Prince of Peace: Haggai 2:1-9 (Sermon)
WELCOME
Good morning! What a beautiful day! We are in our second week in the book of Haggai. In context, Israel began to rebuild the temple after stalling out on reconstruction for years. God sent the prophet Haggai to confront his people’s negligence, and they repented and got to work. God wanted his people to make him first and foremost priority, and they did. This little book speaks to them and us about diversions and aspirations, disparity and prosperity, struggles and hope. We will dive into Chapter 2 and hear a call for strength, obedience, and fearlessness, with God’s promise of peace and presence.
TEXT
Let’s dig in. I will have M.G. read for us. Would you please stand with me in honor of God’s Word?
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: “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, ‘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? 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, according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not. 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. 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. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the LORD of hosts. 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, ESV)
Thank you. Let’s pray. Heavenly Father, I need you. We need you. Use your Word to change us. Please help us. May we not leave here without hearing from you. Give us truth by your Spirit. Empower us, fill us, and make us more like yourself. At the end of this hour, gain glory and honor and fame for your Jesus’s name; we pray, amen. You may be seated.
STRUCTURE
The structure of these nine verses included introductory comments and a comparison between the first and second temples in Jerusalem. Here is the structure:
2:1–3 The first house of the LORD is more glorious
2:4–5 Three commands and some comfort
2:6–9 The second house of the LORD will be more glorious
MAIN IDEA
The main idea of these verses is that the second house of the LORD will be greater than the first. Since this reality will take time, God wanted his people to be strong, obedient, and fearless. He comforted them with himself, glory, treasure, and peace. At the time, the foundation of the temple was disappointing. They didn’t have the resources to restore it to its splendor of a bygone era. It was like rehabbing a historic building; you open a wall and realize the building codes and standards were not standard. The project will be more difficult than you imagined. God knew what was ahead of them but could accomplish what they could not.
INTRODUCTION
Turn to Haggai, Chapter 2.
2:1–3 The first house of the LORD is more glorious
2:4–5 Three commands and some comfort
2:6–9 The second house of the LORD will be more glorious
Several weeks passed.
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: “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.” (Haggai 2:1–2, ESV)
Stop there. The extra-biblical evidence triangulates the seventh month on the 21st day as October 17, 520 BC. Haggai was writing on behalf of God. He and Zechariah were contemporaries. Zerubbabel. I will call him Mr. Z. He was the governor and a descendant of King David. Haggai mentioned Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. The Hebrew name means 'God is salvation,' and in the Greek translation, it is the name Jesus. As Mike said last week, Mr. Z and the high priest represented the civil and spiritual authorities. Both had abdicated their leadership to the will of the people. That was why Haggai confronted them in Chapter 1. They repented and got to work.
COMPARISON 1
Turn to verse 3 to see what Haggai said next.
“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?” (Haggai 2:3, ESV).
He asked three questions. What was he getting at? At the time of writing, some of these people had seen the glory of Solomon’s temple and could compare it to the new altar, the foundation, and the initial construction must have been depressing. This is the setup for a grand reversal, concluding our first point.
2:1–3 The first house of the LORD is more glorious
2:4–5 Three commands and some comfort
2:6–9 The second house of the LORD will be more glorious
BE STRONG
In verse 4, God gave his first command. He commanded what? What does verse 4 say?
“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” (Haggai 2:4, ESV).
Be strong. God called every one, from the governor to the priests to the people, to be strong. This encouragement in triplicate reminds me of coaching. The opposition looks colossal like an eleven-year-old boy’s team playing against men with muscles and mustaches. The dad or mom, coaching with a baseball cap turned backward and hands on the hip, says to the underdogs, “You got this. Hands in the middle. On the count of three. 1-2-3 Mighty Bunnies! Get out there! Let’s go!” God tells his people to be strong.
OTHER PEP TALKS
This was not the first time God had given this type of pep talk. When Israel was about to enter the Promised Land, they had reports of giants. They chickened out and disobeyed God. He punished them with a forty-year camping trip. Their kids got the second at-bat to enter the Promised Land. On the cusp of crossing the Jordan River, Moses gave a similar sideline motivational speech:
“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” (Deuteronomy 31:5–8, ESV)
JOSHUA
Moses died, and God doubled down on this rallying cry. He proclaimed,
Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.
Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:1–9, ESV)
BE STRONG
Where do we need encouragement like that? Where are we exhausted and weak? Where are we tempted to throw in the towel? God calls us to be strong, brothers and sisters.
SECOND COMMAND
That was not all the LORD invited them to do. What else did he say? [PAUSE]
“Work” (Haggai 2:4, ESV).
He told them to work. This parallels God’s message to Joshua, “Be careful to do according to all the law.” God desires people to be doers of his commands, not just hearers. What work did he have in mind? [Work on the temple.] Right. This was not a weekend project. Some of you in construction know how long it takes to get an occupancy permit. This was bigger than a residential build. This would take years and years and years and a whole lot of people and material. There must have been a temptation to quit. They needed this message.
WORK
What work does God want from us? He is not looking to build another temple. We have a building, but that is not the temple. The temple symbolized more than a worship space or educational facility. It was a place to meet God. It represented his presence. So, what work might God want from us? What work are we to do? The Bible commands us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. What does that mean? It doesn’t mean we earn our salvation (Philippians 2:12). Instead, it means we invest in our spiritual life and live out our faith. Our faith is to be active and impact how we act. Do you live out your spiritual convictions, or is it lip service? God gives us good works to do. He created us for good works (Ephesians 2:10). We are to serve one another and love each other. We are to work. Work takes exertion. Since the fall, this equates to stinging nettles, creeping charley, and doctor visits. St. Augustine wrote in his autobiography, “Lord command what you will and grant what you command!” I like that. How do we work when we don’t want to? Keep reading.
I AM WITH YOU
The verse goes on:
“For I am with you, declares the LORD of hosts, according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt” (Haggai 2:4–5, ESV).
A covenant. What is that? It is a promise. What promise did God give his people? He promised it in Exodus Chapter 29, verse 45.
“I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God” (Exodus 29:45–46, ESV).
He told Joshua and the people he would be with them. The reason they could be strong and work was because they were not alone. He was with them. Even before the building was complete, he was with them. He gave that same blessing in Chapter 1, verse 13. He didn’t leave them or forsake them. He was with them. He was on their side. Have you had someone on your side advocating for you? Has anyone fought for you?
FIGHTING
I recall fuzzily my first and last fist-fight. It was a warm Minnesota day, and my mom kicked us kids outside to play in the neighborhood. We would play cops and robbers, cowboys and Indians, and ride our bikes everywhere all day. On this particular day, two houses down and across the street, the older boys thought it would be fun to make my little brother and his buddies fight each other. I watched what was happening and was not going to let it continue. In righteous indignation, I told their leader in no uncertain terms, “You better stop it.” Barth (I am changing his name for anonymity) smirked while his henchmen watched with glee. Barth replied, “What are you going to do about it?” “I will show you what I will do about it.” Before I could think about it, I wound up and socked him in his face, just like I remembered people did on TV. What happened next shocked me. Would I be turned upside down and pummeled to oblivion? Nope. Barth started to cry. He turned tail and ran home. I was David, and he was Goliath. (But that freaked me out, so I skedaddled to my house and hid, hoping each time the phone rang or the door knocked, it wasn’t his mom calling my mom to get me in trouble.) I bring this up not to promote vigilante rage. But I was there for my brother, defending him. I was with him. (However, when I asked him about the details of the event this week, he only remembered another time when I punched him. That is another story.) I guess I wasn’t as innocent of a brother. My point is that the Lord is better than this messed-up, inconsistent, prepubescent kid. In Exodus, Deuteronomy, Joshua, and Haggai, we read that he was there for his people. And he is there for us. The Bible tells us that when we trust Christ as our Lord and Savior, he, in some metaphysical, supernatural, or spiritual way, is with us and in us. It says that where two or more are gathered in his name, Jesus is with us, and he will never leave us or forsake us. Is that not comforting?
When you face a jerk, God is with you.
When you are exhausted, God is with you.
When you are at your wits’ end, God is with you.
When you are lonely, God is with you.
When you are working year after year, and the progress seems imperceptible, God is with you.
That leads to a final related command echoed in God’s word to his people entering the Promised Land.
DO NOT BE AFRAID
Look at verse 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 2:5, ESV).
Do not be afraid. Think of the insecurities they may have had. God promised to be with them. There is a place of fear that connects obedience to reverence. But there is another fear that paralyzes the spiritual. It thwarts efforts toward God. It is the flip side of faith. It separates us from God and one another. It hinders obedience. “Fear not,” God says. What fears do you have? What keeps you awake? Jesus said,
Do not be anxious about your life…. Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? …. Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? (Matthew 6:25–30, ESV)
Why do we not have to be anxious? Because God is with us. And because of promises like verse 6. This brings us to the final section of these verses.
THIRD POINT
2:1–3 The first house of the LORD is more glorious
2:4–5 Three commands and some comfort
2:6–9 The second house of the LORD will be more glorious
Turn to verse 6. What does it say?
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. 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. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the LORD of hosts. (Haggai 2:6–8, ESV)
God will put the nations in their place. All their wealth will be brought to the temple. And the temple will be filled with it for his glory. God will empty the pockets of the enemies to fill the temple. How? Just like he controls nature, he owns everything. The Bible describes God’s power as all-encompassing (Psalm 50:10). He can do whatever he wishes. He is powerful and rules all. He can create wealth out of thin air.
GOLD FACTORY
In ancient times, scientists practiced alchemy, using the principle of transmutation. The hope was that they could chemically produce gold, and it was junk science. Well, some scientists have done it. It happened at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Cern, Switzerland, last year. They took lead ions at lead at each other near the speed of light. They nearly hit each other. The subsequent electromagnetic field peeled off a few protons, mutating it for a fraction of a second and then reverting to lead.” (https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/scientists-turn-lead-gold-1st-time-split/story?id=121762241 & https://home.cern/news/news/physics/alice-detects-conversion-lead-gold-lhc). But all gold is God’s. He can speak it into existence. That is how he created the world. In fact, in Revelation 21:21, we learn that the pavement of Heaven will not be asphalt, concrete, or gravel but “pure gold.”
FEAR
God can do anything. Money is not an obstacle. In AD 70, Rome destroyed the temple. So why did God even care that they made this temple? It never got back to the glorious construction of Solomon or better. What was God doing? It did become the place of worship for the people. However, it was also an act of obedience, demonstrating one’s allegiance. God was working on their hearts. He was teaching them about himself, themself, and the future glory of his presence. They had valued themselves more than him. They were busy doing the wrong things. God finds pleasure and glory in being worshipped. It is good to honor what is honorable. It is right to praise what is praiseworthy. It is excellent to love the most excellent. God deserves honor, praise, and love. God asked them to consider their ways and change. They did. He then painted a vision of life being strong, active, and fearless, resting in his presence and future hope. We don’t have a temple anymore, neither do the Jews. However, we do have Jesus. He said that he was “the temple,” in a sense. Because he was God’s presence. The apostle Paul said something similar. He said that the followers of Jesus’s bodies and the collective faith community are also temples. Why? Because God’s presence dwells in both, by the Spirit of Christ.
PEACE
Haggai concluded,
“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 2:9, ESV).
God will make the glory of this renovation project greater than that of the one before. The Hebrew word for peace was Shalom. That word carries the meaning of completeness, safety, health, satisfaction, and blessing. There is a depth in that word. For readers like us, we can find that peace through the living temple and spiritual temple of God, Jesus.
REVELATION
People called him Emmanuel. That meant “God with us.” He also had the nickname “Prince of Peace.” He told his disciples in the upper room right before he was killed on the cross,
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27, ESV).
PEACE
As we conclude, are you afraid? Are you anxious? Do you need strength from the Prince of Peace? Run to Jesus. Listen to Jesus. Believe in Jesus. Let your anxieties, worries, and burdens melt with him as your perfect public defender. I think of a prophet, a few hundred years before Haggai, who wrote a song that, one day, people would sing in Israel:
You [the LORD] keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
Friends. The song changes voice encouraging us:
Trust in the LORD forever,
for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock. (Isaiah 26:3–4, ESV)
STRENGTH AND WORK
You may need the reminder to get to work. You have sat on your hands or the bench long enough. It is time to get in the game. God has good work for you to do.
WITH YOU
Perhaps you need to hear that God is with you. You want to help, work, and be strong, but the fact that he is with you is a good reminder. You are not alone. He is for you and beside you. He is with you to help you along the way, way better than an imperfect pre-aged brother.
SUMMARY
So trust in God. Received his peace. Let’s be strong and courageous, working for God’s glory and our joy because he is with us.
PRAYER
Let’s pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for your Word. Please help us to be faithful to the end. We fear. We need your peace. We are tired, help us to work. We are weak; make us strong. Give us a vision for what following you this week looks like, and then help us to do it. In Jesus’s name, we pray, amen. Let us sing as the ushers come forward to make an offering to help the poor.
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