Haggai Notes
By Berry Kercheville
Zerubbabel:
- Highlighted at the beginning and the end of the book
- Obviously a type of Christ
- He originates from the lineage of David (1 Chron. 3:1, 18-19), through king Jeconiah (Jehoiachin).
- Audience (1:1): the prophecy is written “to Zerubbabel” and “to Joshua, the high priest.” Zerubbabel is a type of David who desires to build the house, but the Lord builds him a house. Joshua is exalted in Zechariah 3 as a type of the future Joshua (Jesus) who becomes high priest over the house of God.
1:1-6
The refusal to build God’s house and put their own houses first indicates deeper issues:
They may not realize their refusal is a refusal of God dwelling in their midst. From God’s point of view, “If you do not build the house, then you do not want me in your midst.” Cf. Exodus 25:8
Further, this is a rejection of God’s grace. When God is in the midst, there is not only his blessings but his protection: “I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5-6)
They believe they can prosper by their own strength and labor. They do not realize “cause and effect” within God’s realm. “If the Lord does not build the house, they labor in vain who build it” (Psalm 127:1).
Building the house is an act of obedient faith, trusting that God will keep his covenantal promises. Through God’s temple (Jesus, the true temple (Jn. 2), the mercy of the Lord is found.
1:7-11
- God’s call to rebuild
- “That I may be glorified” – the message of the all scripture! Cf. Ephesians 1:3-14.
1:12-15
- The people respond in obedience and fear the Lord
- The Lord’s promise: “I am with you.” Repeated in 2:4-5. Consider the same promise to us: Matthew 28:20
Delay is dangerous!
- As humans, we quickly can change our focus of what is important and become consumed with our own desires.
- The following generation will lose all passion for God. The message given to the following generations is devastating as they learn that God is not important or needed in their lives (Judges).
Despondency over our puny efforts (2:2-9).
The people are saying, “It is nothing” as they look at their efforts in rebuilding. Indeed, especially for those who were old and saw the first temple, the temple of Solomon. What could match that? Yes, what they were building seemed to be nothing in comparison.
God’s answer:
What the people must do:
- “Be strong” (2x)
- “Work”
- “Fear not”
What God will do:
- “I am with you”
- “I made a covenant with you” (“remember when you came out of Egypt”)
- “My Spirit remains in your midst”
- “I will shake the heavens and earth once more”
- “I will fill this house with glory”
- “The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former”
- “In this place I will give peace”
- “Declares the Lord” (8x)
Lesson: Haggai’s generation never saw the end result of the Lord making the latter glory greater than the former. They could only see their little efforts. But in God’s plan, their efforts were monumental. We also must not look at our “little” work and what appears to us as “nothing” and think we are wasting our time or we might as well give up.
Don’t listen to yourself. Don’t consider “how little” you can do. Look at the promises of the Lord. Look at what the Lord will do and the power he has to do it. We are insufficient, but he is sufficient to do all things. How many times does the Lord have to tell us that he is with us as he gives us commands in which we delay, rebel, or rationalize that we can’t? This was the sin of Israel when they would not enter Canaan. Chapters 4-6 of Mark show Jesus repeatedly giving the apostles commands that are “impossible” but become possible when Jesus is with them. Consider:
- Matthew 28:18-20 He is with us in evangelism. Quit making excuses.
- Matthew 6:25-34 Do not be anxious – seek first the kingdom; he is with us and will provide for us. He is our Father!
- Hebrews 13:5-6 “Keep your life free from the love of money – I will never leave you or forsake you…So we confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” When will we learn?
“Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth”
- A picture of the overthrow of the powers of the nations so that God’s temple/kingdom reigns supreme. God’s power will be seen among the nations as his kingdom is exalted above all others and the nations are drawn to him, bringing their treasures (Cf. Isa. 2:2-4; 11:1-16).
- This, “in a little while” would fit the time period from this point until the Messiah in which God would shake the nations in preparation for his kingdom (Dan. 2:31-48).
- Hebrews 12:25-29 completes the fulfillment in which physical Israel and nations are again shaken, leaving only that which cannot be shaken, the eternal kingdom of God.
The glory of the Lord never filled the temple Zerubbabel built. Therefore, it is evident that the Lord is speaking of a greater temple (vs. 9) that will exceed in glory.
How does the New Testament explain this greater glory?
- John 2:11 – “This the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory.”
- John 2:18-20 – “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up…But he was speaking of the temple of this body.”
- Ephesians 1:23 – “…which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”
- Ephesians 2:19-22 – “…members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”
- Ephesians 3:19-21 – “…that you may be filled with all the fullness of God…Now to him who is able…to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus…”
The Uncleanness of the People (2:10-14)
Two illustrations:
- Holy food touching the unholy, does not make the unholy, holy.
- When an unclean person touches that which is holy, the holy becomes unclean.
Conclusion: the people and the nation are unholy. Therefore, whatever they produce and whatever they offer to the Lord is also unholy/unclean. The key message is that even though they may offer correct forms of worship, their uncleanness makes the worship unclean & unacceptable to God. The key to worship is first the spiritual condition of the people. Then, and only then, can proper worship be acceptable.
When the People Respond, God Will Bless (2:15-19)
Question from the Lord: from before the time the first stone was laid (536 BC), how did the people fare in the produce of the land? Answer: Terrible! They worked hard, but what they expected to produce and what should have been harvested was nothing compared to what it should have been. This was God’s judgment on them for their lax disobedience.
“Is the seed yet in the barn?” Considering the rest of the text which indicates the failure of the lands to produce, the seed certainly was not still in the barn. They had planted, but nothing was coming up. However, now that they have turned to the Lord (1:12), from this day forward, the Lord would bless them.
The Hope of the Messiah (2:20-23)
The prophet now looks beyond the restoration of physical blessings to the spiritual hope that will be brought through Zerubbabel, who is as David, the representative of the later descendant, Jesus (Matt. 1:12).
In Jeremiah 22:30, Jehoiachin (Coniah) was taken into captivity (597) and God promised: “for no more shall a man of his seed prosper sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling in Judah.” The key component to this prophecy was foretelling the end of earthly kings. God had promised David that through his lineage a King and Kingdom would come that would rule and reign forever (2 Sam. 7:11-16). Indeed, there would be a king who would come through Jehoiachin and Zerubbabel. But that king would rule from heaven over a heavenly kingdom, bringing all enemies under his feet.
Zerubbabel is a signet ring (SS. 8:6), symbolizing ownership and prize possession. Through the Messiah, we are also have become as a signet ring, God’s own special possession (1 Peter 2:9; Titus 2:14).
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