Verses 1-15

THE PROPHECY OF HAGGAI

Haggai's rebuke and its results (1:1-15)

The Jews were making excuses for not building the temple, saying that they were suffering a time of personal hardship and enemy opposition. They claimed it was not yet time to begin the work (1:1-2). Yet they could build houses for themselves. In fact, they had taken much of the available timber and used it extravagantly in their own homes, even though timber was in short supply and was needed for the temple (3-4). Because of their selfishness God had punished them with poverty and famine (5-6).

People complained that they could not build the temple because they were poor. Rather, replied the prophet, they were poor because they would not build the temple. They were selfish, thinking only of what they wanted, not what God wanted. Therefore, they had to go back to the forests and cut timber for the temple (7-11).

Haggai's forthright preaching brought quick results. The people, realizing the truth of his accusations, responded to his appeal, and in little more than three weeks had restarted work on the temple. When they began to obey God and fear him, he promised to be with them (12-15).