As we begin a
new book of study in the Bible, we will now turn to the book of
Haggai. Before we begin a thorough study through this wonderful minor
prophet book, we shall look at the background for it's writing and
the author, “Haggai” with the help of the first verse. We
read:
In the
second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day
of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet unto
Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the
son of Josedech, the high priest, saying,
The
year is about 520 b.c. When “Darius” whose name means “lord”
came into power in Persia which is modern day Iran. The children of
Israel had just come through seventy years of captivity by the
Babylonians, and some of them were finally beginning to return to
their homeland. The prophet Zephaniah and others prophesied to the
children of Israel concerning their captivity, but they did not
listen and went into exile because they were disobedient for four
hundred and ninety years concerning the Sabbath year rest of their
land. The law of God stated they were to let the land rest every
seven years, and because they ignore the command, they went into
captivity to pay the seventy years they disregarded.
Ezra
the priest was commissioned to go back to Jerusalem and rebuilt the
temple of God under Cyrus the King of Persia, and the building
continued under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua. However, the
Samaritans who had inhabited their land rose up against the
Israelites and protested to the king of Persia because the Israelites
refused to accept their help in rebuilding the temple. Their protest
gained a “cease and desist” order from the king and all building
was stopped until the Israelites told the king they had permission to
rebuild the temple from “Cyrus” the king of Persia. Although the
building was allowed to continue, most of the people of Jerusalem had
begun to build their own houses and were not concerned for the
rebuilding of the temple of God. This is the reason for “Haggai's”
prophecy.
Haggai
whose name means “festive” was commissioned by the LORD to draw
the people of Israel back to a concern about the things of God. He
was to exhort and encourage the people to “rebuild the temple”,
and therein lies the lesson for us. The spiritual things, things of
God, and those things which are eternal have a profound affect upon
what happens in our daily lives. By seeking the kingdom of God first,
all the other things of life shall be added to us. As we think
through God's purpose for commissioning Haggai, let us remember there
is no greater place to keep our attention than in the truth of the
gospel of Jesus Christ. The world has many distractions that can pull
us away from our relationship with God the Father and His Son Jesus
Christ, and as we study the exhortation of Haggai to rebuild the
temple, let us hear his words as an encouragement for us to rebuild
our relationship with Jesus.
Next
time we will discover to whom the book of Haggai was written, so read
ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the
Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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