The background

From today’s passage, the third message begins. “On the twenty-fourth of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Haggai the prophet, saying,” (v 10). (1) This message was spoken about two months after the second message and three months after the work of rebuilding the temple had begun (ref. 1:15). (2) The harvest of that year had ended, but the result was poor. The people’s question was why the harvest had been poor even though they had begun rebuilding the temple. (3) Therefore, the Lord explains through Haggai why the harvest was small.

Two questions

(1) “‘The Lord of armies says this: “Now ask the priests for a ruling: If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and touches bread with this fold, or touches cooked food, wine, oil, or any other food, will it become holy?” And the priests answered, “No”’” (v 11-12). This is a question concerning the Law of Moses. The priests had the responsibility to teach the people the Law of Moses. The question was whether holiness would be transferred if the hem of a garment carrying holy meat touched other food. The priests answered, “No.” This is correct, because holiness is not transferred. (2) “Then Haggai said, ‘If one who is unclean from a corpse touches any of these things, will the latter become unclean?’ And the priests answered, ‘It will become unclean’” (v 13). This time, the question was whether uncleanness is transferred. The answer is, “It will become unclean.” This is also correct. The application is drawn from these two questions. “‘So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean’” (v 14). “People” is “am” in Hebrew. “Nation” is “goy” in Hebrew, which usually refers to a Gentile nation. In other words, although Israel is God’s people, they are behaving like the Gentiles. Exodus 19:6 says, “you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation,” but the people of Israel became an unclean people. Therefore, that uncleanness is transferred to the offerings they present to God. What God requires of us is not outward formality, but trust from the heart. Offerings that are acceptable to God (worship and prayer) are only those offered from a holy condition of the heart.