Lessons From the Scriptures: Haggai 1:1–2:23

THE book of Haggai takes us to 520 B.C.E., 17 years after a Jewish remnant returned to Jerusalem to rebuild Jehovah’s temple. (Haggai 1:1) That was a time for everyone to set his heart on God’s work. Yet, Jehovah found it necessary to send the prophet Haggai to remind His people of their obligation. Are there lessons in this for us?

Put Jehovah’s Work First

Never put material interests ahead of spiritual duties. Jews who returned to their homeland had reason for concern over economic uncertainties, hostile neighbors, and so forth. But these were not the causes of their negligence, in view of their luxurious living conditions. Only after being roused by Haggai did they begin to work on the temple. Likewise today, we need to ‘set our hearts upon our ways’ and be sure that we support God’s work to the fullest extent possible.​—Haggai 1:2-15.

Jehovah blesses the efforts of those who do his work wholeheartedly. God would bless the work of Zerubbabel and other Jews in completing the temple, and its glory would surpass that of the former house. With “a great crowd” responding to the Kingdom message today, “the desirable things of all the nations” are coming to Jehovah’s spiritual temple, and he is ‘filling his house with glory.’​—Haggai 2:1-9; Revelation 7:9.

Wholehearted Service Required

Our worship is of value only if we are clean, our motives are pure, and we are serving Jehovah with a complete heart. Neglecting God’s house made the Jews unclean, but he would bless them as soon as temple work began. So, if we are to enjoy Jehovah’s blessing, we must correct anything needing attention and set our heart on his work. (Compare Numbers 19:11-13.) As we wait for God to rock the heavens and the earth, overthrowing kingdoms, let us follow the antitypical Zerubbabel, Jesus Christ, and share wholeheartedly in Jehovah’s work.​—Haggai 2:10-23.

Haggai 1:6​—Since the Jews were neglecting Jehovah’s temple, they did not have his blessing. Hence, they sowed much but brought in few crops and lacked enough food and drink to satisfy their needs. Their clothing was of insufficient quantity or quality to keep them warm, and wage earners seemed to be putting funds into a money bag full of holes. Unlike those Jews, let us never neglect divine interests.​—Proverbs 10:22; Nehemiah 10:39.

○ Haggai 2:9​—Whereas “the former” temple, built by Solomon, stood for 420 years, the “later house” was used for 584 years (515 B.C.E.-70 C.E.). So the second temple lasted longer. More worshipers flocked to it, as at Pentecost 33 C.E., when Jews and proselytes gathered to it from beyond Judea. Moreover, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, taught in the “later house.” These factors gave it greater religious glory.