Perhaps the most relevant of the minor prophets to us, here and now. Haggai speaks directly to our own experience today, we can easily see parallels between the circumstances Haggai addresses and our own. We set Haggai in time with the help of the books of Daniel and Ezra, telling the story of the Babylonian exile and the immediate post-exile era.
We can place Haggai fairly precisely in history:
“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, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, …” (Haggai 1:1)
DANIEL tells the story of the exile:
597 BC – The Babylonian exile begins
“In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, [Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the articles of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god.]” (Daniel 1:1,2)
562 BC – death of Nebuchadnezzar
539 BC, several years – and rulers – later – the story of the “Writing on the wall”
“That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.” (Daniel 5:30,31)
Move to EZRA:
538 BC …
“Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, ‘Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: “All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. …” ’ ” (Ezra 1:1,2)
Conquest by an alliance of Medes and Persians under Persian leadership, King Cyrus … but, Darius THE MEDE rules, possibly to allow Cyrus to continue his military campaigns.
“Thus the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem ceased, and it was discontinued until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.” (Ezra 4:24)
“Then the prophet Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophets, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them.” (Ezra 5:1)
And the crux of the message of Haggai:
“Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your panelled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?” (Haggai 1:4)
Recorded on Sunday 16 October 2022.