Haggai (8) I Will Bless You

Introduction:

Reading Text: Haggai 2:10-19

Transition: Walking through text offering some brief comments and observations.

The time is about two months since His last sermon. Perhaps around December 18th, 520B.C.(2:10)

According to Ezra the priestly roles had been reinstated. One of the tasks of the priest was to offer counsel or judgment on matters of the law. Notice, not only is God speaking to the high priest, Joshua, but now begins to interrogate all the priests. (2:11)

(2:12) The first interrogation question has to do with ceremonial meat. The laws for this are recorded in the book of Numbers. According to those laws, the priests answer plainly, “No”. Holy meat, cannot pass through a garment and make something else holy. This question has to do with ceremonial or ritual purity before God. It’s not referring to physical cleanliness, like taking a bath. It would be more like asking the question; can the act of placing your Bible on the back seat of your car make your car holy. Answer. No.

(2:13) The second question God asks the priests is in verse 13. Basically, the question is, “can someone who is unclean, make other things unclean. Answer according to God’s law. YES.

Point: So holy cannot transfer to unholy, but unholy can transfer to holy. It is the essence of these two questions that God now applies to His people. He says...

(2:14) “So it is with this people...” (Read again) Point: Those working on the rebuilding of God’s temple are guilty of being unclean. By their uncleaness, every work of their hand is unclean. How is this the case? Where is this showing up in the lives of God’s people? He goes on to tell them in verses 15...

(2:15-19a) Again, they are told to sit down into their hearts and truly think about what has happened among them. How have they been getting along? How is my life really going?

when a heap of 20 became 10. 50% loss.

When 50 vats of wine became 20.

When God struck all the products of their toil with blight, mildew, and hail.

Yet, you did not return to me. Even though all your sustenance of life have yielded nothing.

Point: God is telling His people to seriously consider their ways, and why all their work is coming to nothing. But He doesn’t leave them to despair. Notice the last phrase of verse 19.

From this day is a reference to verse 18. The people have repented and started working on the temple. The foundation has finally been completed. And God is determined to bless His people in spite of their uncleaness. To bless means to fill with favor. God is promising to show His people mercy.

Transition: One of the reasons this is so significant is because of the continued reform and revival that was occuring in the life of God’s people. Ezra and Nehemiah, which provide the historical background to Haggai, tells us that even though these people came back from exile, started building the temple, faced opposition, faced a time of set, courageously started building again, they were still stained by uncleanness. What was the deep seated problem? They had started intermarrying with the pagan cultures that surrounded them.

The questions God was asking them here directly confront this sin. God has already put in place the way for non-Israelite people to become Israelites. However, His law concerning this was not through the institution of marriage. They were not making the Canaanites clean by marrying them, the Canaanites were making them unclean. They were not rubbing holy off onto the Egyptians by marrying them, rather the Egyptians were rubbing their holiness off. And now, they needed to repent of this sin. Thankfully, we are told that they did. The whole remnant went through a pruning and were made clean. However, we should be wise to note that God’s blessing of His people wasn’t because their lives were without spot or wrinkle. But because His mercy is exactly what is needed to iron our spots and wrinkles. Their lives looked much like the heap of ashes of the old foundation of the temple… but from this time onward… from the new temple foundation… God was going to bless them and make that pile of ashes into a beautiful crown of his glory. How? We’ll see that answered clearly next week from the remainder of Haggai.

Transition: Now, lets us consider together a coupe final points of application.

What are the results of God’s blessing?

Life and Godliness.

Life: No effort of human will can bring spiritual life. Only God can make a sinner a saint. God’s blesses. He shows mercy. And as a result of His mercy, those who are dead in their trespasses and sin are made alive in Christ. This is a result of God’s love, grace, and mercy in sending His Son to die for the ransomed payment of sinners. Christ died in the place of sinners. He did the work necessary that we could not do. He raised bodily from the dead victorious over death, hell, and the grave. Why? In order that the holiness that we could not attain could be applied to our account.

Now, consider this. If you are not yet a Christian today, you have still benefited from God’s mercy. You enjoy breathing, seeing beautiful things of His creation, experience sustenance through having a job and eating His produce. You have many benefits in the temporary life as a result of God’s mercy to you. However, the only way you can enjoy eternal life is by being born again by His Spirit. This too is an act of God’s mercy. When He awakens your mind,desires, and will to the reality that you have rebelled against His commandments. You have sinned and are guilty and deserve a just condemnation. However, Christ died for sinners. His perfect death pays the debt so that sinners like me can be forgiven. Can be made new and washed clean. Jesus is the only one holy can touch someone who is not holy and make them clean. Have you been made clean? If not, then receive this truth and turn from your sin and surrender to Christ today. This day can be for you the day of a new foundation! Where your life is set on the cornerstone of Christ.

Godliness: God’s blessing of His people in spite of them does not promote further ungodliness. Should we go on sinning that grace may abound? God forbid. Rather, when we drink from the never ending fountain of God’s mercy we are truly compelled to live for His glory. As we have found in the little book of Haggi, our thirst is never so satisfied as when God is glorified. And it pleases the Lord, it brings Him glory to show mercy. So... when we wash in His ocean of unmerited kindness. When He fills our cup full of His favor, we are propelled to live godly lives.

So what does this look like in the life of the church?

Let me focus on one particular way through a parable that Jesus told about an unmerciful servant.

Consider this if you are a Christian. The way we treat those who are “caught in transgressions” will demonstrate how we understand God has treated us. If we are in fact Christians, then we must understand that God has poured out upon us extravagant mercy. Because of who and what we were before He caused us to be born again , no Christian can boast of self-righteousness and condemn another brother or sister. Perhaps, today you have been sinned against? Mistreated? Pushed aside? Will you show mercy and forgive the offence? Perhaps, today you are one caught in sin? You have been sloshing around in the tar pit of transgression and God’s is calling you to repent. Confess your sin, turn to Christ.

Closing:

Now, as a visual expression of worship to celebrate this reality that God blesses His people, we are going to celebrate communion today.