The Unshakeable Kingdom brings peace

Background Info

The Israelites were back in their land after the Exile. The Return was not working out like they had hoped. The work on the Temple had been halted by opposition and they had accepted defeat.

“I guess this is just how it is going to be, so we might as well get used to it”

Since living for God wasn’t working out, they switched to working for themselves. They settled in to chase the “Jerusalem dream” - to make money and live in comfort and peace.

God, however, did not bless that approach and He had been frustrating their efforts. They were working hard, but not achieving success; they were sowing seed, but reaping no harvest; they were striving, but lacking peace and prosperity. (Haggai 1:6)

God sent His prophets, Haggai and Zephaniah, to renew the people. God got the people back on track and they started rebuilding the Temple as they had originally been charged.

Read the Text: Haggai 2:1-9

Believers can still experience discouragement, even when being obedient (Haggai 2:3)

Explanation: The people responded to the message of the prophets - they obeyed the Word of the Lord and went to work on the Temple. (Haggai 1:12-14). Their efforts, however, did not result in the expected outcome. When the foundation was finished, many of them were discouraged instead of excited - some even wept! (Ezra 3:12). Some, not all, but some were viewing it “as nothing.”

Argument: It did not appear to them that they “were making a difference” for the Kingdom, so they were becoming discouraged.

WHY? Why were they experiencing negative thoughts? They were obeying God, so WHY were they disappointed?

ANSWER: They were making comparisons! In their case they were looking back to the magnificence of the 1st Temple. Solomon’s Temple was a majestic structure that inspired awe and wonder! The foundations they were laying simply did not measure up to that

Example: Yesterday’s ODWG camp was held at the Summit’s Alamance campus. We held the camp in the lobby of the building. We did not even access the auditorium which seats 1,000.

Application: Comparison is rarely, if ever, productive. God calls us to faithfulness in our context. The solution to discouragement is to focus on the God who called us, and to serve Him as He leads. The results are up to Him.

God has a Word of Encouragement for the weary and discouraged (Haggai 2:4-5)

Explanation: In verses 4 & 5 the prophet shares a good word of encouragement for those who were struggling. The first note of importance is that the word was for all categories of people:

Zerubbabel represents civic leadership

Joshua represents spiritual leadership

All you people represents the common folk

No one is left out. No group of people is “less than” another group in terms of receiving from God. He is no respecter of persons. (Romans 2:11)

God then issues two commands:

1)Be Strong and 2) Work

The “Be Strong” would have taken them back to Deut 31:6-7 and Joshua 1:9. These were the very words God spoke to their ancestors as they were getting ready to enter the Land after the Wilderness Wanderings. The mission was formidable and seemingly impossible yet God told them to be strong in their faith and not to waver into unbelief.

The second command is to work. God does not need us; He can do all things by Himself. Remember how much assistance He required when He created the entire Universe out of nothing?

Though He does not need us, He has chosen to use us. He works through us as we cooperate with Him. This principle means that we actually do something. We are called to work in the labor to which He calls us. The Israelites had to gather the building supplies and then they had to assemble them according to God’s pattern. God did not supernaturally bring the Temple into existence apart from the normal means of production

NOTE: The Church has a lot of lazy Christians!

Following the commands to be strong and to work, the LORD God gives them encouragement: I am with you. God reminds them that the most important thing is that He is involved in the whole process. He Himself is with them.

Argument: This was a powerful truth for the people. It was a necessary reminder because the opposition was not going away. The Jews continued to face ridicule and pressure to stop the building process.

In our walk of obedience we also will face continued pressure and opposition. As we live for Christ, we will not be applauded by the world system. We also need to hear God’s truth that He is with us (Hebrews 13:5) And because He is with us, we can fulfill His charge to “Fear Not!”

God Will bring peace, but it will come through Judgment (Haggai 2:6-9)

Explanation: God also has the prophet share a truth about the future. The Lord reveals that the Temple they were working on would eventually receive more glory and honor than the first Temple. Some of them were guilty of thinking that what they were involved in was “as nothing” (v. 3), but the LORD is giving them a reality they could not yet see: the Glory of the 2nd Temple would outshine the first because Jesus would be in it. In the first Advent the 2nd Person of the Trinity would enter the structure they were working on, and His very presence would usher in the Glory of the Most High!

Illustrate: When you cut open an apple can you count the seeds that are inside? (YES). Can you count the number of apples that will be produced by those seeds? (NO)

Argument: We do not know what God is going to work out through our current obedience. We have no way of knowing what God is going to accomplish through us. We simply need to trust Him and to walk in obedience.

Conclusion: God does promise peace. He explicitly declares that “in this place will I give peace.” (Haggai 2:9). The ultimate peace will only arrive after the great upheaval when God shakes up the created order (Haggai 2:6-7) and the Triumphant Son Returns in Glory and Majesty.

This is a reminder that there will be no permanent peace in this present world while it is under the sway of the prince of darkness. Christ, however, is the Prince of Peace (Isa 9:6-7) and His Kingdom will be marked by perfect peace.

Fortunately, we do not have to wait until His return to know real and powerful peace in our lives. We who are IN Christ already know the peace that God grants with the forgiveness of our sins. When we get side-tracked by life in this fallen and broken world we CAN still be at peace:

Isaiah 26:3–4 “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.”

If you have not yet surrendered your life to the Prince of Peace, you can. You will never experience true peace apart from His goodness and mercy. In this season of Advent we sing and reflect on peace at Christmas; respond to the call of the Holy Spirit and know the true peace that only Jesus gives!