Sermons on Haggai
A month has passed since the people of Jerusalem decided to restart the work on the temple in Jerusalem, but some of the elders among them were disheartened because this new temple paled in comparison to Solomon’s temple. Haggai encourages them to continue in this work. Another two months passes and the Lord spoke to Haggai about another problem that needed to be addressed—unrepentant sin!
This series through Haggai, while short, packs quite a punch! In today’s study, we will examine the events in Jerusalem after the return of the exiles which led up to Haggai’s prophetic utterances. The Lord sent Haggai to rebuke the returning exiles for their disobedience to God’s instruction and all-around selfish behavior. Haggai will also reveal the consequences for this bad behavior. We also have daily choices that are indicative of our priorities. The goal of this study is to help us see those areas of our lives where our priorities are out of order.
The southern kingdom of Judah had endured over 300 years of rebellion among its people. There were only a few kings who attempted to obey the Lord since the time of David and Solomon—most notably Hezekiah and Josiah. God—who is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Ex 34:6)—has been pushed to His limit and it is now time for His children to experience some consequences for their generational rebellion. The Lord announced this judgment to His prophet, Jeremiah, in the fourth year of the reign of King Jehoiakim, son of Josiah. This prophecy is discovered by Daniel many years later. We will examine both of these passages today in an attempt to set the historical context for Haggai’s prophetic work.
Don’t let nostalgia of the ‘good-old-days’ keep us from changing to effectively reach our community for Christ.