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Friday, September 24, 2021

Bible In One Year Day 267 (Ezra 1 -2, Haggai 1 -2, Proverbs 20: 1-3)

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Day 267: Indifference and Apathy 

Agape Bible Study 
Ezra 1 - 2 

Introduction

In the Christian canon of Sacred Scripture, the Book of Ezra is part of the Historical Writings, coming after 2 Chronicles and before the Book of Nehemiah. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah are closely related to each other and similar in style to the Books of Chronicles. Originally, 1 and 2 Chronicles formed one book as did Ezra and Nehemiah. The division into two books for Chronicles and Ezra-Nehemiah first appeared in Church Father Origen's AD 254 translation. The division was adopted by Jerome into the Latin Vulgate in the 4th century AD and later by the Jews into the re-translation of the Hebrew Bible in 1448. Many modern scholars, recognizing the similarity in style between 1 and 2 Chronicles and Ezra-Nehemiah, believe the books formed a single historical work authored by an author they identify as "the Chronicler." Other scholars identify Ezra as the author of all four books.

Beginning where the 2 Chronicles ends, the Book of Ezra is a continuation of 2 Chronicles and relates the crucial period of the reestablishment of the Jewish community in Jerusalem after their release from the Babylonian exile by King Cyrus' edict (539 BC). It was an event of the utmost importance for the future of the covenant people and God's divine plan for humanity's salvation.

Historical Background

In 587 BC, the Babylonians, as God's instrument of judgment, conquered the Southern Kingdom of Judah, destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple and began the prophesied seventy years of exile for an apostate covenant people (Jer 25:8-13; 2 Chr 36:21). They took the surviving Jews as captives back to Babylon. It was the third wave of captured citizens of Judah; the first two groups went into exile in 605 BC and again in 597 BC.

After King Cyrus of Persia conquered the Babylonian empire in 539 BC, he issued an official decree in which he magnanimously authorized the return and extended certain privileges to all peoples displaced from their homelands by the Babylonians, including the citizens of Judah. 

Led by Sheshbazzar, a descendant of King David and a prince of Judah (Ezra 1:8), the remnant of God's covenant people returned to their native land. However, they returned as vassals of the Persians who ruled Judah until the conquest of Alexander the Great two centuries later.

The first part of the Book of Ezra records the experiences of the returning exiles (Ezra 1:1-6:22). In 539/8 BC, King Cyrus commissioned Sheshbazzar to lead the first group of Jewish exiles back to their homeland and to serve as the first Persian governor of the Persian province of Judah. The second half of the book records the experiences of Ezra, a priestly scribe commissioned by Persian King Artaxerxes to lead the second group of exiles back to their homeland and to re-establish obedience to the Law and right worship (Ezra 7:1-26). Nehemiah 12:1 and 13 identify Ezra as a priestly teacher of the Law, and Nehemiah 12:26, 36, and 33 also mention him.

The book is written in Hebrew with parts in Aramaic. Hebrew was the native language of the Israelites while Aramaic was the language of the Babylonians that the exiles learned to speak during their years in captivity and the language they brought back from their years in exile. Aramaic will become the common language of the Jews and the language Jesus and the disciples spoke in the first century AD.


PLAN OF THE BOOK OF EZRA

  1. The Return from Exile and Rebuilding the Jerusalem Temple (Chapters 1-6)
    1. The Decree of Cyrus (Chapter 1)
    2. Registry of the returning exiles (Chapters 2)
    3. Resumption of the Tamid Sacrifice and rituals of worship and obedience to the Law (Chapters 3-6)
  2. The Organization of the Community by Ezra and Nehemiah (Chapters 7-10)
    1. Ezra's mission and the registry of the second returning exiles (Chapters 7-8)
    2. Ezra's spiritual restoration of the covenant people through obedience to the Law and opposition to mixed marriages (Chapters 9-10)

The text switches back and forth between Hebrew, the native language of the Judahites, and Aramaic, the language they learned in captivity:

1:1-4:6 is in Hebrew
4:7-6:18 is in Aramaic
6:19-7:11 is in Hebrew
7:12-26 is in Aramaic
7:27 to the end of the book is in Hebrew

The themes of the Book of Ezra are sovereignty, faithfulness, and restoration. Yahweh is the sovereign Lord of all peoples in all nations (1 Ezra 1:1; 6:22; 7:6, 27). He gives human beings the gift of free will to make righteous decisions or sinful decisions, but He will intervene in human history to move forward His divine plan, even using pagan kings and their nations. The Book of Ezra also demonstrates that Yahweh is faithful to His promises. He promised the restoration of His covenant people after they atoned for their sins during their years of exile, and He kept that promise in the return of the people of Judah to their homeland. The God of Israel not only restored the Jerusalem Temple (Ezra 3:1-6:22) but He renewed the spiritual, moral, and social fabric of the faithful remnant of the covenant people He returned to Judah (Ezra 9:1-10:44).


TIMELINE BC
WORLD EMPIRE: PERSIA

Judah vassal state of Persia-------------------------------------------------------------Greek Empire--Hellenistic
States------
538516483-473458444336323250
1st return of Exiles to JudahTemple in Jerusalem rebuiltEsther Queen of Persia2nd return w/EzraAlexander the Great invades PersiaAlexander diesGreek Translation of O.T. Septuagint

Persian Kings of the Achaemenid Dynasty

  1. Cyrus II the Great ruled from 559-530 BC and conquered Babylon in 539 BC
  2. Cambyses II, son of Cyrus the Great, ruled from 530-522 BC
  3. Bardiya, son of Cyrus the Great or imposter, ruled 522 BC but assassinated by Persian nobles
  4. Darius I, son of Hystaspes (a kinsman of Cyrus), ruled 522-486 BC
  5. Xerxes I, son of Darius I, ruled 486-465 BC
  6. Artaxerxes I, son of Darius I, ruled 465-424 BC
  7. Xerxes II, son of Artaxerxes I, assassinated in 424 BC by Sogdianus
  8. Sogdianus, son of Artaxerxes I, ruled 424-423 BC and assassinated by Darius II
  9. Darius II, son of Artaxerxes I, ruled 423-404 BC
  10. Artaxerxes II, son of Darius II, ruled 404-358 BC
  11. Artaxerxes III, son of Artaxerxes II, ruled 358-338 BC
  12. Artaxerxes IV, son of Artaxerxes III, ruled 338-336
  13. Darius III, descendant of Darius II?, ruled 336-330 BC, killed by Artaxerxes V
  14. Artaxerxes V, probably a son of Artaxerxes II, ruled 330-329 BC, killed by Greek King Alexander the Great

The events in the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther took place during the rule of the Medo-Persian Empire located in northeast Mesopotamia which is present-day Iran. The Medes and the Persians joined forces under Cyrus the Great to defeat the Babylonians whose homeland was modern day Iraq. The books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther return to the Biblical theme of the preservation of the faithful remnant, the "holy seed" promised in Genesis 3:15 from which the Messiah is destined to come to redeem humanity.

Some of the prophecies fulfilled by the return of the covenant people of Judah from exile:
Scripture ReferenceProphecyWhen madeDate fulfilledSignificance
Isaiah 44:28
And 45:1-7		God would anoint a Gentile named Cyrus to guarantee the return of a faithful remnant of Israel to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple.c. 688 BC539 BCGod named Cyrus, "shepherd," even before he was born. God knows everything. God controls history!
Cyrus, king of Persia 559-530 BC
Jeremiah 25:12God will punish Babylon for injustices against the covenant people.605 BC<539 BCCyrus of Persia conquered Babylon in 539 BC.
Jeremiah 29:10The citizens of Judah will spend 70 years in exile, after which God will bring His people back to their homeland.594 BC539/8 BCCyrus allows the return of the Jews to their homeland. The 70 years of captivity can span the years from the 605 BC deportation to the first resettlement or from the destruction of Solomon's Temple in 587/6 BC to the building of the Second Temple in 517/6 BC.
Daniel 5:17-30God judged Babylon and decreed her empire to be conquered by the Medo- Persians, the next regional power.539 BC539 BCBabylonian ruler Belshazzar was killed the night of the prophecy in a surprise Persian invasion.
Ezekiel 34:23-27A Davidic prince will shepherd God's people back to their land.585 BC538 BCDavidic prince, Sheshbazzar, leads the people of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin back to their homeland.

Question: What are two lessons for us on this side of salvation history concerning the fulfillment of these events that were prophesied centuries and years in advance?
Answer:

  1. God may seem to allow evil to go unpunished, but the consequences for sin are inevitable.
  2. We cannot escape God's divine judgment; it is inevitable, and the result will be either punishment or salvation. God is patient, however, in allowing us the time and freedom to repent and seek His forgiveness.
  1. The Return from Exile and the Rebuilding of the Temple
    1. The Decree of Cyrus (Chapter 1)
    2. Registry of the returning exiles (Chapter 2)

Chapter I: King Cyrus' Decree and a Davidic Prince Leads the Return of the Exiles


Ezra 1:1-11 ~ King Cyrus' Edict of Return

The Book of Ezra begins with the same proclamation that ended the Book of 2 Chronicles in 36:23. 2 Chronicles 36:22-23 and Ezra 1:1-4 agree in five ways:

  1. King Cyrus issued his decree in the first year he conquered Babylon, in 539 BC.
  2. Yahweh moved Cyrus to issue the decree "throughout his kingdom."
  3. Cyrus gives credit for his successful conquests to "Yahweh the God of heaven."
  4. Yahweh appointed him to build Him a Temple in Jerusalem of Judah.
  5. Whoever wants to return, "Let him go up."

The only difference in the two passages is in the additional part of the decree recorded in Ezra 1:4 where Cyrus commands the local people living near those desiring to return to offer them silver, gold, equipment and riding beasts, as well as voluntary offerings for the Temple of God which is in Jerusalem. The decree was not limited to the Jews but included all the different peoples the Babylonians and Assyrians had displaced from their homelands. The Persian kings were for the most part very generous to the peoples they conquered, restoring and supporting their temples and supporting freedom of various religions while maintaining control over their territories.

It is significant that Cyrus calls Israel's God "Yahweh, God of Heaven." Persian documents also refer to Yahweh as "the God of Heaven" which suggests the Jews enjoyed the advantage of the Persian king having a special reverence for their God. 

Chapter 2: The List of the Returning Exiles

Ezra 2:1-70 ~ List of the First Exiles to Return

Ezra 2:1-3:1 interrupts the narrative with a list of the first wave of exiles returning to Judah. See a similar list in Nehemiah Chapter 7. The chapter ends with a narrative that provides a lead to Chapter 3 in 2:70-3:1. Notice that Ezra's name is not on the list. He did not return with the first group and will not enter the narrative until Chapter 7.

2 They were the ones who arrived with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum and Baanah.
The registry begins with the names of twelve leaders/elders leading the exiles on their homeward journey. Some translations only name eleven leaders (NAB), leaving out Nahamani, but the same list in Nehemiah 7:7 lists twelve men leading the returning exiles.

Of the twelve prominent men, Zerubbabel, a Davidic descendant and grandson of King Jehoiachin/Jeconiah (1 Chron 3:17) and nephew of Sheshbazzar will become the governor of the Persian Province of Judah during the reign of Persian King Darius I. The prophets Haggai and Zechariah credit him with the work of finishing the rebuilding of the Temple. It was a common practice for the Babylonians to give captives who they educated to serve in the government Babylonian names. Both Sheshbazzar and Zerubbabel have Babylonian names like Daniel had the Babylonian name Belteshazzar. Zerubbabel means "shoot of Babylon."

Jeshua (Yeshua in Hebrew or Joshua/Jesus in English), named in verses 2 and 6, was the grandson of Seraiah, the last High Priest of the Jerusalem Temple (2 Kng 25:18-21, 1 Chron 5:41; Jer 52:24-27). His connection to the pre-exilic priesthood authorizes him to reestablish the rituals of worship in the rebuilt Temple. The prophets Haggai and Zechariah call him the "high priest" (Hag 1:1, 12-14; Zech 3:1-8).

Nehemiah is not the Nehemiah in the Book of Nehemiah, and Mordecai is not the same person as Queen Esther's cousin in the Book of Esther. Bigvai is the governor of the Province of Judah in 410-407 BC and the leader of a prominent family (Neh 7:19). Nehemiah 10:17 records his connection to the reinstatement of the Sinai Covenant (Neh 10:17). The list of twelve tribal leaders recalls the list of twelve Israelite leaders in the first part of the exodus out of Egypt in Numbers 1:5-15 and a second group of twelve chosen to reconnoiter Canaan in Numbers 13:3-16.

The registry names twelve different groups of people:

  1. The twelve tribal elders/leaders
  2. Descendants (sons) of the returning clans of Judah and Benjamin
  3. Descendants of men from several towns in Judah and Benjamin
  4. Descendants of the chief priests
  5. Descendants of the Levitical lesser ministers
  6. Descendants of Asaph
  7. Descendants of the Temple gatekeepers
  8. Those who claimed to be citizens of Judah but whose names were not in the official registry
  9. Those who claimed to be chief priests but whose genealogy was not confirmed
  10. Descendants of Temple slaves
  11. Descendants of Solomon's slaves
  12. Descendants of the Temple choir

Woman and children were in the group of the returning exiles, but the registry only mentions women as being present among the groups of singers and slaves.

In ancient societies and some primitive societies today, the social structure consisted of extended family units usually referred to as "clans." Each unit consisted of a patriarch (an adult male authority figure who served as the family leader or head) along with his wife, sons and their wives, grandchildren (and often great-grandchildren), and other dependents.

Verse 21 mentions the "sons of Bethlehem" instead of the "men of Bethlehem." Bethlehem was the town in Judah where Boaz and Ruth lived, the town of Jesse and his sons, including his youngest son King David, and where Jesus will be born. However, "Bethlehem" is also a man whose genealogy is in 1 Chronicles 2:51, 54; 4:4.

41 The singers: sons of Asaph ... 42 The sons of the gatekeepers
These men are the descendants of Levitical families who had specific duties in the Temple. Asaph was a gifted poet and musician. Scripture attributes Psalm 50 and 73-83 to him. His descendants, the Asaphites, are a group of musicians who organized the music for the liturgical assembly in Temple worship (also see 1 Chron 6:24; 16:5-7, 37; 25:2, 9; 2 Chron 5:12).

Verses 59-62 list undocumented men and undocumented chief priests. "His Excellency," Sheshbazzar, the Tirshatha or royal governor, therefore, made the decision to forbid those laymen and their families who could not prove their lineage to eat the sacred communion meal of the Toda (Hebrew word meaning "thanksgiving") reestablishing "peace" with God that was limited to members of the covenant (Lev 7:7, 11-15/7:1-5; 22:21-30; Num 15:7-10). He also forbade undocumented chief priests from eating the terumah, sacred gifts belonging to only the priests (see Lev 7:7-10/6:37-40; 7:28-34/7:29-24 and Mishnah Ketubot, 24b).

Question: Limiting the sacred "thanksgiving" meal of the Toda to covenant members is similar to what practice in the rituals of worship in the Catholic Church?
Answer: The sacred meal of the Eucharist (from a Greek word meaning "thanksgiving) is also limited to those baptized as a member of the New Covenant in Christ and in communion with Christ's Vicar, the Pope.

Question: What were the Urim and Thummim mentioned in verse 63? See Ex 28:30; Lev 8:8; Num 27:31; Dt 33:8; 1 Sam 28:6; Neh 7:65.
Answer: They were sacred lots worn on the breastplate of the high priest that ere cast to obtain guidance from God when the people were facing problems.

Question: What was the primary mission of the first group of returning exiles lead by prince Sheshbazzar of Judah?
Answer: To rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem.


Agape Bible Study 
Haggai 1 - 2 

The prophet Haggai was one of the three post-exile prophets. Along with the prophets Zechariah and Malachi, he returned to Judah after the Edict of King Cyrus in 539 BC allowed the Jews exiled to Babylon to return to their homeland. His mission directly impacted events recorded in the Book of Ezra (Ezra 5:1). Haggai's prophetic ministry is precisely dated according to the lunar calendar to the year 520 BC in the second year of the reign of Darius I of Persia (ruled 521-486 BC), a decade after the death of King Cyrus I of Persia (Hag 1:1, 15; 2:1, 10, 20). 

Darius I, the Great, ruled the Persian Empire from 522-486 BC. He was a successful and accomplished military commander, a gifted administrator who continued Cyrus' generous policies toward non-Persian peoples, and a builder of monuments. The most famous monument from his reign is the Behistun Inscription that Darius had carved on a cliff face in what is today western Iran. Written in three languages: Old Persian, Elamite, and Akkadian, the inscription described Darius' rise to power and provided the key for deciphering the ancient Akkadian language of Mesopotamia, a western Semitic language spoken in both Assyria and Babylon before Aramaic became the language of the region.

When the returned exiles from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin first arrived in Judah, they immediately rebuilt Yahweh's altar of sacrifice on the foundations of the original altar of the First Temple and reestablished the rituals of worship in the morning and evening (afternoon) Tamid sacrifice and the other rituals of worship (Ex 29:38-42; Ezra 3:1-6). After the Samaritans (Gentiles who occupied what had been the Northern Kingdom of Israel and who adopted the worship of Yahweh) interfered with the rebuilding, work on the Temple stopped for about seventeen years from 537-520 BC (Ezra 4:1-5). God intervened by sending His prophet Haggai to speak to Zerubbabel, the Davidic prince and governor appointed by the Persians, to the High Priest, Joshua (Jeshua in Ezra 1), and the people. Haggai's first oracle dates to August of 520 BC.

Part of the Book of Haggai is in prose and part is poetic. The book always refers to the prophet in the third person which some commentators believe suggests the work was not composed by Haggai but is a collection of the oracles of his mission written by his disciples. 

The Book of Haggai contains four precisely dated oracles with short accounts of how the leaders of the Jews and the people reacted to them:

  • Oracle # 1 in August 520 BC: The summons to rebuild the Temple (1:1-15):
    1. The prophet's call and his message (1:1-11)
    2. The authorities and the peoples' positive response (1:12-15)
  • Oracle # 2 in October 520 BC: The future glory of the Temple (2:1-9)
  • Oracle # 3 in December 520 BC: A warning concerning ritual and spiritual purity: worthy ritual offerings guarantee blessings of prosperity (2:10-19)
    1. The warning that only spiritually pure people can make holy offerings (2:10-14)
    2. The promise of agricultural prosperity (2:15-19)
  • Oracle # 4 in December 520 BC: Messianic oracles for Davidic prince Zerubbabel (2:20-23)

The themes of the Book of Haggai are the rebuilding of the Jerusalem Temple as Yahweh's dwelling place among His covenant people, and the hope of a Messianic David. The first oracle takes place on the first day of Elul, the sixth month in the Liturgical Calendar (see the handout). Haggai 2:3 may be interpreted to mean that Haggai was born in Judah before the destruction of the Temple in 587 and then exiled as a child in 586 BC. If Haggai saw Solomon's Temple, it would suggest that he was at least seventy-five years old when he prophesied in 520 BC. Ezra 3:12-13 reveals that among the exiles were those who had witnessed the glory of Solomon's Temple. However, it is also possible that he was born in Babylon during the captivity.


Oracle #1: Haggai 1-15 ~ The Summons to Rebuild the Temple
Haggai 1:1-11 ~ The Prophet's Call and His Message
Haggai 1:1 refers to the Jewish High Priest as "Joshua" and his father as "Jehozadak;" however, in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah the are called "Jeshua" and "Jozadak" (Ezra 2:2; 3:2, 8, 9; 4:3; 5:2; 10:18; Neh 7:7; 12:1, 7, 10, 26). Jeshua/Yeshua and Joshua are the same Hebrew name, and the name the Angel Gabriel told Mary to name baby Jesus (Lk 1:31). Joshua/Jeshua son of Jehozadak is a descendant of the first high priest, Aaron the brother of Moses (1 Chron 5:29/3-41/15).

Haggai 1:1 ~ In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of Yahweh was addressed through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel governor of Judah and to Joshua son of Jehozadak the high priest
The King Darius referred to in verse 1 is Darius Hystaspes, also called Darius I or Darius the Great, who ruled Persia from 522-486 BC. It is a decade after the death of Persian King Cyrus, the friend and protector of the Jews. God addresses His words through His prophet to Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the leaders of the community.

The dates in Ezra and Haggai follow the Liturgical lunar calendar of the Jews. The first date is August 29, 520 BC in our calendar but the first day of the sixth month of Elul and the monthly Feast of the New Moon in the Jewish liturgical calendar. The monthly observance of the Feast of the New Moon involved compulsory sacrifices and cessation from all work (Num 28:11-15).

Question: Haggai's first oracle is addressed to the Jewish leaders Zerubbabel and Joshua, called Jeshua son of Jozadak in the Book of Ezra (i.e., Ezra 2:2, 8, 9; 3:1, 8; 4:1; 5:2; etc.). Who was Zerubbabel? See 1 Chron 3:17; 2 Kng 24:8-12, 17; Ezra 2:1-2; 3:2; Hag 1:1, 14; 2:2, 21; Mt 1:12 and Lk 3:27.
Answer: Zerubbabel was one of the twelve prominent men of Judah and Benjamin who led the faithful remnant of the Kingdom of Judah back to their homeland. He was a Davidic descendant and the grandson of King Jehoiachin/Jeconiah who was taken captive by the Babylonians and where Zerubbabel was born. He was the governor of the Persian Province of Judah during the reign of Persian King Darius I, and his name appears in the genealogies of Jesus in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.


Haggai's first oracle is in two parts:

  1. Haggai's message to Zerubbabel, Jeshua/Joshua, and the people (Hag 1:2-11).
  2. The positive response of his Jewish audience (Hag 1:12-15).

In his first oracle, Haggai presents three images:

  1. "the time" (verses 2 and 3)
  2. "the house" (verses 2 and 3)
  3. the invitation "to think" (verses 5 and 7).

Three times God tells the people to "think carefully" about their behavior (Hag 1:5, 7, and repeated in 2:15 and 18 (twice).
Question: What problems were the returned exiles having in addition to the trouble caused by their neighbors the Samaritans. What does Haggai tell them is the cause of their problems?
Answer: In addition to not trusting God to deal with the Samaritans, they were selfishly putting their needs before their obligation to rebuild the Temple. They have worked hard for themselves, but their efforts produced a disappointing harvest because of the drought Yahweh caused by holding back the rain. They never have enough to eat or drink. Haggai tells the Jews that their lack of success is because of their behavior. They have put all their efforts into their houses but have neglected their obligation to Yahweh in rebuilding His house, the Jerusalem Temple.

The reference to paneled houses in verse 4 suggests that they were taking special care to line the inner walls of their homes with wood; it was an extravagant measure while Yahweh's "house" was in ruins with no walls.

When Yahweh took the children of Israelites as His covenant people, He had Moses draw up a covenant treaty with the Israelites at Mt. Sinai that identified His obligations to them as their Great King and their obligations to Him as a vassal people. In a Covenant Treaty, both the dominant king and his vassal swear an oath in treaty form, thereby creating a covenant bond between the two parties. A covenant treaty is ratified in three ways:

  1. The vassal swears an oath of loyalty and alliance.
  2. There is the offering of a sacrifice.
  3. Finally, by eating the cooked meat of the sacrifice in a sacred meal.

For example, at the covenant ratification at Mt. Sinai, Moses read the treaty (Ex 24:4a):

  1. The people offered a sacrifice, and Moses sprinkled the blood on the people and on the altar that represented Yahweh the Great King (Ex 24:4b-6).
  2. Then, the people swore an oath to obey Yahweh's commands and prohibitions (Ex 24:8).
  3. Finally, they ate a sacred meal binding the covenant between the two parties, Yahweh the Great King and Israel the vassal people (Ex 24:9-11).

Biblical covenants with Yahweh, however, were unique in that they were not just a treaty between a Great King and His vassal(s), but they also created a family bond through the blood sacrifice with the Divine King and the subject of the Covenant Treaty becoming "one blood." 

The standard Biblical covenant had five parts:

  1. Preamble: Identifying the Lordship of the Great King and stressing his greatness, dominance, and immanence.
  2. Historical Prologue: Recounting the Great King's previous relationship to his vassal with emphasis on the benefits of that relationship.
  3. Ethical Stipulations: Enumerating the vassal's obligations to the Great King (the guide to maintaining the covenant relationship).
  4. Sanctions: A list of the blessings for obedience and the curses/judgments that will fall on the vassals if they break the covenant.
  5. Succession: Arrangements and provisions for the continuity of the covenant relationship over future generations.

Pagan covenant treaties had a sixth part calling on the pagan gods of both nations to witness the treaty. Covenant treaties are not contracts. Contracts concern material possessions while covenants are concerned with the non-material like loyalty, service, and obedience.

Haggai's message reminds the people of Judah that the conditions of the Sinai Covenant Treaty are still in place. Their lack of prosperity indicates that the sanctions concerning blessings and judgments in Israel's Covenant Treaty with Yahweh in Leviticus 26:3-13 (blessings), 26:14-46 (judgments) and Deuteronomy 28:1-14 (blessings), 28:15-69/29:1 (judgments). See the documents Covenant Treaty in Scripture and Covenant Treaty Format in Sacred Scripture.

Haggai 1:12-15 ~ The Jewish Leaders' and the Peoples' Positive Response


God "roused the spirit" of Zerubbabel, the Davidic prince (grandson of King Jehoiachin and nephew of Sheshbazzar, prince of Judah who led the first group of returning exiles) and governor of the Persian Province of Judah (Ezra 1:8; 3:2; Hag 2:2; Zech 4:6-10; Mt 1:12). He also "roused the spirit" of Joshua (called Jeshua in the Book of Ezra) the High Priest (Ezra 3:2), and the people so they would respond positively to His commands to rebuild the Temple through His prophet. In the Book of Ezra, God also "roused the spirit" of King Cyrus to issue the Edict allowing the Jews to return to their homeland, and He "roused the spirits" of certain exiles to respond to the invitation to return (Ezra 1:1, 5). The people of Judah decided they were, rightly, more afraid of offending God than they were afraid of the threats of their neighbors concerning rebuilding the Jerusalem Temple.

Question: God encouraged the people's resolve to continue the rebuilding project by making them what promise?
Answer: In verse 13, God told Haggai to tell the people: "I am with you!"

God gives us the same message when we respond obediently to His commands and prohibitions. He is "with us" when we strive to live righteous lives free from sin by observing the New Covenant law of love of God and neighbor, keeping the Sabbath and Holy Days of obligation, living the Sacraments Christ gave us to sustain us on our journey to salvation and adhering to the teachings of the Church. In obediently rebuilding the Jerusalem Temple, the Jews who returned from the exile were rebuilding their relationship with Yahweh, and in living in obedience to our New Covenant obligations, we are "building up" and strengthening our relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ.


Oracle #2: Haggai 2:1-9 ~ The Future Glory of the Temple

This oracle dates to October 520. Yahweh knows the people will be sorrowful as they work on rebuilding the Temple because it will not possess the magnificence of Solomon's Temple.
Question: In verse 1, what is significant about the 21st day of the seventh month of Tishri in the liturgical calendar? See the chart of the Liturgical calendar in the handout and Lev 23:33-36; Num 29:12, 32-35, Dt 16:13-16.
Answer: It is the last day of the seven-day feast of Shelters (also called Tabernacles or Booths) held from the 15th to the 21st and which every man of the covenant was required to attend. The 21st was the day before the sacred assembly on the eighth day.

It was the third God-ordained annual pilgrim feast held in the early fall at the time of the harvest when the covenant people gathered the fruits of their labors (see Ex 23:14-15; 34:20; Dt 16:16; 2 Chron 8:13). Scripture mentions this feast during the reigns of King Solomon (2 Chron 8:13), Hezekiah (2 Chron 31:3), and after the exile (Ezra 3:4; Hag 2:1; Zech 14:16-19). Jesus attended the Feast of Shelters where He announced His Messianic mission to fill God's people with His Spirit on the last day of the feast (Jn 7:2-3, 14, 37-41). The Feast of Shelters remembered the deliverance from bondage in Egypt and the dedication of the desert Sanctuary as God told the people at Sinai when He said, "You will keep this feast in the seventh month. For seven days you will live in shelters: all the citizens of Israel will live in shelters, so that your descendants may know that I made the Israelites live in shelters when I brought them out of Egypt, I, Yahweh your God." (Lev 23:42-43).

Question: God calls for Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the people to have courage (repeated three times), and He encourages them to begin work on the Temple in what three ways?
Answer:

  1. He assures them that His presence is with them.
  2. He tells them not to be afraid.
  3. He promises that although the rebuilt Temple will lack the grandeur of Solomon's Temple, the glory of the Second Temple will be greater because He will shake the heavens, overturn the nations, and bring the treasures of the world to it.


Oracle # 3: Haggai 2:10-14 ~ Haggai's Warning Concerning the Necessity of the Ritual Purity of the People

11 "Yahweh Sabaoth says this, Ask the priests to give a ruling on this:
In addition to service at Yahweh's altar of sacrifice and the Sanctuary during the daily liturgy of worship, the responsibilities of the priests included interpreting teaching the people the commands and prohibitions of the Law.

In part 1 of the third oracle, through His prophet, Yahweh urges the priests to be observant concerning the purity laws that are necessary for right worship. The observance of ritual purity was a reflection what was understood to be the "clean" spiritual condition of the covenant people in the rituals of sacrifice and worship in obedience to Yahweh's repeated commands that a holy God deserves a people consecrated to Him in holiness ( Lev 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7, 26; Num 15:40; Dt 7:6; 14:2, 21b; 26:19; 28:9). If anyone allows holy food from the Temple sacrifice to come in contact with what is profane, the food is no longer holy but is defiled by that which is ritually "unclean." A holy object could not pass along its holiness, and ceremonial uncleanliness was easily transmitted (Num 19:11-13, 22).

Question: What is the second example Haggai uses to make his point concerning ritual purity in the offering of holy sacrifices? See Num 19:11-22.
Answer: Haggai uses the law concerning contamination by touching a corpse as an example of becoming ritually unclean that requires ritual purification before approaching Yahweh in worship and sacrifice.


Haggai 2:15-19 ~ Promise of Agricultural Prosperity

Again, we hear to command to "think carefully" repeated in verse 15 and twice in verse 18 that was a command in the first Oracle in 1:5 and 7.

18 So think carefully, today and henceforth (from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day the foundation of the sanctuary of Yahweh was laid, think carefully) 19 if seed-corn is still short in the barn, and if vine and fig tree, pomegranate and olive tree still bear no fruit. From today onwards I intend to bless you.
August and September were the months for harvesting grapes, figs, and pomegranates which the harvest of olives was from September to November. These harvests, like the grain harvest earlier in the spring, had produced poor yields because the people had not been obedient in continuing work on the Temple. However, now that they have resumed work on the rebuilding project, Yahweh gives His people a promise of blessings on the land and its agricultural yield following the completion of the Temple.


Question: Is the same examination of conscience required of us in the New Covenant relationship with God, and when should we "think" on the condition of our souls? What did St. Paul write concerning this matter that went beyond the physical state of purity? See 1 Cor 11:26-29.
Answer: Yes. St. Paul wrote that every Christian must examine himself spiritually to determine if he is in a state of grace and only then can he/she consume the sacred meal of communion if believing in the presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

Oracle # 4: Haggai 2:20-23 ~ A Messianic Oracle for Davidic Prince Zerubbabel

Like Oracle # 3, the 4th Oracle is in December 520 BC, and Haggai addresses it specifically to Zerubbabel.
Question: Who is Zerubbabel and what is his connection to King David and Jesus Christ? See Matthew's genealogy of Jesus in Mt 1:12-16 that Biblical scholars believe is Jesus' legal descend through Joseph and Luke's genealogy in Lk 3:27-32, understood to be the bloodline link to Mary.
Answer: Zerubbabel was a descendant of King David. The two genealogies split between David's son Solomon and Nathan but come together again in Zerubbabel.

Haggai predicts that Yahweh will set Zerubbabel as the center of a Messianic dynasty that will continue through him as a descendant of the great King David. This prophecy would have assured the people that Yahweh had not forgotten the Davidic covenant of an eternal Davidic kingdom and the promise of a spiritual restoration through a Davidic "shepherd" just as Ezekiel, the 6th century BC prophet of the exile, promised the people as Yahweh's divine messenger:


In the Gospel of John, Jesus, son of Zerubbabel, son of David, will tell the Jewish crowds:

"I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep... I am the good shepherd; I know my own, and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for my sheep (Jn 10:11, 14-15).

The physical Temple of God in Jerusalem was only a "sign" of what was to come. Jesus is Himself the new and greater Temple (Mt 12:6) whose destiny was to be destroyed in death and rebuilt in His Resurrection on the third day (Jn 2:19-21). In the New Covenant in Christ Jesus, every Baptized Christian becomes a temple of God's presence (1 Cor 6:19). St. Peter called Christians the "living stones" built into a spiritual temple that gives pleasing worship to God (1 Pt 2:5; CCC 583-86, 593, 756, 797-98). And at the same time, Christians are incorporated into the Body of Christ as "living stones" to become the Kingdom of His Church, united into a holy spiritual temple in which the Spirit of God dwells (1 Cor 3:16; 2 Cor 6:16); Eph 2:19-22). At the end of time as we know it, when the Christ returns in glory, He will destroy death and create a new Heaven and earth, and He will bring down the heavenly temple of the New Jerusalem as the dwelling place of God among the angels and saints (Rev 21:1-4).


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