Haggai 1
ABOUT a century elapsed between the prophecies of Zephaniah and Haggai; during that time Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel had served God in faithful testimony, and had gone from the scenes of their labor; Judah had perished as a kingdom; Jerusalem had been destroyed and the people were carried off into captivity. The span of Babylon’s greatest glory under Nebuchadnezzar, her most noted monarch, had begun and ended, and the Persian empire was now in power, though not yet at its greatest extent of territory. After the foretold seventy years in Babylon, less than fifty thousand (Ezra 2:64, 6564The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore, 65Beside their servants and their maids, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and there were among them two hundred singing men and singing women. (Ezra 2:64‑65)) had returned under the leadership of Zerubbabel of the royal line of David (see Matthew 1:12, 1312And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel; 13And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor; (Matthew 1:12‑13)) to Jerusalem’s ruins some fifteen years before Haggai’s prophecies. They built first an altar to Jehovah, then began work on a temple to take the place of the magnificent structure erected by Solomon; but through the opposition of their adversaries, and lack of faith, that work was allowed to stop for twelve or more years (Ezra 4).
Verse 1. Darius Hystaspes, the third king of Persia after the great Cyrus, had now reigned a year and five months; he was, in the ordering of God, friendly to the Jews as Cyrus had been; but faith looks to God, not at circumstances. The consciences of the Jews were indeed slumbering; they had made themselves comfortable when opposition hindered the work of God, for which they had been permitted to return to Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 36:22-2322Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, 23Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The Lord his God be with him, and let him go up. (2 Chronicles 36:22‑23); Ezra 1). It is surprising how easily believers, to this day, slip into habits of indolence when the service of God involves a little difficulty or hardship; the thought of going to meeting on a stormy night; or even less than that, furnishes an excuse for neglect of duty and privilege, for which an account must be rendered at the judgment seat of Christ (Romans 11: 7-12).
Verse 3. The heart-knowing God (Acts 15:88And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; (Acts 15:8)) speaks. What indeed is hid from His eyes, His ears? How little even Christians realize that actions, words and thoughts are all known to Him! God’s thoughts, are centered upon His interests in the world; should not His blood-bought people make what concerns Him the chief object of their lives?
“Consider your ways” (verses 5 and 7) is a call that should not go unheeded, coming from God Himself, and we who profess His name may well take it to ourselves. Have we discerned in our own lives the truth of verse 6, which declares, in substance, that not all of man’s endeavor to provide for himself in a natural way really satisfies; that without God as the center and circumference of our lives life is a failure?
Let God be first, and all is well with His people; the reverse is also true; Let God be set aside, practically, while we pursue earthly ambitions, and the loss to the soul is great (verse 9). As Israel’s characteristic blessings were earthly, so departure from God brought losses that they felt, and everyone saw (verse 11).
The Christian, on the other hand, who seeks earthly gain, may not realize the loss of God’s spiritual blessings, which he is bound to suffer, but his spiritual brethren observe, and grieve for him, for the loss is deep, and unless there is recovery, in the mercy of God, it is for eternity.
Happily, for Zerubbabel the governor, and Joshua the high priest, and the remnant of the people, they hearkened to the voice of their God, and as He stirred up their spirits, and cheered them with His gracious word, “I am with you”, they engaged in the work He had given them (verses 11-15).
ML 07/11/1937