'I AM WITH YOU,' DECLARES THE LORD

Passage: Haggai 1:1-15

Key verse: 13

NIV

A Call to Build the House of the Lord

1 In the second year of King Darius,(A) on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai(B) to Zerubbabel(C) son of Shealtiel, governor(D) of Judah, and to Joshua(E) son of Jozadak,[a](F) the high priest:(G)

2 This is what the Lord Almighty(H) says: “These people(I) say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house.(J)’”

3 Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai:(K) 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses,(L) while this house remains a ruin?(M)”

5 Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought(N) to your ways. 6 You have planted much, but harvested little.(O) You eat, but never have enough.(P) You drink, but never have your fill.(Q) You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages,(R) only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”

7 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought(S) to your ways. 8 Go up into the mountains and bring down timber(T) and build my house, so that I may take pleasure(U) in it and be honored,(V)” says the Lord. 9 “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little.(W) What you brought home, I blew(X) away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin,(Y) while each of you is busy with your own house. 10 Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld(Z) their dew(AA) and the earth its crops.(AB) 11 I called for a drought(AC) on the fields and the mountains,(AD) on the grain, the new wine,(AE) the olive oil(AF) and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.(AG)”

12 Then Zerubbabel(AH) son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant(AI) of the people obeyed(AJ) the voice of the Lord their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared(AK) the Lord.

13 Then Haggai,(AL) the Lord’s messenger,(AM) gave this message of the Lord to the people: “I am with(AN) you,” declares the Lord. 14 So the Lord stirred up(AO) the spirit of Zerubbabel(AP) son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak,(AQ) the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant(AR) of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month.(AS)

The Promised Glory of the New House

In the second year of King Darius,(AT)

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Footnotes
  1. Haggai 1:1 Hebrew Jehozadak, a variant of Jozadak; also in verses 12 and 14
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

The Command to Rebuild the Temple

1 (A)In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet to (B)Zerubbabel the son of (C)Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to (D)Joshua the son of (E)Jehozadak, the high priest: 2 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.” 3 Then the word of the Lord came (F)by the hand of Haggai the prophet, 4 (G)“Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while (H)this house lies in ruins? 5 Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: (I)Consider your ways. 6 (J)You have sown much, and harvested little. (K)You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who (L)earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.

7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: (M)Consider your ways. 8 Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that (N)I may take pleasure in it and that (O)I may be glorified, says the Lord. 9 (P)You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, (Q)I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord of hosts. Because of my house (R)that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house. 10 Therefore (S)the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. 11 And (T)I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on (U)the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the ground brings forth, on man and beast, and (V)on all their labors.”

The People Obey the Lord

12 (W)Then (X)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and (Y)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all (Z)the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord. 13 Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke to the people with the Lord's message, (AA)“I am with you, declares the Lord.” 14 And (AB)the Lord stirred up the spirit of (AC)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of (AD)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all (AE)the remnant of the people. And they came and (AF)worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, 15 (AG)on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.

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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
INTRODUCTION TO HAGGAI The exile ended in 539 BCE with Cyrus' triumph over Babylon. Judah and Jerusalem were restored as a district of Persia, ruled by Persian governors. The first exiles to return focused on rebuilding the temple and restoring worship of God (Ezra 1-3), but were subject to many obstacles (Ezra 4-5). When work resumed by King Darius' decree (Ezra 6:1-12, about 52 BCE), the people prospered under the preaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, and the temple was completed about 515 BCE (Ezra 6:13-15). Later Ezra and Nehemiah would join them (458 BCE and 445 BCE, respectively). Haggai (name likely means 'born on a feast day') gives no clues to his personal identity, but provides precise dates for the four times the 'word of the LORD' came to him (1:1; 2:1, 1 , 2 ). Primarily targeted at the leadership (Zerubbabel, the governor, and Joshua the priest) his messages are solely focused on the reconstruction of the temple in Jerusalem. Their situation was difficult as they struggled to survive in the decimated land, with enemies all around. It was easy to look only to their own needs, such as houses and fields, and so the house of God was neglected. Through Haggai, God revives their spirit and motivation to rebuild God's house first, because God is with them (1:13) and he will bless them (2:19). This inspires us in our own times to put our hope in God's kingdom, knowing he is with us and we are not alone. 'I AM WITH YOU,' DECLARES THE LORD 1. "Go up ... and build my house" (1-11) The people had returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. But after suffering persecution they stopped and focused on their own houses and needs. God interrupts their malaise calling them to give careful thought: all their labor and efforts in planting, eating, and homemaking yield poor results because they have not built God's house: the very reason they were allowed to return! Practical repentance is to restore their purpose: "Go up ... and build my house, so that I may ...be honored!" 2. The LORD stirred up their spirits (12-15) All the people and their leaders obeyed the voice of the LORD their God because they feared the LORD. "I am with you," declares the LORD. This promise of God stirred up all their spirits, and they began to work again on the temple. We too face daunting situations where obedience is challenging. We need God's promise working in our hearts.

Prayer: Father, you promise, 'I am with you.' Please stir up my spirit to obedience today.

One Word: we obey because God is with us