His Provision
Notes
Transcript
His Provision
His Provision
1 In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet:
2 “Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to all the remnant of the people, and say,
3 ‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes?
4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts,
5 according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not.
6 For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land.
7 And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, 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 shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.’ ”
Haggai 2:1-9
The elders of the remnant must have been filled with discouragement while clearing out rubble and searching for stones among the ruins that could be reused in the rebuilding of the temple walls. King Solomon, the man responsible for building the original temple was extremely rich.
The elders of the remnant must have been filled with discouragement while clearing out rubble and searching for stones among the ruins that could be reused in the rebuilding of the temple walls. King Solomon, the man responsible for building the original temple was extremely rich.
21 And Solomon overlaid the inside of the house with pure gold, and he drew chains of gold across, in front of the inner sanctuary, and overlaid it with gold.
Their minds must have been replaying snapshots of the former glory of temple constructed by Solomon and grieved at what they had to work with now. From gold overlay to digging for leftover stones that could re-used. They were not Chip and Joanna Gaines and this was not just challenging fixer upper. This house represented the presence of God and they knew they could not provide the extravagant materials needed to restore it to its former glory.
The Lord instructs them in vs 4
Haggai 2:4-5
4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts,
5 according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not.
Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi: An Introduction and Commentary 2. October 520: Take Heart and Work (2:1–9)
There is a striking parallel between Haggai’s exhortation and the words of Jesus in Mark 6:50, ‘Take heart, it is I; have no fear.’ The personal presence of the Lord gives courage, determination, and the conviction that he will not permit his cause to fail.
50 for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
His Will, His Bill
His Will, His Bill
6 For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land.
7 And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, 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.
Haggai 2:6-
Do you ever read the bible and think “Man it must have been awesome to walk with God when he parted the red sea, or shut the mouths of lions, or that time when God used a kid to slay a giant.” What an amazing time to be alive, right? When God was interested in the lives of his people and showed off his strength and power.
Look at the remnant in Jerusalem, they returned to their home and it seems like the best days are behind the temple and the city. The people started the work of rebuilding but got discouraged and distracted. They focused on their lives, families, homes, their work only to be even more frustrated because they could not seem to catch a break no matter how hard they worked. Then God sends them a message through the Prophet Haggai to finish what they started. They had good memories and remembered what happened the last time the people ignored a message given through a prophet. They ended up with no city, no temple. Their spiritual condition was not in much better shape.
They listened to the words of the Lord given to them through the prophet Haggai and began to rebuild. They feared the Lord, God reassured them He was with them and stirred them to do the work He had commanded them to do. The Lord now reassures them He will provide all they need to restore the temple to its former glory and even surpass Solomon’s temple.
When God calls his people to act it is on him to provide. He literally had the ones who had oppose the rebuilding the temple and got the king to order the remnant to stop the work pay for it.
8 Moreover, I make a decree regarding what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the rebuilding of this house of God. The cost is to be paid to these men in full and without delay from the royal revenue, the tribute of the province from Beyond the River.
9 And whatever is needed—bulls, rams, or sheep for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, or oil, as the priests at Jerusalem require—let that be given to them day by day without fail,
10 that they may offer pleasing sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons.
11 Also I make a decree that if anyone alters this edict, a beam shall be pulled out of his house, and he shall be impaled on it, and his house shall be made a dunghill.
12 May the God who has caused his name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who shall put out a hand to alter this, or to destroy this house of God that is in Jerusalem. I Darius make a decree; let it be done with all diligence.”
Ezra 6:8-12
How does this translate to us today? After all Haggai’s message is one track “Rebuild the temple.” Are we suppose to build buildings? Is that our take away? No. We have a command
What Is God’s Will for Us?
What Is God’s Will for Us?
44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”
45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,
46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead,
47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
48 You are witnesses of these things.
Luke 24:44-
And the provision
49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
It sounds very similar with
9 The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.’ ”
Haggai 2:
We don’t have to wonder what it was like “when” God did this or did that.
Ephesians 3:14-21
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,
15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,
21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Be strong....(2:4) (Eph 3:16) be strenthened...
Work, for I am with you…(2:4)
My Spirit remains in your midst…(2:5) () thru his Spirit
My Spirit remains in your midst…()
My Spirit remains in your midst…()
Fear not…(2:5)
I will shake…(2:7)
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Remember that because of Christ your sins have been paid for.
Remember He has called you into service as sons of God.
Remember that when he calls us to do His will, it is His bill.