Sermon: God’s Promise of Turnaround
Haggai 2:18-23 “Think about this eighteenth day of December, the day when the foundation of the Lord’s Temple was laid. Think carefully. I am giving you a promise now while the seed is still in the barn. You have not yet harvested your grain, and your grapevines, fig trees, pomegranates, and olive trees have not yet produced their crops. But from this day onward I will bless you.”
“On that same day, December 18, the Lord sent this second message to Haggai: “Tell Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, that I am about to shake the heavens and the earth. I will overthrow royal thrones and destroy the power of foreign kingdoms. I will overturn their chariots and riders. The horses will fall, and their riders will kill each other. “But when this happens, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, I will honor you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant. I will make you like a signet ring on my finger, says the Lord, for I have chosen you. I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!”
Introduction: Turnaround time is the amount of time it takes to complete a process. An easy way to think of turnaround time is the time from the moment a request is made, or a process is started to the time when the request is fulfilled or the process is complete. Every now and then, God will place a time limit on the accomplishment of His purpose. He told Hannah and Sarah “by this time next year you will have a son.” God told Elisha by this time tomorrow the economy will be restored. God told Joshua, in seven days Jericho will fall. In our text today, the fifth and final message of Haggai, “From this day on I will bless you." They were in the grip of an economic downturn. The seed was still in the barn, the grapevines were bare, the fig tree and the pomegranate, and the olive tree were unfruitful and still yield nothing. Yet, God says, From this day on I will bless you and you will experience a turnaround!
These few verses are important and necessary from Haggai’s final sermon. They were designed for the leadership. Zerubbabel must take courage from this message. The first sermon called the people to consider their ways. It is time to reboot and change their course. The people had become deceived, lost, selfish and needed to be stirred up again! Haggai’s second message called the people and the leadership to remember God’s covenant and his promises. It is time to renew their minds and their heart. How you see is important; what you believe is vital, and what you will experience is the manifested glory of God. Next, God used Haggai to remind the people of the value of living holy and obedient lives. How we live makes a difference. As soon as they moved towards holy obedience, God began turning things around. Now the temple had begun again, the former rains and the latter rains would come. Crops would be restored. The land would bring forth plenty and peace would fill the land. Haggai’s third and fourth messages were preached on the same day. He preached to the people in the morning, but in the evening, the 25th day of the ninth month, was reserved for a private message to Zerubbabel, the Governor.
Haggai’s final message was restricted to Zerubbabel, the leader of this remnant people of God. Four times in the span of three months, God had sent a prophetic word. The people had been stirred to complete the temple work. Now God call Zerubbabel to faith for the future. The people were satisfied to know that the harvest would come, prosperity would return, and they would have daily provisions. Zerubbabel’s mind was occupied by more pressing matters. Leaders must not only lead in the moment of crisis, but they must also lead us into the future. Before Zerubbabel can lead into the future, God must rebuild his faith and confidence. Zerubbabel is leading in a hostile environment with rumors of his enemies plaguing his mind. How could a governor so limited and so weak protect God’s people? He understands that he is leading one of the weakest and ill prepared people in a hostile region. He has no army, no official authority, and only Joshua the priest standing with him. He has no reason to believe that he can pull it off! If you understand the impact of discouragement on lay people, it is multiplied in the life on a leader. One of the Olympic Medalist recently talked about the pressure of the Olympic games. She said, You work so hard, push yourself to the limit, but if you fail, the discouragement and disappointment is unbearable. It is wonderful to know that God understands the pressure of Leadership, so He sends a word.
Zerubbabel is a Babylonian name meaning "seed of Babylon.” Historians believe that Shealtiel had no children of his own, so he chose to adopted Zerubbabel, his brother’s child. Zerubbabel embraced the rights of sonship as being the next of kin. Being blood relative to King Jeconiah, the Scriptures teach that Zerubbabel was his legal successor. Zerubbabel was also a friend of Darius, king of Persia, having successfully competed and won a contest before King Darius. The contest winner had to determine what was the strongest thing in the world--wine, kings, women, or truth.
Zerubbabel, having demonstrated that truth was the mightiest of all, was called the king's "cousin," and was granted by him permission to go up to Jerusalem and to build the temple. Zerubbabel was made a governor of Jerusalem and performed the duties of a tax collector of Persia. This lesson finds Zerubbabel facing so many obstacles that the bible calls them a mountain. He is a father of seven sons and one daughter who was operating under the normal pressures of fatherhood, national pressure of leadership, economic pressures of famine and dealing with some very persistent enemies. It was a mountain!
Zechariah 4:6-10 “Then he said to me, “This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel’s way; it will become a level plain before him! And when Zerubbabel sets the final stone of the Temple in place, the people will shout: ‘May God bless it! May God bless it!’ Then another message came to me from the Lord: “Zerubbabel is the one who laid the foundation of this Temple, and he will complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sent me. Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.”
God’s promise of turnaround will give added strength in shaky times. Expect to go through shaky times.
1. Expect to Go through Shaky Times. Haggai 2:21-22 "Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I am about to shake the heavens and the earth, and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms; I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and overthrow the chariots and their riders; and the horses and their riders shall go down, every one by the sword of his fellow.”
God prepared Zerubbabel for some shaky times. Many leaders tend to lose their faith because they do not expect to go through shaky times. At times things may seem to be getting worse before they get better. In this world you shall have persecutions. A man born of a woman has but a few days and they will be filled with trouble. God send this word to help Zerubbabel stay grounded. The reality is, some kingdoms must be thrown down, they will just fall or melt away or quit. Chariots and their riders must be overthrown. Yes, we are on God’s assignment and God is with you, but weapons will be formed. Expect it and prepare yourself mentally for it. Pandemic brought shaky times, personal struggles, memberships are scattering, finances are low and sometime unstable, these are shaky times. Expect them to come, but also expect them to end!
2. Lean on the Strength of God. Zechariah 4:6-7 “Then he said to me, “This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel’s way; it will become a level plain before him! And when Zerubbabel sets the final stone of the Temple in place, the people will shout: ‘May God bless it! May God bless it!'"
God is not expecting Zerubbabel or us to go it alone. God promises He will overthrow, He will cast down, He will take us and make us! This assurance of God was designed to encourage the governor to proceed with the work regardless of the opposition the project generates against him. Attempting great things for God will created opposition. Friends will become jealous. Critics will be more critical. Enemies will become enraged. But the battle is not yours, it’s the Lords. "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts. What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain; and he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of 'Grace, grace to it!'"
This same promise should encourage every Christian in all time. You can shout Grace to the situation. We have the favor of God. We must lean on the strength of God and shout Grace! We might not have political power, strength in numbers, human strategies to do the work of God. We have God’s Power to do God’s work. God can do by His Spirit, what we cannot do for ourselves. We know shaky times will come, but we can lean on the strength of God and proclaim His favor over every situation. This is my moment; the Lord is with me and favors me. I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.
3. Use Your God-given Authority. Haggai 2:23 “On that day, says the LORD of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, says the LORD, and make you like a signet ring;”
In the mind of Zerubbabel, he recognized and understood the value and the authority of a signet ring. Historically, donning a signet ring was a mark of prestige and authority. It signified the family lineage, social status, and identity in official correspondence. Today, while many wear them as stylish accessories, for others, they still hold familial and historical significance, it was a 'seal of authority.' The signet rings played a very important role in business and politics within early civilizations. During the 10th century, signet rings were often used to authenticate documents. Royals and nobility would have their family crest, or other designs, solely unique to them, engraved on their ring which could act as a 'signature' on important documents. This was done by pressing the engraved side of the band into melted wax. This piece of jewelry was a mark of authentication.
Zerubbabel must learn to move forward with the authority of God. Zerubbabel knew that he had the blessing of King Darius of Persia, but Darius was thousands of miles away. His neighbors had no regard for Zerubbabel, and neither did his enemies. God sent a word, “You have my authority, and I will back you up.” Although others may overlook you, look down on you, criticize you, remember, I have chosen you! You may look and feel limited in strength and personal ability, I will make you as a signet ring.
A signet ring was used to guarantee treaties, the authority and authenticity of a document. It served as signature in the absence of the person. God was reaffirming and guaranteeing his promises to Zerubbabel. Years before Zerubbabel had been stripped of his authority and carried to Babylon as a common slave. But now God restored him. God himself chose him and gave him His authority to act. Power is the raw ability, but authority gives you the lawful privilege to act.
We too can rejoice in the fact that God has chosen us, adopted us, redeemed us and accepted us in the beloved. We are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. This truth should make us see our real value and motivate us to keep on keeping on. When you feel down, undervalued, and unappreciated reminds yourself that God has chosen you!
Hearing God’s Message through the Prophet Haggai should help us get out priorities straight and quit worrying about what we do not have. It should motivate us to keep on building with what we have. God is concerned about our holy obedience, not lip service. There is a bright hope for the future beyond the pandemic, despite the opposition and the troubles we face. God can handle the pandemic, the pitfalls, and the problems. Remember, we did not call ourselves. God called us and sent us out. The work is his work. The plan is His plan. If God has a plan, he will work it out! We must continue to put Him first, stand on His promises, walk in obedience, keep the faith, and live and work for Him. Our God cannot lie, and he will not disappoint us. He will do what he said! A turnaround is on the way! God will use us in the process. Yes, we might go through some shaky times, so expect them. When you feel weak or afraid, lean on God’s Strength. His Spirit is with us. Finally embrace your God-given authority and shout grace over your mountains. God promises that they will become a level plain. Just keep on moving forward.
