SOURCE FOR QUESTIONS
Haggai 1:1 through 2:23

‍KEY VERSE FOR MEMORIZATION
“Then spake Haggai the Lord’s messenger in the Lord’s message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the Lord. And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the Lord of hosts, their God.” (Haggai 1:13-14)

BACKGROUND

The Persian King Cyrus’ decree in 538 B.C. gave permission for the captive Jewish exiles in Babylon to return to Judah and restore their Temple. However, it appears that many of the Jews were so rooted in Babylon after seventy years of captivity that they did not want to relocate. Bible scholars estimate that the first group of returnees, led by Zerubbabel, numbered only about fifty thousand, including women and children—a fraction of the over one million who had been exiled. 

When the returning exiles arrived in Jerusalem, they were confronted with the devastation left by the armies of King Nebuchadnezzar. The city was in ruins and the glorious structure that once was Solomon’s Temple had been demolished. The people began rebuilding the Temple soon after their arrival in 536 B.C., but when they faced opposition from hostile neighbors, they discontinued the work (see Ezra 4:4-5, 24). Because they neglected the rebuilding of God’s house, His blessing upon them was withdrawn and the people suffered. 

While the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah give accounts of the Jewish nation after the restoration from the Babylonian exile, the Book of Haggai describes a series of four messages. These were delivered by Haggai to the returned exiles in 520 B.C., about ten years after they had stopped building. With simple and direct words, he rebuked the people for their failure to finish the Temple, challenged them regarding their priorities, and called for them to obey God by renewing their efforts and completing the task.

SUGGESTED RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS‍

1. Each of Haggai’s four brief but powerful messages from God was precisely dated, and all were delivered within a period of four months. A review of the two short chapters that make up this Old Testament book reveal that the prophet used the phrases “the word of the Lord,” “thus saith the Lord,” and other similar statements more than twenty times. Why do you think Haggai repeated this so often? What might be the significance of this repetition for us?
   
   ‍Class discussion should bring out that the frequency of use likely indicates Haggai felt it was important for the people to know the messages came from God himself and were not based on his own reasoning or perspectives. No doubt he also was attempting to communicate God’s messages clearly, not obscuring or modifying them by using his own words. 
   
   The significance for us is that while prophecies in the Old Testament were directed to a particular people and often concerned specific events that would occur during their era, we must pay careful attention to whatever God says. The principles in the Bible are timeless, whenever and however they were initially delivered. For example, Haggai’s messages teach the necessity of obedience to God, the importance of establishing correct priorities, and the fact that putting God first brings His blessing.
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2. According to Haggai 1:2, what reason did the people give for not building the Lord’s house? Why do you think they offered this excuse?
   
   ‍The people’s reason was,“The time is not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built.” They basically were saying that it was not a suitable time to undertake the rebuilding of the Temple. 
   
   Your group may respond to the second question with a variety of explanations.
      • Possibly the people had delayed from fear of their hostile neighbors, thinking that if they postponed the work, the animosity might fade. (Ezra chapter 4 describes the opposition the rebuilders faced.)
      • Perhaps the people were discouraged because they could not restore the Temple to its former splendor.
      • Some may have thought that the seventy years of captivity foretold by the prophet Jeremiah (see Jeremiah 25:11-13 and 29:10) had not yet been fulfilled. Since there were three “waves” of deportations from Judah, the beginning point of the exile could have been debated.
      • Maybe they decided they should take care of their own homes and fields to ensure their safety and food supply themselves.
      • Perhaps they reasoned that because their harvests had been poor, they could not afford the materials—they would wait to purchase supplies after a few good harvests.
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   The list of possible reasons to wait could go on and on. Amplify your class discussion by asking your group to cite excuses people offer today for procrastinating or not obeying God. The point should be made that Satan will always attempt to delay and eventually derail obedience. If we wait until we feel that all circumstances are favorable, we may never accomplish anything for the Lord.
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3. In verse 4, God addressed the fact that in the interval since work had ceased on the Temple, the people had taken time to build themselves “ceiled” houses (decoratively paneled homes that were costly), while His house lay waste. What did God want the people to recognize when He told them in verse 5 to “consider your ways”?
   
   God wanted them to recognize that they were putting their personal desires before what God wanted them to do. They had failed to rebuild the house of God and yet had found the time and resources to build nice houses for themselves. The prophet correctly diagnosed their problem as one of inverted priorities.
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   Lead your class in a discussion of the importance of establishing right priorities. Bring out that at times God may want us to step back from our busy lives to evaluate both the direction of our lives and the consequences of the decisions we are making.
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4. The returned exiles had allowed the house of the Lord to be neglected for ten years while they focused on their personal lives and comfort. How had God responded to the people’s failure to build the Temple? Haggai 1:6, 9-11
   
   God sent judgment upon the people. Verse 6 indicates that their harvests had been poor, they were experiencing a lack of necessities, and their wages were insufficient to cover their needs. Verses 9-11 describe the troubles they had brought on themselves by their disobedience. What they did have did not satisfy. In addition, God had sent a drought upon the land. Grain, grapes, and olives, alluded to in verse 11, were Judah’s principal crops, so their livelihood had been significantly impacted by the drought that God sent as judgment.
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   Ask your class: What lessons can we learn from the struggles of the post-exilic community? Lead them to the conclusion that if we put God first, He will provide for our deepest needs. We may or may not prosper materially, but God will be with us, bless us, and satisfy our hearts. Conversely, if we fail to give God first place in our lives, we will never be truly satisfied.
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5. According to verse 12 of chapter 1, how did the people react to Haggai’s message? What is the significance of the date given in verse 15 when compared with the first verse of this chapter?
   
   Verse 12 indicates that following the example of Zerubbabel and Joshua, the people obeyed God, heeding the words delivered by Haggai. 
   
   The date in verse 15 is noteworthy because it indicates that the people went back to work on the Temple just twenty-three days after Haggai delivered his message! Bible scholars agree that those twenty-three days likely were spent procuring the needed building supplies and preparing the building site for the resumed efforts. Their actions proved the genuineness of their repentance and renewed commitment.
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6. In Haggai 1:13, God gave the people an encouraging message through the prophet, promising, “I am with you, saith the Lord.” When the people were failing to obey the Lord, He had withdrawn His blessing from them, and they experienced troubles. Their obedience brought the assurance of His presence. What a great comfort! They did not need to worry about their fields, their crops, and their animals. God would see to it that these were taken care of. In what ways has the Lord been with you?
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   Encourage your class to share personal accounts in response to this question. You may want to be prepared to relate an example from your own life to get the discussion started. The point should emerge that God always strengthens, encourages, and guides those who are committed to following Him.
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7. In chapter 2, Haggai encouraged the people to continue the work despite the opposition and challenges they faced. In verse 3, he asked, “Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory?” The older people in the community had memories of the original Temple built by Solomon, and they could clearly see that the rebuilt Temple, when completed, would not compare to it (see Ezra 3:12-13). However, this was not to be a cause for despair. In Haggai 2:4-5, what three things did Haggai exhort Zerubbabel (the civic leader of the people), Joshua (the high priest), and all the people to do?
   
   Haggai exhorted Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the people of the land to be strong, to work, and not to fear. Point out to your group that each of these three were necessary for the rebuilders to accomplish the task before them. Great things are not accomplished without action! 
   
   God also reminded the people in verse 5 that just as He had been with them in the past when He brought them out of bondage in Egypt, He would remain with them in this endeavor. Discuss with your group that when doubts and uncertainty threaten our commitment to the work of the Lord, it is always helpful to reflect on occasions when God has helped us in the past.
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8. About two months after the second message, Haggai delivered his third exhortation from God. In verses 12-13 of chapter 2, the prophet instructed the people to go to the priests with two questions to be answered from God’s Law. The word “holy” is repeated in verse 12, and “unclean” is repeated in verse 13. Based on these two contrasting words and verse 14, what point do you think God was making through the questions that were to be asked of the priests?
   
   The questions the people were to ask pointed out the differences between the two words. They established that while holiness could not be transferred, uncleanness could be. 
   
   The point God was making in verse 14 was that in the past, the people’s religious observances and offerings had been unacceptable to Him because they were not obeying Him, and their uncleanness had polluted their offerings. Verses 17-19 indicate that as a result, God had sent judgment in the form of “blasting” (wind), mildew, and hail. However, now that the people were obeying God and were rebuilding the Temple, they could expect His blessing even before they harvested their grain, grapes, figs, pomegranates, and olives.
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9. The Book of Haggai concludes with the prophet’s fourth prophecy, recorded in verses 20-23 of chapter 2, which was delivered to Zerubbabel on the same day that the preceding message was given to the people. In this message, Haggai spoke of a coming upheaval, in which God would overthrow kingdoms and would shake the heavens and the earth. He promised that Zerubbabel’s leadership would bear the mark of divine authority and confirmed to this leader that “I have chosen thee.” Why do you think this affirmation would have been an encouragement to Zerubbabel?
   
   Class discussion should bring out that Zerubbabel and the rebuilders of the Temple were still facing challenges, as the work was not yet completed. However, Zerubbabel could hold onto God’s promises—to the people, and to himself. 
   
   As you conclude your class session, point out to your group that like Zerubbabel, we have been chosen by God (see Ephesians 1:4). We too will face challenges in our walks with the Lord, as our work is not yet completed. However, we learn from this short Old Testament book that God will be with us and help us as long as we make serving Him our priority and remain obedient to His instructions.

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CONCLUSION

Though Haggai is one of the shortest books in the Old Testament, the messages contained in it are profound even for today. As we obey God’s commands and keep our priorities straight, we will reap the blessing of the Lord every day of our lives.