SUMMARY
God stirs up the spirit of ZerubbabelThe governor of Judah who helped rebuild the Temple after the exile., JoshuaThe successor of Moses, Joshua led the Israelites into Canaan., the high priestThe high priest was the most powerful priest in the temple in Jerusalem. The high priest Caiaphas held the office during the trial of Jesus. Later, in the New Testament book of Hebrews, the role of merciful high priest is ascribed to the resurrected Jesus., and the people in order to re-commence work on the templeThe Jerusalem temple, unlike the tabernacle, was a permanent structure, although (like the tabernacle) it was a place of worship and religious activity. On one occasion Jesus felt such activity was unacceptable and, as reported in all four Gospels, drove from the temple those engaged....
ANALYSIS
The Book of HaggaiProphet who urged rebuilding the Temple after the exile. reports the tremendous success of the prophet Haggai. A little under three weeks after Haggai first spoke, the civil and religious leadership of the returned community worked together to restart construction of the temple. This cooperation and obedience were in response to the prophetic words of Haggai, but also God stirring up the spirits of the governor, high priestA priest is a person who has the authority to perform religious rites. In New Testament times priests were responsible for daily offerings and sacrifices in the temple., and all the people.
The prophet brings the assurance that God is with the people. Earlier, God had spoken through the prophet IsaiahIsaiah, son of Amoz, who prophesied in Jerusalem, is included among the prophets of the eighth century BCE (along with Amos, Hosea, and Micah)--preachers who boldly proclaimed God's word of judgment against the economic, social, and religious disorders of their time., telling him of the imminent arrival of a child ImmanuelImmanuel means "God with us." Immanuel is foretold in Isaiah as one who embodies God's promise and protection. The angel, addressing Mary in Matthew's gospel, specifically identifies Immanuel with Jesus., “God is with us,” who would be a sign that God would protect JudahJudah was the name of Jacob's fourth son and one of the 12 tribes. from Israel and Aram (Isaiah 7:14-16). Here in Haggai, God reaffirms the near-constant theme of the Bible that God is with the people. From the Garden of Eden to the wilderness wandering; from God’s presence in the TabernacleThe tabernacle, a word meaning "tent," was a portable worship place for the Hebrew people after they left Egypt. It was said to contain the ark of the covenant. The plans for the tabernacle are dictated by God in Exodus 26. and First Temple, to Haggai’s promise in v13 that God will be with the people as they construct the Second Temple, God desires to live among God’s people. Christians will understand the IncarnationIncarnation literally means "embodied in flesh." It is a Christian doctrine, based on the witness in John's Gospel, that God's Word was made flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. The Apostles' and Nicene Creeds confess the central importance of the incarnation of Jesus. of JesusJesus is the Messiah whose life, death, and resurrection are God's saving act for humanity., and then the gift of the HolyHoly is a term that originally meant set apart for the worship or service of God. While the term may refer to people, objects, time, or places, holiness in Judaism and Christianity primarily denotes the realm of the divine Spirit as continuations of God’s desire to be present with the people.
