Thy Strong Word From Kfuo Radio

We left off in Ezra chapter 4, where the returned exiles had started rebuilding the temple with great enthusiasm, but then hit a wall of opposition from their enemies. The work stopped. The people got discouraged, scattered to focus on their own lives, and for 16 long years, the temple lay in ruins while they built beautiful homes for themselves. In this chapter, God breaks his silence through Haggai and calls the people to repent of their misplaced priorities.  The Rev. Ryan Kleimola, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Toledo, OH, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Haggai 1.  To learn more about Trinity Lutheran, visit trinitylutheran.org. The Persian king Cyrus issues an astonishing decree: the exiles may go home. Among them are the Jews—God’s chosen people—whom this pagan ruler not only repatriates, but commands to rebuild the temple of the Lord. Ezra 1–4 tells of their return, the joy of restored worship, and the crushing opposition that brings construction to a standstill. Then the prophets