haggai - when you can't get ahead: god's answers for a tough economy

Haggai

Gods Answers for a Tough Economy Christy Bower

When You Cant Get Ahead

When You Cant Get Ahead: Gods Answers for a Tough Economy (Haggai) 2012 Christy Bower

www.ChristyBower.com

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About Christy I have a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies from Multnomah Biblical

Seminary (2004). I am the author of three books: Best Friends with

God (2010), Devotion Explosion (2007), and Abundant Life (2002). I

have written numerous articles for Christian publications, as well as

writing web content for clients. And, in January 2011, God set me

on the path of full-time writing ministry, which has enabled me to

focus on creating Bible resources to help others grow in their faith.

Welcome!

The Bible Explorer Guides

provide a hands-on

approach to studying

individual books of the

Bible. The studies are

intended to help you

discover the answers for

yourself, while guiding

you through the difficult

terrain of context and

setting.

May God bless you as you

study His Word.

Christy



Introduction You never seem to have enough. No matter how hard you work,

you cant get ahead. Just when you think you can start saving a few

dollars, the car breaks down. Sound familiar?

Sometimes it can feel like youre leaking money like a sieve. Where

has all the money gone? Why is there never anything left over?

If only I could get caught up. If only I could get a month ahead. If

only I could get some overtime. If only, if only, if only.

No matter how hard you work, it seems like youre not making any

progress. In fact, more often than not, it feels like your hard-

earned money is being swept away.

Why? Why cant I get ahead? Why wont the Lord bless my hard

work?

Through the prophet Haggai, the Lord answers these questions.

Haggai brings a message of exhortation to a discouraged people.

After the Babylonian exile, the captives were freed by the Persians

and allowed to return to Jerusalem. But they returned to a land

devastated by war that had been left untended for seventy years.

Now they were forced to clear massive rubble piles, overgrown

brush, and seventy-year-old trees from farmland and city streets!

To make matters worse, those first years were plagued with

drought and famine, killing off the meager crops and starving the

cattle. They were poverty-stricken.

Through a series of messages from the Lord, Haggai offers the

people a challenge that will change everything.

Your wages

disappear as

though you

were putting

them in pockets

filled with

holes! (Haggai

1:6, NLT).



Haggai: A Challenge That Will Change Everything

August 29, 520 B.C.E.

I addressed the people

today. I was nervous because

the Lord has never spoken

through me this way (to an

audience), but after giving

the Lords message to

Zerubbabel, the governor,

and Jeshua, the high priest,

they both insisted that I

deliver the message directly

to the people.

I climbed up on one of the

enormous building stones

amid the rubble of

Solomons Temple. After

gazing at the faces of those

gathered before me, I began:

My brothers, the governor

and the high priest have

called you here today so I

could give you a message

from the Lord. This is what

the Lord Almighty says:

The people are saying, Its

not time to rebuild the

Temple yet. But I ask you:

Why are you living in paneled

houses while my house lies

in ruins?

I saw the people look at each

other nervously. Then I

continued the Lords

message:

Hows that working out for

you? For sixteen years you

have planted much, but

harvested little. Do you think

it is a coincidence that you

have food to eat, but not

enough to fill you up? You

have wine to drink, but you

are still thirsty. You have

clothing to wear, but you

cant stay warm. Your wages

disappear as if you were

putting them in pockets filled

with holes!

I called for a drought on the

land to starve both you and

your cattle. I have ruined

everything you have worked

so hard to get! Why?

Because my house lies in

ruins, while you are busy

building your own fine

houses! Hows that working

out for you? Not so well, is

it? Now rebuild my house so

I will take pleasure in it and

be honored.



The people worshiped the

Lord and agreed to obey God

on this matter. It was good

to see the people begin to

make construction plans with

renewed enthusiasm.

September 21, 520 B.C.E.

The people began work on

the Temple today. It was

good to see their renewed

enthusiasm for the Lords

work.

I assured them with a

message from the Lord: I

am with you, says the Lord!

They were very excited.

October 17, 520 B.C.E.

As Ive worked among the

people to help rebuild the

Temple, Ive heard the

discouragement creeping

into peoples voices.

I know what theyre thinking.

They whisper it once in a

while: this Temple will

never compare to the

glorious Temple of

Solomon. They are already

disappointed and the work

has barely begun!

Ive been praying about this

and the Lord gave me

another message to deliver

to the remnant of people in

Judah:

Who among you can

remember the Temple as it

was before? How does it look

now? It seems like nothing,

doesnt it? But be

encouraged! Be encouraged

and work because I am with

you , says the Lord Almighty.

My Spirit remains among

you, so dont be afraid.

And dont worry about how

youre going to pay for all of

this! I know your poverty! I

caused it, remember? Check

it out! I am going to shake

the nations so their money

provides for the building of

My Temple. Remember, all

the silver and gold in the

world is at my disposal! The

future glory of this Temple

will be greater than in the

past because of the

contributions of other

nations.

The people seemed less

weary after I delivered the

Lords message. There was a

hastening of their steps and

a glimmer in their eyes. I

even heard some of them

singing while they worked.

December 18, 520 B.C.E.

I delivered this message from

the Lord today:

For sixteen years you were

under My judgment because

you did not finish building

the temple. During that time,

nothing you touched would

prosper. Everything you did

and everything you offered

to me was unacceptable.



Remember how things were

before you started to lay the

foundation of the Temple.

You were always

disappointed at the yield of

your crops. I sent blight and

hail to destroy the produce

of your labor. But no matter

how bad things got, you

refused to turn to Me!

Mark this day: December

18, the day you laid the

foundation of the Temple. I

am giving you a promise

today. From this day

forward, I will bless you.

The people let out a cheer!

Great joy followed and

everyone worked with

increased enthusiasm today.

Then, I pulled aside

Zerubbabel, the governor, to

encourage him with this

message from the Lord:

I will shake things up in the

political arena. I will

overthrow royal powers of

foreign kingdoms. When this

happens, I will honor you. I

will treat you like a signet

ring on my finger, for I have

specially chosen you!

Zerubbabels lip quivered as I

spoke these words from the

Lord. His eyes brimmed with

tears.

He said nothing, but I could

see the burden lift from his

shoulders, for he had served

the Lord for many years,

even though he had little real

power because of the

Persian control of Judah.

Zerubbabel half-smiled at me

and then turned away to

wipe his eyes. Lord, bless

him.



The Landscape of History When the Persians overthrew Babylon in 538 B.C.E., King Cyrus of

Persia freed the captives held by the Babylonians. Not only did he

allow the Jews to return to Jerusalem, but he also generously

funded their return trip and donated generously to help restore

the Temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 1).

When they arrived in Jerusalem, they realized the enormity of the

task before them. The city had been destroyed by battering rams

and other weapons of war and then burned to the ground so even

the rubble would be useless debris. Plus, there was seventy years

of untended growth that needed to be cleared. Where there were

once streets and fields, there was bramble, brush, and massive

trees.

Still, they were glad to be home and went to work joyously, until

regional enemies began to oppose the work. The people became

discouraged and fearful because of the threats of their opponents

and work stopped (Ezra 4:4-5, 24).

For sixteen years, they did no work to rebuild the Temple or the

city of Jerusalem. Instead, they built houses and planted crops. But

those sixteen years happened to be plagued by drought and

famine. Blight and mildew destroyed crops, and windstorms that

blew away piles of grain after they had been harvested. Everything

seemed to be going wrong. No matter how hard they tried, they

just couldnt get ahead.

Meanwhile, the lumber and supplies for the Temple sat there

unused, so the people began to put it to use by adding lavish

wood-paneling to their homes. They were living in luxury, but they

never had enough.

Then the Lord gave the prophets Haggai and Zechariah messages

for Judah (Ezra 5:1-2). Haggais message was simple: build the

temple. The people had failed to put God first, so they lost the

blessing that comes from a life centered on God. Zechariah, on the

other hand, emphasized the need to rebuild the Temple to prepare

for the coming Messiah.

Survey of

History

538 B.C.E. The Decree of

Cyrus allowed the Jews to

return home

536 B.C.E. The Jews began

to rebuild the Temple, but

became discouraged and

quit

520 B.C.E. Haggai and

Zechariah encourage the

people to rebuild the

Temple

515 B.C.E. The Temple

was completed



With faith restored, the people resumed work only to have the old, familiar enemies send letters to the

Persian king (Ezra 6:1-5). There was a new king in place and Darius made a careful search of the archives

to find the original order of Cyrus authorizing the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. With that, King

Darius ordered these local authorities who opposed the project to fund it out of their own tax money

(Ezra 6:6-12)!

The Persian Empire This map shows the Persian Empire at its greatest extent (525 B.C.E.).



Outline I. Hitting Bottom (1:1-2:9)

A. First Sermon: Return to the Task God Has Given You

(1:1-11)

i. The people made excuses for not finishing the

Temple.

ii. The people focused on trying to get ahead

financially but they were frustrated.

iii. The Lord ruined everything they worked for

because they had not finished the Temple.

B. Second Sermon: God Is with You When You Obey

(1:12-15)

i. The people obeyed the message of Haggai.

ii. The people worshiped the Lord.

iii. The Lord said, I am with you!

C. Third Sermon: God Will Provide for His Projects (2:1-9)

i. The rebuilding may seem insignificant.

ii. God says, Be encouraged, for I am with you!

iii. God will shake the nations and their treasures

will come to the Temple so the future glory of

the temple will be greater than the past.

II. Turning Point (2:10-23)

A. Fourth Sermon: Under Gods Judgment, Nothing You

Touch Will Prosper (2:10-19)

i. God gives an illustration about contamination,

saying: Everything they do is contaminated.

ii. Under Gods judgment, nothing you touched

would prosper, no matter how hard you

worked.

iii. In response to their obedience, God says,

From this day onward I will bless you.

B. Fifth Sermon: God Will Honor Those Who Faithfully

Honor and Serve Him (2:20-23)

i. To the governor, Zerubbabel, God says: I will

overthrow the foreign kingdoms over you.

ii. God says, I will treat you like a signet ring on

my finger, for I have specially chosen you.

Haggai

ministered to a

discouraged

people. They

were under

Gods judgment

and nothing

was going well.

But a simple

act of

obedience

often brings

about a turning

point.



Faith Lessons Imagine you barely had enough food to eat due to drought and

famine. Then, imagine that God told you to finish a multi-million

dollar project that He asked you to do nearly two decades ago. No

wonder youd been putting it off. Where would you come up with

that kind of money?

Thats exactly the situation the people of Haggais day found

themselves in. They had neglected the task God called them to do

because of opposition and discouragement. But after they stopped

working on building the Temple, nothing else seemed to go right.

They tried to rebuild homes and farms, only to have their crops and

herds destroyed by drought and famine. They had food, but not

enough to feel full. They had drink, but not enough to satisfy their

thirst. They had clothing, but not enough to keep warm.

God taught them some important faith lessons. Lets see what we

can learn about Gods answers for a tough economy.

If you never seem to have enough:

1. Stop making excuses (1:1-2)

2. Consider your circumstances (1:3-6)

3. Change your priorities to please and honor God (1:7-11)

4. Worship and obey God to spark your enthusiasm (1:12-15)

5. Return to the task God has given you (2:1-5)

6. Expect Gods provision for His projects (2:6-9)

7. Understand that if you dont honor God, no amount of

personal effort will guarantee your success (2:10-14)

8. Turn back to God (2:15-17)

9. Anticipate a turning point (2:18-19)

10. Receive hope and encouragement from God (2:20-23)

In Haggais

day, the

Temple was a

symbol of the

peoples

relationship

with God.

Neglecting the

work of

rebuilding the

Temple was

like neglecting

their

relationship

with God.



Stop making excuses (1:1-2) For what purpose were the exiles allowed to return to Judah? See

Ezra 1:2-4.

What excuse did the people give for not completing the Temple?

What excuses do you give for not doing what God tells you to do?

What productive actions could you take instead?

How did God respond to their excuses (Haggai 1:3-4)?

This is what

the LORD

Almighty says:

The people are

saying, The

time has not

yet come to

rebuild the

LORDs house

the Temple

(Haggai 1:2,

NLT).



Consider your circumstances (1:3-6) What were the priorities of the people in Haggais day? What was

the result? Consider how things are going for you! (Haggai 1:5,

NLT) and list any of your frustrated goals.

Are you trying so hard to make financial ends meet that you have

neglected to do the things God wants you to do? How does your

financial security, your striving to get ahead, or your personal

interests get in the way of your commitment to God?

The Lord said, Your wages disappear as though you were putting

them in pockets filled with holes! (Haggai 1:6, NLT). And Jesus said

to store up treasure in heaven because the purses of heaven have

no holes in them (Luke 12:33, NLT). What lesson can we learn

from this? How could you put this into practice?

You have

planted much

but harvested

little. You have

food to eat, but

not enough to fill

you up. You have

wine to drink, but

not enough to

satisfy your

thirst. You have

clothing to wear,

but not enough

to keep you

warm. Your

wages disappear

as though you

were putting

them in pockets

filled with holes!

(Haggai 1:6,

NLT).



Change your priorities to please and honor

God (1:7-11) From the very beginning, God established blessings for obedience

and curses for disobedience. According to Leviticus 26:18-20 and

Deuteronomy 28:38-40, what were some of the curses for

disobedience? How might God show His displeasure in our less

agricultural society?

God sent drought and famine to remind His people that He was in

control and no amount of hard work on their part would achieve

the results they desired. They could not get ahead on their own

effort. How are you trying to make things work out on your own?

How is that working out?

What did God command them to do? Has God asked you to do

something that you have been putting off? Do you think you will

have Gods blessing until you do it? Could God be disciplining you

because you have wrong priorities? What did Jesus say in Matthew

6:33?

You hoped for

rich harvests,

but they were

poor. And when

you brought

your harvest

home, I blew it

away. Why?

Because my

house lies in

ruins, says the

LORD Almighty,

while you are

all busy

building your

own fine

houses

(Haggai 1:9,

NLT).



Worship and obey God to spark your

enthusiasm (1:12-15) According to Ezra 3:8-9, what was the attitude of the people when

they began to build the Temple in 536 B.C.E.? What was their

attitude for the next sixteen years, until the time of Haggai? Does

that reflect your experience?

What happened after they obeyed Gods message and worshiped

Him in earnest (Haggai 1:13-14)?

Zechariah, who ministered with Haggai, had a similar message.

What did he urge the people to do (Zechariah 1:1-6)?

So the LORD

sparked the

enthusiasm of

Zerubbabel son

of Shealtiel,

governor of

Judah, Jeshua

son of

Jehozadak, the

high priest, and

the whole

remnant of

Gods people.

They came and

began their

work on the

house of the

LORD Almighty,

their God

(Haggai 1:14,

NLT).



Return to the task God has given you (2:1-5) The people were discouraged, in part, because they knew they

could not rebuild the Temple to match its former glory. In their

minds, if they couldnt build it as before, they were hesitant to

build it at all. Does fear of failure or disappointment prevent you

from attempting things for God? Or does perfectionism hold you

back?

In Ezra 3:12, what was the reaction of those who could remember

Solomons Temple? Are you disappointed because you feel your

current efforts dont amount to much or arent that impressive or

important?

What was Gods response to their reluctance (Haggai 2:4-5)? Do

you need courage for the task God has given you? How does it help

to pursue scary-big goals if you remember that Gods Spirit is at

work?

Take courage,

all you people

still left in the

land, says the

LORD. Take

courage and

work, for I am

with you, says

the LORD

Almighty

(Haggai 2:4,

NLT).



Expect Gods provision for His projects (2:6-9) According to Ezra 3:7, they had purchased magnificent cedars of

Lebanon, which they floated down the Mediterranean coast for the

project when they started in 536. But when construction on the

Temple came to a halt, they apparently used the lumber to add

luxurious wood-paneling to their homes (Haggai 1:4, 9). Now the

Lord told them to go up into the hills, bring down timber, and

rebuild my house (Haggai 1:8, NLT).

By putting off what God asked them to do and by misappropriating

what God had provided, their delayed obedience would be more

difficult. Do you ever procrastinate and find it more difficult to do

the task? Have you ever squandered the Lords blessings? What

happened?

The people didnt even have enough food to eat because Gods

judgment brought drought and famine, so building the Temple

seemed way beyond their financial means. The Lord encouraged

them, saying He would shake the nations and they would send

money to the Temple (Haggai 2:7). How was this fulfilled in Ezra

6:6-12?

Is God asking you to do something beyond your financial means?

What encouragement do you find in Haggai 2:8? Did Gods

provision happen before or after the people resumed work on the

Temple?

The silver is

mine, and the

gold is mine,

says the LORD

Almighty

(Haggai 2:8,

NLT).



Understand that if you dont honor God, no

amount of personal effort will guarantee your

success (2:10-14) The Lord had Haggai ask the priests a question about

contamination and then He said, That is how it is with this people

because everything they do and everything they offer is defiled

(Haggai 2:14, NLT). In other words, as long as they were under

Gods judgment for not finishing the Temple, nothing they touched

would prosper. Even today, if we dont honor God, no amount of

personal effort will guarantee our success. How are you trying to

achieve success? How is that working for you?

Read John 15:1-8. What does this tell you about how to achieve the

kind of success God desires for us? Is it a matter of our own effort?

What kind of fruit is your life bearing? How can you change that, if

necessary?

Then Haggai

said, That is

how it is with

this people and

this nation,

says the LORD.

Everything they

do and

everything they

offer is defiled

(Haggai 2:14,

NLT).



Turn back to God (2:15-17) God destroyed their hopes for profit and a good return for their

labor, but they just worked harder rather than returning to God.

They didnt see the connection between their dire circumstances

and their spiritual apathy. What does it take for God to get your

attention?

What does 2 Chronicles 6:26-31 contribute to your understanding

of the relationship between economic distress and returning to

God? How do you think that would apply to modern economic

situations? How might it apply to your situation?

I sent blight

and mildew

and hail to

destroy all the

produce of your

labor. Yet, even

so, you refused

to return to me,

says the LORD

(Haggai 2:17,

NLT).



Anticipate a turning point (2:18-19) God wanted them to mark down December 18, the day the

foundation was laid, because that would be the turning point.

Where they formerly struggled to make financial ends meet and

put food on the table, now they would receive Gods blessing. Can

you look to specific events in your life and see Gods turning points

for you?

Read Zecharaiah 8:9-13. Haggai and Zechariah ministered together.

In this message from the Lord through Zecharaiah, what marked

the turning point? How did the Lord characterize the situation of

the people before and after the turning point?

Money is not an indicator of how much we please God. Wealthy

people can be wicked and poor people can be intensely close to

God. But when we experience financial difficulties, our first

response should be to turn to God rather than trying harder on our

own. If you are currently experiencing financial difficulty, what

have you learned so far that might give you hope that you, too,

could reach a turning point? Do you think you can reach a financial

turning point without also reaching a spiritual turning point? What

is the relationship between the two?

I am giving

you a promise

now while the

seed is still in

the barn,

before you

have harvested

your grain and

before the

grapevine, the

fig tree, the

pomegranate,

and the olive

tree have

produced their

crops. From

this day

onward I will

bless you

(Haggai 2:19,

NLT).



Receive hope and encouragement from God

(2:20-23) The Lord turned from addressing the people of Judah to addressing

their governor, Zerubbabel. He assured Zerubbabel that He would

overthrow the foreign powers over the people of Judah. On that

day, God would honor Zerubbabel. A signet ring was a symbol of

authority. Zerubbabel would be able to do Gods work with Gods

authority. As you reflect on your life situation, consider what

unfinished business God has been asking you to go back to

complete. How do you think God will work through you to

accomplish His purpose?

The Lord also delivered a message to Zerubbabel through the

prophet Zechariah. Read Zechariah 4:6-10 and describe the words

of encouragement and hope found there. How does it apply to

Zerubbabel? How might those words of encouragement apply to

you?

I will treat you

like a signet

ring on my

finger, says the

LORD, for I have

specially

chosen you

(Haggai 2:23,

NLT).



Bible Explorers I encourage you to explore the Bible on your own. To learn more

about Haggai, consider these ideas for further study.

In a Bible dictionary, look up:

Haggai

Zerubbabel. the governor

Jeshua, the high priest.

A good Bible atlas will provide a thorough description of the

Persian Empire and all the segments of the Bible where the Persian

influence is noted (for example, Esther!). If you dont have access

to a good Bible atlas, try looking up the Persian Empire in your

Bible dictionary.

Contact Christy The best way to get to know me is to meet me on Twitter

@christybower.

You can also read more of my writings on my blog at

www.christybower.com. And I have a contact form on my website

if you need to contact me personally.

You can even write to me:

Christy Bower

PO Box 983

Whitefish MT 59937

I love to hear from readers!

Go ahead, make my day!

How has the

study of Haggai

helped you

overcome

financial

despair or

renewed your

passion for the

task God has

given you to

complete?

haggai - when you can't get ahead: god's answers for a tough economy

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