There are so many people today who need encouraging words. There is so much
sickness, so many accidents, so much sorrow, so many hard feelings, and so much
sin.
Such was the case also in the days of Haggai. He was a prophet in Jerusalem
during the days of the return from the 70 year captivity. The people had been
stopped from building the temple. They stopped when they didn't have to. They
got busy building their paneled houses, and procrastinated by saying that it
wasn't time to build the Lord's house ( Haggai 1.)
Haggai was one of two prophets who encouraged the building program. The other
was Zechariah.
Haggai told the people to get busy, or today he might have said "Just do
it!" In Haggai 1:12-15 we are told that the leaders and people listened and
returned to building the temple.
Haggai rebuked his listeners in chapter 1. He gives them encouraging words in
2:1-9.
THE PROBLEM OF SIZE -
Vss. 1-3
Vs. 2- Haggai's message was directed to the civic leaders, religious leaders
and the people themselves.
Vs. 3 - He addresses the fact that many of the older men were discouraging
the people, because they were remembering what the previous temple looked like.
It was much larger. When we compare ourselves to others or to the past, it is
easy to become discouraged.
THE PRESCRIPTION OF
SERVICE - Vss. 4-5