Haggai

Only 2 chapters in this book

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• 2nd shortest book in the old Testament.  38 verses. BUT a BIG Message.
• The year is 520 BC.  16 years after the foundation was built and then construction haulted.

People to note:

 

As most prophets do, he time stamps his message: it is 520 BC

1 In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest:

² This is what the Lord Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house.’”

This people meaning-The Jewish.

Did the Lord tell them to stop building??  Oh how easy it is when an obstacle comes today “Oh well, the Lord is closing that door”  “If it was His will, it wouldn’t be this hard” “It is not the right time for me to…..”  Mercy!  Imagine if Paul in the New Testament said that!  One letter was written and the people put down their hammers and said “Well, I will stop the Lord’s work and work on my own stuff for now”

 ⁴ “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?”   

⁵ Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways.  (He will say that 4 times!)

After the message they obeyed!  So they heard what they Lord wants and they did it.  They did not ignore it.  Rationalize it.  Make an excuse…like I do.

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Chapter 2

Do you remember in Ezra 3:

¹¹ With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord:

“He is good;
    his love toward Israel endures forever.”

And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. ¹² But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. 

He now says in Haggai to those people:³ ‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? 

He is saying: Don’t compare!  I am with you! (and that is all that matters.)  Solomon’s temple may have been more beautiful…but Zerrubbabel’s Temple will bring the Messiah!

⁹ ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

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The Blessings for defiled people.   If you bring something pure to something unclean will it make it pure?  NO.  BUT if you bring something unclean to something pure, does it make it unclean? YES!  Let’s make a fake example out of Covid 19-

If I am healthy and you have Covid-does my healthiness heal you?  NO

If you have Covid- and I do not, do you make me unhealthy? YES

In this context- Do the work of the Lord BUT your unrepentant sin defiles the Temple.

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Signet Ring