Haggai 2:20-23 Consider your Lord
Theological Proposition/Focus: The greatest encouragement any of us can have is the knowledge that we serve the God of the Universe!
Homiletical Proposition/Application: Make sure that your are finding your encouragement in God
Introduction:
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Need: We need encouragement and the best source of encouragement is taking time to Consider Our Lord.
Preview: Today I want us to find encouragement by considering the fact that our God is God of the universe, our God is sovereign, and our God has made us a promise.
Text: Haggai 2:20-23
Setting the Stage:
Two prophecies in one day! Last week we ended with the hope of blessing. Today's prophecy from Haggai came on the same day.
As we study the words of Haggai we must remember the context.
Haggai is speaking to a people who are struggling to finish the temple and now he wants to give a great encouragement.
Body
Consider the fact that we are serving the God who rules the entire universe (21).
Verse 21 contains what is called a merism, that is a rhetorical device in which two extremes are used to refer to the whole.
In this case heavens and earth is representative of the entire universe. We are serving the God of the universe and it is important that we consider the fact that our Lord is Lord of all creation.
Image: Shaking the playground/bridge as an act of control
I can be a pain at time, just ask Emily. One of the things that I like to do is to shake a foot bridge when we cross. At the zoo, at a park, at a playground... I like stomping and making it move as much as I can. Partly to be a pain, but partly as a show of might. Some of you all know this feeling. Shaking the universe is something that is beyond anything we can imagine and this is what God is capable of.
Me shaking the bridge is nothing compared to what Darius the great accomplished.
After the death of Cyrus the great the Persian empire was led by Cambyses II he received a wound in his thigh which became infected and ended up killing him.
The brother of Camyses, Bardiya took the throne in 522 BC but was overthrown shortly there after by Darius the great.
That same year there were significant revolts against Darius throughout the Empire
Darius did not appear to have the support of the populace but he did have a loyal army
Darius suppressed and quelled all revolts within a year.
The Jews, under the mighty Darius would have some idea of what it looks like for a single individual to exercise incredible strength but even the might Persian empire was not an empire that covered heaven and earth!
As I was thinking through the God who rule the universe I got to thinking about three characteristics of God that are employed in his rule.
God's plans are bigger than we can imagine.
God's power is bigger than we can imagine.
God's scope is bigger than we can imagine.
Luke 24:27 demonstrates that the there is an overarching story of Scripture and that story is the story of redemption, the story of Jesus.
Luke 24:27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
God's plans are incredible, as one example, let's look at the story of Scripture.
This story highlights plans, power, and scope. Listen to the story of Scripture.
God created mankind in his image as his representatives and managers of creation.
Adam and Eve utterly failed to properly represent God in an act of rebellion.
God promised that despite mankind's failure, God would provide a solution, an anointed one who would redeem creation and properly rule over creation.
God chose a people, Israel, to represent Him as a Kingdom of priests, this people failed to properly represent God and fell into idolatry.
God provided prophets who called the people to repentance while also reminding people of and expanding upon the promise of an anointed one to redeem.
God provided the Savior who came as a man yet full God who lived a perfect life and was executed on the cross buying redemption for all who place their faith on the Savior.
God established the Church and tasked the Church with spreading the Good News of redemption.
God provided the Church with Scripture to guide the Church in how to properly spread the Good News and operate.
God will one day send the Savior to establish His Kingdom here on Earth to rule over creation in an ultimate act of redemption where that which is seemingly unredeemable is redeemed.
Scripture is the story of redemption and demonstrates that God's plans are bigger than we can imagine.
Sometimes I sit back an wonder what someone like Moses thinks now as he sees so much more of God's plans.
Then I reflect and think about my own life, what is God weaving together?
MTR: Carefully consider God's plans, power, and scope while reflecting on your life.
Consider the fact that we are serving the God who sovereignly directs (22).
For the Zerubbabel I suspect that the power of Darius seemed unsurpassable. This Darius has managed to crush all rebellions in as little as a year. This Darius was ruler over the world that Zerubbabel knew. It probably seemed to Zerubbabel that Darius called all the shots. However, that was not the case. God was still in charge because God is still sovereign. In verse 22 we see God stating hat he has the power to remove kings, he has the power to destroy kingdoms, and he has the power to overthrow armies. I am reminded that all of creation is subject to God.
Earthly rulers are subject to God's control (Prov. 21:1).
In the LORD’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him. Proverbs 21:1
Image: Irrigation was a staple in Colorado when I grew up
I grew up in small farming community in North Eastern Colorado. Every Spring the ditches would start running bringing water from the river into the farm. From the ditch the farmers would cut a trench to bring water to the field, and from the trench the farmers would place siphon tubes in the trench to bring the water into each individual corn row. The farmer literally channels the stream of water from the river to each row of corn as he pleases in order to accomplish his purpose.
We should pray for our leaders even if we don't like them because we must recognize that God is sovereign over them!
Human events are subject to God's control (Isa. 14:25-27).
Isa. 14:25-27 is a case study " I will crush the Assyrian in my land; on my mountains I will trample him down. His yoke will be taken from my people, and his burden removed from their shoulders.”26 This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched out over all nations. 27 For the LORD Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back? [1]
Nobody can thwart the plan of God. Things that appear to be human events may be under the direct control of God.
The spiritual realm is subject to God's control (Col. 1:15-16).
15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. [2]
This is huge, every aspect of creation is subject to God!
I know that some people pray and ask God to send Angels to protect them. Personally do not, I pray and ask God to protect me however He wants.
In reality I know it is mostly just a style thing but I really want to give as much control to God as I can.
I am a recovering controloholic, what I know to be true is the more I give control to God the better things go!
MTR: Take a minute to pray and admit to God that while you often seek control you in fact do not have control.
Consider the fact that we are serving the God who has made us a promise (23).
Zerubbabel was given a wonderful promise that was fulfilled in the Messiah who fulfills all glory.
In order to understand this promise we must look back to Jeremiah 22.
Recall that after Solomon reigned the nation of Israel split. The temple was located in the nation of Judah to the south.
The northern nation of Israel fell to the Assyrian empire in 722 BC
Jehoiachin was coronated as king on December 9, 598 BC
On March 15/16th 587 BC Jehoiachin was captured by Babylon together with 3000 Jews and exiled to Babylon.
Listen to the words of Jeremiah just prior to Jehoiachin's capture.
“As surely as I live,” declares the Lord, “even if you, Jehoiachin[c] son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, were a signet ring on my right hand, I would still pull you off. 25 I will deliver you into the hands of those who want to kill you, those you fear—Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the Babylonians. 26 I will hurl you and the mother who gave you birth into another country, where neither of you was born, and there you both will die. 27 You will never come back to the land you long to return to.”[3]
Zerubabbel was Jehoiachin's grandson and the promise of the signet ring is a promise of restored blessing, a blessing that was ultimately fulfilled in Messiah who was a descendent of Zerubbabel as written in Matthew 1:12
And you all thought those genealogies were useless :)
The point is that even though great evil had been committed in the past (Jehoiachin) God had now promised great blessing in the future.
This blessing took the form of a New Covenant through Messiah.
The New Covenant looked forward to a time when God's law would be written on the hearts (Heb. 31:31-33).
In order to understand Haggai, we need to understand the brokenness of the time. The Jews had turned from God and the result was the fall of Jerusalem and the burning of the temple. However, all was not lost. Jeremiah had promised that the people would return to the land and more than just returning. Jeremiah promised there would be a New Covenant, one in which the Law would be written on the hearts of the people. The reality of human life is sin nature. A nature that constantly seeks to draw us away from God. Under the Old Covenant God provided the Law but people found the Law impossible to keep. Sin nature took over and sin ran ramped. God judged sin and the nation fell. What was needed was something different and that is exactly what god promised. God promised a New Covenant.
