Haggai

Haggai was one of the three prophets that ministered in the post-exilic period of Judah's history. Zerubbabel led the first group of returning Jews—42,360 of them—in the first year of Cyrus, the Persian king.

The new generation of Jews, with some of the elderly Jews who survived the captivity, looked forward with great anticipation and hope to their homeland. But optimism soon gave way to despair as they witnessed the desolation of the city and temple —70 years since Nebuchadnezzar's conquest of Jerusalem. To make matter worse, their attempt to rebuild the temple was met with oppositions from neighboring nations.

Consequently, the temple rebuilding work stopped soon after the foundation was laid, and the people became preoccupied with building their homes and cultivating their fields. Living conditions were tough and the land unproductive from years of neglect, compared to the comfortable lives they left behind in the Babylonian province that is now under Persia. Pessimism led to spiritual lethargy and the people carried on with their daily life while the temple stood neglected and unfinished for another 16 years.

God sent Haggai to rebuke the people of their spiritual apathy and challenged them to rekindle their fervor for the restoration of the temple, as well as to renew their faith in the God who could restore their livelihood now and bring forth hope of a brighter future in the Messianic kingdom.

OUTLINE OF HAGGAI

1. 1st Message: Rebuke–Reflection (1:1-11)

Nice homes | Neglected temple

Much labor | Little harvest

2. 2nd Message: Obedience–Assurance (1:12-15)

Leaders obeyed | The people feared

God encourages | God enables

3. 3rd Message: Courage–Glory (2:1-9)

Man's perspective—Insignificant

God's perspective—Glorious

4. 4th Message: Question–Action (2:10-19)

Attitude—Ceremonial or Committed?

Rewards—Feeble or Abundance?

5. 5th Message: Judgment–Promise (2:20-23)

Man's kingdom shall fall

Messiah's kingdom shall rise