The Minor Writing Prophets IX: Haggai - a motivator

Our 9th Minor Writing Prophet to consider is Haggai.  His prophecy is more specifically dated than most falling between August and December of 520BCE.  This was a time after the fall of Jerusalem and after many years of exile.  It is a time after King Cyrus defeated Babylon and allowed the Jews to return to the ruins of Jerusalem.  Once there, there was much to do and Haggai focuses his energy on motivating the leaders and the people to be about the work of restoring the temple.

Within his motivational work, Haggai challenges the selfishness of the people.  In 1:7-9 we read that the people have been busy about the work of rebuilding their own homes; but the house of the Lord, the temple, is still in shambles.  Previous prophets have criticized the selfishness of the Jews from the perspective of wealth.  Now Haggai criticizes their selfishness from the position of poverty.  In the past, they focused all they had on their own lavish ways, not they focus all they have on their own personal rebuilding.  It seems that they are worried about themselves individually rather than the greater good of the whole community.

Haggai also directs the attention of the people back to the worship of God in 2:11-14.  How can the people worship properly when they are defiled?  How can they be cleansed when they have no temple?  The temple needed to be rebuilt to regain this focal point to their worship of God and to provide the means for cleansing themselves of unrighteousness.

Finally, Haggai offers a promise of a future with hope.  The people of Judah had been defeated, their temple had been destroyed and they had been exiled for many years.  When they finally returned, everything was still a mess and the economy was not good.  This was not like coming home after a couple of weeks of vacation, unless of course while you were away a tornado wiped out your home.  This was a difficult home coming with a long road of restoration ahead of them.  Everything looked very bleak, and yet Haggai offered the promise of hope to these defeated people.  He offered the promise of restoration.

In a time when things were difficult, Haggai's prophetic words served to motivate the people.  He challenged their selfishness, directed their worship to God, and proclaimed hope in the midst of despair.  Haggai the prophet was a tremendous motivator.