Haggai
1:1
Haggai delivered each of his messages during a specific month.
The first message was delivered in the 6th month of the Jewish calendar.
This would be during our months of August and September. King Darius I of Persia was in the 2nd year of his reign. He ruled sometime after King Cyrus II. King Cyrus II had allowed the Jews to go back to Jerusalem.
1:7–10
Crafty thinks planning time with the Lord is very important. Here is an idea.
Get a calendar you can write on. Then write on each day a time that you will spend with the Lord. It’s like making an appointment to meet with the Lord. Use that appointment time to read your Bible or a devotional book and pray. It doesn’t need to be a long time.
It could be when you get up or before you go to bed. Make a mark on your calendar each time you keep your appointment with the Lord. Make your calendar interesting and colorful!
2
Haggai delivered his second message on the 21st day of the 7th month of the Jewish calendar. This is in our September and October. It was during autumn at the time of the Feast of Booths. It was the same month when Solomon’s temple was first set apart for the Lord. Read 1 Kings 8.
In this message, Haggai encouraged Zerubbabel, the governor. He also encouraged Joshua, the high priest, and the people of Jerusalem.
2:4–5
Do you sometimes feel that the things you have to do are too difficult?
What color on Hearty’s color chart on page 19 matches your feelings?
Haggai’s promise is true for you as well. The Lord is with you too. That thought should encourage you. Choose a color from Hearty’s color chart that shows feelings of courage.
What must you do? What does the last part of verse 4 tell you? When the Lord is with you, you can face the difficult things in your life. What does the Lord promise you in verse 5? His Spirit is with you. He changes fear into courage!
2:10
Haggai delivered his third message on the 24th day of the 9th month.
This was in the middle of the winter. This message was especially for the priests.
He told them why it was important to have a temple where the people could gather.
2:20–23
Haggai’s last message was for Zerubbabel, the governor. This message was delivered on the same day as the message to the priests. The Lord chose Zerubbabel to do his work.
Zerubbabel was like a ring with the Lord’s royal mark on it. A king’s royal mark was very important. He signed all his documents with his royal mark. He did this by putting a drop of hot wax on the document. Then he pressed his ring with his royal mark into the hot wax. The ring with the royal mark was always on the king’s finger.
Haggai was saying that Zerubbabel belonged to the Lord. He had the Lord’s royal mark on him. The Lord had given Zerubbabel authority to speak in the name of the Lord.
2:21–23
The Lord had picked Zerubbabel to do his work. It was a very important task and it wouldn’t be easy. Zerubbabel would be like a ring with the Lord’s royal mark on it. What was the Lord going to do for Zerubbabel? Read verses 21–22.
Inny would like to know if you have ever been chosen for a special task. Did you like it?
Was your task difficult? Sometimes you may be asked to do a special task. In doing the task you will bring honor to the Lord. The task may be hard and you may not be sure of yourself. But remember this. When you are chosen by the Lord to do a task, he will be with you. The Lord will give you the strength and courage to do it. But you still have to do the work. Read Haggai 2:5.
