July 29, 2025 • 21 mins
We'd love to hear from you - Click Here to Text Us a Message.
The book of Haggai delivers a timely message about prioritizing God in the midst of life's rebuilding seasons. Through four precisely dated messages, this short prophetic book challenges us to realign our focus when we've let spiritual priorities slip.
• Haggai spoke to Jewish exiles who had returned to Jerusalem around 520 BC to find their city and temple in ruins
• The people had grown discouraged and stopped temple reconstruction, focusing instead on their own homes for 16 years
• God's repeated invitation to "give careful thought to your ways" connects their ongoing struggles with misplaced priorities
• When the people responded with obedience, God immediately assured them of His presence: "I am with you"
• God acknowledges their discouragement about the new temple's appearance, but promises greater glory through it
• The book's final message points to Zerubbabel's place in God's redemptive plan, ultimately connecting to Jesus
• Four key themes emerge: priorities, obedience, God's presence, and hope
• Haggai shows God doesn't approach our misaligned priorities with shame, but with an invitation to renewed purpose
Remember that even small steps of obedience can lead to significant spiritual renewal in your life. God's presence and promise—"I am with you"—remains true for us today.
RELATED EPISODES:
- Context Matters: Undestanding Post Exile Prophets
- Ezra: Return, Rebuilding, and Renewal Through Faith
SOURCES:
- Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., ... & Bomar, D. (2016). Faithlife Study Bible. Lexham Press. (Original work published 2012)
- Evangelical Training Association. (n.d.). Old Testament survey (Pt. 2).
- MacArthur, J. (Ed.). (n.d.). The MacArthur Study Bible (NIV ed.). Thomas Nelson.
- Spurgeon, C. H. (2017). The Spurgeon study Bible: Notes. Holman Bible Publishers.
- Thomas Nelson Publishers. (1998). The Open Bible: New King James Version (Electronic ed.).
- Wolf, H. M. (1996). Haggai, theology of. In W. A. Elwell (Ed.), Evangelical dictionary of biblical theology (electronic ed., p. 323). Baker Book House.
Have questions about what it means to follow Jesus?
Whether you’re just starting your faith journey or exploring what the Bible teaches, we’d love to walk with you. God’s invitation is real, personal, and full of grace.
💬 Reach out to Jacqui at info@bible-basics.org
📖 Talk to a trusted Christian in your life
🏠 Or visit a Bible-believing church near you
You are not alone. God’s Word is alive, and He is still drawing people to Himself today. Don’t hesitate to take the next step.
Thank you for tuning in!
Bible Basics is now streaming on Youtube. Please subscribe now!
Feel free to contact us at info@bible-basics.org. We would love to hear from you!
Note: All scripture references are from the NIV translation unless otherwise indicated.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Jacqui (00:12):
Greetings listeners.
Have you ever caught yourselfsaying I just need to get my
life together first, then I'llfocus on God?
Or maybe you felt stretchedthin, juggling work, family
bills, your future, but stillsensing something's off, like no
matter how hard you work,there's still a hole you can't
(00:35):
fill.
Maybe you're doing the best youcan, but several challenges hit
and now you're overwhelmed andfeeling lost.
That's exactly where the peopleof Jerusalem were when the
prophet Haggai spoke up.
They were rebuilding theirlives after exile, busy planting
(00:56):
crops, fixing homes, settingthings right, but in all their
they'd forgotten the mostimportant thing.
In just two chapters, God usesHaggai to say let's talk about
your priorities, let's getthings back in order.
And that message, it, stillhits home today.
(01:19):
Well, welcome everyone.
I'm your host, jackie Adewole,and this is the Bible Basics
Podcast, where weekly, we breakdown the basics of the Bible
into understandable, bite-sizedchunks.
Today we're looking at the OldTestament book of Haggai.
(01:40):
It's short, direct and deeplyrelevant A message from God to a
group of people trying torebuild their lives, but
forgetting to put him first.
Let's picture the scene for amoment.
It's around 520 BC.
(02:01):
The Jewish people have justreturned home after decades in
exile, taken from their land andforced to live in Babylon.
Now they're back in Jerusalem,but the city is a wreck.
The temple, the center of theirworship and identity, is
(02:24):
nothing but rubble.
Imagine what that would feellike stepping into a city your
grandparents talked about withlonging only to find in ruins.
They're trying to rebuild theirlives from the ground up, and
two key leaders are helpingguide the way.
There's Zerubbabel he's thegovernor, a descendant of King
(02:48):
David, and Joshua, the highpriest, the spiritual leader
responsible for worship andsacrifice.
But things got hard.
Opposition came, progressslowed, people got discouraged.
Eventually, the work juststopped for 16 years.
(03:17):
During that time, people turnedtheir focus to their own homes,
their land, their income, justtrying to get life working again
.
And somewhere in the middle ofit all, god faded into the
background.
Into this moment, into thishalf-built city, entire
(03:40):
community steps Haggai, aprophet, with a clear, firm and
loving message it's time to putGod first again.
So who was this prophet, Haggai?
Honestly, we don't know a lotabout him personally no dramatic
(04:01):
backstory, no list ofcredentials, no flashy lineage,
but maybe that's part of whatmakes him relatable.
What we do know is this Haggaiwas one of the very first voices
to speak after the exile.
He didn't speak to kings, hedidn't deliver visions to
(04:22):
distant nations.
He spoke to everyday people andtheir local leaders, people
trying to rebuild normal life,trying to move forward.
Haggai's message wasn'tcomplicated, but it was clear.
The book of Ezra, chapter 5,verse 1, tells us that Haggai
(04:43):
worked alongside another prophet, Zechariah, encouraging the
people to finish rebuilding thetemple.
But unlike some prophets, likeEzekiel, who laid on one side
for a year to make a point,Haggai's approach was simple
Four short messages and at thecenter of them all, rebuild my
(05:06):
house.
So let's talk more about thatbook.
The book of Haggai is tuckednear the very end of the Old
Testament, just two shortchapters long.
It's part of a group called theMinor Prophets.
Minor doesn't mean lessimportant, it just means shorter
(05:28):
.
And even though it's short,haggai packs in a lot.
It's structured around fourmessages from God, each one
given within just a few monthsand each one dated with
surprising precision.
Haggai actually tells us theexact day each message was
(05:49):
delivered.
That's pretty rare in the Bible, and it shows us how urgent and
personal these words were.
So let's walk through each oneof these four messages and see
what they have to say to ustoday these four messages and
(06:10):
see what they have to say to ustoday.
Haggai's first message, found inchapter 1, verses 1 through 15,
is a wake-up call.
The people have been workinghard, building houses, planting
crops, trying to restore normallife.
But God says you're missingsomething.
The temple, the center ofworship, was still in ruins.
And here's the phrase Godrepeats more than once in this
(06:33):
book Quote give careful thoughtto your ways, chapter 1, verses
5 and 7.
In other words, stop, take alook at your life.
What are you prioritizing?
God gently connects theirongoing struggles bad harvests,
(06:53):
frustration, lack ofsatisfaction.
He links them to theirspiritual neglect.
That's chapter 1, verses 6 and9 through 11.
But he doesn't just confrontthem, he invites them back.
He says in chapter 1, verse 8,quote go up into the mountains
(07:16):
and bring down timber and buildmy house unquote.
And what happens next isremarkable.
The people listen, zerubbabeland Joshua lead the way and the
people respond with action.
That's Haggai, chapter 1, verse12.
And then God responds too.
(07:37):
He declares in chapter 1, verse13, quote I am with you.
About a month after that firstmessage, haggai speaks again in
chapter 2, verses 1 through 9.
This time it's not a call toaction, it's a word for the
discouraged.
(07:58):
Some of the older people in thecrowd remembered Solomon's
temple.
They'd seen it with their owneyes the gold, the craftsmanship
, the size, the splendor.
And what were they building now?
It looked small, plain,incomplete.
Their discouragement was realand God didn't ignore it Through
(08:24):
Haggai.
God says in chapter 2, verse 3,quote who of you is left that
saw this house in its formerglory?
How does it look to you now?
Does it not seem to you likenothing?
Unquote.
So God is acknowledging theirdisappointment.
But then he gives them strengthand a promise in chapter 2,
(08:48):
verses 4 through 5.
Quote but now be strong,Zerubbabel, be strong.
Joshua, son of Josedek, thehigh priest, be strong, all of
you, people of the land,declares the Lord and work, for
I am with you, declares the LordAlmighty.
(09:10):
But then God goes even further.
He says in chapter 2, verse 9,.
God goes even further.
(09:32):
He says in chapter 2, verse 9,quote the glory of this present
house will be greater than theglory of the former house, says
the Lord Almighty.
And in this place I will grantpeace.
Unquote.
What a promise.
Even though this new templelooked unimpressive from the
outside, god said it would holdeven greater glory than
(09:54):
Solomon's temple.
God invites us to that samehopeful living, not to be bound
by our past or presentcircumstances or present
circumstances.
(10:17):
Two months after his lastmessage, haggai brings another,
but this one sounds more like aclassroom lesson.
This message is found inchapter 2, verses 10 through 19.
He asked the priest a questionabout ceremonial law in chapter
2, verse 12.
Quote the priest say no.
(10:46):
Then Haggai flips the questionin chapter 2, verse 13.
If someone, defiled by touchinga dead body, touches one of
these things, do they becomedefiled?
Yes, the priests answer.
Then God says in chapter 2,verse 14, so it is with these
(11:08):
people.
Whatever they do and whateverthey offer, there is defiled.
Unquote.
So even though the people hadbeen bringing their offerings
while neglecting to rebuild thetemple, their offerings had not
been acceptable.
Their sin had caused theirsacrifices to be contaminated
(11:31):
and ineffectual, and their goodworks, their offerings, could
not transmit cleanness.
In other words, sin iscontagious, holiness is not.
Their sacrifices weren't enough, not because they weren't
trying, but because God wantedtheir hearts, not just religious
(11:54):
activity.
And yet God ends the messagewith grace In chapter 2, verse
19,.
He tells them From this day on.
I will bless you, not becausethey earned it, but because they
repented and turned back to himwith obedience.
(12:17):
On the very same day as thethird message, the 24th day of
the ninth month, god givesHaggai one last word.
This fourth message is found inchapter 2, verses 20 to 23.
(12:39):
This message was personal.
It was directed towardsZerubbabel, the governor of
Judah, and it's filled with hope.
Here's what God says, quotetell Zerubbabel, governor of
Judah, that I am going to shakethe heavens and the earth.
On that day, declares the LordAlmighty, I will take you my
(13:04):
servant, Zerubbabel, son ofShaltiel.
l, declares the Lord, and I willmake you like my signet ring,
for I have chosen you, declaresthe Lord Almighty.
Let's consider what this means.
The signet ring was a symbol ofroyal authority.
(13:33):
To say Zerubbabel would be likeGod's signet ring meant that
God had chosen him for somethingsignificant.
You may remember back in thebook of Genesis, chapter 41,
when Pharaoh gave Joseph hissignet ring and made him second
in command in the kingdom ofEgypt.
The kingdom of Egypt.
Now, at this point in history,zerubbabel didn't become king,
but his story wasn't over.
(13:55):
In Matthew, chapter 1, verse 12,and Luke, chapter 3, verse 27,.
We see that Zerubbabel shows upin the family line of Jesus the
(14:15):
Messiah.
So this final message pointsbeyond Zerubbabel to Jesus.
It's a reminder that God wasstill writing his story.
Even in a broken down city,among a weary people, god had
not forgotten his promises.
So let's look a little deeperat how this book connects to
Jesus and us today.
(14:36):
That promise in the secondmessage, the one about a temple
filled with glory, it doesn'tend with Haggai.
It points forward to Jesus.
In John, chapter 2, verses 19through 21,.
Jesus says something surprisingto the religious leaders.
Quote destroy this temple and Iwill raise it up again in three
(15:01):
days.
They were confused, thinking hemeant the physical building.
But then the text says but thetemple he had spoken of was his
body.
Jesus was saying I am the truetemple.
So the promise in Haggai,chapter 2, verse 9, quote.
So the promise in Haggai,chapter 2, verse 9, quote the
(15:22):
glory of this present house willbe greater than the glory of
the former house and in thisplace I will grant peace unquote
was ultimately fulfilled whenChrist himself entered that
second temple.
Second temple when Jesus wasbrought to the temple as a child
(15:45):
, the agent Simeon identifiedhim as a light to the Gentiles
and glory for Israel.
That's in Luke, chapter 2,verse 32.
And remember that final messageto Zerubbabel.
It wasn't just personal, it wasprophetic.
That signet ring moment pointedbeyond the rubble to the royal
(16:06):
line that will one day bringforth the Messiah.
Now let's look at key themes inthe book of Haggai.
What makes this littletwo-chapter book so powerful,
especially if you're new toreading the Bible?
Here are four impactful themesin Haggai.
(16:26):
First, there's priorities.
At the heart of Haggai is thisquestion what comes first in
your life?
The people were busy rebuildingtheir homes, working on the
land, trying to survive, butthey'd stopped building the
temple.
(16:47):
In chapter 1, verse 4, god asksIs it a time for you yourselves
to be living in your paneledhouses while this house remains
a ruin?
He's not shaming them.
He's realigning their focus.
He's not shaming them, he'srealigning their focus.
Even in the face of oppositionor pressure, believers are
(17:12):
called to give priority to whathonors God.
It's about putting him firstand trusting him to provide
what's needed for his purposes.
In Matthew, chapter 6, verse33,.
In Matthew 6, verse 33, jesuslater echoed this same principle
Quote Is there anything in yourlife today that's crowding out
(17:41):
God's place at the center.
The second theme is obedienceand response.
One of the most beautifulmoments in this book is when the
people actually listen.
In chapter 1, verse 12, it says, quote when Zerubbabel and
Joshua and the whole remnant ofthe people obeyed the voice of
the Lord, their God.
And the people feared the Lord.
(18:04):
They didn't delay, they didn'tresist, they responded.
Spiritual growth often startswith a simple act of obedience.
Where might God be asking youto take a faithful step of
obedience today?
The third theme is God'spresence Over and over.
(18:31):
In Haggai, god reassures themwith this promise, quote I am
with you.
In moments of fear, fatigue ordiscouragement, this is what
they needed most.
Whether you're rebuilding aftera setback or just trying to put
God back at the center of yourlife, haggai reminds us God is
(18:56):
near, not distant.
His spirit is still among us.
And then the fourth theme ishope.
Threaded through all fourmessages in Haggai is a quiet
but powerful theme hope, hopefor renewed purpose, hope that
(19:17):
small beginnings still matter,hope that God is not finished
writing the story.
In chapter 2, verse 9, god says, quote the glory of this
present house will be greaterthan the glory of the former
house and in this place I willgrant peace.
Even when the people felt liketheir efforts were insignificant
(19:42):
, god pointed them to a greaterfuture, one that ultimately
leads to Jesus, the truefulfillment of the temple and
peace.
And in that final message, Godtells Zerubbabel quote I, I have
chosen you, unquote.
God hadn't forgotten hispromises and he hasn't forgotten
(20:05):
you.
What are you hoping for rightnow, and how does God's
faithfulness in Haggai give youcourage to keep going?
So there you have it, the bookof Haggai Just two chapters long
, but it's full of truth westill need today.
(20:27):
It reminds us that when ourpriorities slip out of place,
God doesn't come at us withshame.
He calls us back with purpose.
When we put him first, evensmall steps of obedience can
lead to deep spiritual renewal.
And maybe most of all, he saysI am with you.
(20:50):
And that promise still holds.
Next week we'll be turning thepage to another post-exilic
prophet, zechariah, who brings avery different energy.
Where Haggai is short anddirect, zechariah is filled with
(21:12):
wild visions, symbolic acts andlayered prophecy, but at its
core, it's still about hope,restoration and the God who
keeps his promises.
Until then, keep reading, keepseeking and keep growing in your
faith.
You.
Greetings listeners.
Have you ever caught yourselfsaying I just need to get my
life together first, then I'llfocus on God?
Or maybe you felt stretchedthin, juggling work, family
bills, your future, but stillsensing something's off, like no
matter how hard you work,there's still a hole you can't
(00:35):
fill.
Maybe you're doing the best youcan, but several challenges hit
and now you're overwhelmed andfeeling lost.
That's exactly where the peopleof Jerusalem were when the
prophet Haggai spoke up.
They were rebuilding theirlives after exile, busy planting
(00:56):
crops, fixing homes, settingthings right, but in all their
they'd forgotten the mostimportant thing.
In just two chapters, God usesHaggai to say let's talk about
your priorities, let's getthings back in order.
And that message, it, stillhits home today.
(01:19):
Well, welcome everyone.
I'm your host, jackie Adewole,and this is the Bible Basics
Podcast, where weekly, we breakdown the basics of the Bible
into understandable, bite-sizedchunks.
Today we're looking at the OldTestament book of Haggai.
(01:40):
It's short, direct and deeplyrelevant A message from God to a
group of people trying torebuild their lives, but
forgetting to put him first.
Let's picture the scene for amoment.
It's around 520 BC.
(02:01):
The Jewish people have justreturned home after decades in
exile, taken from their land andforced to live in Babylon.
Now they're back in Jerusalem,but the city is a wreck.
The temple, the center of theirworship and identity, is
(02:24):
nothing but rubble.
Imagine what that would feellike stepping into a city your
grandparents talked about withlonging only to find in ruins.
They're trying to rebuild theirlives from the ground up, and
two key leaders are helpingguide the way.
There's Zerubbabel he's thegovernor, a descendant of King
(02:48):
David, and Joshua, the highpriest, the spiritual leader
responsible for worship andsacrifice.
But things got hard.
Opposition came, progressslowed, people got discouraged.
Eventually, the work juststopped for 16 years.
(03:17):
During that time, people turnedtheir focus to their own homes,
their land, their income, justtrying to get life working again
.
And somewhere in the middle ofit all, god faded into the
background.
Into this moment, into thishalf-built city, entire
(03:40):
community steps Haggai, aprophet, with a clear, firm and
loving message it's time to putGod first again.
So who was this prophet, Haggai?
Honestly, we don't know a lotabout him personally no dramatic
(04:01):
backstory, no list ofcredentials, no flashy lineage,
but maybe that's part of whatmakes him relatable.
What we do know is this Haggaiwas one of the very first voices
to speak after the exile.
He didn't speak to kings, hedidn't deliver visions to
(04:22):
distant nations.
He spoke to everyday people andtheir local leaders, people
trying to rebuild normal life,trying to move forward.
Haggai's message wasn'tcomplicated, but it was clear.
The book of Ezra, chapter 5,verse 1, tells us that Haggai
(04:43):
worked alongside another prophet, Zechariah, encouraging the
people to finish rebuilding thetemple.
But unlike some prophets, likeEzekiel, who laid on one side
for a year to make a point,Haggai's approach was simple
Four short messages and at thecenter of them all, rebuild my
(05:06):
house.
So let's talk more about thatbook.
The book of Haggai is tuckednear the very end of the Old
Testament, just two shortchapters long.
It's part of a group called theMinor Prophets.
Minor doesn't mean lessimportant, it just means shorter
(05:28):
.
And even though it's short,haggai packs in a lot.
It's structured around fourmessages from God, each one
given within just a few monthsand each one dated with
surprising precision.
Haggai actually tells us theexact day each message was
(05:49):
delivered.
That's pretty rare in the Bible, and it shows us how urgent and
personal these words were.
So let's walk through each oneof these four messages and see
what they have to say to ustoday these four messages and
(06:10):
see what they have to say to ustoday.
Haggai's first message, found inchapter 1, verses 1 through 15,
is a wake-up call.
The people have been workinghard, building houses, planting
crops, trying to restore normallife.
But God says you're missingsomething.
The temple, the center ofworship, was still in ruins.
And here's the phrase Godrepeats more than once in this
(06:33):
book Quote give careful thoughtto your ways, chapter 1, verses
5 and 7.
In other words, stop, take alook at your life.
What are you prioritizing?
God gently connects theirongoing struggles bad harvests,
(06:53):
frustration, lack ofsatisfaction.
He links them to theirspiritual neglect.
That's chapter 1, verses 6 and9 through 11.
But he doesn't just confrontthem, he invites them back.
He says in chapter 1, verse 8,quote go up into the mountains
(07:16):
and bring down timber and buildmy house unquote.
And what happens next isremarkable.
The people listen, zerubbabeland Joshua lead the way and the
people respond with action.
That's Haggai, chapter 1, verse12.
And then God responds too.
(07:37):
He declares in chapter 1, verse13, quote I am with you.
About a month after that firstmessage, haggai speaks again in
chapter 2, verses 1 through 9.
This time it's not a call toaction, it's a word for the
discouraged.
(07:58):
Some of the older people in thecrowd remembered Solomon's
temple.
They'd seen it with their owneyes the gold, the craftsmanship
, the size, the splendor.
And what were they building now?
It looked small, plain,incomplete.
Their discouragement was realand God didn't ignore it Through
(08:24):
Haggai.
God says in chapter 2, verse 3,quote who of you is left that
saw this house in its formerglory?
How does it look to you now?
Does it not seem to you likenothing?
Unquote.
So God is acknowledging theirdisappointment.
But then he gives them strengthand a promise in chapter 2,
(08:48):
verses 4 through 5.
Quote but now be strong,Zerubbabel, be strong.
Joshua, son of Josedek, thehigh priest, be strong, all of
you, people of the land,declares the Lord and work, for
I am with you, declares the LordAlmighty.
(09:10):
But then God goes even further.
He says in chapter 2, verse 9,.
God goes even further.
(09:32):
He says in chapter 2, verse 9,quote the glory of this present
house will be greater than theglory of the former house, says
the Lord Almighty.
And in this place I will grantpeace.
Unquote.
What a promise.
Even though this new templelooked unimpressive from the
outside, god said it would holdeven greater glory than
(09:54):
Solomon's temple.
God invites us to that samehopeful living, not to be bound
by our past or presentcircumstances or present
circumstances.
(10:17):
Two months after his lastmessage, haggai brings another,
but this one sounds more like aclassroom lesson.
This message is found inchapter 2, verses 10 through 19.
He asked the priest a questionabout ceremonial law in chapter
2, verse 12.
Quote the priest say no.
(10:46):
Then Haggai flips the questionin chapter 2, verse 13.
If someone, defiled by touchinga dead body, touches one of
these things, do they becomedefiled?
Yes, the priests answer.
Then God says in chapter 2,verse 14, so it is with these
(11:08):
people.
Whatever they do and whateverthey offer, there is defiled.
Unquote.
So even though the people hadbeen bringing their offerings
while neglecting to rebuild thetemple, their offerings had not
been acceptable.
Their sin had caused theirsacrifices to be contaminated
(11:31):
and ineffectual, and their goodworks, their offerings, could
not transmit cleanness.
In other words, sin iscontagious, holiness is not.
Their sacrifices weren't enough, not because they weren't
trying, but because God wantedtheir hearts, not just religious
(11:54):
activity.
And yet God ends the messagewith grace In chapter 2, verse
19,.
He tells them From this day on.
I will bless you, not becausethey earned it, but because they
repented and turned back to himwith obedience.
(12:17):
On the very same day as thethird message, the 24th day of
the ninth month, god givesHaggai one last word.
This fourth message is found inchapter 2, verses 20 to 23.
(12:39):
This message was personal.
It was directed towardsZerubbabel, the governor of
Judah, and it's filled with hope.
Here's what God says, quotetell Zerubbabel, governor of
Judah, that I am going to shakethe heavens and the earth.
On that day, declares the LordAlmighty, I will take you my
(13:04):
servant, Zerubbabel, son ofShaltiel.
l, declares the Lord, and I willmake you like my signet ring,
for I have chosen you, declaresthe Lord Almighty.
Let's consider what this means.
The signet ring was a symbol ofroyal authority.
(13:33):
To say Zerubbabel would be likeGod's signet ring meant that
God had chosen him for somethingsignificant.
You may remember back in thebook of Genesis, chapter 41,
when Pharaoh gave Joseph hissignet ring and made him second
in command in the kingdom ofEgypt.
The kingdom of Egypt.
Now, at this point in history,zerubbabel didn't become king,
but his story wasn't over.
(13:55):
In Matthew, chapter 1, verse 12,and Luke, chapter 3, verse 27,.
We see that Zerubbabel shows upin the family line of Jesus the
(14:15):
Messiah.
So this final message pointsbeyond Zerubbabel to Jesus.
It's a reminder that God wasstill writing his story.
Even in a broken down city,among a weary people, god had
not forgotten his promises.
So let's look a little deeperat how this book connects to
Jesus and us today.
(14:36):
That promise in the secondmessage, the one about a temple
filled with glory, it doesn'tend with Haggai.
It points forward to Jesus.
In John, chapter 2, verses 19through 21,.
Jesus says something surprisingto the religious leaders.
Quote destroy this temple and Iwill raise it up again in three
(15:01):
days.
They were confused, thinking hemeant the physical building.
But then the text says but thetemple he had spoken of was his
body.
Jesus was saying I am the truetemple.
So the promise in Haggai,chapter 2, verse 9, quote.
So the promise in Haggai,chapter 2, verse 9, quote the
(15:22):
glory of this present house willbe greater than the glory of
the former house and in thisplace I will grant peace unquote
was ultimately fulfilled whenChrist himself entered that
second temple.
Second temple when Jesus wasbrought to the temple as a child
(15:45):
, the agent Simeon identifiedhim as a light to the Gentiles
and glory for Israel.
That's in Luke, chapter 2,verse 32.
And remember that final messageto Zerubbabel.
It wasn't just personal, it wasprophetic.
That signet ring moment pointedbeyond the rubble to the royal
(16:06):
line that will one day bringforth the Messiah.
Now let's look at key themes inthe book of Haggai.
What makes this littletwo-chapter book so powerful,
especially if you're new toreading the Bible?
Here are four impactful themesin Haggai.
(16:26):
First, there's priorities.
At the heart of Haggai is thisquestion what comes first in
your life?
The people were busy rebuildingtheir homes, working on the
land, trying to survive, butthey'd stopped building the
temple.
(16:47):
In chapter 1, verse 4, god asksIs it a time for you yourselves
to be living in your paneledhouses while this house remains
a ruin?
He's not shaming them.
He's realigning their focus.
He's not shaming them, he'srealigning their focus.
Even in the face of oppositionor pressure, believers are
(17:12):
called to give priority to whathonors God.
It's about putting him firstand trusting him to provide
what's needed for his purposes.
In Matthew, chapter 6, verse33,.
In Matthew 6, verse 33, jesuslater echoed this same principle
Quote Is there anything in yourlife today that's crowding out
(17:41):
God's place at the center.
The second theme is obedienceand response.
One of the most beautifulmoments in this book is when the
people actually listen.
In chapter 1, verse 12, it says, quote when Zerubbabel and
Joshua and the whole remnant ofthe people obeyed the voice of
the Lord, their God.
And the people feared the Lord.
(18:04):
They didn't delay, they didn'tresist, they responded.
Spiritual growth often startswith a simple act of obedience.
Where might God be asking youto take a faithful step of
obedience today?
The third theme is God'spresence Over and over.
(18:31):
In Haggai, god reassures themwith this promise, quote I am
with you.
In moments of fear, fatigue ordiscouragement, this is what
they needed most.
Whether you're rebuilding aftera setback or just trying to put
God back at the center of yourlife, haggai reminds us God is
(18:56):
near, not distant.
His spirit is still among us.
And then the fourth theme ishope.
Threaded through all fourmessages in Haggai is a quiet
but powerful theme hope, hopefor renewed purpose, hope that
(19:17):
small beginnings still matter,hope that God is not finished
writing the story.
In chapter 2, verse 9, god says, quote the glory of this
present house will be greaterthan the glory of the former
house and in this place I willgrant peace.
Even when the people felt liketheir efforts were insignificant
(19:42):
, god pointed them to a greaterfuture, one that ultimately
leads to Jesus, the truefulfillment of the temple and
peace.
And in that final message, Godtells Zerubbabel quote I, I have
chosen you, unquote.
God hadn't forgotten hispromises and he hasn't forgotten
(20:05):
you.
What are you hoping for rightnow, and how does God's
faithfulness in Haggai give youcourage to keep going?
So there you have it, the bookof Haggai Just two chapters long
, but it's full of truth westill need today.
(20:27):
It reminds us that when ourpriorities slip out of place,
God doesn't come at us withshame.
He calls us back with purpose.
When we put him first, evensmall steps of obedience can
lead to deep spiritual renewal.
And maybe most of all, he saysI am with you.
(20:50):
And that promise still holds.
Next week we'll be turning thepage to another post-exilic
prophet, zechariah, who brings avery different energy.
Where Haggai is short anddirect, zechariah is filled with
(21:12):
wild visions, symbolic acts andlayered prophecy, but at its
core, it's still about hope,restoration and the God who
keeps his promises.
Until then, keep reading, keepseeking and keep growing in your
faith.
You.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!