The Message of Haggai

The writings of Haggai cover a brief four-month period in 520 BC. Along with Zechariah, Haggai prophesied to encourage the small community of Jews living in Jerusalem at that time. These Jews had returned from captivity in Babylon twenty years earlier, and after an initial burst of enthusiasm, they had neglected the task of rebuilding the Temple. Distracted by their own concerns and the opposition of others, they had abandoned this critical work. Now, Haggai calls them back to their divine assignment. Remarkably, within three weeks of his first message, the work was restarted, and within four years, it was completed.

Consider Your Ways

Haggai begins with a challenge for the people to reflect on their situation and priorities. They had been preoccupied with their everyday lives, neglecting the rebuilding of the Temple. As a result, God’s blessing was not upon them, and they struggled to make ends meet. Haggai delivers a clear directive: “Consider your ways and go…” (Haggai 1:7-8). He calls them to put God’s house and his glory first, with the assurance that God’s blessing would follow their obedience.

This challenge remains relevant today. It is easy to become consumed by personal concerns at the expense of prioritising God’s will. Jesus similarly exhorts us to focus on eternal treasures rather than earthly ones (Matthew 6:19-21). Obedience to God may require hard work, as it did for Haggai’s audience, but it brings the reward of his pleasure and blessing.

God’s Grace in Our Obedience

The people responded positively to Haggai’s message. Initially, they had excused their inaction, saying, “The time has not yet come” (Haggai 1:2), but now they demonstrated their repentance through action. This response triggered God’s encouragement: “I am with you” (Haggai 1:13). Furthermore, God graciously “stirred up the spirit” of the leaders and people to carry out the work. This swift restoration underscores God’s grace. He forgives their previous inactivity and empowers them to accomplish what he has commanded.

A Greater Glory

About a month later, at the start of chapter two, God speaks again to encourage the people, this time placing their work within a broader context. He recalls the splendour of Solomon’s Temple, which had been filled with God’s glory (e.g., 2 Chronicles 7:1-3). Despite the apparent inferiority of this new Temple under construction, God declares, “The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former” (Haggai 2:9). In a literal sense, this prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus, God incarnate, ministered in the rebuilt Temple centuries later. Ultimately, however, the Temple points to the church, filled with God’s glory through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. This glory will one day fill the entire earth, fulfilling Habakkuk 2:14’s vision of the earth being filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord.

A Covenant-Keeping God

Solomon’s Temple was lost because of Israel’s failure to keep their covenant with God. Yet, God remains faithful to his promises. In Haggai 2:4-5, He assures the people: “Be strong… Work, for I am with you.” This echoes God’s command to Joshua: “Be strong and courageous… for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).
This reminder encourages us today. God’s actions are rooted in his covenant faithfulness, not our imperfect obedience. Like Haggai’s audience, we can find strength and courage in his unchanging promises.

God’s Wonderful Grace

In Haggai 2:10-19, a question-and-answer session with the priests highlights a profound truth: human effort cannot make anything spiritually clean, while impurity is easily transmitted. Left to themselves, the people seemed destined for continued hardship and fruitless labour. Yet, God declares, “From this day on I will bless you” (Haggai 2:19). This unilateral blessing reflects God’s amazing grace. Paul echoes this theme in Ephesians 2:1-10, reminding us that it is only by God’s mercy and love that we are saved. As he writes, “God is so rich in mercy… even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead” (Ephesians 2:4-5). The ultimate peace promised in Haggai 2:9 is fully realised in Christ.

A Coming Kingdom

Haggai concludes with God renewing his covenant promise to David (2 Samuel 7:16) through Zerubbabel, a descendant of David and an ancestor of Christ (Matthew 1:6-16). Zerubbabel represents Christ, the one who carries the full authority of God the Father, symbolised as a “signet ring” (Haggai 2:23). This prophetic vision points to the ultimate fulfillment of God’s purposes in the coming Kingdom. One day, all earthly powers will be overthrown, and God’s unshakable Kingdom will remain. As Hebrews 1:8 declares, “Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever.”