Haggai's Obiedence

Don’t we just love the names in the Bible? “Haggai” one of the minor prophets at the end of the OT. He is known as a fiery preacher that God has chose to preach, to motivate, to inspire the Israelites. Easier said than done I believe........

The name Haggai comes from the Hebrew word, “hag” meaning festival. He possibly was born on a major feast day. Not really sure, Scholars are not really sure who wrote the book of Haggai but it is believed it was Haggai..

The Time of His writings are somewhere around 538 BC during the time that Cyrus of Persia allowed the Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild their temple.

God’s direction was for Haggai to return to Jerusalem and motivate the people to begin and rebuild His temple. It laid in ruins still from the time God returned the people back to Jerusalem. This rebuild thing was Easier said than done for Haggai, the people had other ideas I guess.

God’s House, the temple was not being repaired, the people for 20 years had built great, expensive, comfortable homes for themselves but Hog’s house laid in ruins. Surely God’s house deserved better than this?? Or did it?

Haggai, as I mentioned earlier was a fiery preacher, he preached a series of four sermons designed to stir up the nation of Israel to finish the temple, He calls the builders to renewed courage in the Lord, renewed holiness in life, and renewed faith in God who controls the future.

My message today is somewhat like Haggai’s. I am preaching to inspire this church, this congregation to work, to commit in doing the work of Jesus. Haggai is known for having the unique place among the prophets of having been really listened to and his words obeyed in the direction God was pointing His people.

What a memory, the people actually listened to Haggai. I would like to be remembered in this way.......

A call to rebuild the Temple....... Haggai 1:2–6 2 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.” 3 Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? 5 Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. 6 You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.”

Explain scripture...........This was Haggai’s first sermon of inspiration, “get with it” says the Lord.

IN the book of 2 Samuel we read: 2 Samuel 7:1–3 “1 Now when the king lived in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, 2 the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.” 3 And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.”

There is a history in scripture of God leading His people to love Him, to worship Him, to ALWAYS PUT HIM FIRST! AMEN!!!!

Haggai 1:14–15 “14 And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.”

We read in the book of Ezra, the same story: Ezra 5:2 “2 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God that is in Jerusalem, and the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.”

REBUILD, (our lives for God) DEDICATE, (our lives to God) OBEDIENCE (in our lives to God) STOP BEING SELFISH, (and live for God) Are we getting it here church on how God expects us to live?

Let’s take a look at Haggai’s second sermon.....

Haggai 2:1–5 “1 In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet: 2 “Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to all the remnant of the people, and say, 3 ‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes? 4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts, 5 according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not.”

God is in this......He not only wants His Temple to be rebuilt to the original splendor, He expects it to be rebuilt to the original splendor. We can feel when God is guiding us to do His work can’t we? We don’t always listen but we can feel His presence.

Haggai 2:6–9 “6 For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. 7 And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts. 9 The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.’ ”

Now, God knows this will be a task. He promises to be with Haggai and the people. God blesses us for our obedience. As a preacher, I can just see Haggai cheering the people on, come on, God is with us, we are getting it done, let’s pray about this. We are being blessed.

OK, wait a minute… God let’s His people know through Haggai that they are sinners, they have been rebellious, they have had little faith, they have gotten fat and lazy.......

Haggai 2:14–17 “14 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. 15 Now then, consider from this day onward. Before stone was placed upon stone in the temple of the Lord, 16 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. 17 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.”

So God is reminding His people that he was not happy for them turning away from Him. He’s letting them that He still loves them and He wants to be blessing them and their future generations.

Haggai 2:18–19 “18 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: 19 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.”

Explain Scripture.........Is God preparing to Bless us here at St. Paul’s? What is He leading us to do? I have observed and been the recipient to God’s Blessings as I know you all have as well.

So at the beginning of Haggai, God is kind of “scolding” His people. They have been selfish, only thinking of themselves? Sound familiar? Looking our for “NUMERO UNO”. God reassures His people through Haggai’s sermons that He loves them and that He wants to Bless them if only they/WE put Him first. If only we become and remain obedient to Him we will reap His Blessings.

It has to be a lifestyle change, trust me I have done it to completely follow God. To ask Him for guidance in all things, to seek His son Jesus

In closing,....Haggai 2:18–19 “18 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: 19 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.”

What a commitment God made to His people, you and I? He tells us what to do, are we listening? AMEN