Haggai 1-2:9

What’s Happening?

God’s people are rebuilding their temple 70 years after it was destroyed. But through both external pressure and an internal lack of commitment, God’s people stopped after building only an altar (Haggai 1:2). Instead, they prioritized building luxurious homes for themselves (Haggai 1:4). They thought the best way to rebuild their nation was to prioritize meeting their immediate needs over rebuilding God’s temple.  

But the prophet Haggai tells them to honestly assess their quality of life in their nation. He points out that they work hard but gain little. They sow lots of seeds but don’t eat much fruit. They eat daily but are less and less full. They drink but are never quenched; clothed but never warm (Haggai 1:5-6). Far from preserving their lives, God’s people are sinking under the weight of forever diminishing returns.

Haggai says this is because they have failed to rebuild the temple (Haggai 1:9). The temple was a symbol of the covenant treaty they signed with God. God promised that his presence would be in his temple if God’s people followed his laws. And from his presence in the temple, life, abundance, grain, wine, and fertility would flow in their land (Deuteronomy 28:1-14). But a refusal to follow God’s laws meant a withdrawal of God’s life-giving presence (Deuteronomy 28:15-24). Haggai’s point is clear: the land is in ruins because the temple is in ruins (Haggai 1:10-11).

Realizing their error, the people listen to Haggai’s words and trust the Lord will provide for their needs (Haggai 1:12). After this moment of faith, but before they begin rebuilding, Haggai says God’s life-giving presence is with them once again (Haggai 1:13). God’s Spirit then empowers them with the necessary skills as they start rebuilding just a few days later (Haggai 1:14-15).

But after a month, the progress seems insignificant and the people are discouraged. This new temple is not as beautiful as the one that was destroyed all those years ago (Haggai 2:3). But God says they should keep working because he is with them (Haggai 2:4). He owns all the silver and gold in the world. And soon he will make it so that all the wealth that was destroyed or stolen from the temple will be returned (Haggai 2:7-8). God’s people don’t need to be discouraged. God’s life-giving presence is with them. And God will ensure the temple they’re building will be more glorious than any before (Haggai 2:9).

Where is the Gospel?

Soon after this prophecy, the stolen gold and silver of the temple was returned (Ezra 6:4-12). And during Jesus’ day, King Herod added even more gold and beauty to the temple, arguably making it more beautiful than its predecessor. But rebuilding the temple didn’t improve the quality of life for God’s people. God’s promised life-giving presence had not yet come.

It came the day when Jesus was born. Jesus was God’s presence among his people (John 1:14). And the life-giving benefits of the covenant followed him wherever he went. Better than any temple built with stone, Jesus was God’s living temple who moved toward his people (John 2:19-21). 

But just as stones can turn to rubble, bodies can die. But to prove that death would not mean separation from God’s life-giving presence, Jesus died. He allowed his temple to lay in ruins for a time (Matthew 12:40). But then God raised him from the dead. Jesus is a temple that can’t be destroyed, which means the life-giving presence of God cannot be taken away. 

Even if we fail to follow God’s law, that doesn’t mean God will remove his life-giving presence from us. If Jesus is our temple, and if God is the one who rebuilt him from his grave, we can’t forfeit his presence by our failures. Just like God promised to be with his people before they started rebuilding, God promises to be with us based on our trust in him alone. God doesn’t need us to work for him. He is willing to freely give us his life-giving presence and everything we need (Acts 17:24-25).

See for Yourself

I pray that the Holy Spirit will open your eyes to see the God whose presence is full of life. And may you see Jesus as the one who is our temple.

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