The Reluctance… (4 things)

• 1^st – The timing of the prophecy… vs. 1
  • 1^st – The Word of the Lord came to Zerubbabel and Joshua… vs. 1
    • There were 3 waves of migration back from Babylon – 2 in the book of Ezra…
      • 1^st – Ezra 1-6 – covers the 1^st return of the exiles under the leadership of Zerubbabel…
      • 2^nd – Ezra 7-10 – covers the 2^nd return of exiles under the leadership of Ezra the Scribe…
        • This 2^nd wave took place some 80 years after the first exiles returned…
        • The focus of Ezra was on the people who had returned from Babylon…
        • His desire was to bring about Spiritual revival by teaching the Word of God!
      • 3^rd – the last wave of exiles returned with Nehemiah…
        • His focus was the restoration of the city – building the wall…
        • Nehemiah returned to reestablish the civil government of Jerusalem…
    • Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel – was the governor of Judah after the Babylonian Captivity…
      • He was the grandson of King Jeconiah – Matthew 1:12 – in the Kingly line of David…
      • Joshua the son of Jehozadak – was from the Aaronic line of Zadok – he was the High Priest…
      • Zerubbabel and Joshua returned from Babylon to rebuild the Temple of God in Jerusalem!
    • In the 2^nd month of the 2^nd year after arriving – or 13 months after they came to Jerusalem…
      • These men began to lay the foundation of the new Temple – Ezra 3:8
      • The Samaritans came to Zerubbabel and asked to help – but he refused them…
      • So a slanderous letter was sent to the King by the Samaritans to try and stop the Jews…
      • In response King Artaxerxes / Smerdis – sent the reply to stop all work!
  • 2^nd – 15 years later – During the reign of King Darius…
    • There are 7 major Empires in the Bible covering all of the History…
      • The Egyptian Empire / the Assyrian Empire – conquered the Northern Kingdom 722 BC…
      • The Babylonian Empire – took Judah captive for 70 years – ending in 539 BC…
      • The Medo-Persian Empire – under Cyrus commanded the Jews to return to Jerusalem…
      • The Grecian Empire / the Roman Empire / and the Revived Roman Empire!
    • Darius was the King of the Medo-Persian Empire from 522–486 BC…
      • Not the same as Darius the Mede (a governor in Babylon) – mentioned in Daniel 6…
      • This Darius was the 4^th King to rule Medo-Persia after the fall of Babylon in 539 BC…
      • The work on the Temple had stopped until the 2^nd year of his reign…
      • Assuming that work on the Temple was stopped shortly after it began in 536 BC…
      • And the work on the temple was not restarted until 521 BC – in the 2^nd year of Darius!
  • 3^rd – The 6^th month – on the first day of the month…
    • We are giving a very specific day when Haggai gave his first prophecy…
      • The 6^th month on the Jewish calendar – Elul – would be August / September…
      • This would be right after the last of the Harvest – Barley / wheat / grape / olive / figs…
      • Very important timing in light of the message Haggai had for the people – no blessings!
    • The first day of the month also marked a religious festival…
      • It would have been a special Sabbath – a New Moon festival – Numbers 10:10
      • Everyone would have taken the day off – gathered to offer special sacrifices to the Lord…
      • But of course there was a problem – there was no Temple to gather at!
      • God has an impeccable since of timing – He wait for just the right moment…
      • The problem is His timing is NEVER our timing…
      • That tends to leave us a bit stressed some days – but God never fails to provide…
      • He is rarely early – but never late – He is always on time right when we need Him!

• 2^nd – The consiquence of choices… vs. 2-6
  • 1^st – The people say – the time has not come to build… vs. 2
    • The Jews assumed that it was not yet time for the Temple to be rebuilt…
      • The Jews did not argue the Temple should be rebuilt – just the timing…
      • Logically it was not time because the King of Medo-Persia had stopped them…
      • If God had wanted them to build the Temple – then the King would have been on their side!
      • It is easy to make the assumption that when life gets difficult – if we run into opposition…
      • Then it must not be what God – who is sovereign over all things – wants us to do…
      • But often just the opposite is true – hardships mean we are going the right way!
      • In fact often God allows things to get tough – to test out hearts…
      • Because when the Lord tells us to do something – it is easy to say yes Lord…
      • But how about when things get tough – Jesus does not say it will be easy – John 16:33
      • Do we give up then – turn the car around and head back home…
      • Following Jesus is no guarantee of an easy life – it guarantees eternal life!
      • But the good news is – when God is for us – nothing can stand against us – Romans 8:31
    • The Jews also had a Biblical argument for waiting…
      • They assumed ‘THE TIME’ had not come – a reference to the 70 years of Jeremiah…
      • According to Leviticus 25 – the land was to receive a rest – Sabbath – once every 7 years…
      • But for the 490 years Israel never did honored the Sabbath year…
      • So God let Israel be captive in Babylon for 70 years – II Chronicles 36:21
      • Giving the Land the 70 Sabbaths that Israel had failed to give to it – Jeremiah 25:12…
      • The question became when did the 70 years come to and end – what was ‘THE TIME’!
    • Some say the 70 years came to an end with the fall of Babylon – 539 BC…
      • Which lines up with Ezra 1:1 – with the command of Cyrus to send the exiles home…
      • We back up 70 years and come to 609 BC – which is also a relevant date…
      • That was the year of the 1^st conquest of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar!
        
        
    • But the Jews believed the 70 years began in 586 BC with the destruction of the Temple…
      • If the beginning of the 70 years were 586 BC – the end would be 516 BC…
      • And it turns out that 516 BC is the year when the 2^nd Temple was dedicated – Ezra 6:15
      • But in order for the Temple to be dedicated – they had to get started!
      • They knew the Word – but since they were not acting on the Word – it meant nothing!
      • There are a lot of people who know what the Bible says – they can quote lots of verses…
      • But its not enough to know what the Bible says – we need to do what it says!
      • James 1:22-23 -“Be doers of the Word, not hearers only, deceiving yourselves…”
      • Often we listen to the Word – we attend Bible studies and are ‘convicted’…
      • We agree with what we hear – we see our need to change – but then we go home…
      • And we go right back to the way we used to be – forgetting what we saw…
      • In the end we are no different than before we heard the Word – it meant nothing!
  • 2^nd – Is it time to live in fancy houses… vs. 3-4
    • The Word of the Lord came to Haggai – the first of four prophecies…
      • In light of the Jews statement that it was ‘NOT TIME’ to build the Temple…
      • God asks a question – was ‘IT TIME’ to live in fancy houses while the Temple was in ruins…
      • Fancy / paneled – is a reference to elaborate decorations in the houses (wainscoted)!
      • The question exposed the problem – it was not timing…
      • The problem was their desire – they were so invested in THEIR lives…
      • So busy building THEIR houses – they did not HAVE TIME to build the Temple for God!
    • Where our treasures are…
      • Luke 12:34 – “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
      • If we had $1 in a bank account we would never think about it – but if we had $1 million…
      • We tend to think we invest in the things that are important to us – on our heart…
      • The truth is our heart follows our investments – our choices dictate what our heart wants!
      • That is why we should never follow our heart – it is deceptive – Jeremiah 17:9
      • Instead we need to be wise were we choose to invest our time and treasures!
      • If we are spending all of our time focused on the things of this world – heart for the world…
      • In contrast if we are investing in the things of God – we will find we have a heart for God!
  • 3^rd – Consider your ways… vs. 5-7
    • Twice God encouraged the people to consider… vs. 5/7
      • Stop and look at your lives – is what you are doing working…
      • They people had sown a lot of seeds – yet their harvest was very little…
      • They ate but were still hungry / they wore clothes but were still cold…
      • They earned money – but they were putting it into pockets full of holes (favorite verse)!
      • In other words for all their effort – there was very little return – it was NOT working!
    • If only people would stop and consider…
      • The world does all it can to convince us it has everything we need to be happy…
      • Everywhere we look we see the standards of the world – TV / radio…
      • All we need is more money / better job / more possessions / a different relationship…
      • But do we ever stop and consider – do we ask the question ‘does it work’…
      • God has given us a mind – and He expects us to use it…
      • Isaiah 1:18 – “‘Come now, and let us reason together’, Says the LORD.”
      • If the answer truly was in the world – then we should be able to see examples…
      • If we look to those who have ‘worldly success’ are they content / full of joy!
        
        
    • Solomon put it best – it is like grasping for the wind….
      • Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 – “Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, For my heart rejoiced in all my labor; And this was my reward from all my labor.  Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.”
      • When we chase after the things of this world – it brings momentary bliss…
      • It is a shallow fulfillment though – every bought something new – does not last….
      • It is not a matter of striving for the impossible – we are reaching for nothing!
      • It is an empty – pointless life – like putting money into pockets full of holes!

• 3^rd – The solution… vs. 8-11
  • 1^st – Start building… vs. 8
    • Go up to the mountains (Lebanon) and get wood to build the Temple…
      • Not that God needed them to bring the wood – not that God needed a building…
      • Isaiah 66:1 – “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool…”
      • But the Temple was a practical way to focus the people on the Lord (rather than themselves)
      • The point was simple – start investing in the things of the Lord!
    • So that the Lord would take pleasure and be glorified…
      • What would the Lord take pleasure and be glorified in – not the Temple…
      • But a people who had invested in the Lord – and therefore had a heart for God!
      • We often talk a lot about volunteering – put an emphasis on plugging in at the church…
      • Not because God need our help – or because of some obligation to the church…
      • It is for our sakes – it is an opportunity for us to invest in the things of the Lord!
      • That is why I love it when people step out – not because of a need (God takes care of that)…
      • But because I know what it will do to their relationship with God!
  • 2^nd – End the suffering… vs. 9-11
    • The people suffered because they did not put God first…
      • They looked for blessings in life – hoped for rich harvests – but came home with little…
      • And what little they had seemed to be blown away by the winds of circumstance…
      • The heavens withheld their rain – the earth refused to bear fruit…
      • There was a drought on the land (California) – the livestock – all the labor of their hands…
      • BECAUSE the House of God was in ruins – and people just ran to their own houses!
    • Seek first the Kingdom of God…
      • We all know what it is like to fail in life – we have all experienced disappointment…
      • Maybe we have faced / or are facing – the frustration of coming up short…
      • No matter what we do – not matter how hard we try – it just seems to fail!
      • But the key to success in life – is putting things in their proper order…
      • We must learn to put God first – then everything else will fall into place!
      • Blessings in life do not come from what we do – but who we know!
      • Luke 12:31 – “Seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.”
      • Psalm 1:3 – “Blessed is the man who delights in the Lord… whatever he does prospers.”

Because God was not building a Temple – He was building a people who loved Him!

4^th – Obeying the voice of the Lord… vs. 12-15

1^st – The people listened… vs. 12

Zerubbabel and Joshua and the remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord…

They listened to the words of Haggai – and began to rebuild the Temple of God…

And the people once again feared / had reverence for the presence of the Lord!

All because Haggai was willing to take a stand…

He stood up to leaders who had allowed the Temple to remain in ruins…

He corrected a people who were more concerned about themselves than God…

And the result was a nation that invested in the Lord – and began to obey the Lord!

As we look at the chaos of the world around us – it is easy to get discouraged…

People do not seem to care about what God said – they are to bust living for themselves…

Our heart is grieved – but we assume we are just one person – what can we do…

Yet all it takes is one man being willing to stand up – to revive a nation…

Do not be afraid to tell people the truth – if we do not – who will!

Romans 10:14 – “How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?”

2^nd – The people were not alone… vs. 13

Haggai spoke the message from the Lord – ‘I am with you’ …

Because God did not expect Israel to build the Temple on their own – He was with them!

It is easy to forget sometimes whom we have on our side…

We live in a world that seems so contrary to the truth – and we can feel very alone…

But Jesus is always right there beside us – and as we obey – can do the impossible through us!

Hebrews 13:5 – “For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”

3^rd – God stirred up the Spirit… vs. 14

Literally God woke the Spirit in Zerubbabel / Joshua / and the remnant…

Because God did not expect Israel to build the Temple in their own strength…

He was going to empower them to do the work He desired from them!

Zechariah 4:6-10 – “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit…’”

We often get the impression there are ‘special’ people whom God chooses to use…

But there are only ordinary people – who believe in God – making them ‘special’!

We are all just clay pots – II Corinthians 4:7 – the question is what is inside of us…

Are we full of ourselves – trusting in our abilities – not blessed…

Or are we full of Jesus – believing in God – having faith (trust) in His Word!

And Zerubbabel / Joshua / and the remnant of the people came to work on the Temple…

Do not miss this – on the House of the Lord THEIR God…