September: The remaining three sections of Haggai contain no more concrete exhortations but focus on further motivating the community to get on with the rebuilding of the temple.

1:15b–2:2 Seven weeks have passed since Haggai’s first message; halfway through this period the people began the actual work on the temple. That first message came on a day of special observance, it being the first day of the month; this second message came on a very significant day, the last day of the week of Sukkot, the eve of the occasion when special services brought Sukkot to an end (Lev. 23:33–42; John 7:37). Sukkot was also the festival when Solomon’s temple was dedicated (1 Kgs. 8; 2 Chr. 5–6).

This time Yahweh bids Haggai to speak directly to the people as well as to their two leaders. They are again refer…