Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Haggai
Book: Haggai
Chapter: 2
Overview:
Greater
Glory promised to
The Second Temple than to the first.
(1-9) Their sins hindered the work.
(10-19) The kingdom of
Christ foretold.
(20-23)
1-9 Those who are hearty in the
Lord's service shall receive
encouragement to proceed. But they could not build such a
Temple
then, as
Solomon built. Though our gracious
God is pleased if we
do as
Well as we can in his service, yet our proud hearts will
scarcely let us be pleased, unless we do as
Well as others,
whose abilities are far
Beyond ours. Encouragement is given the
Jews to go
On in the work notwithstanding. They have
God with
them, his
Spirit and his special presence. Though he chastens
their transgressions, his faithfulness does not fail. The
Spirit
still remained among them. And they shall have the
Messiah among
them shortly; "He that should come." Convulsions and changes
would take place in the Jewish
Church and state, but first
should come great revolutions and commotions among the nations.
He shall come, as the
Desire of all nations; desirable to all
nations, for in him shall all the
Earth be blessed with the best
of blessings; long expected and desired
By all believers. The
House they were
Building should be filled with
Glory, very far
Beyond Solomon's
Temple. This
House shall be filled with
Glory
of another nature. If we have
Silver and
Gold, we must serve and
honour
God with it, for the property is his. If we have not
Silver and
Gold, we must honour him with such as we have, and he
will accept us. Let them be comforted that the
Glory of this
latter
House shall be greater than that of the former, in what
would be
Beyond all the glories of the first
House, the presence
of the
Messiah, the
Son of God, the
Lord of
Glory, personally,
and in human nature. Nothing but the presence of the
Son of God,
in human form and nature, could fulfil this.
Jesus is the
Christ, is He that should come, and we are to look for
No other.
This
Prophecy alone is enough to silence the Jews, and condemn
their obstinate rejection of Him, concerning whom all their
prophets spake. If
God be with us, peace is with us. But the
Jews under the latter
Temple had much trouble; but this promise
is fulfilled in that spiritual peace which
Jesus Christ has
By
his
Blood purchased for all believers. All changes shall make
way for
Christ to be desired and valued
By all nations. And the
Jews shall have their eyes opened to behold how precious He is,
whom they have hitherto rejected.
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.
20-23 The
Lord will preserve Zerubbabel and the people of
Judah, amidst their enemies. Here is also foretold the
establishment and continuance of the kingdom of
Christ;
By union
with whom his people are sealed with the
Holy Ghost, sealed with
his image, thus distinguished from all others. Here also is
foretold the changes, even to that time when the kingdom of
Christ shall overthrow and occupy the place of all the empires
which opposed his cause. The promise has special reference to
Christ, who descended from Zerubbabel in a direct line, and is
the sole Builder of the
Gospel Temple. Our
Lord Jesus is the
Signet On God's right
Hand, for all power is given to him, and
derived from him.
By him, and in him, all the promises of
God
are yea and
Amen. Whatever changes take place
On Earth, all will
promote the comfort, honour, and happiness of his servants.