21 September 520 B.C. Lest we forget. Haggai 1.15; 2.10. The people’s spirits were stirred with good works that followed

21 September 520 B.C. Lest we forget.  Haggai 1.15; 2.10.  The people’s spirits were stirred with good works that followed.

Each of Haggai’s four sermons were carefully dated.  The first was probably August 29, 520 B.C. The messages are to the leaders to “facilitate” their compliance as well as to stir the people to covenant fidelity, stedfastness, courage, honor and duty; it was also a call to defy obstacles to the same. Haggai 1.14-15:  “ So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God,  on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month.”  God Himself, directly, immediately, efficaciously and graciously, brought about the response of His people to His own Presence with them as promised in the Abraham covenant.  Haggai uses the term “spirit” three times.  God is the sovereign of “spirits,” or, the human beings.  The “twenty-fourth day of the month” is probably September 21. 520 B.C. The people had repented of discouragement, self-absorption and indifference, challenges that face every age.  They began the work on September 21, 520 and Haggai brought a message of encouragement on October 17, 520 B.C. See Haggai 2.1-9.