The Emptiness of Our Plans & The Fullness of God's
Notes
Transcript
Timeline
Timeline
Okay so you might be thinking, if you have been following along in this series, we are supposed to be studying Ezra & Nehemiah right?
Let’s recap really quick to cover why we are in Haggai.
In Ezra 4 we saw the work on the Temple stopped forcibly by the enemies of God.
In Ezra 5 God sends 2 prophets to the people - Haggai and Zechariah
It is under the leadership and encouragement of the prophets that the people again continue the work on the temple.
During the restart of the work, the enemies return and question the people and send a letter back to King Darius with the people of God’s response. After reading their response, Darius checks the royal archives (as the people requested) and finds the original decree by Cyrus sending the people back to build the temple.
Last week we saw Darius’s response in providing support for the people and providing punishments for anyone who interferes.
So we are going to take a look at the book of Haggai to see the message that God gave the people in order to spur them on again to rebuild the temple.
Text
Text
Haggai 1:1-15
In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest:
“The Lord of Armies says this: These people say: The time has not come for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt.”
The word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: “Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?” Now, the Lord of Armies says this: “Think carefully about your ways:
You have planted much
but harvested little.
You eat
but never have enough to be satisfied.
You drink
but never have enough to be happy.
You put on clothes
but never have enough to get warm.
The wage earner puts his wages
into a bag with a hole in it.”
The Lord of Armies says this: “Think carefully about your ways. Go up into the hills, bring down lumber, and build the house; and I will be pleased with it and be glorified,” says the Lord. “You expected much, but then it amounted to little. When you brought the harvest to your house, I ruined it. Why?” This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies. “Because my house still lies in ruins, while each of you is busy with his own house.
So on your account,
the skies have withheld the dew
and the land its crops.
I have summoned a drought
on the fields and the hills,
on the grain, new wine, fresh oil,
and whatever the ground yields,
on people and animals,
and on all that your hands produce.”
Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and the entire remnant of the people obeyed the Lord their God and the words of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. So the people feared the Lord.
Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, delivered the Lord’s message to the people: “I am with you—this is the Lord’s declaration.”
The Lord roused the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, the spirit of the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. They began work on the house of the Lord of Armies, their God, on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of King Darius.
Message
Message
1. Our Work Reveals Our Hearts - 1:1-6
1. Our Work Reveals Our Hearts - 1:1-6
So Haggai’s message begins with this condemnation against the people that we didn’t see in Ezra.
This is one of the reasons we are walking through Haggai as it provides more context to the situation.
The condemnation against the people is:
Haggai 1:4
“Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?”
So remember the work on the temple was forcibly stopped but here we see although the work on the temple is forcibly stopped,
The people continued to build their own houses
Now you might think, well yeah aren’t they allowed to build their house so they have a roof over their heads?
Well that’s not what is actually being talked about. The reference to paneled houses is really important. One commentator says this:
Commentary on the Old Testament Admonition to Build the Temple, and Its Result—Ch. 1
in your houses, they being wainscoted, i.e., with the inside walls covered or inlaid with costly wood-work. Such were the houses of the rich and of the more distinguished men (cf. Jer. 22:14; 1 Kings 7:7). Living in such houses was therefore a sign of luxury and comfort.
Commentary on the Old Testament Admonition to Build the Temple, and Its Result—Ch. 1
Living in such houses was therefore a sign of luxury and comfort.
This is why this point is that our work reveals our hearts....the people weren’t just saying “hey can I have a second just to get a roof over my head first...”
No, they were busy building their little kingdom’s, their stuff, their own priorities that when challenges came to building the house of God, they were quick to drop building God’s house and continue to build their own house to ensure they lived in luxury.
So I have to ask…Is this us? Is this you?
Have you been too busy working to ensure a life of comfort that you are missing the work that God has for you.
And remember I’m not talking about just trying to “make it” , we are talking about when that time passed....once your “house” was built…and it was time to do the work of God....did you just simply continue to focus on you?
Because here’s the thing, if that is the case, the next verses will also likely be the case.
We see the people didn’t just work on their houses, they were totally focused and consumed with comfortability.
So they tried to plant more, they tried to drink more and eat more, and have more clothes, and get more money…but what happened?
It wasn’t enough. The areas in which they were sowing (or putting work in to) weren’t yielding the results they thought.
But praise God the text doesn’t end there does it?
2. God’s Work Directs Our Hearts - 1:7-11
2. God’s Work Directs Our Hearts - 1:7-11
Where our work reveals our hearts, God’s work is meant to direct our hearts.
We can see exactly why what we described above, happened.
God tells them to “Think carefully about your ways” that they “expected much”
So what does God do?
Haggai 1:10-11
So on your account,
the skies have withheld the dew
and the land its crops.
I have summoned a drought
on the fields and the hills,
on the grain, new wine, fresh oil,
and whatever the ground yields,
on people and animals,
and on all that your hands produce.”
And you might think to yourself, well that’s kind of cruel isn’t it?
But sometimes, the greatest judgment God can lay upon someone is to give them everything they want.
Because these things of the world, they will not fill you. They will always leave you more and more empty.
So why then would God do all that?
Why would He put a stop on the rain and the crops so that they would fail?
“Think carefully about your ways.”
That’s why.
We tend not to put deep thought into any area of our lives when things are going well.
More specifically, we tend to forget totally about God and the work He has for us when our personal lives are going well.
Sometimes, it takes things not going our way, it takes challenges and trials, and even discipline from God to cause us to stop and consider what we are doing?
What are we actually working for?
Are we working simply to build our little kingdoms?
Hear this....are we only expecting much from our kingdoms??
Like they didn’t face any challenges building their own houses? Of course they did!! What is the difference?
God only says they expected much in the building of their own stuff....they own houses, their own crops, they own pockets.....
Never expecting much or even enough to continue working on God’s Work when opposition comes.
This is the exact opposite kind of message the world would like to give you.
“Believe in yourself!”
No. Believe in God!! Do His work, lean in to His will, bank your life on His promises!
3. God’s Work Stirs Our Hearts - 1:12-15
3. God’s Work Stirs Our Hearts - 1:12-15
So what happens next? After such a strong rebuke from the LORD, He has to cast them away right?
He has to be tired of putting up with them by now right?
Haggai 1:13
Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, delivered the Lord’s message to the people: “I am with you—this is the Lord’s declaration.”
Is this not stunning?? For all of the failures and sins that have stacked up from the people of God...
After the LORD calls them out on the fact that they are only interested in their own comfortability
He calls out to them and says: “I am with you.”
I feel like much of the church today has missed this chapter....either the first half or the second.
One good bit of the church is only interested in the first half. Constantly tearing down and belittling the Bride of Christ - His Church.
Paul says in Galatians 5:13-15
For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.
If you want an example of that verse, just look at Christians on Twitter....
The other good bit of the church is only interested in this statement. They only want to hear that God is for us and He is with us hurray forever amen!
Paul says in the exact same book, as love one another as we would love ourselves, he says that same book like this:
Galatians 3:1-3
You foolish Galatians! Who has cast a spell on you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? I only want to learn this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by the Spirit, are you now finishing by the flesh?
He calls them out on foolishness of abandoning the Gospel...
Paul seemingly so frustrated that he also later writes:
Galatians 6:11
Look at what large letters I use as I write to you in my own handwriting.
Paul was not content to just Hurray the church on when they needed to be called out....so much so he apparently began writing as we would say “in all caps”
if you want to see an example of this....just check out some of the largest mega churches...
But seriously..
Can we not regain the truths of this passage Haggai,
That the church of God needs to be called out of its comfortability,
needs to be called to consider her ways and where she is sowing and the results she is reaping
And called out and reminded that we can be called out of comfortability and into the work of God because He is with us.
It says that upon hearing the Word of God:
Haggai 1:12
Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and the entire remnant of the people obeyed the Lord their God and the words of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. So the people feared the Lord.
And it wasn’t just the people...
Haggai 1:14
The Lord roused the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, the spirit of the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. They began work on the house of the Lord of Armies, their God,
I can tell you, as the leader, as the lead pastor, I am roused…I am fired up about the work that God is doing in our communities.
I wonder, if you, the Christians watching this...
Are you fired up to lean in to what God has for us? Are you dialed in ready to obey the LORD in all the work He has prepared for us?
If you are watching this and you are not a Christian…I want you to do what God called the people to do...
“Think carefully about your ways.”
If you aren’t a follower of Jesus, then you yourselves are planting much, eating much, working more, buying more and you are never satisfied and you are constantly empty.
Would you turn and follow Jesus. Be made whole again. Find fullness and new life in Jesus who paid your debt. and rose again to bring restoration and wholeness again.