Background And Introduction
Neal Pollard
The last three Minor Prophets write in a different time period than their predecessors. The first nine wrote before captivity and exile, admonishing and warning either the Northern Kingdom about Assyria or the Southern Kingdom about Babylon. Haggai writes during a time of international turmoil and change, with the Persians still working to establish their grip on their newly conquered world empire. Darius Hystapses (522-486) treated the Jews favorably (Ezra 6:14-22).
We know nothing of Haggai’s personal life, whether he was from Judah or Babylon or if he was born before or during Babylonian Activity. It is his work that God highlights. We have the precise dates of his writing (1:1; 2:1; 2:10,20). Besides the Bible, we can verify the dates by Darius’ reign as they are detailed in several archaeological discoveries–an inscription Darius had made in three languages and found on Mt. Behistun, texts and documents from Persepolis, a cuneiform tablet, a letter from Darius to Gadates, and an inscription in the foundations of the Apadana Palace. Scholars have computed Haggai’s first message as August 29, 520). We have the theme, focusing on rebuilding the temple. For 70 years, Judah had been in captivity in Babylon. Haggai is the earliest of the three “post-exilic” prophets, preceding Zechariah by a couple of months (see 1:1 and Zech. 1:1). Malachi would do his work in the following century.
Cyrus was God’s instrument to release the Jews from captivity, and he sends a remnant back to Judah (2 Chron. 36:22ff; Ezra 1:1ff; 6:13ff). At first, under Zerubbabel’s leadership (536 B.C.), Judah was zealous to rebuild the temple, but the Samaritans frustrated their work and they ultimately stop rebuilding (534 B.C., Ezra 4). Ezra 6:14 tells us that Haggai and Zechariah urge the people to get back to work on the temple, and they overcome well over a decade of complacency (520 B.C.). It was “moving” preaching at its finest, to the point, and clear in message. That is always the kind of message God wants and people need to hear. The overwhelming majority of the world is lost and God has His people here to try and prevent that. Too often, we are not due to improper priorities.
The book opens with a problem (1:2) and closes with a promise (2:23). In between, Haggai preaches four messages centering on the work the people needed to do and the work God pledged to do. Key words include consider, “Word of the Lord,” Lord of Hosts, house, and glory.
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