God's Promises, Our Hope(Haggai 2:20-23)

Haggai: Gospel Call to Action  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  43:49
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Introduction

Blue-y Illustration: I’ll do this and then you do that...
Setting for Haggai…
Rebuilding the Temple after exile.
Read Haggai 2:20-23
Haggai 2:20–23 CSB
20 The word of the Lord came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month: 21 “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah: I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. 22 I will overturn royal thrones and destroy the power of the Gentile kingdoms. I will overturn chariots and their riders. Horses and their riders will fall, each by his brother’s sword. 23 On that day”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies—“I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“and make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you.” This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.
Pray

God Promises to Deal with Our Enemies… again

Haggai 2:20–22 CSB
20 The word of the Lord came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month: 21 “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah: I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. 22 I will overturn royal thrones and destroy the power of the Gentile kingdoms. I will overturn chariots and their riders. Horses and their riders will fall, each by his brother’s sword.
The word of the LORD came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month: “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah:
This is the second prophecy or sermon from Haggai on this day, and it is also his last one of this little book.
One of the more interesting things that we have seen as we have walked through this book is that each of these four sermons, prophecies, has been addressed to a different audience.
It was Zerubabbel and Joshua, then Zerubabbel, Joshua, and the people, then the priests, and now only Zerubabbel.
Zerubabbel is the “governor” he is looking to
I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.
Haggai has already said this! In Haggai 2:6.
Listen to what the author of Hebrews says about shaking heavens and earth.
Hebrews 12:26–29 CSB
26 His voice shook the earth at that time, but now he has promised, Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens. 27 This expression, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what is not shaken might remain. 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful. By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire.
The point we need to see is that if a Kingdom can be shaken… it earth and heaven can be shaken by God then we are at the hands of God.
But Hebrews tells us this doesn’t prodice fear, it prodiuces hope, because God has revealed Himself to us in Jesus Christ and we know because God has revealed Himself that he is Holy and Just, but also lovings, and gracious and merciful.
That those who beleive in Jesus are saved… the gospel is good news. The Goodnews is Jesus in my place.
That Jesus stands before the Father and atones for our sin, bears the wrath that we deserve, and brings us to God… accepted not because of what we have done but because what He has done.
This kingdom that Jesus is bringing us to, cannot be shaken… Will not fade away… it will last forever…
I will overturn royal thrones
Almost every time this word is used in the old Testament it is referring to a divine punishment of some kind.
One of the clearest examples of this is with Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis.
Lot, Abraham’s nephew was living in Sodom and Gomorrah, and those cities had become horrifically sinful places, filled will all sorts of sins and acceptance of those sins.
Lot and his family had become pretty comfortable in Sodom and Gomorrah, but God shows them much grace and mercy by allowing them to leave even though they delayed escaping.
Listen to what happens in Genesis 19:21-29
Genesis 19:21–29 CSB
21 And he said to him, “All right, I’ll grant your request about this matter too and will not demolish the town you mentioned. 22 Hurry up! Run to it, for I cannot do anything until you get there.” Therefore the name of the city is Zoar. 23 The sun had risen over the land when Lot reached Zoar. 24 Then out of the sky the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah burning sulfur from the Lord. 25 He demolished these cities, the entire plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and whatever grew on the ground. 26 But Lot’s wife looked back and became a pillar of salt. 27 Early in the morning Abraham went to the place where he had stood before the Lord. 28 He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and all the land of the plain, and he saw that smoke was going up from the land like the smoke of a furnace. 29 So it was, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham and brought Lot out of the middle of the upheaval when he demolished the cities where Lot had lived.
Demolished is the same word as that is translated overturned, overthrown, shattered here depending on your translation.
Mighty cities may rise up, and they may feel strong and invincible, but all at subject to the mighty hand of God.
There is no humanly way for us to build a foundation so solid that God would not be able to destroy it.
There is no humanly way for us to have defense systems set up that can thwart what God is going to do.
Again this might make you feel nervous and unsafe… if we cannot protect ourselves then that means everything can be taken in a moments notice… absolutely that is true… but we also know the God who hold the universe in His hand, He is gracious and merciful… he forgives and he restores.
The goal is to lean into Him more and more… to trust in Him more and more no matter what comes our way in life… lean into Jesus and trust that he knows what he is doing.
(I will) destroy the power of the Gentile kingdoms.
Destroy here generally refers to God’s prerogative and power to destroy those who transgress his decree, whether they are Hebrews or not.
This destroy is the same command God gives to Joshua when He is leading the Isrealites to enter into the land of Canaan, and they see the people occupying the promised land. Those people have idols, and God tells Joshua and the Isrealites to destroy them because God is Holy which means distinct, set apart. God will not share His throne with made up idols. To not destroy those people is to accommodate their idols in your life.
There are times when ungodly kingdoms will look and feel very powerful. They will look and feel unbeatable. It may cause you fear, It may cause you stress, it may cause you to worry.
Haggai is saying… Nothing is beyond God… those gentile kingdoms are subject to the might hand of God too. There is nothing that they can do without God. He can destroy them at any moment, so rest in God and trust Him. If He doesn’t destroy them immediately it’s for a reason and a purpose, maybe God is working on drawing your hearts to Him more and more… making you trust Him more and more and being reminded that even when things look bleakest, God is still God.
I will overturn chariots and their riders.
Horses and their riders will fall, each by his brother’s sword.
This is a direct Exodus recall.
If you remember the story all of Isreal is enslaved by Egypt, the might world power of the time.
God hears His peoples prayers and rescues them in the most unprovable way. 10 plagues to get Pharoah to loosen his grasp, only for the Isrealites to get to the Red Sea and look back to see ALL OF PHARAOH’S ARMY COMING.
Exodus 14:6–7 CSB
6 So he got his chariot ready and took his troops with him; 7 he took six hundred of the best chariots and all the rest of the chariots of Egypt, with officers in each one.
Jump down a few verses
Exodus 14:23–28 CSB
23 The Egyptians set out in pursuit—all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen—and went into the sea after them. 24 During the morning watch, the Lord looked down at the Egyptian forces from the pillar of fire and cloud, and threw the Egyptian forces into confusion. 25 He caused their chariot wheels to swerve and made them drive with difficulty. “Let’s get away from Israel,” the Egyptians said, “because the Lord is fighting for them against Egypt!” 26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the water may come back on the Egyptians, on their chariots and horsemen.” 27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea returned to its normal depth. While the Egyptians were trying to escape from it, the Lord threw them into the sea. 28 The water came back and covered the chariots and horsemen, plus the entire army of Pharaoh that had gone after them into the sea. Not even one of them survived.
Chariots were the strongest weapon of the day, and God wiped out over 600 of them like it was nothing.
Sometime we might be tempted to put our feelings of safety and security in weapons.
You can have a whole bunk set up and ready for the Zombie Apocalypse, but it will not be enough to stop God.
The United States could aim every single nuclear bomb and whatever other weapons we have that we do not know about at heaven, and even it they could reach God, which we can’t, it would be pointless because it would do nothing.
Through Haggai God is saying I am bringing peace, but this peace is with God.
This is the most important peace we could achieve, if you are smart enough, if you have enough resources you can hide from earthly governments, it might be difficult but it’s possible.
You cannot hide from God.
This is Haggai’s point.
You obeyed, you are rebuilding the temple, stay on track!!!
It’s important for us to note it’s God doing the action here… and they are all in the future.
I am… I will… I will… I will.
These are promises from God for us.
Think about them… This is God saying to those people who is still coming off of a 70 year captivity in Babylon. God is telling them, I am not done with you.
Even though to the worlds eyes it looked like the Babylonians god’s were greater than the God of Isreal that is not what is really going on.
You disobeyed my rules, you didn’t heed my laws, you didn’t follow my word, the exile was punishment by God to His people to sanctify them, to grow them in Him, to make the point that obedience matters.
And now the people are brought back and it’s just not what they thought it would be.
The temple isn’t built yet, but they have committed to building it.
It won’t be as nice as the old one, but even so they are going to press on and continue obeying the Lord.
From now on… they will live holy, pure, and clean lives.
So in this final sermon God gives Haggai these three verses to remind the people what he has done, and give them confidence in knowing that he is not done with them.
All these other worldly powers, do not compare to the God of Isreal.
God promises to deal with the people’s enemies.
This has been God’s promise all along. But we sometimes forget who the true enemy it.
Our sin is our biggest issue, our biggest enemy.
Through out the history os God’s people God has always taken the enemy and destroyed them, and when Jesus stepped into History, He had a purpose and plan. To make a way for others to be saved.
Jesus lived a perfect life, He never sinned!
He died an unjust death, He never sinned!
But on the cross the father pours his just wrath for sin on Jesus.
Jesus dies so that we might live.
It’s not our works that save us it’s the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross.
It’s Jesus shaking the foundation of who we are, sinners who would never love God and Jesus loving us first.
It’s Jesus overturning the thrones in our heart that say I want to be the ruler of my life.
If you rule your heart, then you are an enemy of the Kingdom of God. Jesus is King over all, and either you submit to that leaderships and are saved by grace through faith in Christ. Or you reject Jesus’ ruling and in the end, you will stand before Him responsible for all your action and disobedience. Jesus will say get away from me I did not know you.
God’s promise is to deal with our enemies, and in Jesus Christ He dealt with our enemies completely and fully.

God’s Promises to Make us Into His Servants

Haggai 2:23 CSB
23 On that day”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies—“I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“and make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you.” This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.
On that day”
this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies
“I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant
this is the Lord’s declaration
“and (I will) make you like my signet ring,
for I have chosen you.
This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.
Notice the tenses of the verbs here.
I will take you- future.
I will make you- future
I have chosen you- Past
We also see the three fold repetition of the phrase this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies or Lord of Hosts.
This is Haggai reminding the people in this final sermon… God is ultimately the one in control.
One that Day… Haggai is referring to the day when God will shake, overturn and destroy.
But on that day God also looks at his people and says I will take you and make you into a signet ring.
A signet ring was the sign of royalty. It was an official thing. It would be used to seal documents in an official capacity. But God tells Zerubabbel that He is going to make him like God’s signet ring.
Why? Because Zerubabbel is continuing the line of God’s chosen people.
Haggai promises that God will establish Zerubbabel as his very own signet ring. This is similar to what God says of King David when God covenants with him. God covenants with King David when David wants to build a temple for God… the frist temple. God tells David no… your son will and he covenants with David someone from your line will be the ultimate king of Isreal who will rule and reign the unshakable kingdom forever, his throne will never fall.
Zerubbabel was a great lead, and from the line of David… but Zerubbabel is not Jesus. He points ahead to the true King.

Conclusion

Did you catch that when Haggai was talking about the chariots he talked about how horses and riders would fall each by his brothers sword?
This is how God fights the battle for Gideon, he confuses the enemy and they fight themselves.
This is how God fights a battle for King Saul, he confuses the enemy and they fight themselves.
I wanted to bring this here in the sermon because its a point we need to hear, and we need to take hold of.
Sin is always self destructive.
You can be living in sin, and no one else knows about it.
But that does not make the sin innocent.
It breeds selfishness, self reliance, and it leads to physical and spiritual death.
Sin is always self destructive because you and I are created to be dependent on God, and Sin is us claiming independence from God.
It’s us saying we can do things our way and do it better than God’s way.
It’s us thinking that life is better without God ruling and reigning over us.
The cold hard truth is that is a lie from the enemy meant to keep you from the fullness of Gospel life you were created to live in.
At the end of the day… sin is always self destructive. That is why repentnace is so important to the Christian faith.
We turn from sin and to God. Because He is what we truly need.
He is more piwerful than all the forces of the World.
And by Grace Alone throguh Faith Alone in Christ ALone for the Glory of God alone some of us are saved by God for God!
Not by any works that we do… but by the loving iumeasurable kindness of God.
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