Why were the Israelites not rebuilding the temple (Haggai 1:2)?

Judging simply by the history, we might conclude that the building of the house was stopped by what the adversaries said. From the word of the LORD, by the prophet, we learn that the true reason is found in what the people said. Thus the message opens with the words, "This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD'S house should be built." For twelve years they had ceased to do the one thing for which they had been delivered from Babylon. They seek to excuse their failure by saying. "The time is not come" to build the LORD'S house.

Judging simply by the history, we might conclude that the building of the house was stopped by what the adversaries said. From the word of the LORD, by the prophet, we learn that the true reason is found in what the people said. Thus the message opens with the words, "This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD'S house should be built." For twelve years they had ceased to do the one thing for which they had been delivered from Babylon. They seek to excuse their failure by saying. "The time is not come" to build the LORD'S house.

The immediate occasion of Haggai's first prophecy was the stoppage of the work of building the temple. It appears from Ezra 4 that this was the result of the adversaries' work. They accused the Jews of rebellious designs and, armed with royal authority, they went up and "made them to cease by force and power."

But there was another reason, a moral one, for the ceasing of the work. Haggai discloses it. It was the cold, selfish indifference of the people of God themselves. Dwelling in their own ceiled houses, they were content to let the house of God lie waste, excusing themselves by saying: "The time is not come, the time that the Lord's house should be built."

No doubt they talked in a very pious-sounding way about waiting God's time and looking to Him to carry on His own work. But God had committed the work to them. Would He not be with them in protecting power if they set themselves to do His bidding? He might permit the opposition of their foes to test them. But no power could prevail against Him, and the real reason for the stoppage of the work was not the hostility of the opposers, nor the decree of Artaxerxes, but the fact that these returned Jews were more concerned about their own houses than about the house of the Lord.

His message starts with the excuse which the people offered for the apathy in the things of God. "This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD'S house should be built." The Lord does not address them as "My people," but in a way which is deprecatory. It was an empty excuse, that His time had not yet come; in reality they were cold towards the cause of the Lord, and sought their own things in place of it. In their indifferent spirit they probably took the relation to Persia, produced by the Samaritan interference, as the ground of their opinion, that it was not the time to come and finish the task. They were an ungrateful people and should have known better. The Lord, who had announced through Isaiah that Cyrus should be born and say, "Let Jerusalem be built," who raised up Cyrus, whom the prophet had named so many years before he was born; the Lord who had brought them back to the land and prospered them, would certainly give them the victory over all their enemies and make the building of the house possible. They hid behind the unreasonable excuse, it is not the time. How often the same excuse has been used by the professing people of God in our age!

"Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the Lord's house should be built." (v. 2.)

Such was the occasion of the Lord's message and remonstrance through Haggai. He had wrought in the heart of Cyrus, He had stirred up the spirit of His people, to accomplish His purpose in rebuilding His house; and now, forgetful of the object of their restoration, they professed to discern that it was not a seasonable opportunity for their work. And what led them to this conclusion? The fact that there were adversaries, that the times were not peaceful. As if enemies to the Lord's work would ever cease! As if the time would ever come when the natural eye would perceive the opportunity for labour for the Lord! Ah, we have all to learn the lesson that the Word — the mind of the Lord — is the warrant for service, and that when He speaks it is but for us to go forward, whatever the circumstances and however numerous the adversaries. As He said to Joshua: "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." (Joshua 1:9.) Their spirit is a complete contrast to that of the apostle who said, "A great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries." (1 Cor. 16:9.)

The Jews’ initial zeal of building the temple soon wearied. The book of Ezra describes how the opposition of Judah’s enemies caused the hands of the people to become weak and the work to cease (Ezra 4:24). But Haggai tells us another reason for the interruption of rebuilding: it was the Jews’ indifference towards God and their selfishness. Instead of dedicating themselves with zeal and devotion to God they used their time and money to look after themselves and to dwell in their ceiled houses (Hag. 1:4.9). To chasten them God had sent his people want and need by crop failure (Hag. 1:6.10 – 11; 2:16 – 17).

The prophet Haggai was raised up by God at a time in Israel's history very similar to that in which we live. We know practically nothing of the prophet himself. His name means "festive," and Ezra refers to him simply as "Haggai the prophet." We know from Ezra's record that the Jews' enemies had written to King Artaxerxes, suggesting that the rebuilding of the temple constituted a threat to his authority. Consequently the work ceased until the second year of Darius' reign, when enquiries were made, the decree of Cyrus was produced, and the rebuilding was once more put in hand. It was easy to blame the enemies, and the political climate, for ceasing to work, but the real trouble was with the Jews themselves. That is why God raised up faithful men, Haggai and Zechariah, to encourage the people to carry out the task that had been abandoned.

Readers will recall that consequent upon the writings of Jeremiah and the prayers of Daniel a small remnant of God's people returned from Babylon under the leadership of Zerubbabel, Ezra and Nehemiah. They were beset by many difficulties: strong enemies without and failing harvests and deep discouragement within. Ezra 4 tells us the sorry story of how the work of building the temple was made to cease. Under God, and doubtless also the exercise of godly men, the word of the Lord was brought to bear upon the situation. What was thought to be due to external pressure and circumstances was due to lack of heart amongst the people of God. Is it time for you to dwell in your own ceiled houses and the Lord's house to lie waste? (Haggai 1:4).

The Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel and the spirit of the remnant of the people and they came and did work (v. 14). There remained, however, some very real difficulties to face, both then and now, and the Lord's answer, through the mouth of his prophet must be of interest to us. It is not a little striking (Haggai means feast of Jehovah) that this prophetic word (2:1) came to the people of God on the 21st day of the 7th month. This appears to be the Old Testament equivalent of the last day of the feast when Jesus stood up in the temple (John 7:37). What should have been an occasion of the greatest joy was darkened by the gloomy clouds of disappointment and despair.

All this shews us that, in ceasing to build the temple, Israel was in fault. It appears from Haggai (Hag. 2:15) that they had made no progress at all. The terror with which the adversaries had inspired the Jews had stopped them. They had no excuse for this, since even the king's commandment was on their side. That which they lacked was faith in God. We have seen that, when there was faith they dared to build, although there was a decree against it. The effect of this faith is to give rise to a decree in their favour, and that even through the intervention of their adversaries. It is good to trust in God. Blessed be His gracious name!

I have said that the people were obliged to wait. This was the case as soon as they received the decree that forbade their continuing to build. But many years had elapsed before this prohibition came; and it seems evident to me, from examining the prophecies which throw so much light on the contemporary history, and from comparing their dates, that it was want of faith in the remnant which was the true hindrance. There were adversaries in the land who made them afraid, and who thus prevented their building. It appears that the Jews did not dare continue. Their adversaries hired counsellors in the Persian court to frustrate the purpose of the Jews. But the first thing was that the adversaries weakened the hands of the people. It was not until two reigns later that the prohibition was obtained; but the Jews had left off building through fear of their adversaries (compare Ezra 4:4, 21, and Ezra 5:1, with Hag. 1:1-4; Hag. 2:15). Neither was it because the king's decree was brought them that they began again to build, but because they feared Jehovah, and feared not the king's command, as seeing Him who is invisible (Hag. 1:12-13). God was not any more to be feared in the reign of Darius than in that of Cyrus or of Artaxerxes; but the source of their weakness was their having forgotten God. This makes manifest the great grace of God in awakening them by the mouth of Haggai. God had until then also chastened the people.