Sometimes, at crucial moments, a single voice can stir a directionless mass of people to action. Winston Churchill's inspiring oratory may have saved Britian in World War II. Martin Luther King's sermons and speeches captured America's conscience in the 1950s and 60s.
Haggai's words, similarly, rank clear in a time of confusion. The Jews had come back from their exile in Babylon nearly 20 years before. But they seemed to have forgotten the point of returning. After one false start on the temple, the exiles had devoted their energy to building their own houses. The ruins of Solomon's temple stood as a nagging reminder that they had neglected God.
Now Haggai urged these pioneers to "give careful thought" to their situation. He did not rage like Jeremiah or build eloquent poems like Isaiah. He put it simply and logically. They had worked hard, but what had it earned them? Their crops were unsuccessful. Their money disappeared as soon as they earned it. Why? Haggai asked. Because they had mistaken their priorities. They needed to put God first. They needed to rebuild his temple.
A Response from the Heart
People responded to Haggai immediately. Prophets before him, such as Amos, Isaiah, or Jeremiah, had spoken for decades without seeing such a heartfelt reaction. Haggai's messages span a mere four months, but he accomplished everything he set out to do. In four years the temple was complete.
What made the temple so important? After all, the proper |
