How to Read Haggai
One of the shortest books in the Bible, Haggai can easily be read at one sitting. Haggai’s words came at a critical time in the life of the nation of Israel. They mark one of the few times in all history when God spoke and his people quickly and unquestioningly obeyed. For the historical background, read Ezra 1-6. Haggai’s crucial message is mentioned in Ezra 5:1-2. There is a progression to God’s warnings and his promises through Haggai. Study each of Haggai’s messages, and note what encouragement, what warning, and what hope God offered Israel. How did god motivate them to obey. SOMETIMES AT CRUCIAL MOMENTS, A single voice can stir a directionless mass of people to action. Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s inspiring oratory may have saved Britain in World War II. American clergy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King’s sermons and speeches captured America’s conscience in the 1950s and 60s. Haggai’s words, similarly, rang clear in a time of confusion. The Jews...