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?
“…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)
(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?
“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”.