“In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying …”
Here we see a time change. No longer is Darius ‘king,’ but only the earthly scene is in view. In other words, God intervened to block our view of any other, so that what we see here is not Darius reigning but only the time of Darius, now spoken of as the ninth month rather than the sixth month because God has stepped into the affairs of earthly things. We are thus shown the same scene, the twentieth and fourth day of the month signifying the day of grace, with this difference – the kingdom of God is now present among men, the foundation of the Lord’s house has been laid, the second ‘year’ of Darius is the time, the ninth month is the beginning of the glory of the heavenly kingdom dawning. At this point it is stressed that the word of the Lord comes to us by Haggai the prophet, the prophet of the last days, the one raised up as the messenger of God to bring the message of God specifically to the remnant of the people of God – that is, to those who after all this time still adhere truly faithful to the pattern of God as revealed to them in the scriptures. We are found now as priests in the house of God, offering the sacrifices ordained of God from the beginning of time, ready, watchful and waiting for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ, building up the house in the manner designated.
“Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying …”
This takes us back to Leviticus, to the ordained priesthood and all we saw in Leviticus concerning holiness and the priesthood and the offerings and the pattern and the law and the oil for the lamps and our discernment. Only if we have mastered Leviticus can the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet come to us in our capacity as priests. We saw in Leviticus that the priests had knowledge, they were the ones who through study had learned rightly to divide the word of truth. Here we see the interaction of the prophet and the priests – God uses the prophet to question the priests. The priest has sought knowledge of God through the scriptures and has been ordained by God to serve in the house of the Lord, but the prophet has a gift (and we are taught to covet earnestly these gifts of the Spirit, but rather that we may prophecy) so that God can use the prophet to speak to the priests. Although no doctrine, no revelation, no word from God, no prophetic utterance can depart from the truths taught in scripture, it is clear from this passage (and all scripture) that prophecy goes beyond the priestly exposition, and that God can speak to the priesthood through the prophets. God is a God of order; He does not ask the prophet concerning the law but He asks the priest concerning the law, He asks the prophet concerning prophecy. God does not ask the priest to prophecy, nor expect the prophet to serve the altar.
“If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No.”
The priestly part is to exercise discretion and discernment in all matters concerning the law; that is, pertaining to the priesthood. This is an important judgment. If Jesus was the Son of the living God, would not the town of Bethlehem or the village of Nazareth be holy? Would not all He ever touched be holy, even if only the hem of His garment touched it? It is a question for the priests, and the priests answered and said, No. Similarly, if we being sanctified by God are priests, is whatever we touch not holy? The priests themselves answered and said, No. So then it is clear that only the things sanctified by God are counted as holy, and only the persons sanctified by God are counted as holy. Salt is salt, and has the ability to impart its own saltiness to whatever it touches, but the other which is touched does not become salt. Holiness can pertain only to whatever or whoever is sanctified by God. Creation pertains to God yet it is not holy. The law pertains to God but the law is holy. Mankind pertains to God yet is not holy. The people of God on the other hand are an holy nation. The angels who followed Satan will not come with the Lord at His appearing, for the Lord will come with the holy angels. So then this important principle is upheld by the priests, who answered and said, No.
