11. (a) By what allegory does Haggai point out the priests’ neglect? (b) What has resulted therefrom?

¹¹ The third message (2:10-19). Two months and three days later, Haggai addresses the priests. He uses an allegory to drive home his point. Will a priest’s carrying holy flesh make holy any other food he touches? The answer is no. Does the touching of something unclean, such as a dead body, make the one touching it unclean? The answer is yes. Haggai then applies the allegory. The people of the land are unclean by reason of their neglect of pure worship. Whatever they offer appears unclean to Jehovah God. Because of this, Jehovah has not blessed their labors, and in addition he has sent on them scorching heat, mildew, and hail. Let them change their ways. Then Jehovah will bless them.

14. What wise counsel does Haggai provide for our day?

¹⁴ The prophecy also contains wise counsel for our day. How so? For one thing, it underscores the need for the creature to put the interests of God’s worship ahead of his own personal interests. (Hag. 1:2-8; Matt. 6:33) It also drives home the point that selfishness is self-defeating, that it is futile to pursue materialism; it is the peace and blessing of Jehovah that make rich. (Hag. 1:9-11; 2:9; Prov. 10:22) It also stresses that the service of God itself does not make one clean unless it is pure and whole-souled, and that it must not be contaminated by unclean conduct. (Hag. 2:10-14; Col. 3:23; Rom. 6:19) It shows that God’s servants must not be pessimistic, looking back to “good old days,” but be forward-looking, ‘setting their heart upon their ways’ and seeking to bring glory to Jehovah. Then Jehovah will be with them.​—Hag. 2:3, 4; 1:7, 8, 13; Phil. 3:13, 14; Rom. 8:31.