¹ Now the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel who was over them. 2 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God that is in Jerusalem, and the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.~

Ezra 5:1-2 (ESV)

Back to the temple

Yesterday we left off when the work on the temple stopped. (See the timeline). Due to various reasons, but mostly due to opposition from the local Samaritans around them, they stopped building the temple – the primary work they went back to Jerusalem to do. Initially, they resisted the opposition (Ezra 4:1-3) but eventually, in about 534, they succumbed and the work stopped.

Prophetic Push

God was patient with them for 14 years. But, “In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest:” (Haggai 1:1 ESV) Why did God send them? Verse 2 continues, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.” 

The Rebuke

As we’ll see later in Haggai 1:1-11, the people were procrastinating. Having built nice houses for themselves, they became complacent. So God rebuked them. Haggai 1:7-8: “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. 8 Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the Lord.”

Humble response

Thankfully, between v1 and v2, the people (led by Zerubbabel and Joshua) responded humbly to God’s chastisement. They repented, took courage, and re-started the building in 520 BC. When we study Haggai, we’ll see in this wonderful exchange not just that, “the prophets of God were with them, supporting them” (v2). Their God was with them and supporting them.

Impact

Are you being reproved by God? Have you been neglecting His call? Humbly repent and seek Him. He will forgive, restore, then be with you and support you.