•  Something drastic happened from the end of chapter one to the beginning of chapter 2. What is this? When was the last time you met up with the spirit of defeat? How did the spirit of defeat hit the Israelites when they seemed so zealous the month before?

•  How is the spirit of defeat like or unlike depression? We saw that obedience brings mobilization and excitement. We also saw how the lack of vision brought disobedience and discouragement. Let's see how God through Haggai restores the Israelites to their orginal zeal and vigor.
    1) He identifies with their spirit.
    2) Calls them to obey as they formerly decided to do.
    3) In 2:5-9 he restores their vision.

1) God pinpointed their point of disappointment. Can you try to describe their discouragement? Have you ever heard Satan's tempting words, "You may as well give up. It isn't going to do any good?" Share one or two incidents. Did you give up or persevere?

2) Since obedience mobilizes people and allows the Spirit to move through them, we need to exhort God's people simply to obey. What would you say if that person said, "They didn't feel like it?" A depressed housewife often neglects her household duties. A depressed worker neglects his job responsibilities. What might we say to them? How can we use point (1) to help them even further?

3) From verses 2:5-9 the Lord carefully reconstructs their vision. Their lost of vision caused them to give up and stop reconstruction. We found that in this case by reinstilling their vision more clearly, they actually did keep working and finished this massive job.
  a) How might the words "My Spirit is abiding in your midst" (2:5) make a big difference in their lives? What made the temple of God so special anyway? Where is this promise alluded to in the New Testament?
   b) Their present temple had none of the special glitter of the former. How did God say that He was going to make up for that in 2:6-8)? Does the amount of money a person or church have make a difference in their joy? Why or why not?
  c) The Lord crystallized the vision in a key phrase in 2:9 so that it could be embedded in their minds, "The latter glory ... will be greater than the former." What place does hope have in a Christian's life? How does hope motivate people? Is it okay to create a false hope to mobilize the people? Why or why not? Do you know of anyone that has done this? How did God really carry out this promise? Reflect on 2 Corinthians 4:4.

•  The old temple was glorious and shining. The new temple was unappealing. This predicts the humble appearing of Christ. He did not come as king born in a palace, but emptied Himself of His glory (Philippians 2:3-8). This temple prefigured Christ. The old system with the Law just would not work.

•  We need to be careful in not focusing on properties, buildings, or land. The focus needs to be on Christ, the foundation stone. Everything must be built around Him. If we glory in anything but Christ, we truly have lost our true focus. How much time do we spend praying and focusing on establishing Christ as our center point in contrast to caring for properties?

•  If the church is materialistic, the people will not see Christ. People will see that they value just what they value - the things of the earth. How much have you chosen to live in light of God's presence than for your own needs? Are you willing to worship in a broken old church building if God is there in your midst? Are you willing to attend a big fancy church if Christ is not there? What do you need to do to get closer to God?

These answers will be found right in the Bible passage. The NASB text is used because it is most literal (though not always best). These questions encourage one to ask, "What does the passage actually say?"

Advanced and Application Questions

Advanced and application questions are combined together in the Advanced Questions. These answers will not be found in the text as the basic questions. One has to use other knowledge that one has gleaned over the years to answer these questions properly. They are meant to encourage one to dig deeper into the point of the passage. These questions would have one ask, "What does it mean?"

Application questions are meant to be personal and have to do with ones own life. These questions encourage one to ask, "What does the passage mean to me?"

Chronology of Haggai	Haggai Outline,	Haggai Design and Dates
For further background info: See Ezra and Nehemiah
A. Notes 1:1-11	B. Notes 1:12-2:9	C. Notes 2:10-2:23
A. Questions 1:1-11	B. Questions 1:12-2:9	C. Questions 2:10-2:23
Special Study: Discovering an Effective Leadership Model from Haggai
Special Study: Overcoming Discouragement & Depression from Haggai