by Rev. Nicole Henry [DCXA at GU]
The prophet Haggai is writing to Israelites who have returned to their land after being exiled in Babylon. The town is in ruins, and the people immediately start fixing up their own houses and ignore rebuilding the temple of God. God sees this and gives Haggai a prophetic message to share with the people. Basically, God scolds the Israelites for putting themselves and their needs before God, and He informs them that this is the reason they have harvested little and eat but are never satisfied.
In what seems to me like a rare moment for Israel, they hear God’s warning and obey! The charge to rebuild the temple is led by Zerubbabel (governor of Judah) and Joshua (the High Priest). The people who remember the temple in its former glory are becoming discouraged in the building process because the new temple doesn’t look as great. To encourage the people, God gives Haggai a second message to share: He reminds them that He is with them, and to not be discouraged because He will cause this new temple to be even more glorious than the first.
Not without their setbacks, the Israelites falter a bit. Haggai shares a third message from God reminding the people that if they are defiling themselves that everything they touch, including their building of the Temple, will also be defiled. Haggai reminds them that it’s only by confession and true repentance that they will find success and peace.
Finally, in his fourth prophetic message from God to the people, Haggai addresses Zerubbabel (a descendant of King David). He tells Zerubbabel that God is going to overthrow kings and nations and raise up someone from his line to rule and reign. Messianic vibes, aka allusions to Jesus coming to rule and reign someday!