Lesson 26: Haggai and Zechariah
Haggai pleads with the people to rebuild the temple
Haggai
The Lord told the prophet Habakkuk that eventually Babylon would fall and Judah would return to Israel. His Word, as always, was true. After King Cyrus of Persia defeated Babylon, he allowed the Israelites to return home from exile (see Lesson 14).
Sadly, as the Israelites returned, they dawdled in their commitment to rebuild the Lord’s temple, which Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians had destroyed. Eventually the temple was completed (see Lesson 14 again), but it took much longer than it should have. Haggai understood why, and preached about the problem around 500 BC (Add him to your timeline). The same problem hampering God’s work then is still a major problem hampering the work of his Kingdom today. Read Haggai 1-2:9 to learn what the problem – and the solution – are.
- According to the first six verses of chapter one, why were the people stalling in rebuilding the Lord’s temple?
The people were more concerned and interested in building up their own homes and possessions than they were in the Lord’s work. So while their possessions dominated their hearts and minds, the building of temple was grinding to a halt.
- What was God’s reaction to their selfish materialism?
God is obviously displeased, but he also responds by causing the people to lose much of what they have gained for themselves.
- Agree or disagree: Materialism is the easiest sin for people to fall into in our world today.
Some would see spiritual apathy or sexual sins as the greatest dangers to God people in the present age, but in a nation and city so richly blessed as ours, the temptation toward materialism is undeniable. And the fact that each of us falls into it is also undeniable. How many amazing physical blessings, for example, do the people of this congregation enjoy while its budget constantly runs behind?
- Despite their materialism, how did God see to it that his temple was rebuilt?
God motivated Zerubbabel the governor to spur the people to rebuild the temple. When Zerubbabel’s strength began to waver, God kept speaking to him to move him (and the people) in the right direction.
- Evaluate: The priorities of God’s people have not changed much since Haggai’s day, so we should expect God to withhold his blessings from us, just as he did back then.
God does threaten consequences for selfish materialism, and it is certainly possible that removing physical blessings from our lives could be one of them. But he may choose to continue blessing us in spite of our materialism. (Remember that God often lavishes blessings even on those who do not know him, and even those who hate him.) Of far greater concern to us should be the loss of spiritual blessings, especially our faith in Christ, which materialism can bring about.
6. Chapter 2:7 refers to the Promised Messiah as “the desired of all nations.” Why is this a fitting name for Christ?
All people, whether they realize it or not, desperately need Christ and the bounty of spiritual blessings that he brings. All people need his pardon and the promise of eternal life. Precious few were truly looking ahead to his coming with eager desire, and precious few still look to him as their greatest desire. But he is the One that every single human being needs, whether or not they realize it.
7. How did God combat the materialism of his people? (See especially 2:6-9.) How does he do it today?
God made the people promises of salvation and peace. This is still how God fights materialism in our hearts. He fills our hearts with the promises of our Savior Jesus, so our love for things and obsessions with stuff are squeezed out.
Zechariah
Like Haggai, Zechariah also prophesied to God’s people after their return from exile to the Promised Land. Zechariah prophesied from about 520-480BC. Add him to your timeline, please.
Zechariah also shared Haggai’s main purpose: motivating the people to rebuild the temple. Still, Zechariah (and Haggai) were interested in much more than just building a physical structure. They wanted spiritual renewal for the people of Israel. The centerpiece of Zechariah’s prophecy teaches spiritual renewal in action. Read chapter three of his prophecy to see how Zechariah pictures forgiveness and new spiritual life. After you have finished reading the chapter in its entirety, review it by answering these questions:
8. Since Zechariah’s goal is spiritual renewal for Israel, who do you think “Joshua the High Priest” represented? What is Joshua’s problem as he stands before the Lord?
It is most likely, in the context, that “Joshua” represented the entire nation of Israel, since Zechariah was addressing his message of spiritual renewal to all of the people.
9. As Satan tries to accuse “Joshua” of his sins, how does the Lord respond? How does the Lord respond when Satan accuses us of our sins?
The Lord rebukes Satan sharply. Satan has no leg to stand on as he accuses God’s own people, because God has forgiven them. When Satan accuses us of our sins, God reacts the same way. And so can we! See Romans 8:33-34. When guilt strikes for some sin we’ve committed in the past, we can rebuke Satan for accusing our conscience, saying, “God has forgiven me! There’s nothing your accusations can do to harm me!”
10.Why is “a burning stick snatched from the fire” such a fitting picture for God’s forgiven people?
Without God’s forgiveness, we are lost to the fires of hell forever. By the grace of Christ, God has snatched us from the fires of hell and brought us to his own side.
11.To picture God’s forgiveness, Zechariah saw the Lord removing Joshua’s filthy clothes and replacing them with clean garments. When did the Lord do this for you?
For most of us, the Lord did this in the waters of our baptism, as the New Testament often pictures.
12.After promising to send the Messiah (the Lord’s “Branch”), the Lord promises that he will “remove the sin of this land in a single day.” Describe how the Lord kept that promise.
On Good Friday, Jesus suffered the punishment for the sins of the whole world, and God removed the curse of sin not only from Israel, but from the whole world. In these amazing words from Zechariah we find one of the Old Testament’s clearest references to God’s exact plan of salvation: a single sacrifice on a single day removes all sin. On the “Branch” see Matthew 2:23 (Nazarene). There is no prophecy that calls him a Nazarene so what does Matthew mean? Nazar was a word for branch. Beginning in Isaiah 4:2 the Messiah is referred to as the Branch or the Branch of Jesse(Isaiah 11:1; Jer 23:5, Jer 33:15, Zech 3:8, Zech 6:12) so by Zechariah’s time “Branch” or Nazar was a common name for the Messiah. It was not by accident that Jesus lived in Nazareth and was called a Nazarene.