37 Haggai - PowerPoint Presentation

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37 Haggai - PPT Presentation

HAGGAI Post Exile Returned remnant from Babylon Map David Legge Prophets Pre Exile During Exile Post Exile PreExile To Israel To Judah To Assyria To Edom ID: 618914

god lord day haggai lord god haggai day hosts declares zerubbabel people temple word son holy time month judah house work earth

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Slide1

37 Haggai

HAGGAI

Post Exile

Returned remnant from

BabylonSlide2

Map

David

Legge

Slide3

Prophets

: Pre-Exile, During Exile, Post Exile

Pre-Exile

To Israel

To Judah

To Assyria

To Edom Hosea Lamentations Jonah Obadiah Amos Micah Nahum Isaiah Jeremiah Joel Zephaniah HabbakukDuring Exile Post-ExileFrom Babylon To JerusalemEzekiel HaggaiDaniel Zechariah Malachi

David

Legge

Slide4

Est. Year BC

Prophet From / To Period Address

Obadiah 848 / 841 Pre-Exile Edom

Joel 835 / 835 Pre-Exile Judah

Jonah 782 / 753 Pre-Exile Assyria

Amos 760 / 753 Pre-Exile Israel

Hosea 755 / 715 Pre-Exile Israel

lsaiah

740 / 680 Pre-Exile Judah

Micah 735 / 700 Pre-Exile Judah, Israel in Exile Judah Nahum 664 / 654 Pre-Exile Judah, Israel in Exile Assyria Zephaniah 632 / 628 Pre-Exile Judah, Israel in Exile Judah Jeremiah 627 / 580 Pre-Exile Judah, Israel in Exile Judah Habakkuk 609 / 605 Pre-Exile Judah, Israel in Exile Judah Daniel 605 / 535 Judah also In Exile Judah Ezekiel 593 / 571 Judah also In Exile Judah Haggai 520 / 520 Post-Exile Returned Jew Zechariah 520 / 480 Post-Exile Returned Jew Malachi 432 / 424 Post-Exile Returned Jew Slide5

Likely timeline

1 Jonah

2 Joel 3 Amos

4 Hosea

5 Micah

6 Nahum

7 Zephaniah

8 Habakkuk

9 Obadiah

10 Haggai

11 Zechariah 12 Malachi EZRA

HOSEA

MICAH

? NAHUM ?

ISAIAH

JEREMIAH

DANIEL

EZEKIEL

2 CHRONICLES – 479 YEAR

2 KINGS – 337 YEAR

Genesis

Exodus

Leviticus

Numbers

Deuteronomy

Joshua

Judges

Ruth

1 Samuel

Samuel

Ecclesiastes

Song of Solomon

Isaiah

Jeremiah

Lamentations

Ezekiel

Daniel

4 Hosea

2 Joel

3 Amos

1 Kings 2 Kings 1 Chronicles 2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Esther Job Psalms Proverbs

9 Obadiah1 Jonah 5 Micah 6 Nahum 8 Habakkuk 7 Zephaniah 10 Haggai 11 Zechariah 12 Malachi

Old Testament book order

ChronologicallySlide6

38-Haggai-FNL.jpg

Slide7

Haggai

God provided 3 months for Haggai to minister but his whole life he was being prepared for it,

was willing to fit into God's purpose, God's plan,

even if

it only meant three months

Part 1: Build God's House

Message to Arouse

Haggai 1:1-15Part 2: The Best Is Yet To Be Message to Support Haggai 2:1-9Part 3: Bringing God's Blessing Down Message to Confirm Haggai 2:10-19Part 4: His Day Will Come Message to Assure Haggai 2:20-23Slide8

The Desolations of Jerusalem

And now, I pray you, consider from this day and upward, from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the LORD……Consider now from this day and upward, from the

four and twentieth day of the ninth month

, even from the day that the foundation of the LORD'S temple was laid, consider it.

Haggai

2:15-19

Again in the

ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,Son of man, write thee the name of the day, even of this same day: the king of Babylon set himself against Jerusalem this same day. Ezekiel 24:1, 2 (Dated 2 Kings 25:1; Jeremiah 52:4)Slide9

The Desolations of Jerusalem

At the very time the Babylonian army was surrounding Jerusalem, Ezekiel was hundreds of miles away in Babylon,10th day of

Tebeth

, 589 BC

Haggai, nails the date they ended,

day of Kislev, 520 BC

The interval is 25,200 days,

70 years of 360 days each.Slide10

Haggai 1:1-15 - Build God's House

1. The Rebuke For Procrastination (vv 2-4

)

2. The Reaping Of Poverty (

vv 5-6

)

3. The Reason For Poverty (

vv 9-11

)

4. The Remedy For Poverty (vv 5,7,8)5. The Renewal Of Purpose (vv 12-15)the theme: "get busy and build the Lord's house." Slide11

Haggai 1:1-6 (NASB)

In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai to

Zerubbabel

the son of

Shealtiel

, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of

Jehozadak

, the high priest, saying,

(2) "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'This people says, "The time has not come, even the time for the house of the LORD to be rebuilt."'"

(3) Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying,(4) "Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate?“ (5) Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts, "Consider your ways! (6) "You have sown much, but harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes."Slide12

Haggai 1:7-11 (NASB)

(7) Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Consider your ways!

(8) "Go up to the mountains, bring wood and rebuild the temple, that I may be pleased with it and be glorified," says the LORD.

(10) "Therefore, because of you the sky has withheld its dew and the earth has withheld its produce.

(11) "I called for a drought on the land, on the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on what the ground produces, on men, on cattle, and on all the labor of your hands."Slide13

Haggai 1:12-15 (NASB)

(12) Then Zerubbabel

the son of

Shealtiel

, and Joshua the son of

Jehozadak

, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him. And the people showed reverence for the LORD.

(13) Then Haggai, the messenger of the LORD, spoke by the commission of the LORD to the people saying, " 'I am with you,' declares the LORD."

(14) So the LORD stirred up the spirit of

Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God, (15) on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of Darius the king.Slide14

Haggai 2 - The Best Is Yet To Be

1. A Backward Look - God's Old Temple (vv 1-3

)

2. Upward Look - God's Presence and Promise (

vv 4-5

)

A Forward Look - God's Prophecies (

vv 6-9

)

You Need To Confess (vv 10-14) You Need To Be Holy (vv 10-14) You Need To Examine Self (vv 15-18) You Need To Be Blessed (vs 19) The Shaking Of The Earth (vs 21) The Smashing Of Man's Kingdoms (vs 22)

The Servant Of Jehovah (

)

The Signet Of God's Choosing (

)Slide15

Haggai 2:1-5 - (NASB)

(1) On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet saying,

(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,

(3) 'Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison?(4) 'But now take courage, Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD, 'take courage also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land take courage,' declares the LORD, 'and work; for I am with you,' declares the LORD of hosts.(5) 'As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit is abiding in your midst; do not fear!‘Slide16

Haggai 2:6-9 - (NASB)

(6) "For thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land.

(7) 'I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD of hosts.

(8) 'The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,' declares the LORD of hosts.

(9) 'The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,' says the LORD of hosts, 'and in this place I will give peace,' declares the LORD of hosts.“Slide17

Haggai 2:10-13 - (NASB)

(10) On the twenty-fourth of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to Haggai the prophet, saying,

(11) "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Ask now the priests for a ruling:

(12) 'If a man carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and touches bread with this fold, or cooked food, wine, oil, or any other food, will it become holy?'" And the priests answered, "No.“

(13) Then Haggai said, "If one who is unclean from a corpse touches any of these, will the latter become unclean?" And the priests answered, "It will become unclean.“Slide18

Haggai 2:14-19 - (NASB)

(14) Then Haggai said, " 'So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,' declares the LORD, 'and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

(17) 'I smote you and every work of your hands with blasting wind, mildew and hail; yet you did not come back to Me,' declares the LORD.

(18) 'Do consider from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month; from the day when the temple of the LORD was founded, consider: (19) 'Is the seed still in the barn? Even including the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree, it has not borne fruit. Yet from this day on I will bless you.'“Slide19

Haggai 2:20-23 - (NASB)

(20) Then the word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying,

(21) "Speak to

Zerubbabel

governor of Judah, saying, 'I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.

(22) 'I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the nations; and I will overthrow the chariots and their riders, and the horses and their riders will go down, everyone by the sword of another.‘

(23) 'On that day,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'I will take you,

Zerubbabel

, son of

Shealtiel, My servant,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,'" declares the LORD of hosts.Slide20

Haggai 1:1 his times

[1:1] In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel

the son of

Shealtiel

, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of

Jehozadak

, the high priest, saying,

Haggai is a post-exilic prophet.

The Judean captives have come out of the land of Babylon, out of their captivity,

Many returned to the ruined city of Jerusalem in their own land Haggai is coming to them and prophesying, giving them a message from God.Slide21

Haggai 1:1 Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi

[1:1] In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel

the son of

Shealtiel

, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of

Jehozadak

, the high priest, saying,

Haggai is the tenth of the twelve minor prophets.

Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi all prophesy during the same time period.

They prophesied roughly 500 to 400 years before the Lord Jesus Christ came. They were the last men to speak to the Israelites before God spoke through his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.Haggai prophesied in three months. Zechariah prophesied in three years. Slide22

Haggai 1:1 God’s unique plan

[1:1] In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel

the son of

Shealtiel

, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of

Jehozadak

, the high priest, saying,

God uses different people, from different backgrounds, having different gifts, in different places, over different periods of time, for different purposes.

We're not all the same, we are each unique,

God uses all of us He doesn't want us to copy someone else He wants us to be ourselves, Indwelt and empowered by the Holy Spirit of God, He can and will use us as sanctified – separate, unique personalities to achieve His common purpose and plan.Slide23

Haggai 1:1 the man

[1:1] In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel

the son of

Shealtiel

, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of

Jehozadak

, the high priest, saying,

Haggai's name means 'festive' or 'festival'.

Haggai has never heard about in scripture before and is never heard of after he delivers God’s message.

Like many of the minor prophets, we don't know much about his background. We don't know where he came from, We don't know his lineage. We do know that he came out exile in Babylon with Zerubbabel, As he delivers this prophesy, he is an old man. Slide24

Haggai 1:1 the man, God’s timing

[1:1] In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel the son of

Shealtiel

, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of

Jehozadak

, the high priest, saying

The older generations tend to believe that it's up to the younger generation to do the work of God. Not so !!

God was preparing Haggai for the time, place and message of God’s own choosing.

I.E. Moses, Zachariah and Elizabeth, Abraham and Sarah...

God had only three months for this man to minister, his whole life was being prepared for it -- but he was willing to fit into God's purpose, God's plan, if it only meant three months.Don’t miss your time and place to serve God...Slide25

Haggai 1:1

The Prophet of Priorities

[1:1] In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel

the son of

Shealtiel

, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of

Jehozadak

, the high priest, saying

Unlike the other minor prophets who’s message was about compromise within society, within religion, within government or corruption within the whole of society,

Haggai prophesies about complacency. Slide26

Haggai 1:1 message one of four

[1:1] In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel the son of

Shealtiel

, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of

Jehozadak

, the high priest, saying

Haggai’s first message begins in verse one of chapter one.

Each of the four messages, begin with the date of when they were given.

Haggai 1:1 Identifies that date it was received and delivered,

It is the equivalent of the 29 August 520 BC on our calendar. Slide27

Haggai 2:1 message two thru four

[2:1] On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet saying,That is the 17th of October 520 BC.

[2:10] On the twenty-fourth of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to Haggai the prophet, saying,

That is December 18th 520 BC.

[2:20] Then the word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying,

The same day, the 18th of December 520 BC.

Haggai's whole message, his four sermons were given to these people over a space of three months:

August 29th, October 17th, December 18th 520 BC.Slide28

Haggai 1:1 the times – pre to post exile

[1:1] In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel the son of

Shealtiel

, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of

Jehozadak

, the high priest, saying

Of all the prophecies that came through Habakkuk,

the greatest may be when the

Lord said

'I will work a work in your day', - and God did work it. God told him, 'I'm going to raise up the Chaldeans, they're going to come in like a flood, they're going to take you all and take you captives, exile you to the land of Babylon'. In Haggai the nation of Judah has returned from Babylon where they spent 70 years in captivity. It's the year 536 BC.Slide29

Haggai 1:1 the times – pre to post exile

[1:1] In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel the son of

Shealtiel

, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of

Jehozadak

, the high priest, saying

Read Haggai with the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.

Ezra provides

the historic background and context of Haggai

Ezra tells us of how the children of Judah came out of Babylon, how they got back to the land of Jerusalem.Slide30

Haggai 1:1 the times – Cyrus

[1:1] In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel the son of

Shealtiel

, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of

Jehozadak

, the high priest, saying

During the 70 years captivity, the Babylonian Empire had been defeated by the

Medo

-Persian Empire.

During Belshazzar’s drunken orgy, God told him that his days were numbered, he was found wanting That night the army of Cyrus came in and he conquered the whole Babylonian Empire. King Cyrus allowed the Judean captives to return from Babylon to Jerusalem if they so chose - 50,000 of the remnant went back to JerusalemSlide31

Haggai 1:1 the times – Cyrus

[1:1] In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel the son of

Shealtiel

, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of

Jehozadak

, the high priest, saying

Cyrus let them begin to rebuild their temple.

They began to rebuild the altar of offering, they put the foundations of the temple down,

The Samaritans (who were a mixed Israeli / foreign race due to the Assyrians conquering of the northern kingdom) wanted to be part of this temple effort but the Jews didn't want volunteers from the Samaritans to help.

Ezra 3-4 'We're going to build our temple, we're going to build it ourselves and you mongrel Samaritans are not going to have anything to do with it.’Slide32

Haggai 1:1 the times – Cyrus

[1:1] In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel the son of

Shealtiel

, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of

Jehozadak

, the high priest, saying

The Samaritans ran to King Cyrus, telling all sorts of lies about what was going on and they concocted plots to interfere with and stop the Jews building effort

As a result the building of this temple was delayed for sixteen years.

The foundations of the temple, which had been laid, became silted and overgrown with weeds, because the Judeans were discouraged due of the opposition of the Samaritans.

Ezra 4. For sixteen years no work was done to the temple, all there were, were the foundations lying there.Slide33

Haggai 1:1 the times – Darius 1

[1:1] In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai to

Zerubbabel

the son of

Shealtiel

, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of

Jehozadak

, the high priest, saying

Eventually Cyrus died, his son committed suicide and Darius 1

st came into power. When he came into rule, he found the decree of King Cyrus that the children of Judah were to be allowed to come back from Babylon to Jerusalem, and were allowed to rebuild their temple. But there was a problem – after these sixteen years the Jews had become apatheticSlide34

Haggai 1:1 the times – pre to post exile

[1:1] In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel the son of

Shealtiel

, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of

Jehozadak

, the high priest, saying

Sixteen years had gone by, the Judeans were discouraged and disappointed because of the Samaritans resistance.

They had got themselves into this remorseful situation where they were so weighed down by all the negatives that they couldn't, even when they were finally permitted to do so, to bring themselves to rebuild God's temple.

So, in the second year of Darius, 520 BC, God sent Haggai to prophesy. Slide35

Haggai 1:1 the times – the Temple

[1:1] In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel the son of

Shealtiel

, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of

Jehozadak

, the high priest, saying

Haggai opened his mouth,

deliverd

the message as God had told it to him, and eventually work had started, in four weeks, and eventually the temple had been erected.

It was called Zerubbabel's temple as he was governor of Judea at that time. Zerubbabel's temple wasn't as extravagant or as beautiful as Solomon's temple. It doesn't even seem to have had – at least at this point the glory of God. It did not contain the Ark of the Covenant. Nevertheless, God's word, when it came at God's time, and when it was obeyed by God's people, had God's purposed result.Slide36

Haggai 1:1 the

excuses – the reason

The excuse

: They took the 70 year captivity prophecy and used it as an excuse for not acting.

But, the fact

that they were there in the land at all proves that God's time had come.

They would not have been back there if those 70 years had not been fulfilled

The reason:

The work lagged is they were all wrapped up in their own affairs. They put God's work second and their own needs first. Their own comforts, and their own convenience and their own desires came first. Slide37

The Prophetic Problem

Prophecy had become a sedativeThey gave way to hopeless inevitabilityThus they became indifferent to God’s work and plan

Without Him, we can’t.

Without us, He won’t.Slide38

Haggai 1:1 the

result

You have a Father in heaven who knows your needs and he is perfectly able to supply them,

and he will as long as your interest is first of all in his work.

Men

are constantly trying to reverse,

what God says

Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well." (

Matt. 6:33) The way to have what you need in terms of physical food, material shelter, and the other necessities of life is to give your major concern and interests, your time and attention to advancing God's work, not to acquiring the physical and material needs that God has already promised to provide for you. Slide39

Haggai 1:1

our purpose

We are not our

own,

were bought with a price;

belong to him.

(

Cor. 6:19,20) We are here to advance his cause, his interests. We are here to build the house of God. That is why God has left us here in this world, so that we might be his instruments in his work of erecting a great temple of human beings which will be and is a habitation of God, the dwelling place of GodGod says, "Now is the accepted time. Today is the day." Slide40

Haggai 1:1 the times – the Temple

[1:1] In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel the son of

Shealtiel

, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of

Jehozadak

, the high priest, saying

Haggai opened his mouth,

deliverd

the message as God had told it to him, and eventually work had started, in four weeks, and eventually the temple had been erected.

It was called Zerubbabel's temple as he was governor of Judea at that time. Zerubbabel's temple wasn't as extravagant or as beautiful as Solomon's temple and it doesn't even seem to have had – at lease at this point the glory of God. It did not contain the Ark of the Covenant. Nevertheless, God's word, when it came at God's time, and when it was obeyed by God's people, had God's purposed result.Slide41

Haggai 1:1 the times – the Temple

[1:1] In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel the son of

Shealtiel

, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of

Jehozadak

, the high priest, saying

The two key verses:

1:14

"And the Lord stirred up the spirit of

Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the Lord of hosts, their God". 2:9: "The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts". Slide42

Haggai 1:1 the times – the Temple

[1:1] In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel the son of

Shealtiel

, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of

Jehozadak

, the high priest, saying

Notice the timing of this prophet of Haggai.

God's message comes in God's time by God's messenger.

Hag 1:13

Then Haggai, the messenger of the LORD, spoke by the commission of the LORD to the people….God's time was the sixth month, the month of Elul. The month before Elul was the month when the whole of Judah would have remembered the destruction of the temple before they went into Babylon. They were already thinking about temples and they were possibly mourning and smarting at the fact that 70 years previous, they had lost their prize possession, the place where they saw that God dwelt, their temple.Slide43

Haggai 1:1 the times – the Temple

[1:1] In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel the son of

Shealtiel

, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of

Jehozadak

, the high priest, saying

Secondly, it was the first day of that month.

The first day of the month was almost like a Sabbath, it was a day of rest, it was a holy day, it was a day when they would worship God,

It was a day were the people came to listen to what the message of God was, through the prophet of God.

Haggai had a captive, attentive audience.Slide44

Haggai 1:1 the times – the Temple

[1:1] In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel the son of

Shealtiel

, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of

Jehozadak

, the high priest, saying

God had prepared the people to hear and obey God's word.

You need to be prepared to listen to God's word.

People that don't even know God in Christ need to be prepared to hear God’s message by the Spirit of God when it is delivered as He spoke it.

When the seed of the word is given and thrown out, some falls onto prepared, good ground Only God prepare the ground and provide the seed and He only does it in answer to our prayers. Only we can do the planting.Slide45

Haggai 1:1 the times – the Temple

[1:1] In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel the son of

Shealtiel

, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of

Jehozadak

, the high priest, saying

This prophesy was directed to two people specifically,

Zerubbabel

was the civil leader of Judah, he was the political head-man.

Joshua was the high priest, he was the religious leader at the time. Zerubbabel was heir to the Davidic throne, a descendant of David. Zerubbabel was in the Messianic line, he was related in lineage to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Joshua was the high priest. He was important because he was the man that would lead God's people, hopefully, back to God. Slide46

Haggai 1:1 the times – the Temple

[1:1] In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel the son of

Shealtiel

, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of

Jehozadak

, the high priest, saying

God knows

knows

that in any age and in any church, if He can ignite the vision of the leadership, it will inspire the people.Slide47

Haggai 1:2-4 God’s

Rebuke

(2) "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'This people says, "The time has not come, even the time for the house of the LORD to be rebuilt."'“ (3) Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying, (4) "Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate?“

God does not call them 'My people',

He says, 'this people...this people'.

God gave them a rebuke for their procrastination.

God gave the people a strong rebuke for two reasons:

For procrastination was this: a prophetic misunderstanding.

For a pre-occupation with materialism.

God told them what they were thinkingSlide48

Haggai 1:2

Rebuke for Procrastination

(2) "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'This people says, "The time has not come, even the time for the house of the LORD to be rebuilt."'“

What do the people keep repeating as their excuse for not acting?

'The time is not come, it's not the right atmosphere, the environment just isn't right for this now, Lord. The timing isn’t right.

What they were saying to God is:

'Your time has not come. Not now, maybe later...’Slide49

Haggai 1:2

Rebuke for Procrastination

(2) "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'This people says, "The time has not come, even the time for the house of the LORD to be rebuilt."'“

The remnant of 50,000 repatriated Jews that had come out of Babylon accepted a situation with a fatalistic resignation.

They believed they could do nothing about their situation and their predicament before God.

They had a wrong reaction to prophecySlide50

Haggai 1:2

Rebuke for Procrastination

(2) "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'This people says, "The time has not come, even the time for the house of the LORD to be rebuilt."'“

Jeremiah prophesied a 70 year period when there would be desolations in the city of Jerusalem,

Jeremiah 25

Daniel 9:1-2

prophesied that there would be a period of 70 years desolations within Jerusalem – also in

Zechariah 1:12

And this remnant of 50,000 Jews that came out of Babylon mistakenly belived they were in that period and if they were in that period, they could not rebuild the temple because the 70 year period had not elapsed, it hadn't run out. As they saw it, if they began to put a brick upon a brick to build this temple they would be outside God's calendar and it paralysed them into a wrong attitude. Slide51

Haggai 1:2

Rebuke for Procrastination

(2) "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'This people says, "The time has not come, even the time for the house of the LORD to be rebuilt."'“

They say 'Lord, the time is not come, the time that the Lord's house should be built'

They believed that they had God's word on the thing, that the 70 years had not passed -- 'Lord, the time for it to happen hasn't come'.

God told them what they were thinking. Slide52

Haggai 1:2

Rebuke for Procrastination

(2) "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'This people says, "The time has not come, even the time for the house of the LORD to be rebuilt."'“

The Lord met the Samaritan woman at the well in

John 4

She said that she hadn't a husband,

He said, 'You've said well because you've had some already and the one that you're with, he isn't your husband'.

And she looked into His eyes and she said, 'I perceive that Thou art a prophet!'

She ran into town crying: 'Come see a man that told me all that ever I did!’Slide53

Haggai 1:2

Rebuke for Procrastination

(2) "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'This people says, "The time has not come, even the time for the house of the LORD to be rebuilt."'“

God was telling them what they were thinking,

They were paralysed by prophesy

They stood still,

They had given in to a feeling of hopelessness,

They were in a hopeless inability –

all the effort they could see was for no use,

they would have to wait until God's prophetic calendar had reached its destiny.

The result was God's people were in an attitude of total indifference and God's work was what suffered.Slide54

Haggai 1:2

Rebuke for Procrastination

(2) "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'This people says, "The time has not come, even the time for the house of the LORD to be rebuilt."'“

We can get into that same situation

-- we're sitting waiting for the Lord to come, and we should expect and look of His coming, but our watching has brought us into a paralysed inability to work for God,

We begin to believe it's pointless.

There is nothing more effective at chilling praying, or discouraging preaching and teaching than to say that God can no longer move.Slide55

Haggai 1:3-4

Rebuke for Materialism

(3) Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying, (4) "Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate?“

Not only was there a prophetic misunderstanding, there was a pre-occupying materialism.

God pointed out three things to these people,

First of all: your selfishness.

He says, 'Think for a moment of the time, and the money, and the energy and enthusiasm that you spend on your own houses,

cieled

houses -- that means they were luxurious on their day, they may well even have had gardens on the roof -- look at the time that you spend on them, the time that you spend in them and here is My house, God's house -- the

chiefest

house of all -- and it lies waste!'Slide56

Haggai 1:3-4

Rebuke for Materialism

(3) Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying, (4) "Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate?“

God reprimanded them for their indifference.

'It's (My house is) lying waste!'

They had been 70 years in captivity and during that time they didn't need a temple, they couldn't even have a temple

When they come out of captivity they're indifferent to the need of it because they've been without it for so long.

When we in our personal lives are without something for a long time, we get used to it, we become indifferent to it -- so much so that we become unconscious to the need of it!Slide57

Haggai 1:3-4

Rebuke for Materialism

(3) Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying, (4) "Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate?“

There were their hostile Samaritan neighbours,

They gave opposition but it wasn't particularly strong opposition.

The Jews had put up with bigger opposition in the past, but because they were downtrodden, because they were hopeless, because they had this misunderstanding of prophecy, they gave in at the first sign of opposition and resistance. Slide58

Haggai 1:3-4

Rebuke for Materialism

(3) Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying, (4) "Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate?“

Our God is as great as He ever has been.

Our God can do as much as He ever had,

Let’s not fall into a malaise of prophetic misunderstanding or become preoccupied with materialism that is temporary at best.Slide59

Haggai 1:5 Consider your ways!

(5) Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts, "Consider your ways! They were reaping nothing but absolute poverty.

The Spirit of God is saying through Haggai that we are the ones who lose out by focusing on material things, not God!

We cannot rob God.

In the long run we are the ones who will suffer. Slide60

Haggai 1:6

The Reaping Of Poverty

(6) "You have sown much, but harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes."

God began to remove their material possessions from them .

He hit agriculture. 'You plant much, but you harvest little'.

He hit the economy. The economy in their day, from this verse we see, could not meet individual people's needs.

Finally inflation was so much that the money that they put into their pockets -- it was as if they had holes in it, because it fell out through inflation.Slide61

Haggai 1:6

The Reaping Of Poverty

This all was direct from the hand of God, God did it.

God does it when men and women turn away from Him

Certain calamities that come into their lives could be because they have turned their back upon God and His Christ and have move out from under His blessing and protection.Slide62

Haggai 1:6

The Reaping Of Poverty

God prophesied it would happen if they disobeyed Him

Leviticus 26:18

"And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass: And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits".Slide63

Haggai 1:6

The Reaping Of Poverty

God prophesied it would happen if they disobeyed Him.

Deuteronomy 28:38

"Thou

shalt

carry much seed out into the field, and

shalt

gather but little in; for the locust shall consume it. Thou

shalt plant vineyards, and dress them, but shalt neither drink of the wine, nor gather the grapes; for the worms shall eat them. Thou shalt have olive trees throughout all thy coasts, but thou shalt not anoint thyself with the oil; for thine olive shall cast his fruit". Slide64

Haggai 1:6

The Reaping Of Poverty

There is the law of the harvest within scripture:

What you sow, you reap.

There is another law of the harvest:

If you sow something unworthily, you will never reap.

Today there is an explosion of Gospel preaching in our Western world -- we sow so much, but we reap so little.

That means that there's something wrong.Slide65

Haggai 1:9-11

The Reason For Poverty

(9) "You look for much, but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home, I blow it away. Why?" declares the LORD of hosts, "Because of My house which lies desolate, while each of you runs to his own house. (10) "Therefore, because of you the sky has withheld its dew and the earth has withheld its produce. (11) "I called for a drought on the land, on the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on what the ground produces, on men, on cattle, and on all the labor of your hands.“

9 says they looked for much, What do we call that type faith?

They looked for much and after they sowed they were expecting something to come back.

They were looking for things to happen, but they were not willing to give the obedient cost to God that would necessitate the covenant, that when you give, God will give back to you.

They weren't willing to invest the cost of harvest... Slide66

Haggai 1:9-11

The Reason For Poverty

God, by His own hand, was holding back the rain.

In verse 10, God says He was holding back the rain,

In verse 11 the result was that the crops failed. In Palestine you need a lot of rain if you're going to have crops.

God said in verse 9, [that] 'If you don't take as much care over My house, God's house, as your own house I will blow all your prosperity, all your luxury, all your pleasure away'. Slide67

Haggai 1:9-11

The Reason For Poverty

Today, to our world, to our generation and in a spiritual sense to the church of Jesus Christ, God still works like this –

'You'll toil, you'll reap, you'll work, you'll sweat but you'll get little in return if you're not obedient'.

We sow a lot, we expect a lot but if you're not willing to give everything, we will reap nothingSlide68

Haggai 1:9-11

The Reason For Poverty

Is there a purpose to everything or are there just coincidences?

When people are in their direst need they're more likely to look up to Christ. They're more likely to come to God when they need something and when their physical need shouts out to their spiritual need.

'Pain is often the megaphone of God’.Slide69

Haggai 1:9-11

The Reason For Poverty

God is saying, 'I am God, and you are still my creature -- you are not infinite, you are not eternal, you will pass away, but My word and My being will never pass away, and don't forget it!‘ Slide70

Haggai 5, 7 ,8

The Remedy For Poverty

(5) Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts, "Consider your ways! …. (7) Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Consider your ways! (8) "Go up to the mountains, bring wood and rebuild the temple, that I may be pleased with it and be glorified," says the LORD.

There was a remedy for this poverty,

it's found in verse 5,

then it's found in verse 7—8:

God says, over again and again and again:

'Consider your ways!'

It may be extremely difficult for you, or I, or the Judeans to implement because of our and their lack of obedience. Slide71

Haggai 5, 7 ,8

The Remedy For Poverty

The Christian life can be summed up in the line of the hymn, it's simple but it's difficult:

'Trust and obey, for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey'.

God, through His word, is speaking to certain people and He is working in some of our lives and He is telling us to consider our ways, to reflect upon our priorities, to readjust our lives and face to God's will.

And if we don't listen, if we don't listen -- there will be dire consequencesSlide72

Haggai 5, 7 ,8

The Remedy For Poverty

God is not obliged to speak once, let alone speak twice.

If God is speaking to you about your heart and giving everything to your God, serving Him, and seeing His Spirit being manifest in your daily walk by those around you

-- consider your ways! Slide73

Haggai 5, 7 ,8

The Remedy For Poverty

Run the race, so that you can win the prize, don't forfeit the eternal for the temporary of this life!

Mat 6:33

'Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you'.

Haggai teaches that even those things, if we try and add them to ourselves, by ourselves, could all be taken away in a flash.

If we tell those that are unsaved,

'Now's the day of salvation, now is the accepted time', are we not hypocrites when it comes to the sanctified life before God when we say, 'Tomorrow will do'?Slide74

Haggai 1:12

Renewal of Purpose

(12) Then Zerubbabel

the son of

Shealtiel

, and Joshua the son of

Jehozadak

There was a renewal of the purpose.

The people responded to God's word,

We need to respond to God's word – not just listen to it, not just hide it in our headsWe need to hide it in our hearts and Work on it, andAct on it. Slide75

Haggai 1:12

Renewal of Purpose

(12) Then Zerubbabel

the son of

Shealtiel

, and Joshua the son of

Jehozadak

The people obeyed the voice of the Lord.

And the people showed reverence for the LORD.Don't think that was easy for them. They had just come out of 70 years into captivity, They had spent the last 16 years despondent -- in spiritual lukewarmness, But it only took four weeks to get up and to get started. Slide76

Haggai 1:12

Renewal of Purpose

(12) Then Zerubbabel

the son of

Shealtiel

, and Joshua the son of

Jehozadak

Don't you believe the lie of the devil that you'll need to be more spiritual, and it's going to take months or years.

Spiritual growth does take time,

Maturity does take time:but the devil would love you to believe that you can't do it -- but the Spirit of God can do anything! Slide77

Haggai 1:12

Renewal of Purpose

(12) Then Zerubbabel

the son of

Shealtiel

, and Joshua the son of

Jehozadak

The lie of Satan to their hearts and minds was : 'The time hasn't come'.

But, If God has been speaking to you about prayer, the time has come to start praying -- I mean start praying now.

But, If God has spoken to you about spreading the Gospel, don't wait till you feel you're able to do it, don't wait till you do a course on it -- the time is now. But, If God is speaking to us about our need in this fellowship for prayer and for seeking the face of God for blessing -- the time is now! Slide78

Haggai 1:13 I am with you

(13) Then Haggai, the messenger of the LORD, spoke by the commission of the LORD to the people saying, " 'I am with you,' declares the LORD.“God says to them: 'I am with you'.

He was with them, even at that moment in time,

He was saying, 'I am with you, but you've got to act upon My presence in your life, or nothing will happen'.

It's not enough simply to be saved, it's enough to get you to heaven, but it's not enough to please God.

You've got to be saved and act,

'Work out your salvation day by day‘.

Trust and Obey !!Slide79

Haggai 1:13 I am with you

(13) Then Haggai, the messenger of the LORD, spoke by the commission of the LORD to the people saying, " 'I am with you,' declares the LORD.“We find

'I am with you’

throughout the whole of the scripture. God said these words to:

Isaac and to Jacob in

Genesis 26

and

Moses just before he was going to deliver Israel in Ex 4. Joshua as he was about to go into the land, the promised land of Canaan. Jeremiah as a child, when He called him to be a prophet to the nations. Israel through their times of trouble in Isaiah 43.He said to the disciples in the Lord Jesus Christ, the incarnate God, when He told them, 'Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel and I will be with you'. Paul as he went to Corinth not knowing what he was going to face.Slide80

Haggai 1:13 I am with you

(13) Then Haggai, the messenger of the LORD, spoke by the commission of the LORD to the people saying, " 'I am with you,' declares the LORD.“God says to His church, and to His child that is hurting today, and to the child that wants to do something for God

-- 'Go and do it and I am with you!‘

The temple of God today is the church of the living God -- let me ask you as we close: how much building is going on by us, in us?Slide81

Haggai 1:14-15 (NASB)

(14) So the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of

Shealtiel

, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of

Jehozadak

, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God, (15) on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of Darius the king.

The leadership was stirred from indifference to obey God

They weren't just stirred for a minute,

This was not just an emotional experience in a meeting.

It was something that changed their lives and made them able to persevere in the work of God until the temple was built. They came and did the work.They acted upon what God had told them, they obeyed -- and that means for all of us here this evening, there is something for us to doSlide82

Haggai 1:14-15 (NASB)

(14) So the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of

Shealtiel

, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of

Jehozadak

21st of December 520 BC the work began on the temple.

And Judah responded and in a very short time, even though they had been asleep for 16 years they considered their ways, they obeyed God.

The children of God had to forget about the wasted years and get up and break-up the fallow ground and seek the face of God

'I will restore the years that the locusts have eatenSlide83

Haggai 2 - The Best Is Yet To Be

1. A Backward Look - God's Old Temple (vv 1-3

)

2. Upward Look - God's Presence and Promise (

vv 4-5

)

A Forward Look - God's Prophecies (

vv 6-9

)

The Servant Of Jehovah (

)

The Signet Of God's Choosing (

)Slide84

Haggai 2:1-5 - (NASB)

(1) On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet saying,

(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,

Haggai 2:6-9 - (NASB)

(6) "For thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land.

(7) 'I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD of hosts.

(8) 'The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,' declares the LORD of hosts.

(9) 'The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,' says the LORD of hosts, 'and in this place I will give peace,' declares the LORD of hosts.“Slide86

Haggai 2:10-13 - (NASB)

(10) On the twenty-fourth of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to Haggai the prophet, saying,

(11) "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Ask now the priests for a ruling:

(12) 'If a man carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and touches bread with this fold, or cooked food, wine, oil, or any other food, will it become holy?'" And the priests answered, "No.“

(13) Then Haggai said, "If one who is unclean from a corpse touches any of these, will the latter become unclean?" And the priests answered, "It will become unclean.“Slide87

Haggai 2:20-23 - (NASB)

(20) Then the word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying,

(21) "Speak to

Zerubbabel

governor of Judah, saying, 'I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.

(23) 'On that day,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'I will take you,

Zerubbabel

, son of

Shealtiel, My servant,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,'" declares the LORD of hosts.Slide88

Haggai 2:14-19 - (NASB)

(14) Then Haggai said, " 'So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,' declares the LORD, 'and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

(17) 'I smote you and every work of your hands with blasting wind, mildew and hail; yet you did not come back to Me,' declares the LORD.

Haggai 2:1-9 - The Best Is Yet To Be

When you're in the Christian life and sometimes things are going well, and you begin getting into your Bible, reading and studying your Bible well, maybe you're beginning to get a hold on prayer, you're going to the meetings, things are starting to go well and all of a sudden

- WHAM! Life hits hard...

There are many commands given by Haggai to this discouraged people,

One that he repeated three times in chapter 1,

'Consider your ways! Slide90

Haggai 2:1-5 - (NASB)

(1) On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet saying,(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,

(3) 'Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison?

(4) 'But now take courage, Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD, 'take courage also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land take courage,' declares the LORD, 'and work; for I am with you,' declares the LORD of hosts.(5) 'As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit is abiding in your midst; do not fear!‘Slide91

Haggai 2:6-9 - (NASB)

(6) "For thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land.

(7) 'I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD of hosts.

(8) 'The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,' declares the LORD of hosts.

(9) 'The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,' says the LORD of hosts, 'and in this place I will give peace,' declares the LORD of hosts.“Slide92

Haggai 2:1-9 - The Best Is Yet To Be

On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet saying,The first of the four sermons in Haggai was a message of rebuke

It stirred the whole nation of Judah.

It started at the top of the leadership and then it worked down right to the very people –

It stirred them out of their idleness.

It motivated them out of their lethargy, their laziness, to get up and to start building the temple again.

Then there's another problem. Slide93

Haggai 2:1-9 - The Best Is Yet To Be

On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet saying,

Less than a month after the work had begun on the temple, it was interrupted again - not by enemies, not by a false religion but by three religious festivals in the land of Israel's calendar.

The date of this 2

message was in the 7

month of the Jewish calendar - Tishri, our September and October.

The Feast of Trumpets was on the first day of the month of Tishri,

On the tenth day of the month of Tishri was the day of atonement, On the fifteenth day of the month right through to the twenty-first day of the month there was the Feast of Tabernacles. Slide94

Haggai 2:1-9 - The Best Is Yet To Be

On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet saying,The 2

sermon is a message of encouragement.

In spite of the many discouragements they had and the many setbacks they experienced, they were at last ready.

They had heard the word of God, the word of God has touched their hearts and breathed new life into their discouraged spirits.

They were ready with their hammers and their chisels to build the temple again. Slide95

Haggai 2:1-9 - The Best Is Yet To Be

On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet saying,The children of Judah were ready

they'd got over the discouragements of the Samaritans around them,

they'd got over the discouragements of the memories of their seventy years in captivity,

they'd got over their misconceptions of Biblical prophecy,

They thought that it wasn't in God's calendar that they would be able to build the temple,

They got over all of that and they're ready to build and then these festivals roll around to interrupt their work.Slide96

Haggai 2:1-9 - The Best Is Yet To Be

On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet saying,Haggai knew that another - even if it was only one more interruption - would totally discourage the people.

He knew, just like you know, that when you're in the Christian life a discouragement comes across your path and you get disheartened.

So on the last day of the feast, Haggai comes with a great message of encouragement for God's people, right from the Lord. Slide97

Haggai 2:1-9 - The Best Is Yet To Be

On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet saying,It's the final day of the Feast of Tabernacles, in our calendar it's the 17th of October 520BC

Leviticus 23:34-44, provides an account of the Feast of Tabernacles, aka. Feast of Booths and the Feast of Ingathering.

It was the final religious celebration on Israel's religious calendar.

They celebrated it at the end of the autumn harvest commemorating the ingathering of all the crops,

It was a reminder that for the forty years that the children of Israel were in the wilderness and that God looked after them and took care of them when they lived in the tents.Slide98

Haggai 2:1-9 - The Best Is Yet To Be

On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet saying,For 7 days the people lived in little booths, tents constructed from palms trees and willows and leaf trees and branches, all decorated with beautiful fruit from the harvest.

Every day of those seven days there was a procession to the

Gihon

Spring where the priest would fill the golden pitcher with water.

He would return to the temple and pour that water upon the altar

For the Judeans it was symbolic, an object lesson to remind them that when they were in the wilderness for forty years, God in His supernatural way provided water for them.

When the festival ended, the people all gathered together and had a great religious, festive celebration, a time of great happiness and rejoicing in God and what God had done. Slide99

Haggai 2:1-9 - The Best Is Yet To Be

On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet saying,But this day, 17 October 520BC, Haggai gave this 2

message it was the last day of this feast.

The Jews still did the same things, they went to the

Gihon

River, they did the same ritual of pouring the pitcher out on the altar and they came together - but there was no rejoicing.

They had no temple to go to.

There was no joyful festivity as their crops and fields were still largely destroyed. Slide100

Haggai 2:1-9 - The Best Is Yet To Be

On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet saying,

Every time they felt they were getting somewhere, whether it was with their nation, or with their God, or with their temple - something came along their path to thwart it.

Are you a discouraged Christian?

Do you still experience joy in our celebrations?

When you come to service, when you come to prayer meeting, or then you come to the Lord's Table, has the joy, has that spirit of celebration gone out because of disappointments and discouragements in your life?

Can you remember the good old days?

But when we look at the day in which we live and we look back at those days - we can do nothing but be discouraged.Slide101

Haggai 2:1-2 - The Best Is Yet To Be

(1) On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet saying, (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,

Haggai knew that his people were dwelling in a spiritual desert spiritually hungering and thirsting, looking for satisfaction because of all their disappointments

Haggai comes and like the pouring of the water upon the altar, he brings this message to the people. It's like fresh water to their souls.

He talks to them about a backward look, vv 1-3. Verses 1-2 are introduction Then in Verse 3, he says: 'Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? And how do ye see it now? Is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?’Slide102

Haggai 2:3 – Remember how it was?

(3) 'Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison?The first point of Haggai’s message was:

You’re looking backward. You're looking to God's old temple.

God's leadership -

Zerubbabel

, Joshua - all the people were living in difficult days, but they were all remembering the good old days, like many people do today.

They were looking backward rather than forward.

Jesus said you can’t plough a straight furrow looking backward. Slide103

Haggai 2:3 – Remember how it was?

(3) 'Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison?

Ezra 3:12

'But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy'.

There were two types of people that came out the captivity in Babylon to which Haggai was speaking.

There are the young people who can't remember the old days of the old temple, and

There are the older people who can remember, as Ezra says, this first house in all its glorySlide104

Haggai 2:3 – Remember how it was?

(3) 'Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison?The old people remember the first house in all its glory and are weeping and crying aloud, while the young people are singing for joy.

When the old people came out of captivity in Babylon for seventy years, they received the edict of King Cyrus to rebuild the temple and their hopes were built up.

They were encouraged and immediately remembered the glory of Solomon's Temple,

They envisioned the new temple as possessing all the glories that they had seen in Solomon's.

When the building started and brick laid on brick, when all the interior things were put into the temple and it began to take form they saw to their great disappointment, that this new temple was absolutely nothing compared to Solomon's Temple.Slide105

Haggai 2:3 – Remember how it was?

(3) 'Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison?Many of the old men and women that were standing listening to Haggai had stood and seen the beautiful Solomon’s Temple.

God through Haggai anticipated their disappointment and asked them three questions in verse three

'Who is left among you that saw this house in its first glory?'

‘What do you see now?’

‘How does what you see compare to what you remember?’Slide106

Haggai 2:3 – Remember how it was?

(3) 'Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison?Solomon’s Temple was twice the size of the tabernacle

– 90’ long, 30’ wide, 45’ high,

Striking with the white limestone it was built with,

because of the cedar that were upon the walls,

because of the gold exterior. Slide107

Haggai 2:3 – Remember how it was?

(3) 'Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison?The entire interior of the Solomon’s temple was covered with cedar walls, floorboards were pine, all of it was overlaid in gold.

If you went into the Holy Place, it was 60’ long, it was decorated with carved gourds, and cherubim, and palm trees, and carved open flowers.

There were gold chains that covered across the doors leading from the Holy Place to the Holy of Holies

The Holy Place contained 10 golden lamp stands, and 10 golden tables of showbread. Slide108

Haggai 2:3 – Remember how it was?

(3) 'Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison?The Holy of Holies - a 30’ cube - was all overlaid with gold,

Two massive cherubim made of olive wood, carved in gold extended the length of the whole room, whose wings outstretched itself, whose tips touched one another.

This is what the old people could remember and hoped would be rebuilt!

Even though they thought God was working in the building of this new temple - this new temple faded into insignificance in comparison with the old one.

It seemed to them to be nothingSlide109

Haggai 2:3 – Remember how it was?

(3) 'Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison?More significantly there were five more differences between the old and the new.

Zerubbabel's

temple, didn't have the ark of the covenant.

Zerubbabel's

temple didn't have the holy fire,

Zerubbabel's

temple didn't have the Shekinah, the light, glory manifest of God.

It didn't have the spirit of prophecy, in other words, the Holy Spirit.

It didn't have the urim and the thummim - the guidance of God Himself. The old men and women knew it. As they looked on it they were discouraged and Haggai knew it. Slide110

Haggai 2:3 – Remember how it was?

(3) 'Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison?

The new was obviously inferior to the old temple. Haggai rhetorically asks them:

'Remember the old temple? Well, tell me what do you see in the new temple?'.

Haggai then asks them:

'Is it not in your eyes in comparison with it as nothing?'.

They would all shout: 'Yes! It's nothing! Do you expect us to settle for this? We've known better than this from God, we've better memories than this from God, do you expect us to take the second best in comparison?'.

Do you feel like that?Slide111

Haggai 2:3 – Remember how it was?

(3) 'Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison?Memories can be encouraging, but they can also be discouraging.

You see, God’s children dwelt needlessly on past blessings.

It seemed right for the Judeans to make much of the glorious past and the glorious temple.

Satan wanted to minimize and to make nothing of the wonderful work of revival that was beginning to happen in the peoples lives today.Slide112

Haggai 2:3 – Remember how it was?

(3) 'Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison?Satan saw that the people were beginning to be stirred, so he said:

'Ah! Remember the old days? You'll never have days like that again. Those days will never come back and if you're hoping for them, and if a preacher's telling you it's possible, forget about it! Those days are gone long ago!'

Satan is continually trying to minimize, to blow out, to extinguish the flame of God, no matter how small it is, that is beginning to be lit in the hearts of his own children.Slide113

Haggai 2:3 – Remember how it was?

(3) 'Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison?Either God is working, or God is not working!

If God is working, no matter in how small a way, it cannot be inferior.

But if it's God working, no matter how small it is, we cannot look down on it because it's God!

It is the divine plan, it's from the divine sovereign will, and we must never despise the day of small things. Slide114

Haggai 2:3 – Remember how it was?

(3) 'Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison?The fact was that this was God's will,

God was going to bring these good days back,

but they wanted it 'Bang!' like this - in a moment

They couldn't see that there was a progression,

- that things had to be done in order and God’s time,

- that this fire of life within them had to come gradually and slowly,

- that God by His Spirit was gradually blowing His wind upon that little ember of a flame in their heart and their soul.

All they could see is what was in front of them then and there and think back, 'It's not like the old days!‘.Slide115

Haggai 2:4-5 – Upward look!

(4) 'But now take courage, Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD, 'take courage also, Joshua son of

Jehozadak

, the high priest, and all you people of the land take courage,' declares the LORD, 'and work; for I am with you,' declares the LORD of hosts. (5) 'As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit is abiding in your midst; do not fear!‘

The old days are gone, you can't bring history back, but what you can do is bring God back.

Haggai got them to refocus and to look up!

God was saying, 'My children, look to Me. My presence and My promise are with you. Finish the task and be encouraged. Be strong.’Slide116

Haggai 2:4-5 – Upward look!

(4) 'But now take courage, Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD, 'take courage also, Joshua son of

Jehozadak

Two men from the Samaritans wrote a letter to King Darius, telling him that the Jews had no right to build a temple.

Ezra 5:3

The Jews got so down hearted, they got discouraged and afraid they were tempted to quit.

It could be the world, it could be Christians, it could be opposition within the church to the work that you feel God called you to do.

All it takes is for one little bit of opposition, maybe from someone who can remember all the old times and you think, 'Well, that's the end of that. It's not worth it, it's not worth the hassle, it's not worth the cost!' - and like these people you become discouraged and depressed and you want to quit.Slide117

Haggai 2:4-5 – Upward look!

(4) 'But now take courage, Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD, 'take courage also, Joshua son of

Jehozadak

, the high priest, and all you people of the land take courage,' declares the LORD, 'and work; for I am with you,' declares the LORD of hosts.

(5) 'As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit is abiding in your midst; do not fear!‘

Darius looked into the records of the nation, he searched the archives and found the documentation of how Cyrus had told the Jews that they were permitted to rebuild the temple.

Regardless of the support or opposition, the Jews couldn't complete the task if they were going to be backward looking.

Don't get anchored in the past!

Be encouraged remembering God’s past goodness and faithfulness but we must look upward, 'Be strong and work‘.

Be strong and work, be encouraged in Me and work.Slide118

Haggai 2:4-5 – Upward look!

(4) 'But now take courage, Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD, 'take courage also, Joshua son of

Jehozadak

Imagine what Joshua felt like when Moses had finished his work, when he had done all that God had told him and planned for him to do, and it was now time to pass on leadership to Joshua.

Moses brought Thy children out of captivity in Egypt! The man of miracles, the man that saw God up on the mount - how can I be like him?

What God said to Joshua is what He said to Haggai, what God said to the people, and what God says to you

'Be strong and of a good courage, for what made Moses great will make you great, for I the Lord God am with thee'. Slide119

Haggai 2:4-5 – Upward look!

(4) 'But now take courage, Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD, 'take courage also, Joshua son of

Jehozadak

All the Bible ‘greats’ (

Heb 11

) were men and women like us

The only thing that made them great was that they knew their God, and they knew that their God was with them.

Three times God said to Joshua - 'I am with you'

He says it here to Haggai,‘I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts' - and the Lord of Hosts is a title for God, and it means this: 'the Lord of armies'. The Lord of armies is with us! The God of war is our strength!Slide120

Haggai 2:4-5 – Upward look!

(4) 'But now take courage, Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD, 'take courage also, Joshua son of

Jehozadak

There was also God's promise.

He talks about the covenant that He made with them when they came out of Egypt, that in the same way He delivered them then He is abiding with them now.

They were in the wilderness murmuring, crying and complaining saying, ‘We wish you'd never took us out of Egypt'.

But they were God's people, because God had sworn that He would save them, God would keep His word to themSlide121

Haggai 2:4-5 – Upward look!

(4) 'But now take courage, Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD, 'take courage also, Joshua son of

Jehozadak

We not only have God's presence in the time that we need encouragement and need His presence, but even when we feel angry at God.

We've got His promise that He's with us, no matter what!Slide122

Haggai 2:4-5 – Upward look!

(4) 'But now take courage, Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD, 'take courage also, Joshua son of

Jehozadak

The church in Philadelphia in the book of Revelation is described as having a little strength.

The Lord says that His word, and His name, were with them and abided with them. He was the holy and the true One, right in their midst as He is in our midst today.

Where two, or three are gathered together in His name,

He is there. Slide123

Haggai 2:4-5 – Upward look!

(4) 'But now take courage, Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD, 'take courage also, Joshua son of

Jehozadak

If you are indwelt with the Holy Spirit of God whereby we cry unto God for the fullness of God's Spirit within us,

If we are surrendered in all and fully yielded to God,

we can be assured that no matter what we go through,

no matter where God takes us,

We have God's presence and God's power

and it will perform God’s wishes and commands and carryout His plans and promises to you.Slide124

Haggai 2:6-9 – Better days….

6) "For thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. (7) 'I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD of hosts. (8) 'The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,' declares the LORD of hosts. (9) 'The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,' says the LORD of hosts, 'and in this place I will give peace,' declares the LORD of hosts.“

But the best is yet to be. God asks them to look forward.

He was told to be strong in Verse 4, because there was a promise, a prospect - not just of God's presence, 'I am with you‘.

There was a future promise of something, a hope that purified within him, that he had to look forward to and that he could build his faith upon. Slide125

Haggai 2:6-9 – in a little while

We build our faith upon God's promises and he says:

'For thus

saith

the Lord of hosts; Yet once,

it is a little while

, and I will shake the heavens'

The phrase, 'in a little while', does not mean immediately, it doesn't mean right away, but what it does mean is: imminent.

Not immediate, but imminent, it could happen at any time. Slide126

Haggai 2:6-9 – in a little while

What Haggai's talking about - the shaking of the heavens and earth and everything that's in them - could happen in our time, at any time!

Now what is this shaking that is talked about here?

The context of this passage of Scripture is futuristic.

It refers to something that will come in our future!Slide127

Haggai 2:6-9 – in a little while

Zechariah 14:4-5

speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ in His 2

coming

'And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto

Azal

: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of

Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee‘.Slide128

Haggai 2:6-9 – in a little while

Matthew 24

and

Revelation 16:18, 20

'And there were voices, and thunders, and

lightnings

; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found'. Slide129

Haggai 2:6-9 – in a little while

Daniel 2

says there is a day coming, when

A rock will be cut out, and God will throw that rock, which is Christ Jesus, to smash all the Gentile empires and kings that rule on the earth - and Jesus Christ shall reign over all!

And where the Rock, Christ Jesus, will smash, none shall stand but Him alone.Slide130

Haggai 2:6-9 – in a little while

Hebrews 12:26

refers to

Haggai 2:6

'Whose voice then shook' - speaking of when the Lord returns - 'shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more,

signifieth

the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain‘.Slide131

Haggai 2:6-9 – in a little while

2 Peter

we read that it’s not just when the Lord returns to the Mount of Olives will He shake the earth

After the millennial reign and after the temple is set up again, the earth will shake once more and the earth and the heavens and everything will be in a ball of fire!Slide132

Haggai 2:6-9 – in a little while

Look at the hope in verse 7 for the believer:

'...and I will shake all nations, but the desire of all nations shall come'!

Isaiah 2

tells us that the desire of all nations is universal peace.

Isaiah 11:4

says that the desire of all the world is just government. Slide133

Haggai 2:6-9 – in a little while

Isaiah and

Hebrews 8:11

tells us, that the desire of all the world is the knowledge of the true God, whether they know it or not!

There is a day coming, when the desire of all the nations shall come, and Messiah will come to His temple and Messiah will inhabit the earth, and the Shekinah glory talked about in verse 9, will fill God's temple, and God's world - and all the earth will be filled with the knowledge of GodSlide134

Haggai 2:6-9 – in a little while

In verse 9 we read that the glory of the latter house shall be greater than that of the former, in other words

Zerubbabel's

temple that was being built at this time, even though it's not dripping with gold like Solomon's temple, is going to have more glory than Solomon's. Slide135

Haggai 2:6-9 – in a little while

Herod's temple was a refurbishment of

Zerubbabel's

temple.

Luke 2

tells the story when our Lord Jesus Christ, in the form of a babe, was taken into that temple, and that temple saw the desire of all nations as a baby!

Christ came to it – He said that He was a greater than Solomon

He is the greatness of the millennial temple, He will fill it with all His glory, and He will bring that peace to all nations that will flow like a river into the whole earth from Jerusalem and from Christ and His temple.Slide136

Haggai 2:6-9 – in a little while

John 7:37-38

the Lord said,

'In the last day

‘ (He said it on the day of the feast of tabernacles,) ‘

of that great day of the feast

’, the same day,

'Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink'.Can you see those Judeans running down to the Gihon River, filling that holy canteen with water, bringing it back and pouring it on the altar, and Jesus standing there on the same day years later saying: 'I am that living water, drink of Me and you will never thirst again'.Slide137

Haggai 2:6-9 –

How's our building going?

(9) 'The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,' says the LORD of hosts, 'and in this place I will give peace,' declares the LORD of hosts.“

We Christians are a temple - and God no longer lives or dwells in temples made with hands, He doesn't dwell in a building, He dwells in you and He dwells in me if we're saved.

1 Corinthians 6:15-20

, Paul encourages us to take away, like these Judeans, the rubble from the foundations of the temple, the rubble of sin, the debris that's in our lives, clear it all away!

Romans 8:29

says that each of us are a stone in the building but we will only fit into the building if we're continually being shaped into the image of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:11-12, Paul says again that everything in that building - and that means everything in your life believer - must be build upon the foundation of Christ Jesus. Could 'Ichabod' be written upon our lives, that the glory has departed?Slide138

Haggai 2:10-19 - Bringing God's Blessing

Haggai’s third message and his fourth message were both given on the same day.

We saw in the book of Habakkuk that due to the disobedience of the children of God the heavens would become brass and the earth would become dust.

God has a way of working with His children, indeed with His world,

When they do not walk in obedience with Him, He brings famine and He brings drought.

This is found right throughout the word of God from Genesis to Revelation

When the world is hit with pestilence, with plagues, with drought, with famine and there is a lack of water it is to show you a spiritual lesson:

There is a lack in your life of the living water of our Lord Jesus Christ.Slide139

Haggai 2:10-19 - Bringing God's Blessing

The leaders of the nation - Zerubbabel and Joshua, the high priest - both had been stirred by the Spirit of God through the message of God's messenger, Haggai.

God's Spirit had blown a breath upon their soul, had set them alight in the depths of their being and they realised that they needed to consider their ways before God.

As the people receive this third message of Haggai, we see here that they are in the midst of famine and in drought.

Why had the rain stopped?

Why was there no harvest?

Why was there no blessing?

As [far as] they could see they were obeying God, but as they looked around them, as they looked to the clouds, as they looked to the fields, there was still drought in the nation - God didn't seem to be answering their obedience.Slide140

Haggai 2:10-19 - Bringing God's Blessing

They expected that the moment that they obeyed God and they started rebuilding the temple, that that very day, that very moment and minute of obedience, that God would begin to work again, that God would bless them, that God would bring the rain and bring the harvest once more - but it didn't come!

Zechariah 3:1

> prophesies to exactly the same generation,

'And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.

And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fireSlide141

Haggai 2:10-19 - Bringing God's Blessing

Zechariah 3,

Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.

And he answered and

spake

unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused

thine

iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.

And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments.

And the angel of the Lord stood by. And the angel of the Lord protested unto Joshua, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by'. Slide142

Haggai 2:10-19 - Bringing God's Blessing

It's not Joshua of the time of the Exodus we're talking aboutIt's Joshua the high priest of the nation of Judah at the time of Haggai and Zechariah.

Zechariah sees in a vision of God, Joshua standing there and he sees Satan beside him –

Satan probably is laughing because from head to foot Joshua is standing in filthy defiled clothes.

Joshua was a picture of the nation's sin.

They were still sinful even though they had been stirred to the depths of the being by God the Holy Spirit.

They were still disobedient to God,

One month before Haggai delivered his message, Zechariah prophesied the same thing against them. Slide143

Haggai 2:10-19 – Bringing God's Blessing

(10) On the twenty-fourth of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to Haggai the prophet, saying,Everything God tells us to do, He enables us to do.

He's not some sadist that tells us to do things and sits back watching as we can't do them!

I know with my head what is mine in Christ, what I can have in Him - yet it frustrates me that I don't have it!

I hear the word of God and I feel the word of God in my own soul, I know the word of God - but the blessing doesn't seem to be in my life! I'm a defeated Christian, when something comes across my path - whether it's sin, whether it's sorrow, whether it's sickness - I fall down under it, I'm defeated!.

The answer that was given here is a fourfold message of how to bring God's blessing down.Slide144

Haggai 2:10 – Bringing God's Blessing

(10) On the twenty-fourth of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to Haggai the prophet, saying,Haggai delivers his third and awful message on the 24th day of the ninth month, 18 December 520 BC.

n the Christian life, when I hear the word of God and it grips my soul, stirs my spirit, and makes me feel that I ought to do something,

I can still walk away from God's presence and do nothing, I still can be so disobedient!

Haggai's saying: 'You've heard it, children of Judah, you have been stirred, you have been moved to the depths of your souls - yet you're still disobedient!'.

That's why the blessing isn't coming. Slide145

Haggai 2:10-14 - (NASB)

(10) On the twenty-fourth of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to Haggai the prophet, saying,

(11) "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Ask now the priests for a ruling:

(12) 'If a man carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and touches bread with this fold, or cooked food, wine, oil, or any other food, will it become holy?'" And the priests answered, "No.“

(13) Then Haggai said, "If one who is unclean from a corpse touches any of these, will the latter become unclean?" And the priests answered, "It will become unclean.“

(14) Then Haggai said, " 'So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,' declares the LORD, 'and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.Slide146

Haggai 2:11-12 – Confess and be Holy

(11) "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Ask now the priests for a ruling: (12) 'If a man carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and touches bread with this fold, or cooked food, wine, oil, or any other food, will it become holy?'" And the priests answered, "No.“

In the Old Testament when you had a question about ritual things and the ceremony of religion, you were to go and ask of the mouth of the priests

Haggai goes to the priests, the men that should know, and he asks of their mouth two questions concerning the ceremonial law of these priests.

What Haggai was doing - and what God the Holy Spirit is doing for us - is giving us an awesome object lesson.Slide147

Haggai 2:11-12 – Confess and be Holy

When they were about to make a sacrifice, the priest would take holy flesh - the best part of the sacrifice – the part of the sacrifice that would be set aside to be offered to God.

The priest would take his robe and he would make like a little apron out of it. He would put this holy flesh within it to carry it.

Haggai asked if the priest were to carry a piece of holy flesh and it touched some other piece of bread, or a piece of meat, or some wine, or some oil - some other food - would the holy flesh make the other food holy too?

The answer that the priests gave was: 'No‘.Slide148

Haggai 2:11-12– Confess and be Holy

Leviticus 6:27

. 'Whatsoever shall touch the flesh thereof shall be holy

The garment that the priest wore while carrying the holy flesh, became holy.

But that did not mean that everything that came into contact with this holy flesh became holy of itself.

Haggai asked the holy flesh touched other food, if it touched the furniture in the temple or in the tabernacle, did its holiness transfer from the holy flesh into whatever was defiled?

The priests said it didn't. Slide149

Haggai 2:13 – Confess and be Holy

(13) Then Haggai said, "If one who is unclean from a corpse touches any of these, will the latter become unclean?" And the priests answered, "It will become unclean.“

Haggai then asks, not about ritual holiness, but about

about

ritual defilement.

Can moral uncleanness be transferred and defile something that is holy?

If you're unholy, or if something is unholy, and it comes into contact with something that is holy, can it defile that thing?

The answer the priests gave was: 'Yes it can‘.Slide150

Haggai 2:13 – Confess and be Holy

(13) Then Haggai said, "If one who is unclean from a corpse touches any of these, will the latter become unclean?" And the priests answered, "It will become unclean.“

In the old ceremonial law there are many things were classed as unclean within the Old Testament,

In verse 13 Haggai mentions a dead body

Numbers 19:13

'Whosoever

toucheth

the dead body of any man that is dead, and

purifieth

not himself, defileth the tabernacle of the Lord; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel: because the water of separation was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is yet upon him‘.Slide151

Haggai 2:14 – Confess and be Holy

(14) Then Haggai said, " 'So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,' declares the LORD, 'and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

Leviticus 10:10

, tells us why God gave all these rules to the children of Israel about not touching this and being allowed to touch other things.

'[This is all given] that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean; and that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses'.

God was trying to teach them in a spiritual sense, not a physical sense, that there are certain things in this world that are clean and unclean.Slide152

Haggai 2:14 – Confess and be Holy

(14) Then Haggai said, " 'So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,' declares the LORD, 'and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

The answers to the two questions that Haggai asked the priests were simply this –

First: holiness cannot be transferred.

Second: filthiness always is transferred.

An example: You cannot transfer your good health,

But if you have a cold, or a flu or a virus, anybody who comes in contact with you is in danger of catching it

Holiness can't be transferred, but the disease of sin, iniquity and transgression and evil filthiness is always transferred. Slide153

Haggai 2:14 – Confess and be Holy

(14) Then Haggai said, " 'So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,' declares the LORD, 'and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

Haggai was telling them that sin lay in the camp.

He was telling them that - even though they had been stirred by the word of God, even though they had been motivated by it to get up, to get going and to put one stone upon a stone to build the temple

the evil, wicked sinfulness that was in their life was being transferred from their heart, down their arm to the very bricks that they were building for God.

'Your sinfulness, children of Judah, is being transferred into the work of God!‘.Slide154

Haggai 2:14 – Confess and be Holy

(14) Then Haggai said, " 'So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,' declares the LORD, 'and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

Coming into contact with holy things can never change the heart.

Carrying our Bible doesn't make us holy;

Wearing a head covering doesn't make your heart holy;

Praying doesn't make us holy;

Giving offerings doesn't make us holy.

Saying the words, going to church cannot make us holy

We need a new heart – a spiritual transplant...Slide155

Haggai 2:14 – Confess and be Holy

(14) Then Haggai said, " 'So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,' declares the LORD, 'and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

Psalm 24

'Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? Who shall stand in His holy place?', and the Psalmist is talking about the temple of God, 'Him that hath clean hands, a pure heart'.

Proverbs tells us that the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination unto the Lord.

Holy things cannot make you holy!

The priest was in his holy garments, he was carrying the holy flesh - and that holy flesh was an offering to God, the best offering that could be given - yet if it came into contact with anything else it couldn't be made holy. Slide156

Haggai 2:14 – Confess and be Holy

(14) Then Haggai said, " 'So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,' declares the LORD, 'and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

Secondly it tells us that unclean things make us unholy.

When we touch what is unclean, when we touch what is defiled, it comes into our very souls, into our very hearts, it defiles us!

If you are touching unclean things, you will be defiled.

They are transferred to us, they're embedded in our mind, in our soul.

No matter how long we're saved, no matter what we do for God, or say for God, or know about God - if we have defilement, if we have sin in our lives and filthiness somewhere within us, it defiles everything else that we are doing for God!

That is the message within this passage.Slide157

Haggai 2:14 – Confess and be Holy

(14) Then Haggai said, " 'So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,' declares the LORD, 'and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

Romans 6:21

. Paul has just been talking about how the child that is unsaved is a servant to sin,

In verse 21 he says:

'What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death'. What is the fruit of sin? Sin - from the very first day that it came into the universe - sin brought forth death!

The Jew in Haggai’s day that touched a dead body is like the child of God today who touches dead things, who has contact with sin, who goes about with sinful people and who partakes of their dead sinful activities.

When God says to come out and be separate, He means it.Slide158

Haggai 2:14 – Confess and be Holy

(14) Then Haggai said, " 'So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,' declares the LORD, 'and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

The prodigal son got his inheritance from his father and went into the far country where he spent it all on sinful riotous living.

When all his friends left him because he had no more inheritance left for them to spend, he was found eating with the pigs.

Swine, pork, in scripture is an unclean animal

The prodigal son was left unclean because he was touching, associating with unclean things.Slide159

Haggai 2:14 – Confess and be Holy

(14) Then Haggai said, " 'So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,' declares the LORD, 'and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

The demoniac of the

Gaderenes

was possessed, cutting himself, bleeding, crying, out of his mind.

He was living in a cemetery among the dead, he was inhabited, surrounded by those whom he was like!

Then the Lord came and as soon as he saw the Lord he ran to His feet and worshipped Him.

When the Lord cast the demons out of him, they went into the pigs

They all ran down, thousands of them, into that water and drowned - dead pigs!

Another picture of our sin, of the uncleanness that we will have if we as the children of God touch those things that are dead.Slide160

Haggai 2:14 – Confess and be Holy

(14) Then Haggai said, " 'So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,' declares the LORD, 'and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

We live in a sinful, sin-cursed world.

You can’t read a newspaper,

You can't turn the television or the radio on,

You can't drive in your car without seeing a billboard

without being hit in the face with sin

It's coming from everywhere.

It's hard to walk the narrow way and remain undefiled! Slide161

Haggai 2:14 – Confess and be Holy

(14) Then Haggai said, " 'So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,' declares the LORD, 'and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

2 Corinthians 6:14

- 'Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers', and here's the rule for the child of God, 'for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate,

saith

the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you'. Slide162

Haggai 2:14 – Confess and be Holy

(14) Then Haggai said, " 'So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,' declares the LORD, 'and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

The children of Judah are walking around the scaffolding of this temple building, and they're pulling their hair out asking the question, 'Why isn’t God acknowledging us?

We've been stirred, we've heard, we've done what God has told us –

Why is this happening?

Why isn't our work being blessed?

Why isn't God's blessing coming down?'.

And the answer comes from the word of God through Haggai,

'You need to confess‘.Slide163

Haggai 2:14 – Confess and be Holy

(14) Then Haggai said, " 'So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,' declares the LORD, 'and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

As the children of God, until we see the seriousness of our awful sinfulness, we will never confess it!

We will never be done with it!

We will never bury it!

We will never turn our back on it!

The man who uncovers, confesses his own sins, God covers them over.

The sinners that we are, we are prone to cover our sin and to try to hide it - and when we hide our sin God has to strip our sins away until we become bare. Slide164

Haggai 2:14 – Confess and be Holy

(14) Then Haggai said, " 'So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,' declares the LORD, 'and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

If you want to know your spiritual temperature, ask yourself:

'What is the time lapse in my life between me sinning and my confessing my sin?'.

These Judeans were living with their sin

They were obeying the Lord in many ways,

They were following His path, they were doing what He told them by building the temple

but it was not so easy to get sin out of their heart, it was easy for them to do wrong,

it was so hard for them to get sin out of their mouth, for them to confess it! Slide165

Haggai 2:14 – Confess and be Holy

(14) Then Haggai said, " 'So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,' declares the LORD, 'and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

We can do rational and logical somersaults in our minds to legitimise our sin, to tell ourselves that it's alright to do it.

We can make all these excuses within ourselves, we deceive ourselves,

God

says that it is only obedience that He will bless! Slide166

Haggai 2:14 – Confess and be Holy

(14) Then Haggai said, " 'So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,' declares the LORD, 'and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.Jesus came into the Temple one day and found

it filled with money changers, and overthrowing the tables, he drove them out and said,

You make [my Father's house] a den of robbers." (

Mat

21:13

)

cleansed it and made it a place of prayer. He filled it with the glory of his teaching, standing in the midst of it and saying things the people had never heard before. And he utterly changed the whole life of that nation and every nation in the world by what he said. Slide167

Haggai 2:14 – Confess and be Holy

(14) Then Haggai said, " 'So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,' declares the LORD, 'and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

Numbers 5:2-3

tell us what happened to the unclean person that was in the nation of Judah.

'Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue, and whosoever is defiled by the dead: Both male and female shall ye put out, without the camp shall ye put them; that they defile not their camps, in the midst whereof I dwell

‘

To be defiled, to be unclean, to be touched by a dead thing, to be doing what God said not to do meant a break, a severing, a divorce of fellowship between the child of God and his God.

Separation! Slide168

Haggai 2:14 – Confess and be Holy

(14) Then Haggai said, " 'So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,' declares the LORD, 'and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

Sin is very serious

Hebrews 13:11-12

'For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp' - what is burned without the camp? The sacrifice for uncleanness, the sacrifice for iniquity, the sin offering, the thing that has touched dead things, those people that have done wrong their offering was burnt outside the camp - 12: 'Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate'. Slide169

Haggai 2:14 – Confess and be Holy

(14) Then Haggai said, " 'So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,' declares the LORD, 'and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

Sin is very serious

Our Lord Jesus Christ, like that beast, had to be despised had to be put out of the camp,

He had to be rejected of His friends, of His family, of His kindred, of His nation,

He had to be pushed out into all separation because of our sin!

He was put without the camp, but worse than all that separation,

He was separated from His own Father.

Because of your sin, and because of my sin, God turned His face from His only Beloved Son

He cried: 'My God! Why?, because of our dead things.Slide170

Haggai 2:14 – Confess and be Holy

(14) Then Haggai said, " 'So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,' declares the LORD, 'and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

God said you need to confess...but you also need to be holy.

'You're asking Me, children, why the work isn't blessed, why the harvest hasn't come, why there is drought and there is no rain - it's because of your deadness. Your touching dead things has been transferred into the work you’re doing for God!'.

God told Israel, when He chose them, that they were a peculiar people, that they were a special people - but they were to be a holy people!

Exodus 19:6,

1 Peter 2:9

If they were to take the name of God they had to be holy.

God is saying that you must be holy for God to bless you! God doesn't bless unclean hands and an impure heart. 'You must be holy', God says, 'even as I am holy' - and without holiness no man shall see the Lord!Slide171

Haggai 2:14 – Confess and be Holy

(14) Then Haggai said, " 'So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,' declares the LORD, 'and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

The Holy Ghost doesn't flow through methods, He flows through holy men.

God blesses holy men and women - and the gospel moves when holy men and women of God move with it in a holy life that reflects the life of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Dead men, and dead Christians, and dead preachers give out dead messages and dead salvations - and all they do is kill as they preach

The child of God that is filled with the Spirit, who goes about their daily business sharing the gospel, bringing the good news of the message in the Holy Spirit and who are filled with the Holy Spirit, brings forth

lifSlide172

Haggai 2:14 – Confess and be Holy

(14) Then Haggai said, " 'So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,' declares the LORD, 'and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

In the Old Testament, the high priest wore a breastplate of jewels inscribed with 'Holiness to the Lord'.

He was ministering to the Lord, doing things for the Lord

1 Peter 2:9

says that we in Christ have become a holy priesthood, a holy nation.

Today, we are the bearers of the name of God,

The light in a dark place,

The salt in the earth

- and we are to be imprinted with 'Holiness to the Lord‘.Slide173

Haggai 2:14 – Confess and be Holy

(14) Then Haggai said, " 'So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,' declares the LORD, 'and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

tells us that not only is there a temple that was made with hands in the Old Testament,

Not only are every single one of us who believe the priests of God today and that every one of us ought to be holy, we are walking buildings of God Himself, we are the temples of God!

Are you the temple of the Holy Spirit?

Are you, as a child of God, a walking, talking holy temple of God?

Do you know what it is to be filled with the Holy Spirit?

To flee from iniquity?

To not touch that defiled thing? To be holy in your life?Slide174

Haggai 2:15-19 - (NASB)

(17) 'I smote you and every work of your hands with blasting wind, mildew and hail; yet you did not come back to Me,' declares the LORD.

Haggai 2:15-18 – Examine yourself, be blessed

(15) 'But now, do consider from this day onward: ….(18) 'Do consider from this day onward, …. Yet from this day on I will bless you.'“

Haggai tells them not to just confess their sin and be holy,

He tells them that they need to examine themselves.

'Consider yourself! Consider yourself! Consider your ways before God!'

14, he calls them 'this people', not His own people.

Here he says you're going to have to consider yourself, confess and be holy and self-examine yourself

if you do this from this day onward I will bless you. Slide176

Haggai 2:15-17 – Examine yourself, be blessed

(15) 'But now, do consider from this day onward: before one stone was placed on another in the temple of the LORD, (16) from that time when one came to a grain heap of twenty measures, there would be only ten; and when one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there would be only twenty. (17) 'I smote you and every work of your hands with blasting wind, mildew and hail; yet you did not come back to Me,' declares the LORD.

For 16 years after they had been discouraged and stopped work of God, before a single stone had ever been put on another stone,

No blessing came, no rain came, no harvest came.

Year after year they came to harvest the wheat expecting 20 measures but they only got 10, 50% of a loss.

They came again looking for the wine vats, looking for 50 vessels and they only got

20Slide177

Haggai 2:15-17 – Examine yourself, be blessed

The people had restarted the work on the Temple, working for two whole months, but God’s blessing had not reappeared.

What was going on? Why had God not answered?

They still expected God to work on their timing

God again tells them to Consider!

"Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart." (

Gal. 6:9)Slide178

Haggai 2:18-19 – Examine yourself, be blessed

After repeatedly telling them to consider He asks:

'Is the seed yet in the barn?'.

You've heard the word of God, you've prayed about the word of God, you've taken the exhortation, you may even have started acting on the word of God - but, Judeans, if there is sin in your life there will be no seed in the barn.Slide179

Haggai 2:18-19 – Examine yourself, be blessed

There is great blessing stored up for the child of God that hears the word of God, that is stirred by the word of God, the child of God that obeys the word of God and who forsakes their sin!

Do you want to be a fruitful Christian?

Do you want to be a Christian with joy in your step, with blessing in your soul and in your heart and in your life?

Do we want to be a church that God blesses with the growth of Christians, with Christian love in our hearts for one another, with a place were souls will be born?

If so, we must be done the unclean things, done with sin! Slide180

Haggai 2:18-19 – Examine yourself, be blessed

God, at the end of this 3

message Haggai

deliverd

, after asking 'What's the harvest like?', says: 'From this day I will bless you'.

Since 21 September 520 BC they had heard the word of God,

The 1

st message, stirred them The 2nd message, caused them to began to act. Slide181

Haggai 2:18-19 – Examine yourself, be blessed

But God, as he told Amos in

Amos 4

, said to them again, and again, and again:

'Ye have not turned onto Me!. 'Rend your hearts and not your garments',

It's OK to have the words, to have the walk and to have the talk, but you must forsake your sin

There is a day when all of us as believers will stand before our Lord Jesus Christ and we will look into His glorified face, and the word of God says this: that we will 'suffer loss' if we have not surrender all that is unclean, defiled and spoiled by sin.Slide182

Haggai 2:18-19 – Examine yourself, be blessed

On 18 of December 520 BC when this message was given, the Judeans realised

it's not enough to be stirred by the word of God,

it's not enough to talk about the word of God and to bless by the word of God,

it's not even enough to obey the word of God if we haven't got the sin out of our lives.

And at that moment in time, despite their sinful past, God cleansed them because they confessed to Him.Slide183

Haggai 2:18-19 – Examine yourself, be blessed

When they uncovered, confessed their sin, God covered their sin and told them:

'From this moment in time I will start to bless you!'.

Realise that there is blessing that comes down from God for the child of God that forsakes their sin!

not stop work just because you do not see instant results.

you are doing the right thing, keep on doing it and the results will come. Slide184

Haggai 3:20-23 - His Day Will Come

The book of Haggai is split into four sermons or messages that Haggai presented to the nation of Judah as they came out of 70 years captivity in the land of Babylon. In the book of Habakkuk - we saw how God told them that they were about to go into the land of Babylon for 70 years.

Here in Haggai, Judah has come out of the other end of their captivity and are back in Jerusalem

Cyrus has told them that they're allowed now to rebuild their temple, but through discouragements and fear, they stop it.

When they're allowed to begin work again by Darius the first, they don't have the motivation.

God sends Haggai with 4 messages within 3 months to encourage them.

Haggai’s 4

message to the nation of Judah begins

vs 20Slide185

Haggai 2:20-23 - (NASB)

(20) Then the word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying,

(21) "Speak to

Zerubbabel

governor of Judah, saying, 'I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.

(23) 'On that day,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'I will take you,

Zerubbabel

, son of

Shealtiel, My servant,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,'" declares the LORD of hosts.Slide186

Haggai 3:20 - His Day Will Come

(20) Then the word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying,This 4

message was delivered the same day Haggai delivered his 3

message. It's still the 18 December 520 BC.

Verse 20 says that the Lord spoke again, a second time, on that day.

To be there when God's prophet was bringing God's message by God's messenger must have been an awesome thing.

To have God coming in by His Spirit, through His messenger, bringing His message, twice on the same day telling these people of Judah what God wanted them to do must have been staggering.Slide187

Haggai 3:20 - His Day Will Come

(20) Then the word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying,God can speak more than once in day.

Have you been spoken to by God today, where you are, where you sit?

Have you been listening for Him, hearing Him?

Have you been around God's word?

Have you been in the place of prayer?

Have you been seeking His face?

Have you been in communion with Him?

Are you glowing, like Moses, because you've been in the presence of God and God has spoken to you?

If you've been reading the word of God today, you can be sure that God has been speaking to youSlide188

Haggai 3:20 - His Day Will Come

(20) Then the word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying,God needed to speak a second time on the same day..

These Judeans didn't just hear or read the word of God – they were stirred to their bones by the word of God!

They were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they were motivated by the Holy Spirit, to put a brick upon a brick on the foundation of the temple and to begin rebuilding, to start the work of God again.

But that that wasn't enough.

They looked to the sky. There was no rain.

They looked to the ground. But there was no crops.

And no matter how much they obeyed the word of God, or were moved by the word of God, nothing was happening!

God had to come in and say : 'The reason nothing is happening is you haven't confessed, you haven’t abandoned your sin‘.Slide189

Haggai 3:20-21 - His Day Will Come

(20) Then the word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, (21) "Speak to Zerubbabel

governor of Judah, saying, 'I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.

God's 4

message is not delivered to the whole nation of Judah.

God says: 'Speak to

Zerubbabel

’ the civil, political leader of the nation.

Zerubbabel needed special encouragement from the Lord. Sometimes we read the Bible in a general way We read Haggai as being sent to the Judeans, not us. We read the gospel of Matthew as being to the Jews, Mark to the Greeks, The book of Romans to the Romans, Corinthians to the Corinthians But there are times in our lives when we need to come to the word of God and see it as God's word to us! Slide190

Haggai 3:20-21 - His Day Will Come

(20) Then the word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, (21) "Speak to Zerubbabel

governor of Judah, saying, 'I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.

Get into the word of God.

Know that everything in it is for you!

Zerubbabel

was discouraged, so downhearted

Many of the leaders in the work of God are often discouraged.

Satan targets the leaders of God's people to get at the rest of them.

1 Thessalonians 5:25: 'Brethren, pray for us!'. People that are on the front line are the first to be hit!Pray for preachers, teachers, leaders daily – every day! It is in your own best interest to do so.Slide191

Haggai 3:20-21 - His Day Will Come

(20) Then the word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, (21) "Speak to Zerubbabel

governor of Judah, saying, 'I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.

Judah had come out of captivity, and were now absolutely discouraged, absolutely drained of all political and religious and strength

Zerubbabel’s

looking at Judah and all the nations and the empires and the great nations that were built like a wall around Judah.

Like the people, he looks to heaven despairing at the circumstances around him!Slide192

Haggai 3:20-21 - His Day Will Come

(20) Then the word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, (21) "Speak to Zerubbabel

governor of Judah, saying, 'I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.

Circumstances have the tendency to discourage.

The comforter, the Holy Ghost knows where you are - and your circumstance at this moment of time, like

Zerubbabel

, is despairing – and temporary.

2Co 4:16-18

(16) Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. (17) For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, (18) while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.Slide193

Haggai 3:20-21 - His Day Will Come

(20) Then the word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, (21) "Speak to Zerubbabel

governor of Judah, saying, 'I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.

When circumstance loom large and you don't know where to turn or what to do, you need what God gave

Zerubbabel

in His 4th message, you need to be encouraged!

God came beside

Zerubbabel

, as He will come along side you, and He brought this great message to encourage the governor's faith in God’s faithfulness.Slide194

Haggai 3:20-21 - His Day Will Come

(20) Then the word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, (21) "Speak to Zerubbabel

governor of Judah, saying, 'I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.

Unbelief always stops and robs us of God's blessing!

Zerubbabel

was to be blessed, he had to be encouraged to get out of unbelief.

It was no good battering him with a rod and telling him to believe, he had to be encouraged to believe!

When we're in the midst of despair, and maybe in the midst of sin, or discouragement, or failure, or bereavement or whatever it may be - and everything seems to be falling around you - it's no good beating you,

It's better to encourage you, through the word of God, to have faith in God!Slide195

Haggai 3:20-21 - His Day Will Come

(20) Then the word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, (21) "Speak to Zerubbabel

governor of Judah, saying, 'I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.

In this Christian age that we live in, are we distrusting believers?

Belief accepts something as true. Unbelief doubts God's word. Unbelief calls God a liar.

Unbelief leads to distrust.

Trusting allows us to put ourselves into the hands of another, to act on our belief.

It is placing our confidence, our very selves in the word and hands of another.Slide196

Haggai 3:20-21 - His Day Will Come

(20) Then the word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, (21) "Speak to Zerubbabel

governor of Judah, saying, 'I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.

Faith – confidence in God - unlocks the divine storehouse of God.

Faith places us into God's storehouse of riches in the word of God

Unbelief and distrust is what bars it from every child of God.

Without faith it is impossible to please God.

He who doubts is like a wind tossed wave.

Ask in faith and receive

Come to God believing that He is and rewards the diligent.Slide197

Haggai 3:20-21 - His Day Will Come

(20) Then the word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, (21) "Speak to Zerubbabel

governor of Judah, saying, 'I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.

There is natural faith and there is spiritual, or supernatural faith.

Most men and women have natural faith.

That's the faith that you have in your chair, that it won't collapse when you sit on it,

That's the faith that men have had when they had a vision of the telephone, or electricity, or the plane, or whatever it may be - and they followed their vision,

They had faith in their vision and they accomplished it: that's natural faith.Slide198

Haggai 3:20-21 - His Day Will Come

(20) Then the word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, (21) "Speak to Zerubbabel

governor of Judah, saying, 'I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.

The faith that the word of God speaks of is spiritual, supernatural faith.

It is nothing to do with man, it is a gift given by God, because man in his sinful state cannot muster it up.

It's something that gets, not just into your intellect and your mind, but it gets into your will, it sets into your heart and it holds onto your affections.

It’s something that sets you on fire, buried deep within your being as a spiritual entity.

This is something that God gives by His Spirit!Slide199

Haggai 3:20-21 - His Day Will Come

(20) Then the word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, (21) "Speak to Zerubbabel

governor of Judah, saying, 'I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.

God loves to be trusted. God just wants to be trusted.

'Prove me now

saith

the Lord'.

Malachi 3:10

That comes from a position of faith,

it's not some sceptic or atheist saying: ‘I'm going to see if there is a real God here!'God is talking to believers, wanting to prove that He is the God He says He is, that His word is true, that His promises are sure, watertight! Slide200

Haggai 3:20-21 - His Day Will Come

(20) Then the word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, (21) "Speak to Zerubbabel

governor of Judah, saying, 'I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.

The Lord Jesus Christ hated unbelief.

Jairus

came to Jesus wanting his daughter to be healed.

He knew that she was dying and he came to the Lord Jesus

As the Lord Jesus Christ went Jesus stopped to heal the woman with the issue of blood.

As he delayed the little girl passed away.

The father, with the tears running down his face was certainly imploring Christ that He would comeAs far as the father was concerned, Christ didn't seem a bit concerned or interested! Slide201

Haggai 3:20-21 - His Day Will Come

(20) Then the word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, (21) "Speak to Zerubbabel

governor of Judah, saying, 'I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.

Someone came up to him and tapped him on the shoulder and said: 'Trouble the Master no more, the girl's dead'.

The Lord told the man to not worry and continued with to the man’s house.

As they walked in, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is, and was, and always shall be the author of life stood and said: 'She

sleepeth

The gathered mourners began laughing, scoffing and scorning Him:

'Who does He think He is? Saying that that little child is [sleeping] - does He not know what a dead body is?’Slide202

Haggai 3:20-21 - His Day Will Come

(20) Then the word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, (21) "Speak to Zerubbabel

governor of Judah, saying, 'I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.

Jesus put them out, He put them out!

Christ puts out unbelief!

Christians who will not believe the word of God, and an unbelief within me of the word of God is a great barrier to God’s blessing and work. Slide203

Haggai 3:20-21 - His Day Will Come

(20) Then the word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, (21) "Speak to Zerubbabel

governor of Judah, saying, 'I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.

People who will not believe God, don't want anybody else believing God either!

When you're on a mountain top and rejoicing in the Lord.

You've got a promise fulfilled and the Lord's blessing and they come along and pour cold water on it saying things like: ‘Don't get too fanatical.‘ ‘You were just lucky.’ etc.

They burst your bubble! You could burst their nose!

People who will not believe God, and because they can't believe God they don't want anybody else believing God!Slide204

Haggai 3:20-21 - His Day Will Come

(20) Then the word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, (21) "Speak to Zerubbabel

governor of Judah, saying, 'I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.

We've heard it from Habakkuk, from Haggai, from others:

Without faith it is impossible to please God!

If you want to please our God and you don't have faith, well, you're going to have to please another God because our God is the God who can only be pleased by our faith in Him!

One of the most liberating experiences in the life of the child of God is to realize that our God can be trusted!

To realize that the promises of God are for you and me, and I can live experientially in the light of their reality! Slide205

Haggai 3:20-23 - His Day Will Come

(21) “….'I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. (22) 'I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the nations; and I will overthrow the chariots and their riders, and the horses and their riders will go down, everyone by the sword of another.‘ (23) 'On that day,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'I will take you,

Zerubbabel

, son of

Shealtiel

, My servant,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,'" declares the LORD of hosts.

Realize the wealth, the treasure laid up for you in heaven, the unlimited power and resources of God that we can access because we are in the Lord Jesus!

Zerubbabel

was worried about his enemies, he was worried about everything going wrong again and God says: 'Look, have faith in Me, because I'm going to shake the earth...I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms...I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen'.

Haggai's message to Zerubbabel: 'Have faith in your God!'. Slide206

Haggai 3:20-23 - His Day Will Come

Zerubbabel

, son of

Shealtiel

, My servant,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,'" declares the LORD of hosts.

God was encouraging

Zerubbabel

'Don't be afraid. One of these days I'm going to bring an earthquake on the earth' - a divine judgement that was ordained of God that will come and will be poured on all the nationsThe Bible talks about a cup of iniquity and the cup of the wrath of God being filled up by the sins of men. When it is full, it will overflow and sinful creation will suffer the overflow of God's anger at sin and unbelief.Slide207

Haggai 3:20-23 - His Day Will Come

Zerubbabel

, son of

Shealtiel

, My servant,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,'" declares the LORD of hosts.

Our sin either ends up on the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary or we’ll have to pay for it

ourself

in a hell that was prepared for Satan and all who have rejected belief in Jesus as Lord and know Him as their Saviour.

Sin has to be dealt with, one way or another. The wage, the payment due for all sin – great or small - must be paid for. No sin is overlooked...Slide208

Haggai 3:20-23 - His Day Will Come

Zerubbabel

, son of

Shealtiel

, My servant,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,'" declares the LORD of hosts.

The armies of Judah and Israel, didn't stand on the sidelines watching while God came in and defeated their enemy.

They had to take up their sword, they had to put on their

armor

and lift up their shield, They had to start to run, to flex their muscles, they had to fight, they had to be energetic, they had to put everything that they had into the battle! But at the same time they trusted their supernatural Lord and God.Slide209

Haggai 3:20-23 - His Day Will Come

Zerubbabel

, son of

Shealtiel

, My servant,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,'" declares the LORD of hosts.

Neither can we sit back in our circumstances or in the Lord's work hoping that the Lord's just going to come in and supernaturally make everything alright.

Especially if we are not prepared to obey and do our part!

To believe God,

To trust His faithfulness,To place our faith – our confidence in Him and act.To renounce all sin and doubting and uncleanness.Slide210

Haggai 3:20-23 - His Day Will Come

Zerubbabel

, son of

Shealtiel

, My servant,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,'" declares the LORD of hosts.

The Judeans, the Israelis, had the victory...but not by their own hand, rather by God's hand.

In the Old Testament God came into the battles and confound the enemy so completely that they actually turned on their swords on themselves and they killed one another!

'You'll never do anything by your hand'.

You've got to put everything that you've got into it, but at the end of the day it will be God that will be bringing the victory.Slide211

Haggai 3:20-23 - His Day Will Come

Zerubbabel

, son of

Shealtiel

, My servant,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,'" declares the LORD of hosts.

God says that there's a day coming -

Ezekiel 38/39

– that just like in the story of Gideon when the

Midianites were confounded - Judges 7 - and they turned in confusion on one another and killed each other.There is future day coming when the nations are surrounding Israel but God will come and confound them. He will establish His kingdom, and of His kingdom and His government and His rule there shall be no end!The secret is this: if we surrender our all to God in the battle, He'll have the victory! Slide212

Haggai 3:20-23 - His Day Will Come

Zerubbabel

, son of

Shealtiel

, My servant,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,'" declares the LORD of hosts.

Daniel 2:44

tells us that God is going to smash man's kingdoms.

'And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever'!

The average nation in our world history only lasts 250-300 years. The kingdom, government and rule that the Lord Jesus Christ is going to establish shall have no end!Slide213

Haggai 3:20-23 - His Day Will Come

Zerubbabel

, son of

Shealtiel

, My servant,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,'" declares the LORD of hosts.

Psalm 2

'Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that

sitteth

in the heavens shall laugh‘They're all laughing today, but He will have the last laugh! Slide214

Haggai 3:20-23 - His Day Will Come

Zerubbabel

, son of

Shealtiel

, My servant,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,'" declares the LORD of hosts.

Psalm 2

'The Lord shall have them in derision'

- He'll put them into confusion -

'Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession'. Slide215

Haggai 3:20-23 - His Day Will Come

Zerubbabel

, son of

Shealtiel

, My servant,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,'" declares the LORD of hosts.

There is a day coming when every knee will bow,

No matter what religion they are now,

No matter what filthy god they bow down to now,

They're going to bow down to my Lord. They're going to worship Jesus! It will be too late for them to be saved but they will recognize their foolish error and with their own tongue confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father! Jesus shall reign and His kingdom will stretch over all creation...Slide216

Haggai 3:23 - His Day Will Come

(23) 'On that day,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of

Shealtiel

, My servant,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,'" declares the LORD of hosts.

Finally to encourage

Zerubbabel

, God says that He will provide a servant, the servant of Jehovah - 'In that day’

Notice it does not say: 'this day' - It says: 'that day'.

The Holy Spirit is speaking of a future day, of a time to come

it didn't happen in Zerubbabel ‘s time He was referring to a future day when the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, the Deliverer, God’s Servant and signet bearer would reign with His royal authority upon the earth. !All the prophets of God speak of that day ...Slide217

Haggai 3:23 – My Servant

(23) 'On that day,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of

Shealtiel

, My servant,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,'" declares the LORD of hosts.

Haggai 1:1

calls

Zerubbabel

, 'Governor of Judah'.

Haggai 1:14

again calls Zerubbabel, 'Governor of Judah'. Haggai 2:21 again calls Zerubbabel, ‘Governor of Judah'. Here in Haggai 2:23 he is called 'Zerubbabel, my servant’God often refers to 'My servant David’ and to 'My servant Israel‘(Israel, not the person but the nationSlide218

Haggai 3:23 – My Servant

(23) 'On that day,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of

Shealtiel

, My servant,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,'" declares the LORD of hosts.

Isaiah 52:13

'Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were

astonied

at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider'.

Anyone that's called the servant of God in the word of God is a type, is a picture of the Messiah of God – the Lord Jesus in flesh and bone and blood.Slide219

Haggai 3:23 – My Servant

(23) 'On that day,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of

Shealtiel

, My servant,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,'" declares the LORD of hosts.

Look through the whole book of Isaiah! The Christ of God is the servant of God, the suffering servant - our Saviour and Lord!

Yet here he says, '

Zerubbabel

my servant'.

Matthew 1:12

is talking about where the Lord Jesus Christ, humanly speaking came from by the flesh: 'And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel, and Salathiel begat Zorobabel' - Zerubbabel! - 'And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor’ Haggai 2:23: 'In that day, saith

the Lord of hosts, will I take thee,

Zerubbabel

, son of

Shealtiel

, My servant,

Same guy as in MatthewSlide220

Haggai 3:23 – My Servant

(23) 'On that day,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of

Shealtiel

, My servant,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,'" declares the LORD of hosts.

The Holy Spirit is getting at a positional fulfilment in

Zerubbabel‘s

lineage not a personal fulfilment by

Zerubbabel

himself.

Zerubbabel was the son of David, not a direct son but a descendant in the line of David, and Messiah came in the line of David. The Messiah came out of the line of Zerubbabel, the line of David.God is saying: 'Look O Judah! One day I'm going to bring out of Zerubbabel's loins, humanly speaking, the Lord Jesus Christ, Messiah, the Son of God, the Deliverer, My suffering Servant! Hallelujah! Slide221

Haggai 3:23 – My Servant

(23) 'On that day,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of

Shealtiel

, My servant,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,'" declares the LORD of hosts.

Luke 1:31>

'And, behold, thou

shalt

conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and

shalt

call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end'.Slide222

Haggai 3:23 – My Servant

(23) 'On that day,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of

Shealtiel

, My servant,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,'" declares the LORD of hosts.

The 4

fourth message Haggai delivered was perhaps the most beautiful, identifying the signet of God's choosing

'I will take thee, O

Zerubbabel

, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the Lord, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the Lord'. A signet is a ring. In the Old Testament it was used in three ways, it was used as a personal signature of a person, a stamp for their name. it was something that was used in the palace and in the courts to validate royal authority within a sealed document. it was used as a guarantee to fulfil a future promise that had been writtenSlide223

Haggai 3:23 – My Servant

(23) 'On that day,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of

Shealtiel

, My servant,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,'" declares the LORD of hosts.

The signet always represented the owner

God here says: '

Zerubbabel

, I'm going to make your seed, 'My servant, to be My signet! He's going to be My personal stamp, the express image of My person, He's going to seal everything I say - everything in Him is Yea and Amen'!

Princes would sign their edict and stamp it, grant commissions with their signet - but Christ, the Son of God, in His own indelible ink of His own blood signed the great charter of eternal salvation and the Gospel!

Everything's secured – signed, sealed and guaranteed - in that signet!Slide224

Haggai 3:23 – My Servant

(23) 'On that day,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of

Shealtiel

, My servant,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,'" declares the LORD of hosts.

Every man that was given authority or responsibility, messed it up!

Noah, found grace in the eyes of the Lord, he got on the Ark and as soon as he got off it he got drunk.

David, a man after God's own heart, found in a bed with a married woman and then murdered her husband.

Adam, our father in the beginning, was made responsible over the whole universe, but he couldn't take it!

We were damned in Adam - on our way to hell in Adam –

But the last Adam has come: Jesus the Christ! And He's saved us out of it.Slide225

Haggai 3:23 – My Servant

(23) 'On that day,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of

Shealtiel

, My servant,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,'" declares the LORD of hosts.

Jeremiah 22:24

- we find a man who was the ancestor, the grandfather of

Zerubbabel

He went into captivity in Babylon because of his own sinfulness,

But out of that seed and generation, Zerubbabel, whose name means 'seed of Babylon', was coming out in salvation! God has chosen us todaySlide226

Haggai 3:23 – My Servant

(23) 'On that day,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of

Shealtiel

, My servant,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,'" declares the LORD of hosts.

Jehovah-

Tsebahoth

', the Lord of hosts - the Lord of warriors,

It's mentioned 14 times in this little book,

Whatever your problem, in your sin, however far downcast you may be, God is telling you: Your God is a warrior that will fight for you! God will deliver you, God will save you. If you give your all to Christ, He will give all that He has to you.

37 Haggai - PowerPoint Presentation

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