Reading the lesser-known books of the Bible can be surprisingly rewarding.
If you’re paging through the Bible, right before you make the turn and head into the New Testament, there’s a string of shorter books with funny names and odd references that don’t get talked about a whole lot. These are the minor prophets of the Old Testament.
One of the shortest is Haggai. Coming in at two chapters and less than two pages, Haggai is the story of a prophet whom God uses to tell the Israelites to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. Give it a read this Lord’s Day. It won’t take much time, and it has some good lessons.
To understand the context for Haggai, we need to first look back to Ezra. The Bible is arranged not in chronological order but instead by categories of writing. A book of history, Ezra is with the other books of history earlier in the Old Testament. It tells the story of the Israelites returning to the Promised Land after they were held as captives in Babylon.
The Babylonians had invaded and destroyed Jerusalem, including the temple built under King Solomon. The Persians under Cyrus the Great had conquered the Babylonians, and Cyrus decided to let the Israelites return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. But Ezra tells us that, after Cyrus died, a new Persian king, Artaxerxes, ordered that construction of the temple stop. The temple remained partially complete for years, until a new king, Darius, ascended to the throne.
It’s at this point that Haggai shows up. Unlike some of the other prophets, we don’t really know anything about Haggai other than that he was one. God speaks to Haggai and calls out the Israelites’ complacency: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house’” (Haggai 1:2). Then, He asks a rhetorical question that puts the Israelites on the spot: “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” (Haggai 1:4).
The paneled houses of the sixth century b.c. probably weren’t that great, but God’s message was clear: Your priorities are out of order. You’re putting yourselves before me. Fix it.
God then tells the Israelites through Haggai:
Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it. . . . Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored. (Haggai 1:5–8)
He utters that injunction twice: “Give careful thought to your ways.” There are plenty of times when God doesn’t make sense, when His plan is far beyond our ability to comprehend, when we are called to trust Him even when it seems like we shouldn’t. But this was not one of those times. God is asking the Israelites to use the brains He gave them, and He believes that their careful consideration will lead them to obedience.
God chose to meet the Israelites where they were. He addresses their hardships. He asks them to think about why they were facing those hardships. Then, He says that the building of the temple is the natural consequence of their careful consideration. This was an order from the Almighty King of the Universe, but it wasn’t a proclamation from the throne. It was a corrective from a loving Father, disciplining His children to obedience.
Unlike many other times in the story of the Israelites, the people obeyed right away. We find that “the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord” (Haggai 1:12).
Building a temple in the sixth century b.c. was very hard work. Remember, the Israelites had started rebuilding and stopped, and we know from Ezra that it would take them another four years after Haggai’s prophecy to finish. About a month into the construction, God speaks through Haggai again. He has a simple command for the governor, the high priest, and all the people: “Be strong” (Haggai 2:4). He comforts them and reminds them, “This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear” (Haggai 2:5).
God wasn’t content to just tell the Israelites what to do and move on. He showed them grace by reminding them of the promises He made to them and encouraging them in their work. Again, God was under no obligation to do this. He gave a command, and His word is final. But He chose to still encourage them and demonstrate His immense patience with the Israelites. By referencing the Exodus, He was reminding them of something that took place a millennium earlier. And He was still with them, just as He always had been.
Later in the second chapter, He reprises the same phrase from before: “Give careful thought.” He continues to speak through Haggai:
Consider how things were before one stone was laid on another in the Lord’s temple. . . . From this day on . . . give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid. . . . From this day on I will bless you. (Haggai 2:15, 18, 19)
God is demonstrating to the Israelites that His way bears fruit, and He’s making sure they noticed.
God doesn’t issue arbitrary commands just because He can. He has a plan, and He loves us. But He can’t bless disobedience. It’s on us to obey. Only then, says Romans 12:2, can we test and approve God’s will — His good, pleasing, and perfect will.
Don’t let anyone tell you the Old Testament is all doom and gloom. God demonstrated his grace to the Israelites through Haggai, and Haggai’s faithfulness bore great fruit for all the people. Read the books that don’t get talked about as much, and you’ll be surprised by what you find.