The Skeptics Annotated Bible (712 page)

18 I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden.

19 Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame.

20 At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD.

If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy?
—Haggai 2.12

The God of Haggai is an active God. He blows houses down, sends drought and hail, shakes heaven and earth, sea and dry land. Yet for some reason the Israelites still didn’t like him too much. Weird, eh?

Here are the highlights:

• God huffs, and he puffs, and he blows the house down!
  1.9
  
• After God blew the houses down, the Israelites repaired their houses while ignoring the temple. So God sent a drought to punish them.
  1.9-11
  
• In “a little while” God “will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land.”
  2.6
  ,
  2.21
  
• “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.”
  2.8
  
• Be careful not to let any holy flesh touch any food or wine, because if you do your flesh won’t be holy any more.
  2.12
  
• God sent blasting, mildew, and hail upon the Israelites, yet they still didn’t return to him.
  2.17
  
• He will make the horses and their riders be killed by “the sword of his brother.”
  2.22
  

(1.1, 15; 2.1, 10, 18, 20) It sounds so much more prophet-like when we are told the year, month, and day of some prophetic nonsense.

1
In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying,

(1.1a)
“In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai.”

(1.1b)
“Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel.”
264 Who was Zerubbabel’s father?

2 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.

3 Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying,

4 Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?

5 Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.

6 Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.

7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.

8 Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.

(1.8) “Build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.” God wanted a nice, fancy house to take pleasure in and be glorified in.

(1.9-11) But the Israelites repaired their own houses while ignoring the temple. So God huffed, and he puffed, and he blew on the land, thereby bringing a drought to punish them.

9 Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.

(1.9)
“Ye looked for much, and, lo it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.”

10 Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit.

(1.10)
“The the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit.”

11 And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands.

(1.11)
“And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands.”

12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD.

13 Then spake Haggai the LORD’S messenger in the LORD’S message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the LORD.

14 And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God,

15 In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.

(1.15) “In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.”

2
In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the LORD by the prophet Haggai, saying,

(2.1)
“In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the LORD by the prophet Haggai.”

2 Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and to the residue of the people, saying,

3 Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?

4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts:

5 According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.

(2.6-8) God will shake the heavens, the earth, sea, and dry land. He’ll shake until “the desire of the nations” comes and his house is filled with glory. But if any gold or silver is shaken lose, it’s all God’s.