Haggai 2:16

In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, Sacrifices without obedience (in respect to God's command to build the temple) could not sanctify. Now that they are obedient, God will bless them, though no sign is seen of fertility as yet. Verse 10. IN THE FOUR AND TWENTIETH DAY OF THE NINTH MONTH - three days more than two months from the second prophecy (); in the month Chisleu, the lunar one about the time of our December. The Jews seem to have made considerable progress in the work in the interval (Haggai 2:15). Verse 11. ASK NOW THE PRIESTS - propose this question to them on the law. The priests were the authorized expounders of the law ...

10-19 Many spoiled this good work, by going about it with unholy hearts and hands, and were likely to gain no advantage by it. The sum of these two rules of the law is, that sin is more easily learned from others than holiness. The impurity of their hearts and lives shall make the work of their hands, and all their offerings, unclean before God. The case is the same with us. When employed in any good work, we should watch over ourselves, lest we render it unclean by our corruptions. When we begin to make conscience of duty to God, we may expect his blessing; and whoso is wise will understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. God will curse the blessings of the wicked, and make bitter the prosperity of the careless; but he will sweeten the cup of affliction to those who diligently serve him....

Verse Haggai 2:16. _SINCE THOSE_ DAYS _WERE_] I have shown my displeasure against you, by sending _blasting_ and _mildew_; and so poor have been your _crops_ that a heap of corn which should have produced _twenty_ _measures_ produced only _ten_; and that quantity of _grapes_ which in other years would have produced _fifty_ measures, through their poverty, smallness, c., produced only _twenty_. And this has been the case ever since the _first stone was laid in this temple_ for your hearts were not right with me, and therefore I blasted you in all the labours of your hands; and _yet ye have not_ turned _to me_, Haggai 2:17....

EXPOSITION HAGGAI 2:1 Part II. THE SECOND ADDRESS: THE GLORY OF THE NEW TEMPLE. Haggai 2:1—§ 1. _The prophet comforts whose who grieve at the comparative poverty of the new building with the assurance of the Divine protection and favour._ HAGGAI 2:1 IN THE SEVENTH MONTH, IN THE ONE AND TWENTIETH DAY OF THE MONTH. The seventh month is Ethanim or Tisri, answering to parts of September and Ootober. The twenty-first was the last and great day of the Feast of Tabernacles ...

SINCE THOSE [DAYS] WERE,.... From the time the foundation of the temple was laid, unto the time they began to work again, which was a space of about fifteen or sixteen years: WHEN [ONE] CAME TO AN HEAP OF TWENTY [MEASURES], THERE WERE [BUT] TEN; when the husbandman having gathered in his corn, and who was generally a good judge of what it would yield, came to a heap of it on his corn floor, either of sheaves not threshed, or grain not winnowed, and expected it would have produced at least twenty measures, seahs, or bushels; afterward it was threshed and winnowed, to his great disappointment he had but ten out of it; there were so much straw and chaff, and so little grain; or when he came to a heap of grain, wheat, or barley, in his granary, where he thought he should have twenty bushels of it; but when he had measured it, proved but ten; being either stolen by thieves, or eaten by vermi...

Haggai 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, saying,_ God's people need to be spoken to very often; and every time God speaks to them, he takes account of it. Let us do the same: let us not think it is such an unimportant matter for us to hear a gospel sermon that we need not take note when we hear it. Oh, that the Word of the Lord were more precious to us in these days! Let us praise God for it, and not reckon it to be so common a thing that we take no more notice of it than we do of eating our breakfast or sitting down to our supper. Haggai 2:2. 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 Who is

CHAPTER 2:10-19 The Fourth Address A few months later Haggai delivered another address of moral instruction and admonition. The question the prophet asks first is answered by the priests negatively. This is followed by a second question, “If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean?” This they answered affirmatively; for he that is defiled puts defilement upon everything he handles. When they had given the right answers, the prophet makes the moral application. “So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith Jehovah; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer thereon is unclean.” All their works and offerings were unclean, because they were in that condition. They had to be cleansed first. Separation from evil, from that which defiles, was therefore demanded. So it is today. The order is “cease to do evil” and then “learn...

HAGGAI'S SERMON ON DEC. 24. Haggai bases his exhortation on a pronouncement of the priests concerning the infecting power of holiness and uncleanness respectively. In the question put to the priests, holiness has its primitive sense of a physical state (_i.e._ taboo); but in the argument which Haggai bases on their answer a more spiritual sense of the word is intended. The law (Haggai 2:11) is a mistranslation; render Ask now the priests concerning _tomb. Torah_ (p. 121, Deuteronomy 1:5 *, Proverbs 3:1 *) means strictly instruction as to right and wrong, and though with the definite article it may mean _the_ instruction _par excellence_, viz. the Law, it never loses its more general meaning. The priests a

MEASURES. Supply "sheaves". THERE. and there. VESSELS. Omit "vessels". Hebrew. _purah_. a winepress. Occurs only here, and Isaiah 63:3. Hence used of. wine measure....

The Third Prophecy By a reference to the ceremonial law, as officially interpreted by the priests in answer to questions addressed to them, Haggai again impresses upon the people the truth, that the dearth and distress from which they had hitherto suffered was the consequence of their national sin in neglecting to rebuild the temple, and again promises that now that they had put away that sin, and were honestly giving themselves to the work of restoration, the blessing of God should rest upon them. The sanctifying influence of flesh, which by being offered to God in sacrifice had become holy, could only extend, so the priests on the authority of the law declared, to that with which it came into first and immediate contact. Beyond that limit its efficacy did not reach. The thing touched by it was itself made holy, but did not become in its turn a vehicle of holiness to anything beyond. N...