Book of Haggai (Part 2) Biblestudy
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Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them. Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them.
The scriptures declare that Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel who was over them. After they prophesied, the Jews responded by getting back to work.
So what was said to the people that motivated them to resume the rebuilding of the Temple. Remember, that initially they were discouraged by their adversaries, residents (Samaritans and non-Jews) that had moved into Judah. Then they got comfortable and was focused on building their own homes.
So we will look at three times that God speaks to his people within a years’ time:
God speaks on August 29 of the second year of King Darius’s reign. So approximately 520 BCE. August 29, 520.
In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD’S house should be built.
Let’s stop there and resume back with this next week.
“Look what is happening to you.”
It’s just like if you have a dirty nose or something is wrong with you and you are unable to see it yourself.
We can think that we are alright.......and in reality we are dying a slow spiritual death.
They were dying a slow spiritual death. Why? Because number one, they became discouraged, number 2, they stopped working for the LORD, they stopped serving the LORD and started serving themselves. And anytime you put yourself before God.....you are on your way to dying a slow spiritual death.......and you think that you are alright......you think because things appear to be going well that everything is fine.
But that is a trick of the enemy.
“You have planted much but harvest little.”
“You eat but are not satisfied.”
“You drink but are still thirsty.”
“You put on clothes but cannot keep warm.”
“Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!”
It comes down to this simple fact.....if you are a child of God and you put yourself and other things before God, it does not matter what you do, it does not matter what you achieve, it will never be enough and you will never be satisfied.
Look at verse 10:
“It’s because of you that the heavens withhold the dew and the earth produces no crops.”
They did like most people do......they shift the blame on other things. We not getting a harvest because their is no rain, we aren’t getting production because of this or that.
And you know how we do, we start blaming everyone around us and because of our pride, ego, and stubbornness we fail to realize where the fault really lies.
And God says here in his word “It is because of you!”
Look at verse 12:
The people didn’t get mad, didn’t get in their feelings, didn’t say Imma stop coming to church because the preacher is preaching on me. NO!!!
They heard the word.....then they obeyed the word of the LORD. And they forgot about themselves, they forgot about their fine houses......and they put God back in his proper place......THEY PUT THE LORD FIRST!!!
And you know what happened next?
Verse 13:
The LORD sent another word......after they repented......after they got right with the LORD......the LORD said “I am with you!” I got you.....I got your back.....I’m going to make sure you succeed.
And then the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, he sparked enthusiasm in Zerubbabel and in Jeshua, and in the whole remnant of God’s people. And they started to build the house!
That’s what we need.......some people have lost their enthusiasm. And you’ve lost it because you were discouraged, you lost it because you started looking out for yourselves and doing what you thought was right in your own eyes......but you lost your zeal for serving God.
Chapter 2
Then the LORD speaks again, two months later October 17, 520 BCE.
The Lord asks a question in verse 3:
“Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? Is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?”
The Lord asks who remembers the Temple that Solomon built? The house that Solomon built was a great, grand, and splendid house. Many of the older remnant were discouraged because this new temple that they were building was nothing in comparison to the old temple.
Matter of fact, it was a struggle to get good supplies to rebuild the temple.
But then in verse 4, the LORD tells Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and all the people left in the land to work on the temple “Be strong”, do the work......and don’t worry about your supplies.
My spirit is with you just as I promised when you came out of Egypt. I know you have faced some turmoil, I know you have faced some opposition, you have a task and it seems like you don’t know how you are going to complete it.....you have a need and you don’t know where the need is going to come from.
Verse 6:
For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;
The Lord said, “I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land.” I’m going to move on your behalf.
You’ve been held up.....but I’m going to start moving things.
Progress has been held up.....but I’m getting ready to move some things.
Things are being withheld from you.....but I’m getting ready to move!
Verse 7:
I will shake all the nations......you don’t have it right now.....but I’m getting ready to shake the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will be brought to this Temple.
Verse 8:
The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the LORD of Heaven’s army.
It doesn’t belong to the nations.....God says it belongs to me.
It doesn’t belong to the bank.....God says it belongs to me.
It doesn’t belong to your job.....God says it belongs to me!
The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof and they that dwell within.
God is going to make a way.......God is going to make provision. It might not look like much right now.....but when God finishes....The latter house will be greater than the former house.
Verse 9:
The latter house will be greater than the former house saith the LORD of hosts. Haggai made sure to tell the people.....it’s not me saying it......it’s not me wishful thinking......God says the latter house will be greater than the former house.
Your latter days will be greater than your former days!
And then the LORD says:
He knows that there has been confusion, he knows that there has been some turmoil, he knows that there has been some opposition. People have fought against you, people have plotted against you, people have lied against you. But hear the word of the LORD:
“And in this place I will give/bring peace.”
Finally December 18th 520 BCE:
The LORD sends a question to Haggai to ask the priest of the law these questions:
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.
‘If one of you is carrying some meat from a holy sacrifice in his robes and his robe happens to brush against some bread or stew, wine or olive oil, or any other kind of food, will it also become holy?’ ”
The priests replied, “No.”
Then:
Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.
Then Haggai asked, “If someone becomes ceremonially unclean by touching a dead person and then touches any of these foods, will the food be defiled?”
And the priests answered, “Yes.”
So why does Haggai ask the priests this question? Because the LORD is giving them an illustration of how they are spiritually.
Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the LORD; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean.
Then Haggai responded, “That is how it is with this people and this nation, says the Lord. Everything they do and everything they offer is defiled by their sin.
So what is their sin?
Look at verse 15 for a clue:
And now, I pray you, consider from this day and upward, from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the LORD:
What were they doing before they laid the foundation of the Temple?
They rebuilt the altar, they reinstituted the worship of Yahweh, they started to build the foundation. However, Ezra doesn’t mention anything about a specific sin.
Nehemiah is about the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem. They did sin in that period of time because the men took foreign wives and that was a transgression of the law of God. But this comes later.
The book of Zechariah comes after the book of Haggai from a Chronological sense. There is nothing there that clues us to what is going on.
So again what is the sin?
ANS:
They worshipped, they sacrificed, they came to church, they did in church, but their heart was not really in it.
Because if their heart was really with God, if they were really connected with God they wouldn’t have so easily gave up on rebuilding the temple.
The problem with them was that they were worshipping God to an extent while simultaneously worshipping theirselves.
Again:
Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD’S house should be built. Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?
Remember the LORD said:
Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.
“Consider your ways.” or “Look what is happening to you.”
So now the LORD says that everything they offer is defiled. Why? ANS: Because you cannot serve two masters!
What does Jesus say about this?
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
We have to die to self! That’s the whole problem right there......you can’t do you and do God at the same time. You’ve got to die to self!
It is not enough for us to talk good game and say we love God but then our actions deny Him. We have to give our whole selves to God!!!
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
When we fully give ourselves to God we will work to build his house! We will work to advance the kingdom of God.
So God says in verse 15:
That essentially you’ve only held yourselves up. Because while you were trying to do you......while you were trying to get ahead, while you were trying to be productive......I held everything up......because I was simply trying to get your attention!
Verse 16:
“You hoped for a twenty-bushel crop.....you harvested only ten, when you expected fifty gallons from the winepress, you found only twenty.”
Verse 17
“I sent blight and mildew and hail to destroy everything you worked so hard to produce, even so you refused to return to me says the LORD.”
NOTICE HERE
“yet ye turned not to me.” What is important about this stanza? It is written in past-tense.
God says I want you to remember where you were, I want you to remember the struggles you had and to understand the reason why you were struggling. God wants you to learn from your mistakes so that you don’t repeat those mistakes again.
If we are God’s children and we stray away from God, He’s going to come for you. Things are not going to work out the way that you think it should work out. You are going to struggle and you are going to endure hardships because God is trying to get your attention. He wants you to repent.
The LORD says think about this on this 18th day of December. Think carefully, remember.
Then the LORD says in verse 19:
I am giving you a promise now while the seed is still in the barn. You don’t see it yet, it has not come to fruition. You have not yet harvested your grain, and your grapevines, fig trees, pomegranates, and olive trees, have not yet produced their crops.
BUT FROM THIS DAY ONWARD......I WILL BLESS YOU!!!