Haggai 1
Haggai,
because of its detail can almost be read as a diary.
MESSAGE #1
ELUL 1,
4280* (Aug. 29, 520 BCE) 1:1-15
* The actual
Hebraic date is unclear, this is an estimated calculation.
1 In the second year of Darius the
king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the
LORD by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of
Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying,
King Darius
King of Persia and inheritor of the exiles of Judah when he conquered Babylon
had a much different M.O. of conquering nations. Where other nations made their
defeated nation prisoners and slaves, Persia would sort of adopt them as
Persians, make their nation a vassal nation, but allow them to maintain
leadership of their nation and have somewhat of an autonomy, but be answerable
to the Persian King.
Persia would
educate the nations they conquered and gave them positions in government and or
of some standing of official authority so those they conquered would be won
over with privileges and kindness. Sort of like a store that is under new
management and everybody keeps their jobs.
Darius King
of Persia, who according to the Midrash was the son of Xerxes (Ahasvarosh) and
Esther (Hadassah), was very kind to the Jewish people and he allowed 50,000
exiled Jews under the command of Zerubbabel who held the title “governor” and
Yehoshuah (Joshua) the High Priest. Those events are also recorded in the book
of Ezra 1”2-4; 2:64-65; 3:2; 5:1.
After the
2nd year of their return, only the foundation had been laid (see also Ezra
3:8-10) because of harassment and threats by the Samaritans (Ezra 4:1- 5:24).
This caused the moral to be at an all-time low and discouragement and fear were
so profound that the construction stopped all together for 16 years! Thus the
reason for the pep-talk from Haggai and Zechariah. Granted, another reason was
to overcome psychological discouragement in that most of the returnees aw the
magnificence of Solomon’s Temple and knew they couldn’t duplicate or surpass
that. But we must trust and believe if God called us we can do greater things
(John 14:12).
Remember
that when setting out to ANYTHING for ADONAI satan 9 times out of 10, will use
discouragement usually from family and friend, their half-bred Samaritan
relatives were the culprits here. Secondly, discord and dissatisfaction within
the ranks usually follows or is simultaneously used with discouragement from
the outside. This first of four stirring messages from Haggai was aimed to stir
up and set a fire underneath Zerubbabel and Joshua the High Priest because so
goes the leadership; so goes the people. We’ve seen it over and over with the
Kings in I, II Samuel, to I, II Kings, to I, II Chronicles: Good King = Good
People, Wicked King = Wicked People.
2 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts,
saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD's house
should be built.
The People mistook
satanic opposition as God’s sovereignty to cease working on the Temple, they
needed to be reminded and told otherwise. This verse addressed the leaders and
verse three addresses the people.
3 Then came the word of the LORD by
Haggai the prophet, saying,
Some feel
that the wording of such verses as “and the word of the LORD came to me means
that ADONAI took the pre-incarnate human form of Messiah Yeshua (for He is the
Word according to John 1) and delivered the message to His prophet either in
person or in a vision or dream.
4 Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell
in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?
Ah, our God
is a “Jewish God.” Here is a justifiable example of the famous “guilt trip”
often employed by Jewish mothers. Here Haggai tells the exiles that they
returned for the purpose of rebuilding the Temple and Jerusalem itself and yet
they became self-absorbed and to build themselves mini-Temple; houses lined
with cedar. The Temple used to be lined with cedar. Haggai tells the people
they must get their priorities straight; God’s work comes first.
Even Messiah
Yeshua put great importance on and was zealous for the Temple and its place in
Israel.
John 2:17 And his disciples
remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.
John 4:24 Jesus saith unto them, My
meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
John 6:38 For I came down from
heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
John 9:4 I must work the works of him
that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
Matt. 21:12-13 And Jesus went into
the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple,
and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold
doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of
prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
If Messiah
was to bring an end to the Temple and sacrifices as most Christians proclaim,
then why such a zeal for it? For the simple fact that He DID NOT come to do
away with the Temple or its operation and purpose.
Matt. 5:17-20 Think not that I am
come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to
fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one
tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever
therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach 9 men
so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall
do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For
I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness
of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of
heaven.
He came to
give it greater emphasis and meaning. He came to give and bring it into its
full and complete meaning and understanding.
In the
Messianic and Christian arena’s the issue of Salvation and Levitical animal
Sacrifice has caused charged heated debates and cause congregational and
denominational splits. How were the “Old Testament Saints” saved? Will there be
animal sacrifice during then Third Temple when Messiah reigns, if so why?
Wouldn’t animal sacrifice slap Yeshua and his sacrificial atoning work on the
cross in the face? And many questions of the like, circle submerge and emerge
continuously, as a Netzari Jew let me put this weary animal to rest. If you
don’t like the answer, take it up with HaShem and His Word. If it blows down
your little theological house of cards the maybe you should question the
materials you have used, or the foundation it has been founded upon; GOD’s
Word, or tradition and doctrines of men?
Let me first
tackle the issue of salvation. It is the misconception of many that the “Old
Testament Saints” were saved by works, keeping the Torah (law), in combination
with the Levitical animal sacrifices, and “New Testament Saints” are saved by
“Grace” and Yeshua’s death on the cross. How fair is that!? Christians say
there is only one way of salvation, this view would contradict that. This is
purely a Christian false doctrine; nothing could be further from the truth.
Then how
were the Believers before the death and resurrection of Yeshua, saved!?
The saints
in the Tanak were saved the same way as the saints in the Renewed Covenant. The
difference is perspective. Those in the Tanak looked forward to, and believed
in the Messiah and His atoning work that was coming. The Renewed Covenant
saints (us) look back and believe in the Messiah and His atoning work that
already came, and is coming again! The sacrifices of the Tabernacle and Temple
era, before Yeshua came never atoned for, or removed sin. In the Renewed
Covenant book of Hebrews 10:4 “It is NOT possible that the blood of bulls and
of goats should take away 10 sins.” it just rolled it back like a credit card
debt until Messiah came to pay it in full, atoning for them all past, present,
and future (Isa.53:6; IPt.2:24; IJn.2:2; Heb.1:3; 5-10). Yeshua worked within
the framework of Torah, and the sacrificial system set up therein.
Then what is
the purpose of the animal sacrifices? Two predominant reasons:
1. It was to
be a physical object lesson that pointed to the coming Messiah and what He
would do. It acted as a credit card that covered, did not take away, and rolled
back the sin debt until someone, Messiah, could come along and pay it. In the
time of the Third Temple the sacrifices will be a reminder of the Messiah who
came and what He did (Is. 56, 66; Zech. 14:16-21). The sacrifices before Yeshua
came only pointed to the Messiah which was to come, and the sacrifices after
Yeshua, and that will take place in the Millennial Reign, point back to
Messiah’s atoning work.
2. It
provided and will provide food, materials and income for the Priests and their
families (Leviticus 5-10).
Salvation is
a gift from GOD to all who will accept Yeshua the Messiah, the Living Torah,
confesses, repents, and turns away from their sins. This is Faith
Righteousness. This will result in becoming spiritually alive and indwelt with
the Ruach Ha Kodesh of GOD. This in turn will cause one to desire to love,
obey, and please GOD. One shows this by keeping the Written Torah. This is
Works Righteousness. In other words, one will walk in the footsteps of Yeshua
Moshieynu (our Messiah) by walking in the Torah. Before Messiah: Looking Ahead
After Messiah: Looking Back, Salvation comes by grace through faith alone.
Salvation is not earned by Torah observance. If we love Him we WILL keep His
Commandments (Torah).
A person who
does this will spend eternity with Him, in Heaven if one dies prior to the
final resurrection, or on the New Earth in the World to Come.
