Haggai (9)I will take and I will make

Introduction: Have you ever made plans that didn't go the way you had hoped? Maybe a vacation that didn't turn out. A job promotion that failed. One time Emily signed me up for a 5K. I finished the race but I can assure you that it didn't quite go according to plan…

Transition: Today in, Haggi 2:20-23 we are focusing on another message of God through the prophet Haggai. On the same day God had finished a first message (that we looked at last week) with a promise of blessing. Now, in verses 20-23 God gives a particular explanation as to how He is going to bless them. Today will will discover that, God will bring about the deliverance for His people through His faithful Servant! Let’s begin by reading the passage…

First, looking at the promised blessing of a future deliverance.

Future Deliverance

Explanation: These three verses are saying...

Verse 20… On the same day that God speaks to the priests, he also turns his attention to the governor. What does He say?

Verse 21… In the future I will shake heavens and the earth. This is a referring to God bringing His judgement. How is He going to judge?

Verse 22.... by overthrowing and destroying. He will in the future overthrow the thrones of kingdoms. He is going to bring total destruction on the power of kingdoms and nations. God is promising Zerubabbel, the governor of Israel, that He will demolish the military forces of the nations. What does this all mean?

Interpretation: This means that God will bless His people, and Zerubabbel specifically, by bringing judgment on His enemies. It means that regardless of how much it seems like evil is prevailing, God has and will in the future bring about destruction on the nations by His own power.

God will do this just as he has done. Notice the connection of chariots and riders= Exodus from Egypt when God deliver His people. Notice the reference to sword of his own brother..) This is a reference to Judges 7:22 when God delivered Gideon's by confusing the enemy army and they took up the sword against each other. The point is that God is going to deliver His people by His own hand!

Judges 7:22 ESV

When they blew the 300 trumpets, the Lord set every man’s sword against his comrade and against all the army. And the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.

Immediately, this is accomplished in the lives of Haggai’s listeners through the completion of the temple being built, and God’s provision and preservation of them even though they were under the thumb of Persia.

Ultimately, this will be fulfilled in the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Application: The implications this has for us today is that we can trust God’s plan to deliver His people…

There isn't much that makes a whole lot of sense going on in our world today. We , like the remnant of people in Haggai's day may face the temptations of distress, discouragement, and distractions. However, when we belong to God through faith in His Son, we have hope of His ultimate deliverance.

Illustration: We are often stricken with fear and anxiety when we fret over things that we suppose will happen in the future. Often we have expectations about how things in our lives might work out only to find out they shake out very differently than we planned. For some, this creates all sorts of despair and grief… but for God’s people, we need only to hope in God. Trust that His plans for the future will work out. And whatever those plans are, however aware of them were are or not, they will be the best.

Transition: How can we be so sure?? Verse 23 answers this by pointing to a faithful servant…

Faithful Servant

Explanation: We are told in…

Verse 23 that...On this day of future deliverance, God says He will take Zerubbabel His servant and make Him like a signet ring, because He has chosen him.

Interpretation: This means that God has decided how He will redeem His people. God’s deliverance is according to God’s design. According to His designed plan, God will lay hold of His servant and install (Like he did Adam.. Like He did on the door of the Ark) him as a seal of authenticity.

A signet ring in 520BC was kind of like what you see on the screen. It was used as a means of authenticating the message of a king. He would stamp his decree in clay or wax and when that seal was observed a person knew where it came from. Maybe the equivalent would be a notary stamping an important document with a seal of the state. Or… maybe its like this ring I have.

Illustrate old class ring. When she was wearing my ring it was a stamp of authenticity!

The key to understanding exactly what God is promising here is to trace out the linage of Zerubabbel. Turn to Matthew 1:1&12

Point: God’s faithful servant is Jesus Christ. God’s seal of authenticity who accomplishes God plan of redemption is Jesus Christ.

Application: The implications that this verse hold for us today is first...

God will bring about His plans through His Son according to His will and timing.

It was 500 years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem. It has been over 2000 years since Jesus promised His disciples that He would return. How should we resound? Trust God’s will and timing. You may have been praying about some things for awhile. You may think you've spent a lot of time hoping for something. But when we belong to God we can rest with assurance that He will shake heaven and earth. Jesus will return! What do we do in the meanwhile??

Like Zerubbabel, we should remain faithful in obedience to God’s word. (Reflect on his role and response) Which imply we will know God’s word. How important is God’s word to you? How might you get along if it were taken away?

Now, those who are sealed by the Holy Spirit are God’s stamp of authenticity. Like Zerubabbel we need only be faithful to obey God’s word. Eph 1:13-14

Ephesians 1:13–14 ESV

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Closing: God has brought and will bring about a future deliverance through His faithful servant Jesus Christ.