Book 09 > Book 09 - Lesson 02a - Haggai

Lesson Plan on Haggai (B9-L2a)

Warm-up / Opening activity

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Background

  1. Book of Haggai
    • One of the shortest Old Testaments books (2nd shortest) – only 2 chapters
  2. Historical Background
    • Previous lesson – Remember temple was destroyed during Babylonian period
    • Post-Exile (Post-Babylon)
      • Babylon was conquered by the Persians
      • The Persians let the Jewish people go back to Israel. They went back with the intention of rebuilding the temple and restarting worship
    • People returned to re-build the Temple and started, but was sitting idle for 15 years at the time of Haggai.

Lesson Time

Discussion point  – Message to rebuild (Haggai 1:3-15)

  1. People had stopped building the temple and took the time building their lives up 
    • v4 “Is it time for you dwell in your paneled houses, while this house (ie. temple) stands in ruins?”
    • But the toil was in vain – v6
    • Temple construction starts within 3 weeks of God’s message through Haggai.
  2. Application/Discussion: What keeps us from completing our spiritual tasks?
    • Examples:
      • Lack of prioritization of that task compared to other things
      • Laziness
      • Don’t see immediate benefit
      • etc…
    • How do we overcome these?
      • Examples:
        • Lack of prioritization of that task compared to other things → set aside specific time for God
        • Laziness → build discipline.
        • Don’t see immediate benefit → take time to reflect on your lives and be thankful. keep a log of blessings. often the biggest gifts are least appreciated…
      • Have everyone share ideas/thoughts
  3. Application/Discussion: Are we guilty of the same thing as the people during Haggai’s time?
    • Physically: do we live and take care of our living space…but leave the church a mess…
      1. If our room/house is in a mess, would it be acceptable to leave it like that? Eventually (maybe not immediately), we do clean it.
    • Spiritually: how are we building the church? (not physically)
      1. Are we friends with the friend-less – or only with our clique/group?
      2. Are we serving Christ with whatever gifts/capacity He has given us?
      3. Are we spending time with God — building the temple in our heart?
      4. etc..

Group Time

Break up into 3 groups and discuss and answer questions about each passage (or assign a passage per group.)

Passage 1 – Haggai 2:1-9

  • What were the people concerned about?
  • What was God’s response?
  • What is an application we can take from this?

Passage 2 – Haggai 2:10-19

  • What was Haggai/God saying?
  • What is the analogy used?
  • What is an application we can take away from this?

Passage 3 – Haggai 2:20-23 + Mathew 1

  • What was the message?
  • Who is Zerubbabel?
  • What is a signet ring?
  • Where do we see Zerubbabel in the New Testament?

Discussion notes for teacher:

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Wrap-up

Fill at least 3 boxes in the reflection worksheet.

Extra Resources

Here is a powerpoint to fit this lesson plan:

 

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