The Hope of Restoration - Haggai 2:10-23

Zechariah 4:6 ESV

Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.

Colossians 1:28 ESV

Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.

PRAY

Replace yourself!

Pg. 6

INTRO

In our pre-children days we made an IKEA run.

It was there that my wife made the decision to get a cream colored couch.

Fast forward to the present.

The other night our son ran around outside jumping in puddles and then running through freshly cut grass.

When he came inside, can you guess where he went first?

Yup…the couch

He was running around on it.

Grassy muddy footprints on our couch.

Let’s talk about the power of dirt.

One drop of motor oil can ruin a whole gallon of water

Isn’t that crazy?

ON the other hand no matter how much water you mix with motor oil you can’t make it drinkable.

Think about when kids touch a wall with dirty hands—they leave a smudge every time.

But when someone with clean hands touches the wall, it doesn’t magically clean it.

Dirt spreads; cleanliness doesn’t.

And it’s the same in our lives—one wrong choice can mess up an otherwise spotless record, but doing one good deed doesn’t suddenly make someone pure.

So, how do you clean up a messy, broken life?

The world offers a million options: programs to fix everything from addiction to anxiety, shelves full of self-help books, and therapists ready to help you unpack your past.

There’s a whole industry built on trying to put our lives back together.

And it’s no wonder why—life is messy.

We all know it.

God intended for holiness and happiness to go hand in hand, so it’s no surprise that when we stray from holiness, we find ourselves unhappy and hurting.

But here’s the deal—just because you pursue holiness doesn’t mean life will be a cakewalk.

This world is broken, and living a holy life here can bring opposition and even suffering.

The wicked sometimes seem to get ahead, as the psalmist noticed.

But look around—we’re all damaged, defiled by sin, and we’re living out the consequences.

It shows up in our marriages, our families, and all the ways we try to deal with life’s struggles.

We’re broken, and that brokenness spills over, hurting us and the people around us.

It’s into this we come to the end of our short look at Haggai.

Recap:

People returned from Babylonian Captivity

Grew complacent in rebuilding the temple and began building their own homes.

Life became difficult.

Haggai comes with a call to repent and rebuild the temple

The people obey and begin the work

They grew discouraged when they saw it wouldn’t be as amazing as they hoped

God encourages their weary hearts with his abiding presence and promise of future hope

Now we come to the last two prophetic words from Haggai.

They happen on the same day and they speak to this idea of the brokenness, the dirtiness.

But the thread I want you to be on the lookout for as we work through the text is restoration.

That is our Big Idea.

Big Idea: Jesus Brings Restoration

So let’s walk through this together and see first a defiled people.

1. A Defiled People (Haggai 2:10-14)

Haggai 2:10–14 (ESV)

On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Ask the priests about the law: ‘If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy?’ ” The priests answered and said, “No.” Then Haggai said, “If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?” The priests answered and said, “It does become unclean.” Then Haggai answered and said, “So is it with this people, and with this nation before me, declares the Lord, and so with every work of their hands. And what they offer there is unclean.

Makes total sense right?

If you are like me you need to read that a couple of times to try and wrap your mind around what in the world Haggai is talking about.

Haggai is using an object lesson to show that holiness doesn't transfer to the third degree, but things that are defiled, things that are unclean make everything unclean.

Once again God is challenging the people.

He again says, “This people” not “My People”

And we have to wonder why?

Aren’t they doing the work?

The point is they were obedient to the task not to the relationship.

God is not after your begrudging submission he is after your heart.

God, through the prophet Haggai, speaks directly to the priests to expose the depth of the nation’s sin.

He wants them to grasp this crucial truth: holiness doesn’t spread by contact, but unholiness does.

So, God starts with a question about consecrated meat.

He’s not asking because He needs an answer—He’s asking to make sure the priests feel the full weight of what’s happening.

Then, He takes it a step further, comparing their actions to a corpse.

He wants them to understand that just as a corpse defiles anyone who touches it, their sin has made them spiritually dead and defiled, contaminating everything they do.

God is leading them down this path to show them the severity of their situation.

The comparison to a corpse drives home two painful truths.

First, their sin has killed them spiritually—they’re not just wounded; they’re dead.

Second, because they’re spiritually dead and defiled, all their religious activity is pointless until they repent and turn back to God.

Here’s what God is illustrating for them, and it’s a truth that echoes throughout all of Scripture:

our sin has separated us from God, leaving us spiritually dead.

No amount of religious activity, no number of good deeds, can bridge that gap until we come to a place of repentance.

This is the stark reality that God wanted Israel to face—and it’s a reality we all must confront.

No matter how hard they worked or how devoted they seemed, their efforts were utterly worthless without repentance.

Verse 14 drives this home, showing that not only were the people themselves defiled, but everything they did—their work, their worship, their lives—was also tainted.

This had to be a devastating realization, especially for those who took pride in their identity as God’s chosen people.

They believed their status as children of God gave them security, yet God was revealing that their confidence was misplaced.

Paul, in his letter to Timothy, paints a similar picture 2 Timothy 3:1-5

2 Timothy 3:1–5 (ESV)

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

He describes a list of the most depraved behaviors you can imagine.

But here’s the twist—these aren’t just outsiders Paul is talking about.

Notice how he ends: "having the appearance of godliness, but denying it’s power” He’s describing people within the church, those who look like they have it all together on the outside but are completely missing the mark on the inside.

These are people who think they’re part of God’s family, yet their lives are full of sin.

Listen to what Jesus says to the Pharisees: Matthew 23:27

Matthew 23:27 (ESV)

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.

Here’s the challenge for us today: It’s easy to get caught up in the appearance of godliness—to look the part, to do the right things, to say the right words—but all of that is meaningless without true repentance.

We can put on a good show, but if our hearts aren’t right with God, if we’re holding onto sin while pretending to be holy, we’re no better off than the Israelites who thought their status alone could save them.

This is where the rubber meets the road.

Are we relying on our religious activities, our church attendance, our moral behavior to make us right with God?

Or are we willing to confront the sin in our hearts, to repent, and to truly seek transformation through the power of the Holy Spirit?

Don’t be content with just looking godly—let’s allow God to cleanse us from the inside out, so that our lives reflect genuine faith and repentance.

Only then will our works be pleasing to God, and only then will we experience the fullness of His grace.

The only way we come to God is if Jesus makes us clean!

We need to be completely changed.

Illustration - Cracked Foundation

When Hannah and I were looking to buy a house we went and looked at a house that we both really liked. It had a really big basement, a great back deck.

We were thinking this could really be it.

One problem though, there was a crack in the foundation.

If the foundation has a significant crack then you have significant problem.

It’s not something you can see easily, and it doesn’t affect the appearance of the house right away.

But over time, as the house settles, that crack begins to spread.

The walls start to shift, the floors become uneven, and eventually, the entire structure is compromised.

No matter how beautiful the house looks on the outside, the hidden crack in the foundation will eventually cause the whole thing to collapse.

And unless that foundation is repaired, no amount of superficial fixes—no new paint, no new decor—will keep the house standing.

The same is true of our hearts.

We can look great on the outside—attending church, saying the right things, doing good deeds—but if there’s a crack in our foundation, if our hearts aren’t right with God, it’s only a matter of time before everything comes crashing down.

True repentance is the only way to repair that foundation, but it's not something we can do on our own.

It’s not about covering up the cracks; it’s about coming to Jesus, the only one who can truly save us and make us clean,

He has to rebuild us from the inside out.

Repentance is a plant that never grows on nature’s dung-hill. The nature must be changed, and repentance must be implanted by the Holy Spirit, or it will never flourish in our hearts.

Charles Spurgeon

As we move from recognizing our defiled condition, the next question is this:

What happens when we turn back to God in true repentance?

We see next in our text, God shows us that while our sin has brought defilement and brokenness,

His grace is ready to pour out blessing on those who return to Him.

Let's explore what it means to be a blessed people, not because of our efforts, but because of God’s unmerited favor.

2. A Blessed People (Haggai 2:15-19)

Haggai 2:15–19 (ESV)

Now then, consider from this day onward. Before stone was placed upon stone in the temple of the Lord, how did you fare? When one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were but ten. When one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were but twenty. I struck you and all the products of your toil with blight and with mildew and with hail, yet you did not turn to me, declares the Lord. Consider from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. Since the day that the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid, consider: Is the seed yet in the barn? Indeed, the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have yielded nothing. But from this day on I will bless you.”

How do we, as broken people, truly receive the blessing of God?

Just as holiness wasn’t transferred by mere contact in Haggai’s day, so too, being around the things of God won’t make us holy.

Growing up in a Christian home or attending church doesn’t automatically result in a relationship with God.

Holiness and transformation come not through proximity, but through union with Christ.

Ok let’s do a little theological work.

Union with Christ means that believers are spiritually united with Jesus through the Holy Spirit and faith.

This union is the foundation for receiving all the benefits of salvation, like forgiveness, righteousness, and eternal life.

It signifies a deep connection where believers share in everything Christ has accomplished—His death, resurrection, and ongoing life.

This relationship is essential for understanding how believers are justified, sanctified, and glorified in their walk with God.

But some days it’s hard to see that reality isnt it?

Just like the people of Haggai’s day, we’re often called to trust in what we can’t see, to believe in promises that seem far off.

God asked them to look around and consider the seed—still in the barn, the harvest not yet visible.

It was the middle of the growing season, but the fulfillment of the promise wasn’t in sight.

Yet, God declared that blessing was on the way, even though nothing had sprouted above the soil.

It’s this tension of waiting, of trusting that God is at work, that resonates so deeply with our lives today.

Here’s the thing: God’s work in our lives often moves at a pace that feels painfully slow, like watching a tree grow.

The roots are spreading out beneath the surface, deep and unseen, long before we ever see a single leaf.

But make no mistake—God is at work.

In the same way that a tree’s roots prepare it for the seasons to come, God is growing something strong and enduring in us, even when all we see is bare ground.

Union with Christ is the anchor in this process.

When we’re united with Him, we’re connected to this slow, steady work of God.

It’s not always flashy; it’s not always visible.

Sometimes it feels like we’re just sitting in the dirt, waiting for something—anything—to break through.

But it’s in those quiet, hidden places that God is doing His most profound work, shaping us, forming us, preparing us for the fullness of His promises.

And just like the people in Haggai’s time, we’re living in that tension of the “now” and the “not yet.”

The blessings are promised, but the harvest hasn’t come.

We may not see the fruit today, but we know that God is faithful, that His covenant promises are being fulfilled in Jesus. T

he same God who worked in the hidden places of history to bring about our Savior is working in the hidden places of our lives right now.

So we keep trusting, we keep obeying, and we keep walking forward. We may not see the harvest yet, but we know the roots are growing.

We know that God’s promises are as sure today as they were in Haggai’s day.

And through it all, we trust His sovereign hand, knowing that He is always working, even when we can’t see it.

Illustration - Skyscraper

I’ll never forget the first time I went to NY I was overwhelmed.

Walking around I couldn’t help but be blown away.

I remember seeing the new world trade center being built.

They started in 2006 but it wasn’t opened until near the end of 2014.

I remember talking to my friend Matt about it taking a long time.

He said, “yeah when they started they were doing the underground work forever

That’s the way it is with sky scrapers…Before anything impressive appears above ground, there's a long, unseen process happening below the surface.

Workers dig deep into the earth, laying a foundation that is strong enough to support the towering structure that will eventually rise above the city skyline.

This process takes time, effort, and precision.

From street level, it might look like nothing is happening for months, but all the while, the most crucial work is taking place underground.

It’s only after the foundation is solidly in place that the building begins to rise.

And when it does, it grows quickly and powerfully, reaching heights that are only possible because of the deep, unseen work that happened first.

In our lives, God often works like this.

There are seasons where it seems like nothing is happening, where our efforts feel unnoticed and the promises of God seem far off.

But during these times, God is laying the foundation.

He’s working in ways we cannot see, preparing us for something greater.

Just as a skyscraper needs a deep foundation to support its height, our lives need a deep, unseen work of God through our union with Christ to support the blessings and growth He has in store for us.

We might be in a season where it seems like everything is still underground, where we don’t yet see the fruit of our faith and obedience.

But just as the foundation is crucial to the skyscraper, this hidden work is vital to what God is building in our lives.

We can trust that, in His perfect time, the results will be visible, and the blessings will rise.

As we trust in God's hidden work and the blessings that follow obedience, we see that His ultimate plan is not just to bless us temporarily,

but to fully restore us as His people, bringing us into the fullness of His promises.

Let’s see third A Restored People

3. A Restored People (Haggai 2:20-23)

Haggai 2:20–23 (ESV)

The word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I am about to shake the heavens and the earth, and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and overthrow the chariots and their riders. And the horses and their riders shall go down, every one by the sword of his brother. On that day, declares the Lord of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the Lord, and make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the Lord of hosts.”

In the final verses of Haggai, God delivers a powerful message to Israel, and specifically to Zerubbabel, their leader.

After a season of sin and repentance, God promises three profound blessings:

the restoration of power, the reign of peace, and His abiding presence.

This future intervention is foreshadowed in the person of Zerubbabel.

Zerubbabel might have seemed like an insignificant government official in an obscure province, a descendant of a royal line that had been cast off and rejected by God, as seen in Jeremiah 22:24-25

Jeremiah 22:24–25 (ESV)

“As I live, declares the Lord, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet ring on my right hand, yet I would tear you off and give you into the hand of those who seek your life, into the hand of those of whom you are afraid, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of the Chaldeans.

It appeared that all hope was lost for the line of David, with Jehoiakim's downfall marking the end of their royal significance.

But in a beautiful act of restoration, God chose Zerubbabel, a seemingly insignificant figure, to carry out a significant task.

Through Zerubbabel, God was restoring what seemed utterly lost, renewing His covenant promises, and bringing hope back to the people.

As a faithful son of David, Zerubbabel became a symbol of God's unwavering faithfulness, a sign that His promises to David were being fulfilled once again (Haggai 2:23).

Yet, Zerubbabel was more than just a symbol for his time;

he pointed forward to the Greater Son of David, Jesus.

Jesus, like Zerubbabel, came in a position that the world did not respect.

He humbled Himself, taking the form of a servant, and was faithful even unto death.

On the cross, Jesus looked more like a new Jehoiakim, cast off by God, than a new Zerubbabel, God’s chosen servant.

But underneath God’s temporary rejection of His Anointed was an eternal promise that could not be broken.

Just as the sins of the Davidic kings brought exile and destruction on their subjects, so now the righteous death of this Davidic King brings life to all who trust in Him.

As we come to the close of this short book, we realize that the end of Haggai’s prophecy is really the promise of a new beginning.

The day the foundation of the temple was laid, God spoke not only of the rebuilding of a physical structure but of the coming of the ultimate cornerstone, Jesus Christ.

Zerubbabel’s role was not just to restore the temple; he was a shadow of the One who would restore all things.

His inclusion in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel reminds us that God’s covenant promises are sure and steadfast, fulfilled in Christ, the true signet, the true servant, and the ultimate fulfillment of every promise.

What began as a kingdom in ruins ends with the promise of a restored, thriving kingdom, not just for Zerubbabel, but for all who are in Christ.

This is the power of God’s redemptive work—a promise that was, is, and always will be fulfilled through Jesus Christ, our King.

God’s faithfulness to Zerubbabel is a reminder of His unchanging faithfulness to us, and it calls us to trust in the One who has been faithful from the beginning and will be faithful to the end.

CONCLUSION

Illustration - Heart Surgery

When my oldest brother Drew was 12 he had to have open heart surgery.

Surgery in the early 90s was different than it is now. He has a huge scar down his chest.

Those who have experienced a surgery like my brothers describe the experience vividly.

I read one story of a man who talked about how much his nurse meant to him.

The day before his surgery, a nurse came into his room.

She took his hand and asked him to hold it, saying, “Tomorrow, during the surgery tomorrow you will be disconnected from your heart and you will be kept alive only by virtue of certain machines.

And when your heart is finally restored and the operation is over and you are recovering, you will up in a recovery room.

But here’s the thing—you won’t be able to move, speak, or even open your eyes for several hours.

You’ll be conscious, aware of everything happening around you, but completely helpless.

During that time, I’ll be right there, holding your hand, just like I am now.

Even though you may feel utterly helpless, you’ll know that I’m with you, and I won’t leave you until you’re fully recovered.”

The next day, the surgery went as planned.

When the man awoke, just as the nurse had said, he couldn’t move or speak.

He was fully aware but felt completely powerless.

But then, he felt it—the nurse’s hand in his, just as she promised.

She was there, staying by his side, and that made all the difference.

In his most vulnerable state, the promise of her presence brought him comfort and assurance.

Sometimes, we find ourselves in situations where we feel helpless, where we can’t see God’s hand or understand what He’s doing.

But just like that nurse promised to stay by the patient’s side, God promises to be with us, even in our darkest moments.

Jesus is our hope of restoration—the One who comes alongside us, holding us, guiding us, and never leaving us, no matter how helpless we feel.

The promises of God, fulfilled in Jesus, are not just about a future hope—they are about His presence with us right now.

As we face the uncertainties and challenges of life, we can hold onto the assurance that Jesus is with us, fulfilling every promise, restoring what is broken, and bringing us into the fullness of His grace.

Even when we feel powerless, His presence makes all the difference.

How does seeing your own sinfulness help you value God’s grace more? Think about times when God pursued you, even when you were far from Him.

Are there "cracks in your foundation" that need to be addressed? How can you invite Jesus to rebuild you from the inside out?

How does knowing that Christ fulfills God’s promises change the way you find hope and purpose in your life today?

What areas of your life need to be fully surrendered to God’s restorative work? How can you respond in obedience and trust as you see God’s hand restoring and renewing you?

COMMUNION

Fence

AS YOU TAKE - Lewis Bayly

When the minister bids you take and eat the bread, think that Christ himself comes to you, and gives to your faith his very body and blood, with all the merits of his death and passion.

He feeds your soul to eternal life, just as surely as the minister offers the outward signs that feed your body to this temporal life.

When you take the bread, rouse your soul to see Christ by faith, and apply his merits to heal your miseries.

Embrace Christ as sweetly by faith in the sacrament, as Simeon hugged him in his swaddling clothes.

As you eat the bread, imagine you see Christ hanging upon the cross, fully satisfying God's justice for your sins.

And strive to partake of the spiritual grace, for Christ gives himself to every soul that spiritually receives him by faith, not by coming down out of heaven to you, but by lifting you up from the earth to him.

When you take the cup, remember that Christ's blood is the seal of the new covenant that God has made to forgive the sins of penitent sinners who believe in the merits of Christ's shed blood.

As you drink the cup, meditate and believe that by the merits of Christ's blood shed on the cross, all your sins are as surely forgiven, just as surely as you have drunk the cup.

As you feel the cup warming your cold stomach, endeavour to feel the Holy Spirit cherishing your soul in the joyful assurance of the forgiveness of all your sins, by the merit of the blood of Christ.

Just as it is impossible to separate the bread and cup digested in the blood and substance of your body, so it is impossible to part Christ from your soul, or your soul from Christ.

Then lift your mind to consider Christ at God's right hand, interceding for you by presenting to his Father the invaluable merits of his death.

Finally, as you have shared one loaf, remember you are part of one body, the church, and therefore you must love every Christian as yourself, as a member of your body.

Come take eat and drink…stand as we sing.

PRAYER

Ryan Walker - Refuge Church

For their college ministry efforts

For the upcoming School Year

We continue to pray for our students - new dimensions

Pray for baby Sayler

That the church’s prayers would be infused with biblical ambitions, honesty, and humility.

BENEDICTION

The Lord be the shelter above you, the tower around you, and the rock beneath you all your days until Jesus comes. Amen.