When you think of the prophet Haggai, does it come to mind that he was called on to bring God’s Word to people who had experienced one of the greatest high points in Old Testament history?

While they had also experienced the gravest season of reprimand and discipline on record—decades of exile, nearly a lifetime—they had, in accord with what had been promised, seen the fall of Babylon and the invitation to return to the Promised Land and rebuild. Hope after exile had been held out to them, and they had experienced the faithfulness of God to His word of grace.

Long before, Isaiah had been inspired to convey that their tangible history would foreshadow and paint a picture even of ultimate and eternal redemption. There would be One who could say, “The Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives” (Isa. 61:1). The theme of rebuilding was strong in Isaiah’s words: “They shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations” (v. 4).

Many must have been of right heart in their return, as the first thing rebuilt was the long-unused altar. There the sacrifices represented God’s willingness to forgive them and cleanse them of their sins, and to dwell among them and be their God (Ezra 3:3). When they went on to restore the material foundations of the Lord’s temple, there was evidence, especially among the young who did not remember Jerusalem before its fall, of powerful anticipation for good things. There, in great assembly, “all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid” (v. 11).

But, of all things, they became discouraged.

For those Transjordan peoples who had lived nearly a lifetime in that region without the exiles, the exiles’ return was very threatening. They chose to threaten in return. Ezra records that “the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build” (Ezra 4:4).

Worse than that, not all of the people returning were of right heart. In many, the anticipation of restoration to prosperity did not reflect lives centered in the hope of restoration to God Himself. Many wanted prosperity, but of an earthly kind.

Haggai and Zechariah were sent to confront the people. The word of God to them was, “You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house” (Hag. 1:9).

There is refreshment in the story of Haggai because the people listened to the prophet’s message. Often, the Scripture’s account of the lives and work of the prophets depicts the mortal disinclination of mankind to turn to God—a hard lesson. In this case, though, the leadership in the nation and all the people “obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet” (Hag. 1:12).

There is a key phrase in Haggai’s account: “The Lord stirred up…the spirit of all the remnant of the people” (Hag. 1:14). In this context of grace, our Lord chose to encourage them with the words, “Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts, according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not” (2:4–5).

Because we know that our Lord Jesus, as Messiah, took Isaiah’s words to his own lips, Christ is the hope to all the rebuilding that belongs to the full story of redemption. Surely, when we read Haggai, we can take up the same courage. To us in whom God has stirred up repentance, God’s word is “Be strong…for I am with you” (Hag. 2:4).