Haggai 2

Great Rewards!

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Intro

√ Great rewards!

You’ll recall from our last study that the book of Haggai records four messages that God gave to the prophet to deliver to the remnant of the people of Judah who had returned from captivity.

Message 1 ~ Right Priorities (chapter 1)

Message 2 ~ Be Strong (chapter 2 vs. 1-9)

Message 3 ~ Be Holy (chapter 2 vs. 10-19)

Message 4 ~ Be Encouraged (chapter 2 vs. 20-23)

The purpose of the messages was to get the Jewish people back on the job of rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem.

Be Strong! (vs.1-9)

Hag. 2:1 In the seventh month, on the twenty-first of the month (October 17, 520 B.C.), the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying:

Hag. 2:2 “Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying:

Hag. 2:3 “Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? In comparison with it, is this not in your eyes as nothing?

Hag. 2:4 Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ says the LORD; “and be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land,’ says the LORD, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ says the LORD of hosts.

Hag. 2:5 “According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!’

Hag. 2:6 “For thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land;

Hag. 2:7 and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the LORD of hosts.

Hag. 2:8 “The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the LORD of hosts.

Hag. 2:9 “The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the LORD of hosts.”

√ Be strong ~ the timing of the message

This message came almost a month after the first message was delivered.

Since that time the people had gathered to Jerusalem to begin again the work on the Temple…

…but the work was going slowly.

The reason was slow was…

There was a lot of rumble to clear!

The month that they began the work was filled with Jewish festivals & Sabbaths (Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, & the Feast of Tabernacles)

Kind of like trying to get work done on your house over Christmas!

So, it was on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles that God sent Haggai to preach a new message to the Jews who had gathered to Jerusalem to celebrate Tabernacles.

√ Be strong ~ the purpose of the message

You’ll remember that in chapter 1 the hearts of the people, the high priest and the governor were stirred up to finish the Temple project.

However, as the people began to work their initial enthusiasm began to wane as they recognized the enormity of the project and that they simply didn’t have the resources to rebuild it as it had been.

So, as people often do they started to complain about the project and the fact that this new Temple would look pitiful when compared to the one Solomon built.

Thus, God asks them…

“Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? In comparison with it, is this not in your eyes as nothing?” ~ vs. 3

God’s questions were meant to cause the people to stop and consider why they were complaining and discouraged.

Their problem was that they were looking at the project with the wrong perspective.

They were concerned about the physical appearance of the Temple rather than the spiritual reality of what it represented.

That is, those who had seen the Temple that Solomon built were captivated by its glory and had become prideful about the Temple’s beauty rather than being excited about the God who dwelt there!

As they looked at the new Temple they were building they despised it because it was like a single-wide mobile home compared to the White House.

There was no gold, no silver, no massive bronze pillars, no sea, no bulls.

Instead it was just a plain rock building and to the people of Judah it seemed insignificant when compared to the Temple that Solomon built.

So, God’s point to them is that they shouldn’t measure the significance of the project or their efforts by the external beauty of the finished building.

Their work was significant because they were doing what God had asked of them.

Ap. It’s not the building

If you’ve done any mission work at all you’ve come to appreciate that where God is present and working is not the result of a fancy building!

I’ve met in churches made of abode block with no windows and dirt floors.

Taught in churches with bamboo rafters and thatched roofs in the middle of a coffee plantation.

Shared in tiny churches that only seated 20 people.

Taught in a church that seated 2,500 a service.

I’ve found that the size of the building and the materials it’s made from doesn’t have any relationship to the work that God is doing in the people meeting in the building.

So, Haggai reminds us that we ought not compare the work that God is doing in our lives, or in our church, with what we’ve experienced somewhere else.

If you’ve come from a large impressive ministry don’t let your golden memories rob you of the present opportunities that God has for you in this place!

√ Be strong ~ the hope of the message

God’s message to the leaders and the people is…

“Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ says the LORD; “and be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land,’ says the LORD, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ says the LORD of hosts.” ~ vs. 4

Be strong and get to work!

In other words, don’t let your memories of the old Temple keep you from building.

Don’t be discouraged by the amount of work to be done.

Instead God says recognize that He is with you and will help you to finish the job He’s given you to do!

Ap. God’s work is always greater than our capacity to do it!

It’s an interesting study to look at all the people that God has worked through and to discover that not one was qualified to do the job!

Every one of them found themselves overwhelmed by what it was that God asked them to do.

Moses wasn’t eloquent in speech.

Gideon was afraid of the Midianites.

The disciples didn’t have enough food to feed the multitudes.

So it is with you and me! God gives us a task and we quickly recognize that we are unable to complete it!

Might lack the resources to do the job.

May not have the experience to know where to start.

Could be just scared to death to start because you’re sure that you’ll fail!

God’s word of encouragement is always the same…

“Be strong for I am with you!”

Because when God is with you, you don’t lack anything needed to get the job done!

√ Be strong ~ your work is significant

In verses 6-9 God switches gears from the present work of rebuilding the Temple to the glory of a future Temple!

Hag. 2:6 “For thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land;

Hag. 2:7 and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the LORD of hosts.

Hag. 2:8 “The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the LORD of hosts.

Hag. 2:9 “The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the LORD of hosts.”

The time in view here is the end of the Great Tribulation when Jesus returns, judges the earth and establishes His Kingdom!

When He returns there will be a great earthquake that shakes the entire planet (ref. Rev. 16:18 ~ the last Bowl Judgment) ~ vs. 6.

During His Millennial reign a new Temple will reside in Jerusalem (ref. Ezekiel 40-48) where the Lord dwells with men ~ vs. 9.

The Millennial Temple will be so awesome in glory and splendor that none of the people who live in the Kingdom age will ever call to mind Solomon’s Temple or any other!

God’s point to the people in Jerusalem was that their labor was more than just physical, it was a spiritual endeavor that was laying the foundation for the future Temple in which the King would dwell.

Ex. Herod’s Temple

While the people in Jerusalem may have thought that the Temple they were building could never compare the one Solomon built…

…little did they know that it would actually achieve greater glory than Solomon’s ever did!

Around 20 B.C. (500 years after they finished their work) Herod the Great began a massive expansion project to the Temple the people built in Haggai’s time.

He used massive white marble stones for the foundation, some measuring 44 feet long, 12 feet tall, and 16 feet wide weighing 600 tons!

Gold was used in abundance.

The Eastern Gate was 75 feet tall and 60 feet wide and made completely of Corinthian brass and inlaid with precious metals.

But the greatest asset of the Temple was that the Messiah Himself came and ministered there, healing the sick, teaching the people, and inviting people into the Kingdom of God.

He brought a greater glory to that Temple than anything that Solomon’s Temple experienced!

So, while the people rebuilding the Temple in Haggai’s day couldn’t see much glory from their work little did they know that they were preparing the place that Messiah would one day come!

Ap. Laying foundations

Sometimes the work that God calls us to can seem very insignificant.

Might not reach many people, may even feel like you’re wasting your efforts.

But don’t forget that if you’re doing what God called you to do that even though you might not see great results now…

…you may be laying foundations for a great harvest in the future!

Be Holy! (vs.10-19)

Hag. 2:10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius (December 18, 520 B.C.), the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying,

Hag. 2:11 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Now, ask the priests concerning the law, saying,

Hag. 2:12 “If one carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with the edge he touches bread or stew, wine or oil, or any food, will it become holy?” ’ ” Then the priests answered and said, “No.”

Hag. 2:13 And Haggai said, “If one who is unclean because of a dead body touches any of these, will it be unclean?” So the priests answered and said, “It shall be unclean.”

Hag. 2:14 Then Haggai answered and said, “ “So is this people, and so is this nation before Me,’ says the LORD, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

Hag. 2:15 “And now, carefully consider from this day forward: from before stone was laid upon stone in the temple of the LORD—

Hag. 2:16 since those days, when one came to a heap of twenty ephahs, there were but ten; when one came to the wine vat to draw out fifty baths from the press, there were but twenty.

Hag. 2:17 I struck you with blight and mildew and hail in all the labors of your hands; yet you did not turn to Me,’ says the LORD.

Hag. 2:18 “Consider now from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day that the foundation of the LORD’S temple was laid—consider it:

Hag. 2:19 Is the seed still in the barn? As yet the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. But from this day I will bless you.’ ”

√ Be holy

In this section the Lord instructs Haggai to ask the priests a series of questions regarding the Law.

1^st question ~ if something holy touches something unholy, does the unholy thing become holy?

No!

Holiness cannot be transferred.

2^nd question ~ if something unholy touches something holy, does the holy thing become unholy?

Yes!

The reason is that sin is like a disease that is transferred through touch.

God’s point here is that prior to the beginning of the rebuilding project the people were unholy because they had been disobedient to the Lord.

They weren’t working on the Temple so God did not bless them or the work of their hands.

Since they had neglected God and His house and were only concerned with their own welfare everything they touched because unclean!

But, since they restarted the project God promises that He will abundantly bless them and the fruit of their land because now that they’re obeying Him they are holy in His eyes!

Hag. 2:18 “Consider now from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day that the foundation of the LORD’S temple was laid—consider it:

Hag. 2:19 Is the seed still in the barn? As yet the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. But from this day I will bless you.’ ”

In other words, God says…

“Mark your calendars and watch Me work!”

Where once they had only want now God promises an abundant blessing and that they would be able to trace it to the very day that they began the work on His house.

Ap. No blessings?

Could it be that the blessings of God have been withheld from your life because you’ve neglected God?

Maybe you’re in the midst of a real financial crisis.

It seems like you just can’t get ahead because all your labor goes back into fixing replacing something that’s broken.

It may be, and only you and the Lord can discern if this is the case, that you’ve put God and His work on the back burner of your life.

You haven’t given Him the time He deserves.

You aren’t doing anything to build up His Kingdom.

If you know you’re in disobedience to the Lord then I challenge you to start obeying today!

Give Him your full obedience.

Mark this day on your calendar and watch what He does!

God loves to bless His children but He can only bless obedience.

Be Encouraged! (vs.20-23)

Hag. 2:20 And again the word of the LORD came to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month (Dec. 18, 520 B.C.), saying,

Hag. 2:21 “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying:

‘I will shake heaven and earth.

Hag. 2:22 I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms;

I will destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms.

I will overthrow the chariots

And those who ride in them;

The horses and their riders shall come down,

Every one by the sword of his brother.

Hag. 2:23 “In that day,’ says the LORD of hosts, “I will take you, Zerubbabel My servant, the son of Shealtiel,’ says the LORD, ‘and will make you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you,’ says the LORD of hosts.”

√ Be encouraged

This last message is directed specifically to Zerubbabel the governor, the grandson of king Jehoiachin.

Perhaps he needed encouragement to lead the small group of Jewish survivors in the rebuilding project…

…after all Solomon had 180,000 laborers available to build the Temple (ref. I Kings 5:13-18) while Zerubbabel had less than 50,000 people (probably less than 20,000 men to work!)

So, God encourages Zerubbabel by promising that He would show His favor by giving him great honor and glory…

“In that day,’ says the LORD of hosts, “I will take you, Zerubbabel My servant, the son of Shealtiel,’ says the LORD, ‘and will make you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you,’ says the LORD of hosts.”

vs. 23

A signet ring speaks of God’s favor and authority.

That is, God promises that He will show Zerubbabel great favor in the sight of many people by choosing him to be a significant part of His kingdom.

Notice that the Lord’s promise to Zerubbabel is for the future…

“in that day”.

What day?

Vs. 22 tells us what day, it is the day of the Lord!

That is, when Jesus returns to judge the gentile nations at the end of the Tribulation (as described in vs. 22) and then establishes His kingdom on earth…

…in that day He will appoint the resurrected Zerubbabel to a place of great authority in the Kingdom.

So, though Zerubbabel would never rule as a king during his lifetime, nor would he experience the grandeur and splendor that Solomon had…

…yet because of his faithfulness to rebuild the Temple God promised that he would have a greater place of honor and glory in Jesus’ kingdom than Solomon!

Ap. Faithful nobodies!

Most of God’s servants, including those here tonight, will spend their entire pilgrimage here on earth without receiving much attention or glory.

They’ll never be recognized by Time Magazine as an influential religious leader.

The great majority of the Church won’t have any idea who they are.

They may labor away with few resources and even less fruit.

But, if they are faithful to do as God as asked then like Zerubbabel they will one day rule and reign in Jesus’ kingdom as a king!

Rev. 5:9 And they sang a new song, saying:

“You are worthy to take the scroll,

And to open its seals;

For You were slain,

And have redeemed us to God by Your blood

Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,

Rev. 5:10 And have made us kings and priests to our God;

And we shall reign on the earth.”

So, don’t fret that today you’re an unknown laborer in the work of the Kingdom…

…because the King knows who you are and He has chosen you to rule with Him when He establishes His Kingdom!

Close

√ Great rewards

Do a heart check and make sure that your priorities are right, if they aren’t you need to fix them so that you can experience God’s blessings now and in the future!

Keep at the work that God has given you to do because it is significant in God’s plans and He will reward you greatly for your faithfulness!