Synopsis: Haggai

Organisation of the synopsis

The Writer 

Haggai ministers to the Jews and encourages them in the rebuilding of the temple. The first return of the Jews to their land was during the decree of Cyrus in 537 BC and the temple reconstruction was only finished in 516 BC. The temple rebuilding process was stopped for 14 years when the Jews’s enemies petitioned the King to stop the work of rebuilding the city. When King Artaxerxes gave the decree to stop the construction works (Ezra 4:21; 24) the Jews interpreted the decree as not only to stop the rebuilding of the city and its walls but also the work in the temple. However, the King does not mention any order to stop the temple building work.  Meanwhile the Jews concentrated on building their own houses during the interval of 14 years. Haggai was mentioned in Ezra 5:1 when he encourages the Jews to continue with the reconstruction of the temple. 


Key Verse 

Haggai 1:4 Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? 

The Persian King, Cyrus, mandated the Jews to build the temple of God (Ezra 1:2-3). The Jews initially carried out the work enthusiastically but when opposition arose as mentioned above, the Jews stopped the work at the temple. They diverted their attention to build their own houses. God was not pleased and sent Haggai to rebuke them in the key verse.   

Main Theme 

The Lord through His prophet Haggai reminded His people to consider the source of their blessings through a series of questions(Hag 1:7-9). The Lord’s mind is succinctly presented in (Matt 6:33) “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you”. When the Jews returned back to their land, they needed many things in addition to the building of the temple that was destroyed. Sadly, they focused their attention more on their own necessities and neglected the temple of God. Later when their necessities were met, they continued in their own pursuits and forgot that the Lord’s house was still in ruins. Haggai rebuke the Jews for this attitude and the Jews took heed to it.  


When the Jews responded to Haggai’s call to restore the Lord’s house, God was pleased and he swiftly encouraged them in their efforts(Hag 1:12-13). 


Spiritual and Life lessons 

After the rebuke in the key verse, the Lord in Hag 1:5 and 7 reminded the Jews to “consider your ways”. A similar request was made by the Lord to the Jews to consider their actions in Hag 2:18. We serve a reasonable God. He will not put burdensome commandments to us. In 1 Jn 5:3, the Apostle John reminds us “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous”. 


Christians are a privileged people. We have the blessings to go to heaven because the penalty for our sins were fully borne by the Lord Jesus. We are just asked to give some time to Him in appreciation for His sacrificial death at the cross. Sadly, many Christians neglect even this little sacrifice of their time for our Lord. Do we consider our actions? Christians when they consider their conducts carefully, they may perceive their own lackadaisical ways in their devotion to God’s affairs.  


Most Christians, especially those in the developed world, live in more luxuries compared to the Jews during the period when Haggai ministered. Being much blessed materially, do you attribute it to the goodness of God and give a little bit of your time to worship God, the Lord Jesus? How many people observe the breaking of bread weekly in truth and spirit? How many conduct themselves as Christians are commanded to do in Luke 22:19 and Acts 20:7? If a person goes to church once a year during the Christmas season, would this be considered as honouring God? If God is silent on this issue, maybe it is ok, but when the Lord Jesus reminds us to remember Him weekly in His words, we have to give it our utmost effort.  The present disregard for the things of God may make the subject of the Jews’ apathy on the temple restoration during Haggai’s time as relatively minor infractions from God’s teachings. 


In Haggai’s final prophesy, God will overthrew all the nations and established His Kingdom(Haggai 2:20-23). Let us believe Him and do not invest wholly on earthly things that will perish.  


We should devote a “bit” of our time to God as He requests. The Hymn of Isaac Watts aptly put our devotion to our God in perspective as noted below. 


“Were the whole realm of nature mine 

That were an offering far too small; 

Love so amazing, so divine, 

Demands my heart, my life, my all!”


With God’s blessings, 


CL 





Comments

  1. Grace WFebruary 3, 2022 at 11:37 AM

    Posting on behalf of Dr Ong: Yes, believers should and will benefit themselves by spending more and more time with our Lord, starting with the breaking of bread in our assembly

    ReplyDelete

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