Haggai: Put God First

The book of Haggai delivers a timely message about prioritizing God in the midst of life's rebuilding seasons. Through four precisely dated messages, this short prophetic book challenges us to realign our focus when we've let spiritual priorities slip.

• Haggai spoke to Jewish exiles who had returned to Jerusalem around 520 BC to find their city and temple in ruins
• The people had grown discouraged and stopped temple reconstruction, focusing instead on their own homes for 16 years
• God's repeated invitation to "give careful thought to your ways" connects their ongoing struggles with misplaced priorities
• When the people responded with obedience, God immediately assured them of His presence: "I am with you"
• God acknowledges their discouragement about the new temple's appearance, but promises greater glory through it
• The book's final message points to Zerubbabel's place in God's redemptive plan, ultimately connecting to Jesus
• Four key themes emerge: priorities, obedience, God's presence, and hope
• Haggai shows God doesn't approach our misaligned priorities with shame, but with an invitation to renewed purpose

Remember that even small steps of obedience can lead to significant spiritual renewal in your life. God's presence and promise—"I am with you"—remains true for us today.

RELATED EPISODES:

• Context Matters: Undestanding Post Exile  Prophets
• Ezra: Return, Rebuilding, and Renewal Through Faith

SOURCES:

• Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., ... & Bomar, D. (2016). Faithlife Study Bible. Lexham Press. (Original work published 2012)
• Evangelical Training Association. (n.d.). Old Testament survey (Pt. 2).
• MacArthur, J. (Ed.). (n.d.). The MacArthur Study Bible (NIV ed.). Thomas Nelson.
• Spurgeon, C. H. (2017). The Spurgeon study Bible: Notes. Holman Bible Publishers.
• Thomas Nelson Publishers. (1998). The Open Bible: New King James Version (Electronic ed.).
• Wolf, H. M. (1996). Haggai, theology of. In W. A. Elwell (Ed.), Evangelical dictionary of biblical theology (electronic ed., p. 323). Baker Book House.

Have questions about what it means to follow Jesus?
Whether you’re just starting your faith journey or exploring what the Bible teaches, we’d love to walk with you. God’s invitation is real, personal, and full of grace.

💬 Reach out to Jacqui at info@bible-basics.org
📖 Talk to a trusted Christian in your life
🏠 Or visit a Bible-believing church near you

You are not alone. God’s Word is alive, and He is still drawing people to Himself today. Don’t hesitate to take the next step.

Thank you for tuning in!
Bible Basics is now streaming on Youtube. Please subscribe now!

Feel free to contact us at info@bible-basics.org. We would love to hear from you!

Note: All scripture references are from the NIV translation unless otherwise indicated.

Chapters

• 0:00 Rebuilding Lives After Exile
• 4:57 Who Was Haggai?
• 6:11 Structure of Haggai's Four Messages
• 10:24 Connecting Haggai to Jesus
• 16:14 Four Key Themes in Haggai
• 20:43 Closing Thoughts and Next Week

Transcript

Jacqui: 0:12

Greetings listeners. Have you ever caught yourself saying I just need to get my life together first, then I'll focus on God? Or maybe you felt stretched thin, juggling work, family bills, your future, but still sensing something's off, like no matter how hard you work, there's still a hole you can't fill. Maybe you're doing the best you can, but several challenges hit and now you're overwhelmed and feeling lost. That's exactly where the people of Jerusalem were when the prophet Haggai spoke up. They were rebuilding their lives after exile, busy planting crops, fixing homes, setting things right, but in all their they'd forgotten the most important thing. In just two chapters, God uses Haggai to say let's talk about your priorities, let's get things back in order. And that message, it, still hits home today. Well, welcome everyone.

Jacqui: 1:22

I'm your host, jackie Adewole, and this is the Bible Basics Podcast, where weekly, we break down the basics of the Bible into understandable, bite-sized chunks. Today we're looking at the Old Testament book of Haggai. It's short, direct and deeply relevant A message from God to a group of people trying to rebuild their lives, but forgetting to put him first. Let's picture the scene for a moment. It's around 520 BC. The Jewish people have just returned home after decades in exile, taken from their land and forced to live in Babylon. Now they're back in Jerusalem, but the city is a wreck. The temple, the center of their worship and identity, is nothing but rubble. Imagine what that would feel like stepping into a city your grandparents talked about with longing only to find in ruins. They're trying to rebuild their lives from the ground up, and two key leaders are helping guide the way. There's Zerubbabel he's the governor, a descendant of King David, and Joshua, the high priest, the spiritual leader responsible for worship and sacrifice.

Jacqui: 2:59

But things got hard. Opposition came, progress slowed, people got discouraged. Eventually, the work just stopped for 16 years. During that time, people turned their focus to their own homes, their land, their income, just trying to get life working again. And somewhere in the middle of it all, god faded into the background. Into this moment, into this half-built city, entire community steps Haggai, a prophet, with a clear, firm and loving message it's time to put God first again.

Jacqui: 3:54

So who was this prophet, Haggai? Honestly, we don't know a lot about him personally no dramatic backstory, no list of credentials, no flashy lineage, but maybe that's part of what makes him relatable. What we do know is this Haggai was one of the very first voices to speak after the exile. He didn't speak to kings, he didn't deliver visions to distant nations. He spoke to everyday people and their local leaders, people trying to rebuild normal life, trying to move forward. Haggai's message wasn't complicated, but it was clear. The book of Ezra, chapter 5, verse 1, tells us that Haggai worked alongside another prophet, Zechariah, encouraging the people to finish rebuilding the temple. But unlike some prophets, like Ezekiel, who laid on one side for a year to make a point, Haggai's approach was simple Four short messages and at the center of them all, rebuild my house. So let's talk more about that book.

Jacqui: 5:12

The book of Haggai is tucked near the very end of the Old Testament, just two short chapters long. It's part of a group called the Minor Prophets. Minor doesn't mean less important, it just means shorter. And even though it's short, haggai packs in a lot. It's structured around four messages from God, each one given within just a few months and each one dated with surprising precision. Haggai actually tells us the exact day each message was delivered. That's pretty rare in the Bible, and it shows us how urgent and personal these words were. So let's walk through each one of these four messages and see what they have to say to us today these four messages and see what they have to say to us today.

Jacqui: 6:11

Haggai's first message, found in chapter 1, verses 1 through 15, is a wake-up call. The people have been working hard, building houses, planting crops, trying to restore normal life. But God says you're missing something. The temple, the center of worship, was still in ruins. And here's the phrase God repeats more than once in this book Quote give careful thought to your ways, chapter 1, verses 5 and 7. In other words, stop, take a look at your life. What are you prioritizing? God gently connects their ongoing struggles bad harvests, frustration, lack of satisfaction. He links them to their spiritual neglect. That's chapter 1, verses 6 and 9 through 11. But he doesn't just confront them, he invites them back. He says in chapter 1, verse 8, quote go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house unquote. And what happens next is remarkable. The people listen, zerubbabel and Joshua lead the way and the people respond with action. That's Haggai, chapter 1, verse 12. And then God responds too. He declares in chapter 1, verse 13, quote I am with you.

Jacqui: 7:45

About a month after that first message, haggai speaks again in chapter 2, verses 1 through 9. This time it's not a call to action, it's a word for the discouraged. Some of the older people in the crowd remembered Solomon's temple. They'd seen it with their own eyes the gold, the craftsmanship, the size, the splendor. And what were they building now? It looked small, plain, incomplete. Their discouragement was real and God didn't ignore it Through Haggai.

Jacqui: 8:24

God says in chapter 2, verse 3, quote who of you is left that saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? Unquote. So God is acknowledging their disappointment. But then he gives them strength and a promise in chapter 2, verses 4 through 5. Quote but now be strong, Zerubbabel, be strong. Joshua, son of Josedek, the high priest, be strong, all of you, people of the land, declares the Lord and work, for I am with you, declares the Lord Almighty. But then God goes even further. He says in chapter 2, verse 9,. God goes even further. He says in chapter 2, verse 9, quote the glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house, says the Lord Almighty. And in this place I will grant peace. Unquote. What a promise. Even though this new temple looked unimpressive from the outside, god said it would hold even greater glory than Solomon's temple. God invites us to that same hopeful living, not to be bound by our past or present circumstances or present circumstances.

Jacqui: 10:17

Two months after his last message, haggai brings another, but this one sounds more like a classroom lesson. This message is found in chapter 2, verses 10 through 19. He asked the priest a question about ceremonial law in chapter 2, verse 12. Quote the priest say no. Then Haggai flips the question in chapter 2, verse 13. If someone, defiled by touching a dead body, touches one of these things, do they become defiled? Yes, the priests answer. Then God says in chapter 2, verse 14, so it is with these people. Whatever they do and whatever they offer, there is defiled. Unquote.

Jacqui: 11:15

So even though the people had been bringing their offerings while neglecting to rebuild the temple, their offerings had not been acceptable. Their sin had caused their sacrifices to be contaminated and ineffectual, and their good works, their offerings, could not transmit cleanness. In other words, sin is contagious, holiness is not. Their sacrifices weren't enough, not because they weren't trying, but because God wanted their hearts, not just religious activity. And yet God ends the message with grace In chapter 2, verse 19,. He tells them From this day on. I will bless you, not because they earned it, but because they repented and turned back to him with obedience. On the very same day as the third message, the 24th day of the ninth month, god gives Haggai one last word.

Jacqui: 12:33

This fourth message is found in chapter 2, verses 20 to 23. This message was personal. It was directed towards Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, and it's filled with hope. Here's what God says, quote tell Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, that I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. On that day, declares the Lord Almighty, I will take you my servant, Zerubbabel, son of Shaltiel. l, declares the Lord, and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the Lord Almighty. Let's consider what this means. The signet ring was a symbol of royal authority. To say Zerubbabel would be like God's signet ring meant that God had chosen him for something significant. You may remember back in the book of Genesis, chapter 41, when Pharaoh gave Joseph his signet ring and made him second in command in the kingdom of Egypt. The kingdom of Egypt. Now, at this point in history, zerubbabel didn't become king, but his story wasn't over.

Jacqui: 13:55

In Matthew, chapter 1, verse 12, and Luke, chapter 3, verse 27,. We see that Zerubbabel shows up in the family line of Jesus the Messiah. So this final message points beyond Zerubbabel to Jesus. It's a reminder that God was still writing his story. Even in a broken down city, among a weary people, god had not forgotten his promises. So let's look a little deeper at how this book connects to Jesus and us today.

Jacqui: 14:36

That promise in the second message, the one about a temple filled with glory, it doesn't end with Haggai. It points forward to Jesus. In John, chapter 2, verses 19 through 21,. Jesus says something surprising to the religious leaders. Quote destroy this temple and I will raise it up again in three days. They were confused, thinking he meant the physical building. But then the text says but the temple he had spoken of was his body. Jesus was saying I am the true temple. So the promise in Haggai, chapter 2, verse 9, quote. So the promise in Haggai, chapter 2, verse 9, quote the glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house and in this place I will grant peace unquote was ultimately fulfilled when Christ himself entered that second temple. Second temple when Jesus was brought to the temple as a child, the agent Simeon identified him as a light to the Gentiles and glory for Israel. That's in Luke, chapter 2, verse 32. And remember that final message to Zerubbabel. It wasn't just personal, it was prophetic. That signet ring moment pointed beyond the rubble to the royal line that will one day bring forth the Messiah.

Jacqui: 16:12

Now let's look at key themes in the book of Haggai. What makes this little two-chapter book so powerful, especially if you're new to reading the Bible? Here are four impactful themes in Haggai. First, there's priorities. At the heart of Haggai is this question what comes first in your life? The people were busy rebuilding their homes, working on the land, trying to survive, but they'd stopped building the temple.

Jacqui: 16:47

In chapter 1, verse 4, god asks Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses while this house remains a ruin? He's not shaming them. He's realigning their focus. He's not shaming them, he's realigning their focus. Even in the face of opposition or pressure, believers are called to give priority to what honors God. It's about putting him first and trusting him to provide what's needed for his purposes. In Matthew, chapter 6, verse 33,. In Matthew 6, verse 33, jesus later echoed this same principle Quote Is there anything in your life today that's crowding out God's place at the center.

Jacqui: 17:42

The second theme is obedience and response. One of the most beautiful moments in this book is when the people actually listen. In chapter 1, verse 12, it says, quote when Zerubbabel and Joshua and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord, their God. And the people feared the Lord. They didn't delay, they didn't resist, they responded.

Jacqui: 18:11

Spiritual growth often starts with a simple act of obedience. Where might God be asking you to take a faithful step of obedience today? The third theme is God's presence Over and over. In Haggai, god reassures them with this promise, quote I am with you. In moments of fear, fatigue or discouragement, this is what they needed most. Whether you're rebuilding after a setback or just trying to put God back at the center of your life, haggai reminds us God is near, not distant. His spirit is still among us. And then the fourth theme is hope.

Jacqui: 19:07

Threaded through all four messages in Haggai is a quiet but powerful theme hope, hope for renewed purpose, hope that small beginnings still matter, hope that God is not finished writing the story. In chapter 2, verse 9, god says, quote the glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house and in this place I will grant peace. Even when the people felt like their efforts were insignificant, god pointed them to a greater future, one that ultimately leads to Jesus, the true fulfillment of the temple and peace. And in that final message, God tells Zerubbabel quote I, I have chosen you, unquote. God hadn't forgotten his promises and he hasn't forgotten you. What are you hoping for right now, and how does God's faithfulness in Haggai give you courage to keep going? So there you have it, the book of Haggai Just two chapters long, but it's full of truth we still need today.

Jacqui: 20:27

It reminds us that when our priorities slip out of place, God doesn't come at us with shame. He calls us back with purpose. When we put him first, even small steps of obedience can lead to deep spiritual renewal. And maybe most of all, he says I am with you. And that promise still holds. Next week we'll be turning the page to another post-exilic prophet, zechariah, who brings a very different energy. Where Haggai is short and direct, zechariah is filled with wild visions, symbolic acts and layered prophecy, but at its core, it's still about hope, restoration and the God who keeps his promises. Until then, keep reading, keep seeking and keep growing in your faith. You.