Ḥaggai 2:9

When Persia defeated Babylon in 539 BC, the exiled Jews were allowed to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. However, the construction project remained stagnant and was gradually neglected by the people. Haggai thus preached four passionate sermons to exhort them to shift from living a self-centred to a God-centred life by prioritising building God’s house. Haggai’s call is still very much relevant to Christians today, the church builders.

Haggai prophesied in the post-exilic period as God’s people resettled in the Promised Land after being exiled in Babylon. Tasked with rebuilding the temple, Haggai rebuked the people for living in luxury while the temple lay in ruins. Repeatedly, God encourages the people to “consider their ways” (Haggai 1:5, 7), inviting them to reflect on the fruitlessness of their excess and reorient their hearts and lives to Him.

This three-day reading plan in Haggai calls God’s people to repent, be strong, and trust him. Throughout Haggai, we see that God meets his people in their failure, discouragement, and uncleanness.

God has called us to build His kingdom, but sometimes that task feels hopeless. Serving at church, investing in others, and sharing God’s love with a world that doesn’t care sometimes feels worthless. In the Book of Haggai, we meet a group of people at another point in history who felt the same way. In this 4-day plan, we’ll see how God encouraged them and what that means for us.