Haggai 1

Haggai 1 addresses the issue of the Jewish community's neglect of the temple reconstruction in Jerusalem after their return from exile. The prophet Haggai conveys messages from God, rebuking the people for their indifference towards rebuilding the temple and prioritizing their personal affairs. This chapter captures God's call for reflection and action on priorities, promising blessings upon the fulfillment of their commitments to the temple.

Haggai 1:1-10 (NKJV)
1 In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying,
2 “Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, saying: ‘This people says, “The time has not come, the time that the LORD’s house should be built.”’”
3 Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying,
4 “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?”
5 Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: “Consider your ways!
6 You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.”
7 Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Consider your ways!
8 Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,” says the LORD.
9 “You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?” says the LORD of hosts. “Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house.
10 Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce.

Verses 1-10 convey a critical message from God, delivered by Haggai to the leaders Zerubbabel and Joshua, as well as the people of Judah. The prophet criticizes their delay in rebuilding the temple, suggesting their personal comfort and prosperity have taken precedence over this sacred task. God points out the futility of their labor while the temple remains neglected—efforts at prosperity are unfruitful because they have ignored their spiritual obligations. The call to action is clear: prioritize the temple to reverse their misfortunes.

Haggai 1:11 (NKJV)
11 I called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.

The consequences of the people's negligence are dire; God has imposed a drought affecting all aspects of agricultural and economic productivity. This divine intervention serves as a tangible sign of displeasure and is meant to motivate the community towards obedience and the restoration of their covenant relationship with God by rebuilding the temple.

Haggai 1:12-15 (NKJV)
12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him; and the people feared the presence of the LORD.
13 Then Haggai, the LORD’s messenger, spoke the LORD’s message to the people, saying, “I am with you, says the LORD.”
14 So the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God,
15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of King Darius.

Verses 12-15 detail the response of the leaders and the people to Haggai's prophetic message. Their immediate obedience and reverence for God reflect a renewed commitment to their spiritual duties. Encouraged by God's assurance of His presence, they are spiritually reinvigorated to commence work on the temple. This passage highlights the transformative power of prophetic intervention and divine encouragement in mobilizing a community towards fulfilling their religious responsibilities.