15 Look at what was happening to you before you began to lay the foundation of the Lord’s Temple. 16 When you hoped for a twenty-bushel crop, you harvested only ten. When you expected to draw fifty gallons from the winepress, you found only twenty. 17 I sent blight and mildew and hail to destroy everything you worked so hard to produce. Even so, you refused to return to me, says the Lord.
18 “Think about this eighteenth day of December, the day when the foundation of the Lord’s Temple was laid. Think carefully. 19 I am giving you a promise now while the seed is still in the barn. You have not yet harvested your grain, and your grapevines, fig trees, pomegranates, and olive trees have not yet produced their crops. But from this day onward I will bless you.”
Haggai 2:15-19 (NLT)
Compare – disobedience
Haggai reminds them of what he wrote earlier (Haggai 1:6) – trouble came upon them, from God, for their disobedience. They were called to build the temple but they had neglected their responsibility. God was reprimanding them and seeking to get their attention.
Compare – obedience
Now that they’ve, in obedience, re-started rebuilding the temple, God says that He will start to bless them. JFB Commentary points out God wanted the Jews to notice the stark difference between disobedience and obedience: “Hence ye may perceive the evils of disobedience and the blessing of obedience.”
Blessing from now onward
“But from this day onward I will bless you.” What a wonderful message of hope! It’s like as if God says, “I will now change my conduct towards you: from, this day that ye have begun heartily to rebuild my temple, and restore my worship, I will bless you. Whatever you sow, whatever you plant, shall be blessed; your land shall be fruitful, and ye shall have abundant crops of all sorts.” (Clarke commentary)
Did this blessing continue? Yes, as long as Israel continued to obey. I think the message for us is pretty clear!
