Stop Going through the Motions

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Haggai 2:10-19 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, 11 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Ask the priests about the law: 12 ‘If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy?’ ” The priests answered and said, “No.” 13 Then Haggai said, “If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?” The priests answered and said, “It does become unclean.” 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. 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.”

Opening Prayer

Recap

So, where we are now...

In Chapter 1 God has confronted the people for their indifference to worshipping God.

He’s confronted them regarding their indifference to God’s presence in their midst.

And this being expressed in their disregard to rebuild the temple.

More recently, in Chapter 2, God confronts them with their discouragement...

They were discouraged about the rebuilt temple being much more Utilitarian looking...

Nothing like it was when Solomon built it.

They were discouraged that they were still under the hand of another Nation...

And, so God encourages them that He is still on His throne...

And, that He will keep His promises.

The people, just like us, want the promises of God:

To happen the way we want them fulfilled.

To happen in our timing.

He reminds the people that He will keep His promises:

But, His promises will come in His own timing.

His promises are always more glorious than we can think or imagine.

So, now, we come to Haggai 2:10...

They’ve been working on the temple for three months.

And, we have something different going on now...

Something different being confronted.

And, a different strategy of confronting the situation.

What is going on with the people?

Well, let’s read again...

Haggai 2:11-13 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Ask the priests about the law: 12 ‘If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy?’ ” The priests answered and said, “No.” 13 Then Haggai said, “If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?” The priests answered and said, “It does become unclean.” 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.

So, the conclusion is that what the people are doing us unclean.

Now, why is God saying this?

What is going in here that is causing God to say such a thing about the people?

Well, I think to figure this out we need to see the method by which confronts the people.

We notice that Haggai asks the Priests about the Law.

It was the Priests’ responsibility to not only offer the sacrifices...

But, also the Priests were charged with the responsibility to interpret the Law of God to the people.

So, Haggai is told by God to ask the Priests a question regarding the Law.

And, we know that...

Psalm 19:7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul;

So, God is...

Using the Law to Confront the people’s Sin

Haggai 2:12-13 ‘If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy?’ ” The priests answered and said, “No.” 13 Then Haggai said, “If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?” The priests answered and said, “It does become unclean.”

What is being addressed here is a misunderstanding of the purpose of the Law.

And, whenever there is a misunderstanding of the Law...

There is a misunderstanding of the purpose of works...

Works being the keeping of the Law in some form or expression.

So, God is calling them on two crucial truths...

The first I want us to look at is this...

Appeasement is Not Worship

What we have here is the people are going through the motions...

Thinking that going through the motions is what pleases God...

And, therefore God being pleased by the motion of works...

Would, hence, give them what they desire.

And what is it that they desire?

Well, it would seem they are still back in Chapter 1.

They’re still wanting the life of comfort, abundance of temporal needs & wants...

And, God is calling them on it.

I mean it’s the discussion of vv.15-19.

Here’s the thing, when we are going through the motions...

What is really at the heart of our behavior is this...

What we really want is the gift, not the Giver.

And, going through the motions is a default of hoping that works gain you a standing with God...

In which He is obligated to you...

To give you what you want, when you want it.

Which is what a works salvation mindset really is...

It is a belief that somehow doing something for God...

Obligates God to do something for you.

And, that is why God also confronts the people with the Law.

He wants them to understand that...

Good Works Cannot Purify You, Nor Save You

A basic and foundational problem for mankind is the belief that somehow we can earn a good standing with God.

Somehow, we can do enough to cover our sin.

Somehow, we can do enough to appease God.

So, it’s not that Israel is in some special category of misunderstanding.

And we know that this was a problem with the Nation of Israel, as well.

Over and over in the OT God is confronting them with this false belief in the OT...

And, the Apostle Paul, even tells us in...

Romans 10:1-4 Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them (his ethnic people) is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they (ethnic Israel) have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

God is constantly confronting Israel to correct their understanding of the Law...

The purpose of the Law...

And, the purpose of works.

And, why is it so important to understand these doctrines correctly?

Because a misunderstanding of the law and works goes in direct opposition with the gospel.

So, we read here in...

Haggai 2:12-13 ‘If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy?’ ” The priests answered and said, “No.” 13 Then Haggai said, “If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?” The priests answered and said, “It does become unclean.”

So, the thought is that since I’m doing the Lord’s work...

Than doing the work of the Lord makes me holy...

And, it pleases God so that God is now obligated to do for me.

So, God uses Haggai to confront the people with the Law that they say they so esteem.

Read vv.12-13 again...

So, this is what God is pointing out...

And, that the Law of God clearly teaches...

Your participation in holy work doesn’t make you holy.

As a matter of fact, anything you do, if impure...

Defiles the work that you do.

So, if we are impure then all that we do is impure by our defiling it by putting our hands to the task.

Now, what does the Bible teach us of our impurity?

Romans 3:9-18 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” 13 “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” 14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 in their paths are ruin and misery, 17 and the way of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

So, what God is teaching/reminding the people of is this crucial truth.

Since you are not pure...What you offer is impure, as well.

And, keeping the commands of God externally...

Going through the motions, keeping up appearances...

Do not somehow make you clean/righteous.

And, the truth must be told...

No matter how splendid a work is...

No matter how magnificent it may look in the eyes of men.

A work of great magnitude and splendor is still unclean...

Unless the person offering the work is purified, himself.

Which is why the NT teaches us that...

a little leaven leavens the whole lump (1 Cor. 5:6)...

If the person doing the work is not wholly purified...

Then, whatever he/she touches becomes polluted itself.

You cannot offer a work to God that will be accepted unless you are wholly purified before the Lord.

So, this begs the question, does it not...

How Can Our Works Ever Be Acceptable before God?

And, here is where the gospel comes in...

And, why the promise of Haggai 2:6-9 is so beautiful...

Because we need a temple that we cannot defile.

We need a Temple that can truly cleanse us of all our unrighteousness.

We need a Temple that has the power to forgive.

We need a Temple that is filled with the glory of righteousness...

And, can impute that righteousness to our account.

That Temple, you will remember from last time is Jesus.

So, Paul says in...

Romans 14:23 For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

So, whatever proceeds from faith is not sin and is acceptable before God.

Listen to this OT passage at the very beginning of mankind’s history...

And God’s revelation to man...

Genesis 4:3-5 In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard.

Now, here’s the question and it is a gospel question.

Why was Cain’s offering not accepted, but Abel’s was accepted by God?

And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard.

Notice it’s not just the offering, nor is the offering primary.

It’s the person that is primary and the offering secondary that matters to God.

Now, why was Abel and his offering accepted by God?

Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.

How did Abel offer an acceptable to God?

By faith...through which he was commended as righteous

Through what was Abel commended as righteous?

Not through the gift, but through faith.

And, the acceptance of the gift is not what made Abel righteous

The acceptance of the gift by God was what proved Abel was righteous in God’s eyes.

This is a very important truth for us to know, believe, stand on, and rejoice in...

By faith, all the children of God, after having been renewed by the Holy Spirit...

Come pure to God and offer God pure sacrifices.

We come pure, because it is our goal to devote ourselves to God without falsehood....

But, even our devotion to God is never perfect...

God fills the defect by a gracious imputation...

Because He embraces us as his servants in the same manner as though we were entirely righteous...

And in the same way God approves of our works...

Because all the blemishes are wiped away...

The very spots, which might justly prevent all favor...

If all the blemishes were not washed away by the blood of Christ...

And that through faith.

So, listen closely...

Don’t Miss the Promise

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.’ ”

Luke 19:41-42 And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.

Acts 2:39&41 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” … 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

Don’t mistake the purpose of the Law.

Don’t mistake the purpose of works.

Don’t miss the promise.

Believe upon the Lord, Jesus Christ and be ye saved.

Closing Prayer