God is Gracious Beyond Measure

Read

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

Haggai 2:14 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.

This is God’s verdict on the people after showing them what the Law says about Clean & Unclean things.

The Verdict: Appeasement is Not Worship

Going through the motions is Appeasement.

Having joy towards God in our motions is Worship.

So, God has called them on a point that Jesus calls the people of His day...

Matthew 15:7-9a You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: 8 “ ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; 9 in vain do they worship me,

Jesus is saying the same thing..

Going through the motions is appeasement…Not worship.

God is making a point, in last week’s passage, for the purpose of clarifying the true purpose of the Law...

And, the true purpose of Works.

The purpose of the Law is to drive us to the mercy and saving grace of God...

Not to create a bunch of legalists.

The purpose of Works is to express gratitude to God for His mercy and saving grace...

Not to appease God in order to obligate Him to bless.

The Law cannot save. The Law has no power to save.

It can only declare your standing.

So, God has used His Law to point out the absolute inability of man to earn a good standing before God.

And, now God is stirring the people by recalling their past.

And, I want to pull all of this together and show you...

The absolute long-suffering mercy & grace of God towards sinners.

At this moment, God is saying...

Recall Your Life When You Were Neglecting Me

OR Recall your life when I wasn’t at the Center...

OR When I wasn’t your ultimate treasure.

Haggai 2:15-17 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 here, God is putting before their minds again...

What their life was like before He confronted them about their apathy regarding His presence...

And, really, their neglect of any worship of God at all.

God’s reminding them of His rebuke...

And, their seasons of LACK.

And, here’s the thing...

Although, they went through seasons of LACK.

It was still by the mercy of God’s providing/sustaining hand that they had anything at all.

And, that is a crucial truth to remember...

As fallen humanity, we seem to think that we have what we have because of who we are, what we do, what we know, our capabilities...

And, if there is any reason that we don’t have more...

Then it must be due to a reason outside ourselves.

Right?! That is the natural train of thought.

So, we never lay the blame for the LACK on us.

And, we never give the credit for what we have on God.

Here in Haggai, not only is God saying that He caused the LACK because of their LACK of proper priorities...

But, by implication, God is also saying…

The only reason they had any at all is because of His great mercy and grace.

No person, in this life, will ever know, nor experience life without the merciful, gracious provision of God...

No matter how horrific the circumstances may be...

God is still being gracious and merciful in countless ways toward you.

And, Job understood that truth, which is why he could say...

The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, blessed is the name of the Lord.

They need to understand that all provision...

Whether it is light or abounding...

We are sustained by the hand of God.

And, to get that point across...

While pointing out that it is God that deserves the credit...

And, preeminence in our lives...

God has confronted them with their negligence...

He’s reminded them of covenant curses for disobedience...

He’s reminded them of their lack of material things due to their negligence and disobedience...

And, then God days something so counter to the what He previously says that it just stops you in your tracks.

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.”

God Blesses His Image-bearers In-Spite of our Behavior

I mean, what a list to read in vv.10-19...

God is stressing these truths:

Everything you touch is unclean.

You neglected me.

I summoned your attention to Me by withholding from you.

You went to the harvest expecting a certain amount and you received much less.

Yet, with all of this attention that God bestowed upon you, you still did not turn back to God.

And, then to conclude all of that with...

“...But from this day on I will bless you.”

What an astonishing closing to such a speech.

The antithesis of what you would expect to be said.

You would expect...

Haggai 2:15-17 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.

An expected response might be…

So, from this day on:

I’m done.

You’re on your own.

I’m out of here.

Lightning from the sky to smite you.

Plagues are coming, beware.

What is not expected…

And, actually the opposite if what we think would come is...

“...But from this day on I will bless you.”

Now, why is God recalling all of this and then telling them He’s going to bless them, nonetheless?

And, I don’t claim this to be exhaustive...

For who can exhaust the purposes of God, but God.

But, here is what I believe is going on...

God uses Varying Means to Draw Our Attention to Him

We see replete examples of this in the Bible...

As, well as real life.

But, in particular, we see this exemplified in the book of Haggai.

God uses varying Means to draw our attention to Him.

In Chapter 1

God rebukes by confronting the people’s sin.

In Chapter 2:1-9

God comforts them with the knowledge of His presence and character.

With the beautiful truth that God always keeps His promises, in spite of us.

In Chapter 2:10-14

God rebukes the people by confronting the people of their abuse of the Law and Works.

And, He shows them their sinfulness/depravity & inability to be righteous.

In Chapter 2:15-19

God lists their sin and the due results of sin.

But, at the same time comforts the people with undeserved blessings.

So, we see these varied approaches of God in His interaction with the people.

All of these means that God uses are not only multi-faceted...

But, also, used at different times.

God not only uses deprivation.

But, God also uses abundance.

He explores the depths of means in order to grip our attention to Him.

Why?

Why does God go to such lengths towards sinful man?

Because...

God is Gracious Beyond Measure

Allow me to just list a few expressions of God’s grace here in this Book of Haggai:

Long-suffering towards sinful people.

Gracious in not leaving them to themselves.

He is creative in His approach to them.

Using multi-faceted ways to address personalities, emotions, and physical needs.

He is persistent in His pursuit of His image bearers.

He gives common grace to all mankind, no matter.

Rain, Sunshine…on the just and the unjust.

The list of examples are endless...

God sometimes gives us over to the calamity to which we so long for.

Sometimes, God, gives us an abundance of temporal needs.

So, that we might acknowledge that it has come from His hand and thank Him.

Sometimes, God puts us in the path of His Word so that we might hear the truth of our own sinfulness...

And, our utter need of salvation.

Sometimes, God allows us to ponder our sinfulness through the tragic consequences of our sinful choices...

In order that we may be all the more prepared to hear the gospel and come to Christ.

Sometimes God allows us to feel isolated in this life...

To feel utterly alone, maybe even betrayed by the people around us...

So, that we will, finally, seek refuge in Him, alone.

And, because of sin…

All of these mercies and gracious acts of kindness by God may seem subtle...

But, in reality, and based upon the nature and character of the holy God...

These acts are utterly earth-shattering…And, breath-taking.

Romans 2:4 Or do you presume on the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

God does all these things and more...

So, that we may break out in praise of God like 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.

But, at the same time…

We must understand that we are responsible to repent of our sins and believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved.

If not, if you die in your sins, it will be everlastingly too late.

Don’t miss the promise of a Savior who can grant you peace with God.

His name is Jesus…look to Him and be saved.

Closing Prayer