Haggai 2:1-3 - Who remembers the former glory?

2:1

In the first chapter we read about how God rebuked the people, and related how He had been frustrating their efforts because they had focused on themselves and not God. Then the people repented, the rebuilding work began and God declared that He was with them. We are now about four weeks since this last prophecy and in this chapter two real problems are dealt with, and dealt with by God. Ie the answer came from God, not from the people. The first problem is that the task seems hopeless, the second is the unworthiness, the defilement, of the people. When we start to walk in God’s light one of the things that happens is that we become more aware of our sinfulness. This chapter addresses both of these issues.

2:2,3

The message is given its common introduction, being addressed to Zerubbabel, Joshua and the people. Or more precisely, the remnant of the people. In actual fact a relatively small proportion of the exiled people had returned from Babylon. Remember the conditions under which the first temple had been built. It was under Solomon, just after David. The nation was sort of living God’s way, the nation was on the up. Solomon was incredibly wealthy, was respected by all the surrounding nations, and received much help (including slave labour) from other nations. Now Israel was a war torn land, just beginning to recover from its ravished state. All this had happened because of her persistent sin against God. She was not respected by other nations, and would receive little help, she was poor. “Who is left among you ..” It was some 67 years since the destruction of the temple. There may have been one or two among them who had childhood memories of the first temple, and what they had now would indeed seem as nothing at all. Others would have heard stories of what they used to have. In Dundee there was the McCheyne revival of 1839, but today there is nothing like that. It is easy to be discouraged by memories or stories of past victories. This is a very human problem, and this part of the prophecy deals with that issue.