Introduction (Secure Attention):
We all go through it. We face it many times in our lives.
Whenever it comes, it paralyzes our spiritual lives.
I’m talking about discouragement.
Are you discouraged this morning?
Have you ever wanted to do something for the Lord, but got discouraged in between?
Have you ever compared your work for the Lord with that of others and got discouraged?
Saints, if you are discouraged, I have good news for you.
The Lord wants to encourage you this morning!
Brief Background of the Passage:
Hanko: This message would have been delivered on the last day of the feast of tabernacles (Lev. 23:34-42).
This is of more than passing interest in view of the fact that the feast celebrated Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, to which God himself makes reference in the verses that follow.
That deliverance would have been on the minds of the people, therefore, and must have made them wonder whether God was really with them as he had been in the days when they came out of Egypt.
Then they were a great host, now they were but a remnant.
Then they had been on their way to a land flowing with milk and honey, now they were having difficulty even subsisting in the land.
Taylor: Less than two months had elapsed from the time of Haggai’s first message when work on the temple stalled due to discouragement on the part of the participants.
At this point of time, Haggai preached the second of his four messages to the remnant.
The Exegetical Idea (The Exegetical Theme):
Since the Jews were discouraged that the present temple was lacking in glory in comparison to Solomon’s temple, God encouraged them to move forward in building His house.
Fallen Condition Focus (FCF; Demonstrate the relevance of the sermon to the contemporary audience):
In our Christian lives, just like these post-exilic Jews, we often get discouraged while working for the Lord. That’s why the Lord encourages us in many ways to persevere in working for Him!
Proposition:
By listening to Haggai’s message, we will be encouraged to persevere in working for the Lord!
Sermonic Interrogative (Interrogative Sentence):
How can we be encouraged to persevere in working for the Lord?
Transitional Sentence:
We can be encouraged to persevere in working for the Lord by remembering the following truths (Key Word).
Main Points:
I. God is Concerned about the Discouraged Saints who Work for Him (vv. 1-3).
Read vv. 1-2
twenty-first day of the seventh month. Oct. 17, 520 B.C., the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles.
It was a time to celebrate the summer harvest (see Lev 23:34-43), though the crops were meager (see 1:11; cf. Jn 7:37).
Solomon had dedicated the temple during this feast (1Ki 8:2).
Piper: {The workers are discouraged because the memory is still alive of how glorious the temple used to be.
Less than 70 years ago it stood in this very spot, the apple of God’s eye, the magnificent achievement of Solomon, for centuries the center of holy worship.
But instead of inspiring the people, this memory made the people look at the pitiful edifice they were building and feel hopeless.}
Haggai asks three rhetorical questions which disclose the discouragement that the people had in their hearts.
A. Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? (v. 3a)
Some present may have been able to answer yes to the first question.
They had seen the temple of Solomon in their childhood.
They would have to be at least seventy years old because that temple was destroyed in 586 B.C., and Haggai was speaking some 66 years later (520 B.C.).
Probably Haggai himself saw the house in its former glory.
B. How does it look to you now? (v. 3b)
The next question addressed those who might have remembered Jerusalem before Nebuchadnezzar destroyed it.
Their response may have been: "Although it certainly does not compare in opulence, it is the temple of the Lord, and we are happy to see it being built."
There was no way these relatively poor exiles could have matched the extravagances of Solomon with his professional craftsmen working with imported woods and huge quantities of gold.
What’s the use, they say. We can’t match the glory of Solomon’s temple.
We’re wasting our time. Nothing beautiful or worthwhile will ever come of it.
We got along without it in Babylon; we can do without it here.
Better to have the beauty of a great memory than a paltry imitation.
So their hands are slack in the work.
The original temple was built at the height of Solomon’s glory.
It had taken 183,000 laborers 7 years to build this temple.
It was built using the resources King David had set aside for its construction, but it was also financed by taxes imposed by King Solomon during his reign.
The Jews who returned from exile weren’t nearly wealthy enough to invest that kind of money and resources into the rebuilding effort.
And so the Temple they have managed to build is fairly inferior compared the one of Solomon’s day.
It was functional, but it was nowhere near as extravagant as the 1st temple
C. Does it not seem to you like nothing? (v. 3c)
The third question virtually puts the discouraging sentiments into the mouths of the audience.
They were all thinking it, and now Haggai says it.
The new is inferior to the old, and that fact, along with the other discouraging circumstances, had thoroughly depressed the people and stifled their initiative.
Hanko: {The Jews traditionally listed five things lacking in the second temple:
(1) the ark with its mercy seat;
(2) the holy fire which burned perpetually in the candlesticks and on the altar (Lev. 6:8-13; 24:2);
(3) the cloud of glory (I Kings 8:10, 11);
(4) the spirit of prophecy and
(5) the Urim and Thummim (Ezra 2:63).
Certainly, we can agree that four of these five were indeed lacking (the spirit of prophecy did not depart until after Malachi’s work was finished).
That this temple was lacking in glory in comparison to Solomon’s was evident already when the foundation was laid.
Then the older people who had seen and remembered Solomon’s temple wept bitterly (Ezra 3:12, 13).}
The dedication of Solomon’s temple took place 440 years earlier at the feast of Tabernacles (1 Kings 8:2; 2 Chron. 7:8-10), so that was perhaps the reason the Lord gave this message to Haggai on this day.
Illustration: “Even though I don’t feel His presence, I will seek to love Him as He has never been loved.” – Mother Teresa
Illustration: {There will be alot of discouraging moments in Christian ministry. Many times, I get discouraged in my ministerial life. There have been times when I felt like giving up. But the Lord never allowed me to stay in a state of discouragement. He is always there to lift me up! I know that He cares for me.}
You may be discouraged this morning.
See what the Word says – Read 1 Peter 5:7.
So, what does the Lord expect of us when we get discouraged?
II. God Commands the Discouraged Saints to Move on with His Work (vv. 4-5).
The Lord doesn’t expect us to be in self-pity.
The Lord commands us to do certain things.
A. Be Strong (vv. 4, 5c).
First of all, the Lord commands them to be strong.
Jeff Strite: {Why? Why should they remain strong?
Because: they had taken a good hard look at the temple they’d built and it so frustrated them that they’ve literally put down their tools and stopped working.
They asked themselves: “why to bother?”
What we are doing is of no significance.
be strong . . . work. David used these words in 1Ch 28:20 when he encouraged Solomon to build the temple. Joshua son of Nun had been exhorted by the Lord with similar words (Jos 1:6-7, 9, 18).}
B. Work (v. 4c).
Secondly, the Lord is commanding the remnant to work.
When we get discouraged, we just feel like sitting in one place and get depressed.
The Lord is saying don’t be discouraged. Work! Move on! Keep going!
Illustration: {My grandfather once told me that there are two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was less competition there. Indira Gandhi, Bits, and Pieces, April 1990, p. 11.}
C. Do not fear (v. 5c)
Third, at the heart of their discouragement was fear. That’s why the Lord commands them – “Do not fear.”
Undoubtedly fear gripped many returnees--fear that God had written an eternal "Ichabod" (the glory had departed) over Jerusalem.
Fear that no amount of praying or piety would induce him to bless them again.
Fear that the whole endeavor was in vain.
Fear that the political enemies would in fact win, fear that all was lost.
Taylor: {Haggai’s point is that just as the Lord covenanted to be with Israel as far back as the exodus event, and just as his presence had been evident throughout their prior history, so now the community should confidently face their difficulties in the enabling power of the Spirit and free from the paralysis of fear about the future.
Haggai’s exhortation not to fear has its biblical roots in military language.
Warriors were often admonished in this way prior to engaging in battle.
Given the similarity in wording between the admonition in Hag 2:5 and the one in 1 Chr 28:20, Haggai may be drawing on the instructions David gave to his people prior to the building of the Solomonic temple.}
Illustration: {5-year old Johnny was in the kitchen as his mother made supper. She asked him to go into the pantry and get her a can of tomato soup, but he didn’t want to go in alone. "It’s dark in there and I’m scared." She asked again, and he persisted. Finally, she said, "It’s OK--Jesus will be in there with you." Johnny walked hesitantly to the door and slowly opened it. He peeked inside, saw it was dark, and started to leave when all at once an idea came, and he said: "Jesus, if you’re in there, would you hand me that can of tomato soup?" Charles Allen, Victory in the Valleys.}
Illustration: Many times when I feel discouraged, the Lord keeps reminding me that I cannot allow discouragement to rule over me. He reminds me that discouragement and depression need to be under my feet, not over my head.
If we follow the commands of the Lord and move on with the work, the Lord Himself will see to it that His work will be done.
III. God Commits Himself to the Discouraged Saints to finish His work (vv. 4-9).
The Lord Himself takes up the cause of finishing the temple.
How will the Lord accomplish His work?
A. God’s Presence would be with them (vv. 4d, 5).
The Lord promised that His presence is with them.
This is what the Lord had covenanted with them (v. 5b).
Keathley: {“. . . for I am with you” (v. 4). What did God do before Nebuchadnezzar came in to take over Jerusalem?
The glory of the Lord left the temple (Ezek 10:18-19).
When Israel goes into captivity the Lord asks, “Where’s the Holy Spirit now?”
But now God is back and the presence of the Lord should give them courage.
Thus he says in verse 5, “Do not fear!”
What is the secret to doing the work of God? It is the presence of God.
This is the same motivation we have in the New Testament.
Matt 28:20 says, “Make disciples of all nations... for I am with you to the end of the age.”}
The Lord says that His Spirit would be among them.
God’s work cannot be done using human energy.
God’s work can only be done through the power of the Spirit!
Read Zech. 4:6
B. God’s Judgment would come upon the nations (vv. 6-7).
When God promised to shake all the nations with His judgment, He was speaking of both His present judgment on evil nations and future judgment during the last days.
The Jews in Haggai’s times hesitated about going forward with the work, through dread of the world-power, Medo-Persia, which was influenced by the craft of Samaria.
The prophet assures them that this and all other world-powers are to fall before Messiah, who is to be associated with this temple; therefore they need not fear.
And I will shake all nations - not convert; but I will cause that agitation which is to precede Messiah’s coming, as the healer of the nations’ agitations.
C. God’s Glory would fill the latter temple (vv. 8-9).
In verse 8, God says that silver and gold belongs to Him.
The Israelites were disappointed at the absence of these precious metals in the adorning of this temple as compared with the first temple.
God is saying here that if He wished, He could easily adorn this temple with them.
Here He tells them, that for the glory of His house He needed not gold or silver: for all the wealth of the world is His.
But He is going to adorn it with a "glory" (Hag 2:7, 9) far more precious – namely, with the presence of His Divine Son in His veiled glory first, and at His second coming with His revealed glory (Zech 2:5).
Why was it that God was satisfied with a house that was only a poor shadow of the house Solomon had built?
You would think that God would want the most beautiful temple possible and that he would have supplied the Jews with gold, silver, precious stones and woods so that his house be more beautiful than any kingly palace.
Why did he remind the Jews of the poverty of this house and do nothing to change that?
The answer to these questions is that Christ was coming and the people had to start looking away from the earthly types and shadows to Christ himself.
It would be only a little while before the Desire of all nations would come, and they had to be ready.
Haggai 2:9 is a promise of the coming of Christ.
He is the true temple of God because he is Immanuel, God with us, the fulfillment of all God’s promises to dwell with his people.
This prophecy has already been fulfilled in measure, because in verse 9 we read that the glory of the latter house shall be greater than that of the former, in other words, this house that was being built at this time - Zerubbabel’s temple - he says even though it’s not dripping with gold like Solomon’s temple, God says this temple’s going to have more glory than Solomon’s.
Matt 12:6 – I tell you that one greater than the temple is here.
Lk 2:27-32
Not only would it be as good as but greater than the first Temple!
D. God’s Peace would be with them (v. 9b)
These people were plagued by enemies without and discouragement within.
The promise of peace, which they thought of first in political terms, was a comforting one indeed!
In fact, there have been few periods of enduring political peace in Palestine from this time on.
And in this place will I give peace - namely, at Jerusalem, the metropolis of the kingdom of God, whose seat was the temple, where Messiah "made peace through the blood of His cross" (Col 1:20).
This peace begins by the removal of the difficulty in the way of the just God accepting the guilty (Ps 85:8,10; Isa 9:6-7; 53:5; Zech 6:13; 2 Cor 5:18-19);
Then it creates peace in the sinner’s own heart (Isa 57:19; Acts 10:36; Rom 5:1; 14:17; Eph 2:13-17; Phil 4:7);
Then it shall, at last, make peace in the whole earth (Mic 5:5; Luke 2:14).
Illustration: Saints, you and I are doing the Lord’s work. He has committed Himself to fill this temple with greater glory in this year. What the Lord promised is already being fulfilled. God has been encouraging us by manifesting His glory. The Lord filled us in a mighty way in the three days of fasting prayers. The Lord set one sister in the Church free from the oppression of demons last Thursday. All this has happened in the very first month of this year itself. We are going to see greater glory in the days to come!
Conclusion:
Are you discouraged this morning?
Cheer up! The Lord wants to encourage you today!
The Lord’s presence is with you!
Summary Sentence:
Therefore, we have seen that we can be encouraged to persevere in working for the Lord by remembering the following truths.
Summarize the Main Points:
I. God is Concerned about the Discouraged Saints who work for Him.
II. God Commands the Discouraged Saints to move on with His work.
III. God Commits Himself to the Discouraged Saints to finish His work.
Call to Specific Action/Action Statements:
This morning, let’s make a decision that “Lord, I will not remain discouraged.”
Let’s be strong in the Lord.
Don’t be afraid of the negative circumstances around you.
Keep working for the Lord! Don’t give up! Keep persevering!
