Introduction to Haggai

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/21/2016 10:15 PM

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  PT-1 Introduction to Haggai

            Haggai is the first minor prophet that we will study that is post-exile, in other words after the Southern Kingdom of Judah was captured by the Babylonians, then in turn the Medes and Persians captured Babylon, (see Daniel chapter 5), and then the ruler of that empire allowed some Jews to return to Jerusalem.  Cyrus who was prophesied by Isaiah in chapters 44-45 to let Judah return was the ruler who let the first captives return to Jerusalem.  There were other rulers who allowed more of the Jews to return to Jerusalem as seen in the book of Nehemiah and also Ezra.  Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi are the three Minor Prophets who are post-exile prophets.

            Dr. Wiersbe’s outline is as follows:

            Key Theme:  Complete the work you have begun.

            Key Verse:  Haggai 1:8.

I.                 First Message:  Conviction—1:1-15

a.      Stop making excuses—1-4

b.     Start considering your ways—5-11

c.      Begin to serve the Lord—12-15

II.               Second Message:  Comparison—2:1-9

a.      Discouragement—1-3

b.     Encouragement—4-9

                                                    i.     Be strong—4

                                                  ii.     Fear not—5

                                                iii.     Glory will come—6-7

                                                iv.     God will provide—8-9

III.             Third Message:  Contamination—2:10-19

a.      The question of defilement—10-13

b.     The assurance of blessing—14-19

IV.            Fourth Message:  Coronation—2:20-23

a.      The coming judgment—20-22

b.     The promised Messiah-23

We will now look at some more introductory material from John MacArthur’s Study Bible.

            “Title:  The prophecy bears the name of its author.  Because his name means ‘festal one,’ it is suggested that Haggai was born on a feast day.  Haggai is the second shortest book in the OT (Obadiah is shorter) and is quoted by the NT once (cf. Heb. 12:26).

            “Author and Date: Little is known about Haggai apart from this short prophecy.  He is mentioned briefly in Ezra 5:1 and 6:14, on both occasions in conjunction with the prophet Zechariah.  The lists of refugees in Ezra mention nothing of Haggai; there are no indications of his parentage or tribal ancestry.  Nor does history provide any record of his occupation.  He is the only person in the OT with the name, although similar names occur…Furthermore, Hag. 2:3 may suggest that he too had seen the glory of Solomon’s temple before it was destroyed, making him at least 70 years of age when writing his prophecy.

            “There is no ambiguity or controversy about the date of the prophecy.  The occasion of each of his 4 prophecies clearly specified (1:1; 2:1; 2:10; 1:20), occurring within a 4 month span of time in the second year (ca. 520 BC) of Persian King Darius Hystaspes (ca. 521-486 BC).  Haggai most likely had returned to Jerusalem from Babylon with Zerubbable 18 months earlier in 538 BC.

            “Background and Setting:  In 538 BC as a result of the proclamation of Cyrus the Persian (cf. Ezra 1:1-4), Israel was allowed to return from Babylon to her homeland under the civil leadership of Zerubbable and the spiritual guidance of Joshua the High-Priest (cf. Ezra 3:2).  About 50,000 Jews returned.  In 536 BC they began to rebuild the temple (cf. Ezra 4:1-24).  Sixteen years later Haggai and Zechariah were commissioned by the Lord to stir up the people to 1) not only rebuild the temple, but also to 2) reorder their spiritual priorities (cf. Ezra 5:1-6:22).  As a result, the temple was completed 4 years later (ca. 516 BC; cf. Ezra 6:15).”

3/21/2016 10:50 PM