The Glorious Promise of God

Read

Haggai 2:1-9 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. 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.’ ”

Opening Prayer

Let’s Remember that God is Telling Them to Work

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.

Why is God telling them to Work?

#1 – Because He is with them.

And no matter the work...

And no matter the perceived result...

And I say perceived because our perception is never the full perception when it comes to the work of God...

We work for God with joy because we rejoice in His willing & reconciled presence.

Why is God telling them to work?

Or to word it differently...

What does our obedience express?

#2 – Our obedience to God is the only way that faith can truly be expressed.

Faith in what?

His promises.

Which is why God brings up the covenant He made with them...

He’s saying, I never forget my promises.

I’ve always kept my promises.

So, work if you believe.

Put your faith in Me and believe my promises...

Because...

There’s a Promise Still to Be Kept

And, I want us this morning to look at the promise that God makes (a reminder of His promise)

And, I want us to see the glorious nature of this promise...

By first examining the common & cultural misunderstanding of this promise...

And, you can especially see the misunderstanding of this promise in the life of Christ...

Recorded in the gospels.

So, let’s first look at...

The Misunderstanding of the Promise

Let me read again...

Haggai 2:6-9 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.’ ”

Israel misunderstood the nature of and extent of the covenant that God made with them.

They thought only one nation, ethnic Israel.

And that the messiah would come and deliver them from whatever nation ruled over them at the time...

And that there would be peace because of the Messiah delivering them from their enemies and establishing peace on earth, forevermore.

But listen to this promise that God originally made about this glorious nation of God’s people...

Genesis 12:1-2 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.

Notice that God tells Abraham that God will make of Abraham a great nation.

A little more detail in...

Genesis 17:3-5 Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, 4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.

So, Abraham is going to be the “father of a multitude of nations”

So, how can it be “a nation”?

And, yet, at the same time “a multitude of nations”?

Revelation 7:9-10 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

So, that there we see this multitudes of nations.

Multitudes of families on earth making up these nations, and tribes and tongues.

But, then in God tells us this about the church...

And, remember that the church is made up of Jew and Gentile alike...

People from every Nation.

That’s why John says For God so loved the world...

Because God’s Kingdom is made up of people from all nations.

Not just ethnic Israel.

But, listen to what God says about the church...

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession,

So, God has taken & is still taking people from every nation...

Multitudes of nations…(Gen. 17:4)

And has made them & is still gathering and making us into one holy Nation…

His holy nation...

His own possession.

So, let’s ask another question.

If this promise is not limited to ethnic Israel...

Then how can people, not of Abraham’s lineage, enter into this nation?

And, really, let me say that whether you are of Abraham’s lineage...

Or not…you still enter the same way...

And, that was another misconception of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day.

But, how do you enter into this Kingdom?

How are you a citizen of this Kingdom?

John 1:9-14 says..The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

v.13 who were born

What does that mean?

What is he talking about here?

Being born again and John explains it more thoroughly in Chapter 3.

So, you’re not born again due to blood line.

You do not become a citizen of God’s kingdom...

His holy nation by your lineage.

Then, how?

And if it is not because you can trace your lineage back to Abraham...

How do you become a citizen of God’s glorious & holy nation?

Romans 9:6-8 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.

Being of the lineage of Abraham doesn’t qualify you...

And it, also, doesn’t disqualify you.

But it has everything to do with Abraham’s offspring.

That word “offspring” is also translated “seed”...

Listen to what Pauls says in...

Galatians 3:7-9 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

So, the true offspring of Abraham...

And, by the way those who will inherit the promises...

Are those of faith...

Now, Paul continues to clarify in...

Galatians 3:16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.

So, who is the true offspring of Abraham?

Jesus Christ.

JC is the promised seed of Abraham that would make Abraham a father of a multitude of nations...

And, that multitude would be molded into one nation...

A holy nation…God’s holy nation.

Listen to...

Genesis 22:17 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore.

Who can count the stars except for God?

Now listen...

Revelation 7:9-10 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

A number that no one could count.

Listen to what God tells Abraham again in...

Genesis 22:17b And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, 18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”

Now, listen to what Jesus said in...

Matthew 16:18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

You see the misunderstanding of the covenant was this...

They thought the promise to Abraham was for the ethnic Jews only...

But it wasn’t it was to the whole world...

To all those who will believe...

But, the promise was to come exclusively from the Jews...

In the lineage of Abraham, which is JC.

And, this is the very reason that Matthew in his gospel...

Takes the lineage of Jesus all the way back to Abraham.

And, this is the very reason that the NT commands for the gospel to be taken to the ends of the earth...

Because the promise of God to save a people for Himself...

And, make one glorious nation…a holy nation...

His holy nation...

Filled with Priests & Kings unto God...

Is because the promises are not just to ethnic Israel...

It only comes through Israel...

But, it is for the whole world.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world (Jew & Gentile), that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Oh, that we can joyfully praise the Lord for this truth and say with the Apostle Paul...

Romans 11:33-36 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

34  “For who has known the mind of the Lord,

or who has been his counselor?”

35  “Or who has given a gift to him

that he might be repaid?”

36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

Closing Prayer