013 What If It Was Never About What We Thought It Was About? (part 2)
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20 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.”
1. God is sovereign.
1. God is sovereign.
The sovereignty of God means that we, His creation, need to submit to the will of the creator.
The sovereignty of God means that we, His creation, need to submit to the will of the creator.
The sovereignty of God gives us, His creation, comfort.
The sovereignty of God gives us, His creation, comfort.
(1) A. God is sovereign over nature.
(1) A. God is sovereign over nature.
(2) B. Circumstances outside of our own choices do not impact God’s redemption.
(2) B. Circumstances outside of our own choices do not impact God’s redemption.
Zerubbabel didn’t have a good name.
This did not come from his decisions but his grandfather’s decisions.
24 “As I live, declares the Lord, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet ring on my right hand, yet I would tear you off
25 and give you into the hand of those who seek your life, into the hand of those of whom you are afraid, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of the Chaldeans.
26 I will hurl you and the mother who bore you into another country, where you were not born, and there you shall die.
27 But to the land to which they will long to return, there they shall not return.”
28 Is this man Coniah a despised, broken pot, a vessel no one cares for? Why are he and his children hurled and cast into a land that they do not know?
29 O land, land, land, hear the word of the Lord!
30 Thus says the Lord: “Write this man down as childless, a man who shall not succeed in his days, for none of his offspring shall succeed in sitting on the throne of David and ruling again in Judah.”
(2) B. Circumstances outside of our own choices do not impact God’s redemption.
(2) B. Circumstances outside of our own choices do not impact God’s redemption.
Coniah or Jeconiah - carried into Babylonian captivity along with his family never to reign again.
God calls him the signet ring that He tore off and threw to the ground.
“I will hurl you and your mother who bore you into another country where you were not born, and there you shall die.”
This is not a small curse to be overlooked.
The wording is not small to be overlooked.
God inspired authors to write the way they wrote for a reason.
11 When your days are fulfilled to walk with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom.
12 He shall build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever.
13 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from him who was before you,
14 but I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever.’ ”
15 In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.
The Davidic line was established.
Jesus would come to earth through David’s royal blood!
Yet in Jeremiah God ends it.
30 Thus says the Lord: “Write this man down as childless, a man who shall not succeed in his days, for none of his offspring shall succeed in sitting on the throne of David and ruling again in Judah.”
(2) B. Circumstances outside of our own choices do not impact God’s redemption.
(2) B. Circumstances outside of our own choices do not impact God’s redemption.
He calls Jeconiah a childless man.
He already had children so this is a symbolic name.
A terrible thing for a king.
The continuation of his dynasty lies on a king’s offspring.
God says: because of your sin, your reign is over.
“None of his offspring shall succeed in sitting on the throne.”
What now?
This is not just Jeconiah’s problem.
Our sin impacts those around us.
Our sin can impact those that come after us.
Jeconiah’s sin impacted Zerubbabel.
BUT… It had further impact than that.
You should be asking… Where does this put you and I?
Let’s stop for a minute and soak this in.
Imagine reading the Bible for the first time and you start in Genesis.
You are beginning to see the need for a redeemer.
You are starting to understand your sin and what it has done to your relationship with God.
You have learned that your need for a redeemer will be met in the promised Messiah!
You have learned that Israel wanted to be like other nations and wanted a King.
Though is wasn’t what we would say was His perfect plan He granted them their desire and gave them a king.
Then you learn that through David’s royal heritage, God promised to give us the King of Kings.
You’ve made it all the way to Jeremiah.
You know God has promised a Messiah.
God has promised a temple far greater than Solomon’s
Now this… so you keep reading.
You find that Israel is taken into captivity.
What happens to you and I?
Where is this redeemer going to come from?
The Davidic line has ended.
Then you get to Haggai...
You should be feeling a little hopeless.
Then you read this little verse.
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.”
God honors the obedience of Zerubbabel and restores the Davidic line.
But here is what I want you to see.
I want to give you a perspective that will change everything for you.
We read a story of redemption for Zerubbabel.
It is!
This is incredible grace that God has given this man and his family.
BUT… what if it was never about what we thought it was about?
What if the book of Haggai wasn’t really about the obedience of the Jews in rebuilding the temple?
What if the book of Haggai wasn’t really about the obedience of the Jews in rebuilding the temple?
What if the rebuilding of the temple was not the main point?
What if this is simply a tool to give Zerubbabel the opportunity to respond correctly?
The call to rebuild the temple was a call to something greater!
Cliff said last week I should have started Haggai here!
Think about this… when God calls us to something...
We don’t see the end.
It might be a call to something far greater than what we can see in front of us!
A Sunday School class.
An Awana small group.
A person that God puts in your life.
What if the story of Zerubbabel’s redemption was never about Zerubbabel?
What if the story of Zerubbabel’s redemption was never about Zerubbabel?
What if not only the rebuilding of the temple, but also Zerubbabel’s redemption was not the main point of Haggai.
12 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, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor,
14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud,
15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob,
16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.
What if the story of Zerubbabel’s redemption was never about Zerubbabel?
What if the story of Zerubbabel’s redemption was never about Zerubbabel?
What if Jesus is the main point?
What if all of this was simply to put in order God’s plan for the redemption of the world.
The temple pointed to a greater glory.
Zerubbabel pointed to a greater King!
The story is not about us!
The Bible is not about us.
It was an autobiography written for us.
It reveals to us who God is.
Thus we are compelled to change because of our shortcomings.
Our lives are not about us.
We are characters in a script already written by God to bring glory to Himself.
You and I would call this a story of redemption for Zerubbabel… and it was.
But it wasn’t about him.
Zerubbabel enjoyed redemption so that God could accomplish His plan.
God was working a plan that was laid out before the foundation of the world.
Zerubbabel was simply the benefactor.
5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
What if the story of Zerubbabel’s redemption was never about Zerubbabel?
What if the story of Zerubbabel’s redemption was never about Zerubbabel?
What if your redemption was simple to bring the gospel to someone else?
We usually talk about our salvation in terms of our own story.
It was God’s story.
What if you are simply the benefactor of God’s plan.
There is a person God has for you to lead to Christ.
Maybe you are frustrated.
You don’t really know what God is calling you to do.
You don’t understand why things are happening in your life.
Why your life and your story is unfolding the way it is.
Because it isn’t your life and your story.
God is writing HIS story!
Trust Him.
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
What if the story of Zerubbabel’s redemption was never about Zerubbabel?
What if the story of Zerubbabel’s redemption was never about Zerubbabel?
Don’t walk away feeling like we are just pawns in God’s creation.
The Bible tells us we are His Slaves.
But we will be a slave to a master - A good master or an evil master.
Walk out of here today thankful that God chose to write His story with you being His child and not playing the part of Pharoah.
Recognize the unfathomable blessing that God pours on us.
Life is often not what we think it is about… unless we understand what it is really about.
16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.