A different kind of November Teaching
By: Joyce K. Picker
I was trying to think about what the Lord would want me to teach on for November. Usually, I do some kind of a Thanksgiving message. But not this year. The Lord brought Haggai to the front of my thoughts. It is such a powerful yet somewhat overlooked book. But the lessons we can learn from this book are very valuable. The book of Haggai is a tiny prophetic book nestled between Zephaniah and Zechariah in the Old Covenant. God had vivid messages for His people some of which still apply to us today. But we can say that about the whole Bible, too, right?
The prophet Haggai has been accredited with writing the book of Haggai.
Let’s start by tracing some history.
Who was Haggai?
Unfortunately, not much is known about the prophet Haggai. He was the first prophet to speak to the Israelites after they had returned from captivity. His first message came on a New Moon which should have been a feast day (Haggai 1:1). Why is that important? The Hebrew calendar is lunar, not solar like the Gregorian calendar. Lot’s of significant events happen during these times. Interestingly, the Hebrew word for Haggai is Chaggay, (pronounced khag-gah’-ee) meaning festive. Chaggay comes from the root word chag, (pronounced khag) which means a festival, or (solemn) feast (day).
What is the book of Haggai about?
The book of Haggai contains the four prophesies that had been given to the Israelites after they returned from captivity by the prophet Haggai. The Israelites had returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple but had encountered opposition and stopped (Ezra 1-4) Instead, they had built their own houses and planted crops. The Lord wanted them to know He was not happy with their actions (Haggai 1:4-11). The book of Haggai contains the chastisement for Israel’s unfaithfulness in rebuilding the temple, but it also contains encouragement. God commanded them to do the work and reminded them that He was with them (Haggai 1:13). Though they had not done what they were supposed to do, God renewed His covenant with them and promised to bless them (Haggai 2:4-19). Don’t we serve a compassionate God?
What is the main theme of the book of Haggai?
There are several themes in the book of Haggai such as:
· The importance of being faithful and keeping the promises we make to God.
· God is faithful even when we are not.
· God’s people need to persevere in the face of adversity.
However, I believe the main theme in the book of Haggai is the importance of completing the work that God has assigned to us. When God gives us a task, things are going to get rough because the devil doesn’t want us to accomplish God’s will. But we must push through. We must overcome the obstacles to do what God says. Just think how history could have been changed if the Israelites obeyed the first time.
What does the book of Haggai deal with?
The book of Haggai deals with the people’s unfaithfulness in rebuilding the temple and the hardship they experienced as a result. It is a reminder that God is ultimately in control and that we need to turn to Him in our troubles instead of trying to go our own way. We only get in trouble when we go our own way.
What is the key verse in Haggai?
The verse that best summarizes the main idea of the book Haggai is this,
‘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 (Haggai 2:4).
The Lord encourages His people to be strong, reminds them that He is always with them, and tells them to get to work. He speaks to the men responsible for their spiritual and civil needs and speaks life and power to them. God knew if the leaders were encouraged, they would in turn encourage the people.
Other good choices for a key verse would be Haggai 1:5 or Haggai 1:7. In both verses, we’ll find these words, thus says the LORD of hosts, “Consider your ways!”
The word “consider” appears several times in the book showing how important it is for God’s people to think about what we are doing. We have choices to make every day. Lets choose wisely.
Lessons from the Book of Haggai
There are many lessons to be gleaned from the book of Haggai but these four stood out for me.
1. God is always with us (Haggai 1:13, 2:4-5). Even though His people had not obeyed Him, He had not abandoned them or left them alone. We can have that assurance today. But let’s not test God.
2. The trials and tribulations in our lives are an invitation and an opportunity to turn to God (Haggai 2:17). What do you do when you experience trials? Do you complain? Do you tell all your family members and friends? Or do you turn to God? Haggai reminds us we need to turn to God when we experience difficulties. The Hebrew word is “Teshuvah” which means turn to God then turn away from sin. No one can serve two masters.
3. God blesses us not because we deserve it but because He chooses to (Haggai 2:19). Every good and perfect gift comes from God (James 1:17). The only thing we deserve is death (Romans 6:23) but instead, we receive mercy, love, grace, and goodness. He gives us everything we need. We serve a God of compassion. Aren't you glad we do?
4. The Lord keeps His promises. When He says He will do something, He does it (Haggai 2:5, 23). He may not do it in the timing we expect it or in the way we would have chosen but His timing is always perfect. ALL His promises are yes and amen.
Let us all ponder on this story and apply these biblical principles to our lives; we can start today and make progress every day. God is loving and compassionate and He waits for us to make Teshuvah to Him.
Father, I thank you for the lessons we learn every day. I thank you that you are faithful to forgive us when we go our own way, yet you are compassionate to love us and redirect us.
Thank you that today is a new day and we can continue building and reconstructing in our own lives. We praise you and we are thankful for what you did for us. We bless you, Lord. Amen.
I love you guys and gals. Have a blessed and wonderful Thanksgiving. Make it a day to appreciate loved ones.
Love,
Joyce
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Some Excerpts from Hebrew 12 Endurance.com
*Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.
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