Trust the Promises of God

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Haggai 2:20-23 The word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, 21 “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I am about to shake the heavens and the earth, 22 and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and overthrow the chariots and their riders. And the horses and their riders shall go down, every one by the sword of his brother. 23 On that day, declares the Lord of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the Lord, and make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the Lord of hosts.”

Opening Prayer

Recap

I want us to remember, what was pointed out a the very beginning of our study here in Haggai...

The people here that God is dealing with in the Book of Haggai...

They are the faithful people of Israel.

They left everything behind in Babylon.

Decades of investment there...

Homes, belongings, economic status. social status...

All of it, left behind, for the chance to have God’s people back home...

With the Temple built, with the Shekinah glory in the midst of the people.

They’re the “Church-goers.”

They’re the “ministry leaders.”

They’re the “Sunday school teachers.”

They’re the “leaders.”

But, good intentions are not enough...

As we’ve seen in this study.

They have gone through seasons of behavior...

Both physical behavior…And, emotional behavior.

Seasons that we go through, as well.

Times, in which, we need the intervention of God to get our attention...

And, draw us back to Him.

A few examples here in Haggai...

Their physical behavior was dealt with in Chapter 1.

Haggai 1:3-4 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?

God confronts them with this sinful behavior...

And, then tells them that He has been withholding temporal needs from them to get their attention back to Him.

Through this, God still promises them good.

They went from finding their joy in materialistic things...

To having no joy because of the LACK of materialistic things.

To being in despair because of their sin...

And, because of their doubts that God can accomplish His promises.

Their emotional behavior was dealt with in the first half of Chapter 2.

Haggai 2:2-4, 5 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,…5 ...Work, for I am with you...My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not.

God confronts them with their emotional discouragement by giving them reason to hope....

By giving them reason for joy...

He is on His throne and He does as He pleases in the heavens and on earth and no one can stay His hand or say to Him what have you done. [Daniel 4 paraphrase]

God confronts them with their attitude of self-righteousness in Chapter 2, as well...

God asks the Priests to confirm, not only the proper purpose of the Law & Works...

But, to confirm that they are abusing it and misusing it to create a righteousness of their own....

Which is no real righteousness at all.

Haggai 2:11-14 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.

And, through all of these confrontations by God towards the people...

The theme is overwhelmingly clear...

God is gracious beyond measure.

Haggai 2:19 But from this day on I will bless you.”

God has proven, over and over, that He will go to the greatest lengths to keep His promises...

And redeem His people.

Yet, in spite of the overwhelming patience, promises, and care that God gives them...

The people are still thinking...

How in the world is God going to keep His promise to His people when we are surrounded by enemies?

How, when we are under the rule of another Nation?

How, when we are surrounded on every side by enemies of our Nation and Religion?

And, so God visits them with another promise of encouragement and joy...

So, in our passage this morning, I want us to see...

What is God pointing out to the People?

Let’s look again at the promise here in Haggai...

Haggai 2:21-23 “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I am about to shake the heavens and the earth, 22 and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and overthrow the chariots and their riders. And the horses and their riders shall go down, every one by the sword of his brother. 23 On that day, declares the Lord of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the Lord, and make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the Lord of hosts.”

He’s reminding them that He can and will keep His promises...

But, here, God is not only reminding His people that He will keep His promises...

But, God is giving insight into how.

This is not a new promise...

But, it is giving more insight and clarity into how.

Genesis 3: Through the “Seed of the Woman”

Genesis 17: Through the “Seed of Abraham”

Genesis 49: Through the “Tribe of Judah”

2 Samuel 7: Through the “Lineage of David”

Isaiah 7: Through the “Seed of a Virgin”

And now, in Haggai: Narrowed to be through “Zerubbabel”

So, is this promise going to be fulfilled in Zerubbabel...

Or through Zerubabbel?

What do we make of this promise?

Zerubbabel never had a kingdom.

He never wore a crown.

Yet, Zerubbabel was of the tribe of Judah.

He was of the lineage of David.

Well, we can cheat…we can look ahead...

Matthew 1:12-13 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud...

In the gospels the mystery is completely revealed in whom and through whom the Savior/Davidic King did come.

We have recorded history on our side...

And, we can easily see that this promise would not be fulfilled in Zerubbabel...

But, through Him.

So, how is that encouraging?

What is God saying here to the people of Haggai’s day?

Well, let’s go back and look at the promise of God for a Davidic King to have an eternal kingdom...

2 Samuel 7:11-13 Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. 12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

So, here is the beautiful thing that God is doing here for the blessing of the people.

He is reminding them of this:

In spite of their sinfulness.

In spite of their wanderings.

In spite of their going after idols & false gods.

In spite of their unfaithfulness to Him.

What is this promise being kept all about?

I mean why and how is God going to do all this?

Did Zerubabbel deserve this?

Wasn’t he part of the unfaithfulness of the people that was confronted?

Of course he was.

Look at these tender, sweet and comforting words here...

Haggai 2:23 On that day, declares the Lord of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the Lord, and make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the Lord of hosts.”

Why is this blessing being bestowed upon Zerubbabel?

Not because of Zeruabbabel.

But, because God chose him as a means to a glorious end.

That end including, but not limited to:

The glory of God.

The glory of the Savior.

The glory of redemption.

The glory of the Nations.

Zeruabbabel was chosen by God to be used as an instrument in God’s hand...

To magnify the glory of God...

And, the grace, mercy, power, justice, holiness, and faithfulness of God.

The promise was coming…in God’s perfect timing.

The promise would be kept…in exactly the way God ordained it to be fulfilled.

The promise would go exactly according to God’s predetermined plan.

God is on His throne and doing as He pleases.

And, He takes no, and needs no counsel from any outside source.

Glory be to God.

So, let me close by answering this question...

How does this reminder help us?

How does this promise encourage us?

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

How can God use us, when the world and our very own culture and country...

Are becoming increasingly antagonistic to the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ and His gospel?

God’s shows us throughout Biblical history...

That by His power He will go to whatever lengths it takes...

To accomplish His purposes...

Even overturn all the kingdoms of the earth, break chariots in pieces, cast down and overthrow all riders...

Rather than to allow them to prevent the restoration of His Church.

Jesus said “I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

And, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been give to Me…Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.”

We have the victory.

We have the commission.

We have the fields that ripe for harvest.

We have our Lord who has the power & authority.

All that is lacking is our willingness.

And, often our unwillingness is based upon our forgetting the promises of God...

And, the character of God...

To whom we serve.

We have opposition, yes.

What is our response to such opposition?

—Whom shall we obey man or God?

And, the answer is God, alone.

What does the Scripture teach us about how we treat our enemy?

Love your neighbor.

Pray for your enemies.

Turn the cheek

Walk a mile in their shoes.

Evangelize “Go therefore...”

Why these kind of responses?

Why does God call us to respond in such peaceful ways to such harmful opposition?

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

Sometimes the very thing that softens the heart is to watch a person under the hand of your own persecution respond in love, prayer, and the hope that the persecutor be saved.

Ask men/women of the faith throughout the history of the Church...

Ask men like Richard Wurmbrand.

Ask women like Corrie ten Boom.

Before her sister died, she told Corrie, "There is no pit so deep that He [God] is not deeper still."

Ask families like Nate Saint & Jim Elliot.

Most of the greatest, true growth of the Church...

Has come during times that persecution has fallen upon the Church.

We have the victory in Jesus.

We’ve already won.

We are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Let’s live like it.

Closing Prayer