呢？
(4) 為要鼓勵他們要剛強，神要他們留意(2:3-5) ：
a. 聖殿（2:3）
i. 他們現在看到的聖殿是怎樣的？
ii. 年老的（該是超過67歲以上的，因聖殿是在主前586年被毀的）所見的舊殿是怎樣的？
iii. 神要他們知道舊殿的榮耀，原因何在？
b. 神是誰(2:4)
i. 神要他們都要剛強的原因是什麼？
ii. 祂怎樣稱呼自己？
iii. 原因何在？
c. 祂的信實無變(2:5)
i. 祂重提那件舊事？
ii. 祂現在更給他們什麼應許使他們剛強、不至懼怕？
(5) 更大的榮耀之應許（2:6-9）
a. 祂應許在「過不多時」要作什麼？
b. 祂曾如何震動天地、滄海？（參出7-10; 19:16ff）
c. 更大的榮耀（2:8-9）
i. 以外表而言，什麼叫聖殿顯得輝煌？（2:8a; 代上29:2, 7）
ii. 但真叫聖殿得更大的榮耀是因「列國所愛慕的」來臨（見和合本細字）：
1. 這位是誰？
2. 祂會給這地方帶來什麼？（2:9b; 彌5:2-5a）
(6) 今日你得到的主要提醒是什麼？你會怎樣應用在你的生命中?
“…and the desired by all nations will come and I will fill this house with glory.” (Hag. 2:7)
It is unfortunate that some would translate “the desired by all nations” as “previous gifts”, because they will not cause the house of the Lord be filled with glory.
It is a fact that the temple built by Solomon was an awesome one as he built it with gold and silver (1 Chr. 29:2, 7) and the Lord makes it clear, if they are needed to make the temple glorious, that is not a problem for Him, for He says, “The silver is mine and the gold is mine” (2:8).
However, it is not the silver and gold that can make His house a truly glorious temple, but His very presence and thus He promises that “the desire by all nations will come and I will fill this house with glory” (2:7), and this “desired by all nations” is none other than the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ. He has come to be the temple itself (Jn. 2:21) and has not only made the glory of the house of the Lord far greater than the former house, but has granted peace to it through His work of redemption (Eph. 2:14ff.), fulfilling not only the prophecy of Haggai but also those in other prophetic books including this in Micah:
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor bears a son and the rest of His brothers return to join the Israelites. He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God. And they will live securely, for then His greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And He will be our peace…” (Mic. 5:2-5a; italics mine)
「我必震動萬國，萬國所羨慕的必來到，我就使這殿滿了榮耀。這是萬軍之耶和華說的。」(該2:7)
很可惜，有些聖經的譯本把這節經文的“萬國所羨慕的” 譯為“萬國的珍寶” 。萬國的珍寶何以能使神的殿充滿榮耀呢！
是的，所羅門所建輝煌的聖殿確是用了不少銀子和金子作裝飾（代上29:2, 7），而神亦曾表明，如果要這樣的裝飾這將要被重建的聖殿，是毫無問題的，因為“銀子是我的，金子也是我的” （2:8）。不過，使聖殿真的充滿榮耀並不在乎金子與銀子，乃在乎神的同在；故此祂應許說：“萬國所羨慕的必來到，我就使這殿滿了榮耀” (2:7) 。這“萬國所羨慕的” 就是彌賽亞，我們的主耶穌基督。祂來，“以祂身體為殿” （約2:21）；這使“這殿後來的榮耀大過先前” 的，更藉著祂的救贖大工，賜“這地方……平安” （2:9; 弗2:14ff），應驗了不單哈該在這裡的預言，更應驗其他先知書，如彌迦書這樣的預言：
“伯利恆以法他啊，你在猶大諸城中為小，將來必有一位從你那裡出來，在以色列中為我做掌權的。祂的根源從亙古，從太初就有。耶和華必將以色列人交付敵人，直等那生產的婦人生下子來。那時，掌權者其餘的弟兄必歸到以色列人那裡。祂必起來，倚靠耶和華的大能並耶和華他神之名的威嚴，牧養祂的羊群。他們要安然居住(直譯是祂就是我們的平安)……” （彌5:2-5）
(1) How long after the last message was this one delivered? (v. 10)
(2) A reminder of their defilement (vv. 11-19)
a. Can “things” be consecrated through contact? (v. 12)
b. Can “things” be defiled through contact? (v. 13)
c. How has their own defilement affected whatever they do and in particular their offerings to the Lord in the temple? (v. 14)
d. What evidence does the Lord use to prove the impact of their defilement on “whatever they do”? (vv. 14, 16-17, 19)
e. Why does the Lord choose this moment in their history to remind them of their defilement? (vv. 15, 18. Note the foundation of the temple was first laid in 538 B.C.; see Ezr. 3:10.)
f. What does the Lord now promise? (v. 19b)
g. What is the implied condition of this promise?
(3) The second message on the same day (vv. 20-23)
a. The Lord has promised to shake the heavens and the earth (v. 6): What in particular is He referring to? (vv. 21-22; see Joel 3:12-16)
b. What will happen to Zerubbabel, the governor? (v. 23)
c. What does Zerubbabel point to in this Messianic promise? (Matt. 1:1, 12)
(4) 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。
(1) 這默示與剛才的默示相隔多久？(2:10)
(2) 指出他們的玷污（2:11-19）
a. 物件可以因接觸聖物而成聖嗎？（2:12）
b. 物件可以因接觸物件而成污穢嗎？（2:13）
c. 他們的污穢如何影響他們手下一切所作的，和一切所獻的？(2:14)
d. 神用什麼來證明他們手所作的變為污穢？（2:16-17; 19）
e. 為何特在此時作此提醒？（2:15; 18—註：聖殿原本的根基是在主前538年立的；見拉3:10）
f. 神現在給予他們什麼應許？（2:19b）
g. 這應許意味著什麼？
(3) 同一日內第二個默示（2:20-23）
a. 神應許震動天地（2:6）是指著什麼說？（2:21-22; 珥3:12-16）
b. 到那日神必以所羅巴伯為印介(signet ring) 是什麼意思？(2:23)
c. 其實所羅巴伯是喻表誰？（見太1:1, 12）
(4) 今日你得到的主要提醒是什麼？你會怎樣應用在你的生命中?
“Whatever they do and whatever they offer there is defiled.” (Hag. 2:14)
Yesterday we considered how the people listened to the preaching of Haggai and repented from their spiritual apathy, and immediately resumed the work of the rebuilding of the temple in spite of opposition from their enemies and the continued royal decree of prohibition. However, it is the Lord who now asks them not to proceed with the rebuilding with these words:
“Now give careful thought to this from this day on — consider how things were before one stone was laid on another in the Lord’s temple…give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid. Give careful thought.” (2:15, 18)
Three times, the Lord asks them to “give careful thought” to the fact that He has cursed their work and their harvest as a discipline for their sins. Should they not repent and turn to Him (2:17), they might as well not resume the work of the temple, because “Whatever they do and whatever they offer there is defiled” (2:14).
How does this rebuke speak to you today? Is there anything in your life that is unclean, impure and displeasing to the Lord? Others may see you as holy and God-loving, but God sees through you. Just as He did not want the people who were so eager to resume their service to the Lord to defile His holy temple, He does not want us to serve Him without true repentance from our sins, lest we defile His sacred work. We, too, need to “give careful thought”.
「他們手下的各樣工作都是如此，他們在壇上所獻的也是如此。」(該2:14)
昨天我們思想到百姓一聽到哈該奉耶和華所傳的信息，就立刻悔改並重新擔負建殿的工程，甘願逆王命和面對敵人反對的挑戰。奇怪的是，神卻要他們不要立刻的動工，乃要先停下來思想：
“現在你們要追想，此日以前，耶和華的殿沒有一塊石頭壘在石頭上的光景……你們要追想此日以前，就是從這九月二十四日起，追想到立耶和華殿根基的日子” 。（2:15, 18）
神三次的叫他們“追想（直譯是用心思想）” ，特別是指祂怎樣叫他們手所作變為徒然，作為他們犯罪的管教。故此，若然他們仍不歸向祂（2:17），他們就不用重建聖殿了，因為“他們手下的各樣工作都是如此(污穢)，他們在壇上所獻的也是如此（使祭物變成污穢）” （2:14）。
這也是今日我們需要用心思想的：我們生命中尚有什麼的污穢、不潔、不討神喜悅的地方？別人或許以為我們很神聖、很愛主；但神是看透我們內心的。正如昔日祂不願意這些熱衷建殿的百姓，帶著污穢事奉祂；祂同樣不希望我們沒有真切的悔罪而繼續事奉祂，污穢了祂的聖工。