Dancing in the Darkness

Prayer

[Hag 2:1-9 NLT] 1 Then on October 17 of that same year, the LORD sent another message through the prophet Haggai.

2 "Say this to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of God's people there in the land:

3 'Does anyone remember this house--this Temple--in its former splendor? How, in comparison, does it look to you now? It must seem like nothing at all! (Uptown)

4 But now the LORD says: Be strong, Zerubbabel. Be strong, Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people still left in the land. And now get to work, for I am with you, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. (Uptown)

5 My Spirit remains among you, just as I promised when you came out of Egypt. So do not be afraid.'

6 "For this is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: In just a little while I will again shake the heavens and the earth, the oceans and the dry land.

7 I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will be brought to this Temple. I will fill this place with glory, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies.

8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies.

9 The future glory of this Temple will be greater than its past glory, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. And in this place I will bring peace. I, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, have spoken!" (Uptown)

Introduction

Historical Context Note: Significance of October 17, 520 BC (2–3 min)

v.1 gives an exact date → 21st of Tishri → last day of Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot).

Meaning of Feast: celebration of God’s presence in wilderness. (After the Exile - Post Exilic)

Yet while the nation celebrated, the builders were discouraged and grieving progress.

They were constantly comparing the new to the yesterday

How the Temple is shaping up now compared to how it used to look

Side Note: This is why you gotta be all in with the Lord

The enemy never stops coming

Everytime you experience a victory, the enemy says.… “Oh, I got a problem for that”

“Remember back then though...this is awful

Re-emphasize..

1. The magnitude of the Exodus

2. The significance of the celebration

3. The very real - ever present - discouragement, in the face of the celebration!

Let me make that more plain for you

Whenever there is a shaking of God..there is a before, during and after!

In the book of Exodus, we see a shaking of God...

Before the shaking… Israelites were in slavery..they cried out to God about their mistreatment.…

Park here and note… It may look like all hope is Lost but God hears you! He sees what's going on! In due time he will produce a shaking!

Exodus 2:24 Says “And God heard their groaning...”

During the shaking… God anointed Moses to Go tell the Pharoah to “Let my people go!”,,,The Red Sea was parted...yall know the story

After the shaking… There was joy and praise for a while… Moses and Miriam even led a victory song

But soon after there was fear and complaints

There will always be Israel before the Exodus and after the Exodus

During the Civil Rights Movement, we see a shaking of God

Before the shaking… Rights were not afforded to Blacks

During the shaking… Dr. King lead the movement, was killed

After the shaking..… Black were afforded rights that were not allowed to them prior

We existed in a state of mixed emotions.… hard fought rights won..but the loss of the man who lead the movement

There will always be a United States before the Civil Rights Movement and after the Civil Rights Movement

There will always be a United States before and after to pandemic

And yes, we are in the midst of a shaking right now

There will always be a United States before and after this administration

What God is Saying in Verse 6

6 "For this is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: In just a little while I will again shake the heavens and the earth, the oceans and the dry land.

What Does “Shaking” Mean in the Bible? What are the signs of a shaking?

1. Divine Disruption

God shakes things up to interrupt what is broken.

He won’t let evil systems, corrupt empires, or stagnant faith stay comfortable.

✅ Biblical example: God shook Egypt to dismantle oppression (Exodus 7–12).

Application: When injustice or stagnation goes on too long, God sends disruption.

2. Spiritual Awakening

Shaking wakes people up.

Haggai preached to people who stopped building and got spiritually lazy.

God shook their circumstances to call them back to purpose.

Application: When God shakes your life, He might be trying to wake you up to calling.

3. Judgment Against Evil

Shaking is also God’s judgment against what opposes Him.

He shakes to remove idols and corrupt structures.

Application: Shaking exposes every false foundation—only truth survives.

4. Preparation for Glory

Shaking makes room for God’s glory.

Haggai 2:7 – God will shake nations so that His glory can fill the house.

Before God builds something new, He often shakes down the old.

Application: Shaking isn’t just destructive—it’s preparation for transformation.

5. Revealing What’s Real (Exposure)

What is going on is so clear that it can’t be denied

Remember the days when you were just experiencing racisim apologetically -and-

When you bring it up… people deny, deny deny, gaslight and try to play jeddi mind tricks?

Now it’s just in our face, unapologically, national in scope

God! Is revealing, what is real!

God is exposing foundations

Shaking separates the fake from the faithful.

Hebrews 12:27 – you see a shaking happens so that what is unshakable may remain.

True faith survives shaking. Convenience faith does not.

Application: Crisis reveals character. Tests expose foundations.

I SUBMIT TO YOU THAT TODAY WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF A SHAKING OF GOD.

🔥 Summary Definition

A shaking of God is a divine intervention that disrupts, awakens, judges, purifies, and prepares people and nations for God’s glory.

You see..Rebuilding after loss, injustice, pandemic, violence, racism, betrayal—modern Jerusalem moments.

You have to see whats happening right now for what it is..… A SHAKING!

When a shaking of God is happening around us—

when God is disrupting, exposing, and shifting things—

it does not feel comfortable.

In fact, a real shaking often brings emotional and spiritual turbulence.

Scripture and human experience show that when God shakes things, people feel a range of emotions.

Fear: The familiar is falling apart; loss of control

Confusion: We don’t fully understand what God is doing

Anxiety: Shaking often impacts finances, relationships, security

Frustration: Change is hard and inconvenient

Loss or grief: Things and people we relied on get removed

Anger: We feel life has become unfair or unstable

Loneliness: Shaking sometimes isolates us from people

Weariness: Continuous spiritual battles exhaust us

Psalm 13 – “How long, O Lord?”

When we are experiencing a shaking, and we are experiencing these emotions (repeat emotions)

And we are trying to move forward, in the face of evil opposition

Dr. Otis Moss III, Pastor of Trinity United in Chicago, calls this...DANCING IN THE DARKNESS!

In his book of the same title, in the preface, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson puts it like this....

He tells the story about a daughter complaining to her mother about some trouble she was experiening in life

The mother led the daughter to the kitchen and boiled 3 separate pots of water.

In one pot of boiling water she placed carrots

In another pot of boiling water she placed eggs

In a 3rd pot of boiling water she placed coffee beans

After a while she placed the contents in a bowl

explaining to her daughter that they had all been subjected to the same adverse condition

Carrots: Once strong, hard and unbending became soft and weak

Eggs: Once fragile, protected by a thin shell became hardened by the heat

Coffee Beans: The consistency of the coffee beans remained the same...but instead of being changed by the boiling water they produced coffee with a rich aroma

Moss is basically saying in this master piece, when experiencing a shaking:

We must not be carrots, that start tough but end up soft

Nor eggs that get hardened by terrifying experiences

But we should be coffee beans that change the cultures and peoples we encounter!

Dancing in the Darkness

I want to highlight 3 points that Moss gives us when charged with Dancing in the Darkness

Point 1: Dr. Moss says, Consecrate the Chaos (6–7 min)

V 4 “Be strong… Get to work, for I am with you.” – Haggai 2:4

Explanation:

Otis Moss III teaches: Chaos is holy ground when surrendered to God.

Chaos doesn’t cancel calling—God can build on broken ground. (light unpack)

God doesn’t remove their mess—He works in it. (light unpack)

Scripture Support:

Genesis 1:2 – God creates out of chaos.

Psalm 46:1 – “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

Isaiah 43:2 – “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.”

Application Notes:

Stop waiting for perfect conditions—God builds in unfinished places.

Consecrate your chaos → pray in it, build through it, trust God with it.

Pulpit Line:

“The storm may be around me, but it doesn’t control the God within me!”

Point 2: Dr. Moss says, Redirect Your Rage (6–7 min)

“Be strong… all you people still left in the land.” – Haggai 2:4

Explanation:

Rage is real: frustration, anger, injustice, setbacks.

But God doesn’t tell them to ignore it—He redirects it.

Moss: “Anger is a divine spark—but it must be aimed at purpose.”

Scripture Support:

Ephesians 4:26 – “Be angry, but sin not.”

Psalm 137 – righteous grief after trauma.

Nehemiah 4:17 – “They built with one hand and fought with the other.”

Application Notes:

Turn anger into action, pain into power, frustration into fuel.

Reject paralysis—build anyway.

Pulpit Line:

“If the devil thought your pain would stop you, he’s about to be disappointed!”

Point 3: Dr. Moss says, Rework Your Origin Story (6–7 min)

“The future glory of this Temple will be greater than its past…” – Haggai 2:9

Explanation:

Moss: Don’t let trauma write your story—let God redeem it. (park here...light unpack...all things work together...)

Israel’s identity wasn’t exile—it was covenant. (park)

God reframed their story: glory was coming, not gone. (expand)

Scripture Support:

Romans 8:28 – all things work together.

2 Corinthians 5:17 – new creation.

Philippians 1:6 – “He who began a good work…”

Application:

Stop calling yourself by your wounds—call yourself by your assignment.

Don’t edit God out of your story—the best chapters are still ahead.

You see to properly dance in the Darkness you must understand what “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies” Means?

🔥 Layers of Meaning in “Lord of Heaven’s Armies” or “Lord of Hosts”

1. God as Supreme Warrior-King

The term “armies” (sabaoth) refers to angelic hosts—a divine army under God's command.

Emphasizes His sovereign power in war and history

Declares that no human empire (Babylon, Persia, etc.) can resist His will

💡 Message to Israel: Even though they were weak and under Persian rule, they were backed by God’s cosmic power.

2. God is the Commander of Cosmic Forces

The title includes all forces under God’s control:

Angelic armies (2 Kings 6:17)

Stars and celestial beings (Psalm 33:6)

The powers of creation itself

💡 This means God doesn’t just rule Israel, just rule the United states—He rules the universe.

3. Covenant Protector of His People

This name reassured Israel that:

God fights for them (Exodus 14:14)

God keeps covenant promises

His presence = their victory

Notice the connection in Haggai 2:4:

“Get to work… for I am with you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. God doesn’t just command them—He partners with them in the mission.

Celebration (5–6 min)

Tie to Christ:

He shows us how to dance in darkness:

Born in darkness → Bethlehem

Ministered in darkness → oppression, rejection

Crucified in darkness → Friday

But rose in glory → Sunday!

The after!

Call to Action:

Consecrate your chaos.

Redirect your rage.

Rework your origin story.

Keep building—glory is coming.

Metaphor: A Husband Leading His Wife in a Dance - Father in Law Story

In dance—especially a partnered dance like the waltz, salsa, or ballroom—the husband (or lead partner) gently guides his wife (or follow partner). A few key truths about dancing bring this metaphor alive:

The leader sets direction

God redirects Israel’s discouraged steps

The follower must trust

Israel is called to trust God despite how things look

Movement requires closeness

God promises His presence: “I am with you”

Timing matters

God's shaking and timing bring a greater glory

Graceful movement emerges through unity

God invites His people back into covenant harmony

🔥 Connecting the Metaphor Directly

A dance starts in connection!

God is calling His people back into covenant connection—“I am with you.”

The follower doesn’t always know the next move!

but she trusts the lead’s hands.

Movement often begins slowly and awkwardly!

Rebuilding the Temple felt slow and discouraging.

But like a couple learning a new dance, small steps lead to beautiful motion

God promises, “The latter glory will be greater.”

🔊 Sermonic Tie-In

“When a husband takes his wife by the hand and leads her in a dance, he’s not pulling her by force—he’s inviting her to move with him.

This is how God works...He leads with love, with presence, with rhythm.

And she follows not because she is weak, but because she trusts his direction.

In Haggai 2, God takes Israel by the hand on the rubble-strewn dance floor of broken dreams and says, ‘Fear not—I am with you.

Don’t stop building, don’t stop moving. Trust my lead.

The glory that is coming is greater than what you lost.

During times of shaking.... God is inviting His people to dance!

Closing lines (Cadence): So what am I saying

Don’t wait for the light—dance in the darkness!

Don’t wait for the victory—praise on credit!

Don’t wait for breakthrough—build while believing!

The writer of Nehemiah puts it like this:

I build with one hand, and fight with the other!

Because if God is with you—you’re already standing in glory’s shadow!

Now Give God praise—because glory is on the way!

Praise Him for not where we are but where we are headed!

Praise Him on credit!

Praise Him for the shaking!

Praise Him for the transparency! The revealing of wickedness!

Praise Him for showing you that were were not crazy!

You were not making it up!

It was what is was! It is what it is! Its being revealed right now!

Praise Him for the shaking!