Sermon Tone Analysis

*Haggai 1**.*

*Intro:* Please turn to Haggai chapter one *[P]*.

For those of you who are newer to this fellowship; I have, over the past few years, been working through the Minor Prophets.

In fact, I note that it was in 2007 that I started with the book of Joel.

So we have had a fair dose of doom and gloom and judgement.

I mean, who would be a prophet?! What a miserable job!

A prophet is a man who hears from יְהוָה and then faithfully proclaims that message to the people.

And sometimes, in fact most times, the message was not that pleasant!

Furthermore, the reception they got from the people was not that pleasant – they were hated, insulted, mocked, imprisoned, and killed.

Jesus said [*Matthew 23:29-35* /“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!

For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, ‘If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’

“So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.

“Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers.

“You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?

“Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar/.]

And in [*2 Chronicles 36:15-16** *we read: /יְהוָה, the God of their fathers, sent word to them again and again by His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place; but they continually mocked the messengers of God, despised His words and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of יְהוָה arose against His people, until there was no remedy/.]

It is almost universal, this response of rejecting the message of יְהוָה’s message because they rejected יְהוָה Himself.

It all gets a bit depressing.

Now we come to the prophecy of Haggai – and it is more of the same, the rebuke of יְהוָה; but it stands out as different, refreshing and exciting – because the wonderful thing is, that the people actually responded to the prophecy, heeded what יְהוָה said, obeyed Him and His message to them.

What a wonderful difference!

Hallelujah! יְהוָה longs to bless but we prevent the blessing that could be ours by our obstinate disobedience *[P]*.

I can testify from my own experience.

I have told before of the wonderful change that the LORD made in my life when I was baptized – for years I had resisted, but when I simply obeyed, the blessing of the LORD flooded in.

What fools we are not to respond to His word.

So let us have a look at this word, this message that came to the prophet Haggai.

*Historical setting:* *[read* *Haggai 1:1* /In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of יְהוָה came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying,/].

Oops, I have stopped mid-sentence!

Well, before we look at the message, what יְהוָה said, we need to look at its setting, the context.

Who was it to?

When was it written?

It makes no sense unless you understand the background.

And that is what Haggai does – he fixes his message securely in a specific historical setting.

How carefully and precisely this prophecy is fixed in history, right down to the exact day – it is just like an official document.

It was the word of יְהוָה – a message from יְהוָה Himself!

This is a thing of great moment and importance and it was set on record, an abiding witness.

The date it was received is given and the political setting described.

“/The second year that Darius was king/” – not only the year but the exact date: “/the first day of the sixth month/.”

This is anchored precisely in a specific moment in history.

We are quick to take Scripture to ourselves, but before we apply it we must understand its historical context.

We have other historical characters: Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, who was governor of Judah; and someone called Joshua, who was son of Jehozadak, who was the high priest.

We have a specific date and four historical characters.

Who were they and what is their significance?

Before we look at the prophecy, I need to give a little history lesson *[P]*.

I hated history at school; I never took it as a subject because you had to write too much.

I was lazy and preferred a subject where you could dash down a formula or an equation.

But subsequently I have developed quite a fascination with history; perhaps because, with increasing age, I am becoming more historical myself.

But history is important!

Many books of doctrinal theses and systematic theology have been written – but not by God! Have you ever noted that when God wanted to reveal Himself to man He did not give a theological treatise.

Here in the Scriptures we have the revelation of God, the only accurate, reliable and infallible record we have.

All we know about God is here – and what is it?

The majority of it is history!

– A record of God’s dealings in the lives of His people.

God acts in history *[P]*, in the lives of human beings, through events – and through that interaction we come to know of His character and nature.

Not by going to Bible college, not by studying doctrine, not by learning theology – but in the practical acts of everyday life.

Last time I spoke about the earthquake – God acted in history – we need to discern what He is saying through His acts – so, a little history lesson.

How far back do I go?

• *Adam – disobedience brings death [P]* Well, how about Adam?

The first man in history was given a command by God not to eat from a certain tree.

He disobeyed and sin and death entered the world.

By a real incident in history we learn of God.

We learn that sin, disobedience, brings death.

• * Noah – God judges sin [P]* Well, that sin passed down to all Adam’s of offspring, they became so corrupt that God decided to wipe out man, whom He had created.

He preserved righteous Noah and his family.

We see from a real event in history that God judges sin but preserves the righteous.

We learn the principle that righteousness comes by faith.

• * Abraham – יְהוָה’s call and promise [P]* But again, man was corrupt, rejected God and the knowledge of God was all but gone from mankind.

It would be lost altogether but God chose a man for Himself, to keep the knowledge of יְהוָה and pass it on to his descendants.

He called Abraham.

We see God’s sovereign grace.

God made a promise to Abraham and a covenant.

A promise to give him offspring and a land.

A specific piece of real estate.

I have a colleague at work who attempts to spiritualize the Bible and not take it literally – but you cannot get around the fact that the purposes of God center around a certain piece of land.

Abraham believed God’s promise and it was credited to him as righteousness.

From real life events in history, the sacrifice of God’s own Son was foretold.

God reveals Himself through history.

• * The Exodus – יְהוָה redeemed the nation Israel to Himself [P] *From Abraham, miraculously, a line of descendants came.

God called them and revealed Himself to them.

He made a promise to give them a land and to make them a nation through which the world would be blessed.

One of Abraham’s descendants, Jacob, went to Egypt with his family because of a famine, and there they remained.

There they multiplied and grew in number.

They were oppressed by the pharaoh and subjugated in slavery.

But God never forgot His promise.

He redeemed this people out of Egypt with mighty miracles.

He purchased a people for Himself and made them into a nation – the people of Israel.

So much of God is revealed – His loving-kindness, His covenant, the Law, redemption, His faithfulness, His power.

God revealed who He is through acting in real life events in history.

• * Conquering Canaan – יְהוָה gave the Promised Land [P] *יְהוָה did mighty things for His people, not that they appreciated them – they were inveterate grumblers.

But despite this, despite their disobedience, and lack of faith; יְהוָה faithfully kept His promise and brought them into the Promised Land.

By His mighty power they conquered nations and יְהוָה gave them the land, the physical territory that He had promised to Abraham.

• * Judges – rejection of God’s rule [P]* Here they were a nation, with a land of their own, a plentiful land.

God had done wonders for them and yet they rejected Him.

They disobeyed His commands and mixed with the people of the land, embracing their idolatrous gods.

Time and again they turned away; and patiently, mercifully יְהוָה would send deliverers.

We see the obdurate, godless heart of man and the patience of God.

• * Monarchy – establishing the Messianic line [P]* Finally, they rejected God’s rule altogether and demanded a king.

Yet still יְהוָה had not abandoned His people and He raised up a king after His own heart – David, from whose line the promised Messiah, deliverer would come.

• * Israel~/Judah – nation divided because of idolatry [P] *All was on track, there was hope, it was the zenith of the nation!

But this united nation, under the Davidic dynasty, only lasted 80 short years.

The rot set in so quickly.