HAGGAI- GOD'S MESSAGES TO US

Bible Text: Haggai 2:10-23; Isaiah 55:6-7; Revelation 18:12-21

Subject: Message

Proposition: God’s Messages To Us

INTRODUCTION

Biblical Orientation:

Coming to the end of Haggai’s writings, we see he will give two very important messages. You may think the message to Zerubbabel is not all the important, but you will see that it is

There is a great need for God’s work to be accomplished. There is but a short time to do His work. People’s lives are at stake. That is why God encourages the leaders and the people to keep at the work until it is finished

Paul wrote to Timothy to encourage him to finish the work he had begun. Paul used his life as an example and that encouragement. He said: 2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:” The point was that Paul had done what God asked him to do. That is what is required of us as well. God equipped Paul through His Word and His Spirit; we have the same advantages as Paul. Let’s finish our course!

Sermon Orientation:

Our last message in Haggai is two messages; numbers three and four. Message three will tell the Jews of their situation, why it happened, and what God is going to change. The fourth message is one of restoration. It begins with Zerubbabel as a leader and then moves to the end times and the return of Christ. That is when He will restore God’s wife. There is also a message to TMB about God’s desire to have us work and for Him to restore us

MAIN TEXT/EXPOSITION

I. MESSAGE THREE: THE SITUATION THEY FACE V 10-14

A. Two Questions Regarding The Law

1. God has Haggai ask the priests two questions

2. They are simple but revealing of their situation

B. Holiness Is Not Transferrable

1. The Law teaches that the garment of a priest became holy when he carried a holy meat offering

2. However, it did not make the man holy or anything else

3. To the Hebrews, clean and unclean meant holy or profane

a. Those who are clean are able to be in the presence of God, while those who are unclean perish[i]

b. In addition, the works of the clean are acceptable; the works of the unclean are not

4. God is teaching Haggai there is no holiness by transference

a. The Jews believed that being Jewish made them holy

b. Some Christians believe being Christian makes them holy

i. Being a Child of God makes us righteous (Ro 4)

ii. It gives us a place in the Kingdom of God

iii. However, it does not physically separate us (make holy) from sin and its presence

c. Hanging out with holy people does not make us holy

d. A relationship with Christ makes us holy

C. Defilement Is Contagious

1. Secondly, they are asked if you touch a dead person are you unclean?

a. According to Numbers 19:11 “He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days”

i. This person had to be separated for seven days

ii. They were required to wash on the third day to be clean on the seventh

b. Here is where the unclean person had to be careful

i. If they touched anyone before the seven days ended; that person was unclean also

ii. Numbers 19:22 “And whatsoever the unclean person toucheth shall be unclean; and the soul that toucheth it shall be unclean until even”

c. The picture drawn is that sin is contagious

i. What I do will affect you, and vice versa

ii. One sin can lead to another

d. The unwillingness to do God’s work had infected the whole society

D. The Effect Of Their Uncleanness

1. “So is this people”

a. “This” does not say “my”

b. This people should be acting like my people

i. Remember the words of Hosea

ii. He had a son that God had him name “Loammi”

iii. “Loammi” means ‘not my people’

c. God is reminding the Jews that their actions (failure to act) is not what His people would do

2. “So is this nation”

a. Nation comes from the word “גֹּוי” which is often translated ‘Gentiles’

b. God is saying that refusing to do His work is to act like the heathen

c. Willingness and action are very important to God

3. In fact, until God’s child gets their life right with the Lord; every work they do is defiled

a. Does that scare us? It should!

b. We want our works to be valued by God

II. THREE RESULTS TO CONSIDER V 15-19

A. Consider The Last 15 (Twelve) Years v 15

1. Verse 15 brings back the word “consider”

a. We saw this in 1:5 & 1:7

b. Consider what you are doing or not doing

c. From considering you will understand the reason for your situation

2. God wants them/us to consider the situation

a. The Jewish community depended upon grains and grapes

i. For 15 years, they would go looking for twenty measures but find ten

ii. They would go to fill fifty vessels with wine but get twenty

iii. They always came up short

b. The “natural disasters” were more than coincidence

B. Consider The Results v 16-17

1. The Jews did not consider their experiences to be the hand of God against them

a. They thought it to be normal

b. They broke God’s heart by not seeking Him

2. No matter what, they should have turned to the Lord

a. They should have sought His face

b. They should have begged Him to intercede

c. They should have asked “is there a reason all this is happening?”

d. A good prayer in troubled times: Psalm 44:24-26 “Wherefore hidest thou thy face, And forgettest our affliction and our oppression? For our soul is bowed down to the dust: Our belly cleaveth unto the earth. Arise for our help, And redeem us for thy mercies’ sake”

3. Turning to the Lord is a sure way to experience God’s mercy

a. Isaiah 55:6-7 “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, Call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts: And let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; And to our God, for he will abundantly pardon”

b. Four truths Isaiah revealed:

i. The ability to find God in a problem may be limited

ii. You want to turn while God is close by

iii. Turn and God will show mercy

iv. Turn and God will “abundantly” pardon

4. Here is what I see and what worries me

a. We have experienced a drought for at least 12 years at TMB

b. There have been very few souls saved, people baptized, and lives changed

i. This is not to blame; blaming will not change a thing

ii. This is to point us to God

c. Is this coincidence or is it the hand of God?

i. Is God wandering when we will turn to Him?

ii. Maybe He is heartbroken that we are not on our faces begging Him to intercede

iii. Maybe He is heartbroken that we have not been busy about His work

d. Many who have visited our church from the Bible belt say they would go to our church

i. They like the services, music, people, and preaching

ii. Therefore, we have to conclude it is something else

a.) This could be hard ground- Satan’s territory

b.) It could be sin in our lives

c.) It could be we are not working as God desires

C. Consider From This Day Forward

1. In verse 18, God asks the Jews: What are you going to do from this day forward?

2. God could be asking TMB the same thing

a. Are we willing to humble ourselves as a group to turn to God?

b. How desperately do we want God to intervene on our behalf to break the drought?

i. Who is willing to come to extra prayer nights? (4th Saturday @ 7)

ii. Who is willing to privately spend hours begging God to change our situation?

3. What will we do “from this day upward”?

III. MESSAGE FOUR: THE RESTORATION OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID V 20-23

A. The Kingdoms Of The World Will Fall

1. This message came on the same day

a. A personal message to Zerubbabel

b. He is told of spiritual blessings coming in the future; Daniel’s 70th week

2. Repeating 2:6, there will be a shaking of the nations

a. This refers to the fall of Babylon in Revelation 18 (Read 18:12-21)

b. Nothing will be left of the earthly kingdoms to rise against God

B. Zerubbabel: God’s Signet And Authority

1. The significance of the signet is that God is reminding Zerubbabel that God is not done with the house of David

a. In 20 generations, God will bring David’s Son to earth

b. Jesus verifies this in His words when He said: Matthew 11:27 “All things are delivered unto me of my Father...” (the power of the signet)

2. God is validating Zerubbabel’s authority to lead the people to get back to work

C. God Is Working To Restore Us v 19

1. The omniscience of God is a wonderful thing

a. He already knows what we will do in response to His encouragement

b. God knew Zerubbabel and Joshua would lead the people to repent and serve

c. This is why He said “from this day I will bless you”

i. God knew the temple was going to be completed

ii. More important, the people were turning their hearts to God

iii. This is what moved God to bless them again

2. God wants to bless us “from this day”

a. He desires to bless us more individually

b. He desires to bless our church as a whole

3. The question is: what will we do?

a. God is probably revealing an area of your life you need to get to work for Him

b. Hopefully, God has shown us the need for individual and corporate prayer for our church

c. If we want blessing, we will turn to God (long pause); if not, we do nothing

PREACHING PORTION

Tonight, Let Us Each Say: I love God; It Is Evident Because:

1. When God speaks to me I listen

2. When I hear from God I obey

3. When God moves in my heart I change

4. When I do not know what to do; I turn to God

CONCLUSION

Tonight, I Am Going To Turn To God

[i] Bryan C. Babcock, “Clean and Unclean,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).