Welcome to Bible Fiber where we are encountering the textures and shades of the prophetic tapestry in a year-long study of the twelve minor prophets, one prophet each month. I am Shelley Neese, president of The Jerusalem Connection, a Christian organization devoted to sharing the story of the people of Israel, both ancient and modern.
This week we are reading the prophet Haggai, the first prophet to break the divine silence after the exiles returned from Babylon. A century has passed since Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah first warned the people of Judah that divine punishment at the hands of the Babylonians was near certain. The prophets promised that a remnant would survive the exile, return, and rebuild. For Haggai, the remnant was not eschatological. The remnant was his audience. And good news: the remnant’s response to Haggai’s exhortation is refreshingly positive. The ears that went deaf to preexilic prophets are now actively keen to hear out the postexilic prophets.
