God encourages the leaders
2
📚In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai, saying, 2 📚“Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the rest of the people, saying, 3 📚who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? And how do you see it now? In comparison with that is it not in your eyes as nothing?2:1-3 Some of the people had been living when Solomon’s temple was destroyed by the Babylonian army many years before this – Ezra 3:12. That temple was very magnificent. See 1 Kings 6:1-38; 7:13-51. The temple they were now building was small and plain by comparison. But see Zech 4:10.⚜
4 📚Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, says the LORD, and be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and be strong 📖, all you people of the land, says the LORD, and work 📖, for I am with you 📖, says the LORD of hosts, 5 📚in accordance with the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt; for my Spirit 📖 remains among you. Do not fear 📖.
2:5 His covenant was that they would be His people and He would dwell in their midst – Ex 29:44-46.⚜
God will shake all nations, but bring great glory to His temple
6 📚“For thus says the LORD of hosts: Once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth 📖 and the sea and the dry land, 7 📚and I will shake all nations 📖, and the desire of all nations 📖 will come, and I will fill this house with glory 📖, says the LORD of hosts. 8 📚The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the LORD of hosts.
2:8 Compare Ps 50:10-12. God is well able to provide His people with all they need for any work He calls them to do – 2 Cor 9:8.⚜
9 📚The glory of this latter house will be greater than that of the former, says the LORD of hosts. And in this place 📖 I will give peace 📖, says the LORD of hosts”.
2:9 The glory of Solomon’s temple was coming to an end when Judah was conquered and exiled. The temple had become a place of idolatry and God abandoned it – Ezekiel chapters 8–11. Now the people had left idols and false gods and God would fill the new temple with His glory. Though there would not be in the new one as much physical splendor as in the old one there would be more of God’s glory.⚜
Sinful efforts produce uncleanness
10 📚In the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 11 📚“Thus says the LORD of hosts: Now ask the priests concerning the law, and say, 12 📚If someone carries consecrated meat 📖 in the fold of his garment, and with the fold touches bread, or stew, or wine, or oil, or any meat, will it become consecrated?” And the priests answered and said, “No”.
13 📚Then Haggai said, “If someone who is unclean by touching a dead body touches any of those, will it become unclean?” And the priests answered and said, “It will become unclean”.
14 📚Then answered Haggai, and said, “So is this people, and so is this nation before me, says the LORD, and so is every work of their hands, and what they offer there is unclean.
2:10-14 Two months had passed since the previous message (v 1). This new message was this: because of their disobedience, thoughtlessness and carelessness in God’s work the people were unclean. Being in the holy land and in the holy city and planning to build God’s holy temple did not make them holy. Holiness cannot be transmitted like that. Holiness is a matter of the heart, of the character, of the behavior, and results from obedience to God (compare Rom 6:22). And those without true holiness defile everything they touch.⚜
The produce of the people had vanished
15 📚“And now, carefully consider from this day onward. Before a stone was laid on stone in the temple of the LORD, 16 📚📚from the time of those days, when someone came to a heap of twenty bushels, there were only ten; when someone came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures out of the vat, there were only twenty. 17 📚I struck you with blight and mildew and with hail on all the labours of your hands. Yet you did not turn to me 📖, says the LORD. 18 📚Consider now from this day onward. Consider things from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day that the foundation of the LORD’s temple was laid. 19 📚Is the seed still in the barn? And as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. From this day on I will bless you 📖”.
God’s judgment on the nations
20 And again the word of the LORD came to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, 21 📚“Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake 📖 the heavens and the earth. 22 📚And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations. And I will overthrow the chariots and those who ride in them, and the horses and their riders will come down, each one by the sword of his brother.
2:22 Zerubbabel had nothing to fear from enemies either far or near. The Commander of the armies of heaven and the Controller of all earth’s armies was in charge of events. Compare Ex 15:1, 4, 19, 21; Josh 21:43-44; Jud 7:22; Ezek 38:21; Dan 2:34-35, 44, 45; 4:35.⚜
A blessed promise to Zerubbabel
23 📚“In that day, says the LORD of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, says the LORD, and will make you like my signet ring 📖; for I have chosen you, says the LORD of hosts”.
2:20-23 On the same day that God sent a message to the people he sent a personal message of encouragement to the leader of the people.⚜