Scripture Daily

Context No. 185 of 4322 · Haggai

Context · Reflection

Haggai 2:10-23: in context

10In the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the LORD’s word came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 11“The LORD of Armies says: Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying, 12‘If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with his fold touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any food, will it become holy?’” The priests answered, “No.” 13Then Haggai said, “If one who is unclean by reason of a dead body touches any of these, will it be unclean?” The priests answered, “It will be unclean.” 14Then Haggai answered, “‘So is this people, and so is this nation before me,’ says the LORD; ‘and so is every work of their hands. That which they offer there is unclean. 15Now, please consider from this day and backward, before a stone was laid on a stone in the LORD’s temple. 16Through all that time, when one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten. When one came to the wine vat to draw out fifty, there were only twenty. 17I struck you with blight, mildew, and hail in all the work of your hands; yet you didn’t turn to me,’ says the LORD. 18‘Consider, please, from this day and backward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, since the day that the foundation of the LORD’s temple was laid, consider it. 19Is the seed yet in the barn? Yes, the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree haven’t produced. From today I will bless you.’” 20The LORD’s word came the second time to Haggai in the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, 21“Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, ‘I will shake the heavens and the earth. 22I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations. I will overthrow the chariots and those who ride in them. The horses and their riders will come down, everyone by the sword of his brother. 23In that day, says the LORD of Armies, I will take you, Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel,’ says the LORD, ‘and will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ says the LORD of Armies.”

Haggai is preaching to people who came back from exile and are rebuilding the temple. This passage opens with him asking the priests for a legal ruling, and the ruling is the sermon.

First question: if a man carries consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and the fold touches bread or stew or wine or oil, does that become holy? The priests answer no. Second question: if someone unclean from contact with a corpse touches any of these, does it become unclean? They answer yes. That is the whole finding. Holiness does not spread by contact. Defilement does. Consecration has to be conferred deliberately, while contamination travels on its own.

Haggai applies it immediately: so is this people, and so is every work of their hands, and what they offer there is unclean. Then the turn, dated to the day the temple's foundation was laid: from this day on I will bless you. The passage ends with a promise to Zerubbabel, the governor and a descendant of David, that God will make him like a signet ring, the ring pressed into wax to seal a document with the owner's authority. A ruling about spreading uncleanness closes with a man made into a seal. Where in my life have I assumed good influence works as automatically as bad?

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