Image: "Hope When Things Look Bleak", 2020, The Black Church, Budir area, Iceland - Photographer: Dave Johanson
Haggai 1:1–2 In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah,..., saying, 2 “Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, saying: ‘This people says, “The time has not come, the time that the LORD’s house should be built.” ’ ”
Haggai 2:4–5 Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ says the LORD; ‘and be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land,’ says the LORD, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ says the LORD of hosts. 5 ‘According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!’
Haggai 2:23 ‘In that day,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel My servant, the son of Shealtiel,’ says the LORD, ‘and will make you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you,’ says the LORD of hosts.
Matthew 1:12–16 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel. 13 Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor. 14 Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud. 15 Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob. 16 And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
This short book appears to raise more questions than it gives answers. In it, we have a snapshot of the post-exilic affairs in Jerusalem. This is the time of Ezra (Ezra 5:1, 6:14) and Nehemiah though they are not mentioned in this text. Haggai begins with the sharp disclosure that the returned exiles and the remnant who are in the land have paid scant attention to the necessity of true worship of their living God: 2 “Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, saying: ‘This people says, “The time has not come, the time that the LORD’s house should be built.” ’ ” We have to keep in mind that during the OT dispensation, sacrifices were essential to corporate religious life and well being of the people. They could not expect the Lord's blessings for their continued existence much less restoration to some degree of self-identity as the Covenant People of God apart from temple worship.
And this seems to be born out in spades by the caustic observations in chapter 1: Haggai 1:6 “You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.” God was reminding them that He was the One in charge of their well-being. It was He Who had brought them down in judgment before and it was He Who had brought them out of exile. How could they now think that, even in their reduced state, that their first priority was to look after their own affairs? Certainly, we can sympathize with them. But we ought to remember the poor widow whom Jesus observed putting her last coins in the alms deposit. Faith is often most on display when we step out from weakness rather than strength.
Through the leadership of Zerubbabel and others, the temple was built. It was a poor replacement in most respects. God himself notes the sadness among those who remembered Solomon's temple and were dismayed at this one. But here God, through Haggai, shifts tone. In the gloom the dim prospects of a brighter future shone through: Haggai 2:7–9 and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the LORD of hosts. 8 ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the LORD of hosts. 9 ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the LORD of hosts.”
God would not leave this temple in its "second-class" status. He promises that there will be a glorious new temple built to replace this one. Here we see a twofold prophecy. Herod the Great would indeed rebuild this temple and make it glorious indeed. But that temple still fell short of the glorious habitation fit for the Triune God. Our Lord Christ told of building a greater temple than that of Herod's and when that temple met its doom at the hands of the Romans, then the magnificent Church of the Lord Jesus Christ could be seen without distraction. It is indeed this latter edifice which is the ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy.
Haggai closes with an intriguing promise to Zerubbabel himself. He promises that he will be made like a "signet" ring because God had chosen him (2:23). Here again, there are many debates about this because Zerubbabel himself is such a relatively obscure figure that it is difficult, on a surface scan, to see whether this prophecy was true. Zerubbabel essentially drops out of view and we do not have any further historical records of his accomplishments if there were any. But there is one specific reference to him that completely validates this blessed privilege he received. As we look through the heritage of our Lord Jesus Christ (Mat. 1:12-16 above), we see that Zerubbabel was established as an important link in the Davidic line of the "house" into which Jesus was born.
During this dangerous and chaotic period of time, unless the Lord acted as He did, the heirs of David may have been completely wiped out. Certainly the Medes and the Persians cared nothing for God's promise to David. But God cared... and He acted... and through this obscure figure the promises of God were "signed and sealed." He truly was "a signet ring" (2:23) guaranteeing the fulfillment of God's covenant promise.
Comments