4:1 "5:24).
Darius was interested in the religions of his empire; Haggai and Zechariah began to preach in his second year, 520 BC (see Hag. 1:1 and Zech. 1:1). The Jews were more to blame for their inactivity than their opponents, and Haggai tried to arouse them from their lethargy. When the governor of Trans-Euphrates and other officials tried to interfere with the rebuilding efforts, Darius fully supported the Jews (Ezr. 5:3-6; 6:6-12). In 516 the temple was finished and dedicated (Ezr. 6:15 "18).
OUTLINE.
1. First Message: The Call to Rebuild God's Temple (1:1 "11).
1.1. Introduction (1:1).
1.2. The Excuse Of The People (1:2-4).
1.3. The Consequences For Neglecting The Temple (1:5 & 6).
1.4. The Solution For The People (1:7-11).
2. The Response of Zerubbabel and the People (1:12 "15).
3. Second Message: The Promised Glory Of The New House (2:1 "9).
3.1. Encouragement To The People (2:1 "5).
3.2. The Glorious New House (2:6 "9).
4. Third Message: Blessings On A Defiled People (2:10 "19).
4.1. The Past Defilement (2:10 "14).
4.2. Future Blessings (2:15 "19).
5. Fourth Message: Zerubbabel, The Lord's Signet Ring (2:20 "23).
1. The First Message: A Call to Re-build God's Temple (1:1-15).
1.1 Introduction (1:1).
The timing of this message which came from the Lord through the prophet Haggai, in the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, is important because this message is given on the first day of the month which is usually a time for special offerings to the Lord, and since the temple was in ruin, they could not perform this ritual. The timing of this message is also significant because Zerubbabel, governor of Judah and Joshua, the high priest, remained idle and did not give priority to the building of the Lord's temple which was in ruin.
1.2 The Excuse of the People (1:2-4) .
The miserable excuse of the people was that the time had not yet come to proceed with the rebuilding of the temple.
In the book of Nehemiah we are told that the city of Jerusalem and the temple were rebuilt, "because the people had a mind to work". ... The prophet Haggai urged the people to rebuild the temple. ... Later, in the New Testament book of Thessalonians, Paul urged the people to work, "if one in the faith community does not work, then that person shouldn't eat either". ...
The chapters in this paper are arranged chronologically, therefore, Chapter 1 will deal with the issues surrounding the structure and enslavement of the ancient Jewish people by Egypt in Biblical times. ... TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Table of Contents ..4 Glossary 5 Chapter I: The Enslavement of the Jewish People 6 The Biblical Record 6 The Joseph Story: (in brief) 7 The Nature of Oppression 10 The Structure of Egyptian Enslavement of Israel ..." ." ..11 Chapter II: The Enslavement of African Peoples 12 The "New World- and Old ...
