Haggai's Third Prophecy

by Lance Ponder⁽⁹¹⁾
http://fkiprofessor.xanga.com

Introduction to the Third Prophecy

Hag 2:10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, Two months later Haggai brings another message from God. It is now getting to be winter in Jerusalem and work is progressing on the temple. The third message is the most hopeful so far. After the wakeup call and the promise of great things to come, the third prophecy proclaims an immediate reward for faithful obedience. This promise is made directly to those who are doing the good work assigned by God. God is faithful to keep His word and what He gives is always better than what could be hoped for. First, though, Haggai’s prophecy provides an important lesson for the people of God. It is also worth noting that the first Word of the Lord came to Zechariah between the second and third prophecies of Haggai. In Zechariah’s opening verses (Zech 1:1-6), the Lord calls on the people to learn from the error of their ancestors’ stubbornness and repent. Based on the remainder of this short book of Haggai it appears the people obeyed the prophets.

Clean and Unclean

Hag 2:11-13 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Ask the priests about the law: ‘If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy?’” The priests answered and said, “No.” Then Haggai said, “If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?” The priests answered and said, “It does become unclean.” The law in this case refers to the Torah. It teaches that holiness comes from God alone. When God cleanses something, people cannot use it to make other things clean. However, something clean becomes unclean when it comes into contact with something else unclean. In other words, people can defile, but only God can make holy.

Practical Application

Hag 2:14 Then Haggai answered and said, “So is it with this people, and with this nation before me, declares the Lord, and so with every work of their hands. And what they offer there is unclean. For years the temple remained unfinished. The project was essential dead. God spoke through the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to breath life into the project and ultimately the temple itself. When the people allowed the temple project to lay dead they defiled themselves. No amount of sacrifices made in the rubble could cleanse the people of this sin. God requires obedience from the heart rather than sacrifice for ceremony. In this case obedience meant answering God’s call to rebuild the temple. The same lesson can be applied today – obedience is better than sacrifice. In contemporary terms you might as easily say doing the right thing out of love is good but pomp and ceremony and works without faith are empty and pointless.

Article submitted Friday, January 13, 2012 & read 7 times.

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