Explore the Bible Lesson Preview May 10, 2015 Seek Him First Background: Haggai 1-2 Lesson: Haggai 1:1-11; 2:5-9

Transcription

1 Explore the Bible Lesson Preview May 10, 2015 Seek Him First Background: Haggai 1-2 Lesson: Haggai 1:1-11; 2:5-9 Motivation: Haggai s first message was delivered at the beginning of the Jewish High Holy Days; his second message came at the conclusion of the Feast of Tabernacles. Haggai 2:10 was delivered on the eve of what would become Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights. Haggai speaks of judgment and obedience but also looks forward to Jesus, the Light of the World. Examination: I. Reality Defined (1:1-9) A. Specification In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. (1) 1. Author: The name Haggai means my feast or festive, perhaps he was born on a religious feast day. If he was speaking from personal experience of Solomon s temple (2:3), he would have been at least 70 years old. 2. Date: Precisely dated, Haggai s four prophecies were issued between August and December, 520 B.C. When God s people came back from exile, they began rebuilding the Temple in 536 B.C. but stopped. For sixteen years, God s house remained unfinished. The preaching of Haggai and Zechariah were used by God to get the project back on track. 1 / 6

2 B. Procrastination The Lord of Hosts says this: These people say: The time has not come for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt (2) HCSB, p.1565; 1:2 A common name for God in Haggai is the Lord of Hosts (used 14 times). This title views God as the Divine Warrior in charge of the armies of heaven, thus He is all-powerful and directs the fiery forces of the armies of heaven (2 Kg 6:16-17). Because He is sovereign, He can help the discouraged people of Jerusalem rebuild the temple. The people were saying to each other the time has not come to finish the work of building God s temple. Times were tough, and there was opposition, but God wanted His people to get on with the work. C. Consolation The word of the Lord came through Haggai the prophet: Is it time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? (3-4) When spiritual priorities are ignored, we often console ourselves with material things. Haggai points out the contrast between your paneled houses and God s ruined temple. King David (2 Sam. 7:2; Ps. 132:2-5) was motivated by a similar contrast to build the temple. Unfortunately, the people of Haggai s day were selfishly indifferent. D. Examination You have planted much but harvested little. You eat but never have enough to be satisfied. You drink but never have enough to be drunk. You put on clothes but never have enough to get warm. The wage earner puts his wages into a bag with a hole in it. (6) By setting their sights on material gain rather than on the things of God, they were expending an enormous amount of effort with little to show for it. Materialism is a bottomless pit. Their pocketbooks had holes in them. Christians who try to find their needs met in the world will never be satisfied. E. Evaluation The Lord of Hosts says this: Think carefully about your ways. (7, cf 5) Four times in the book, Haggai commands the people to consider your ways. (5, 7 2:15, 18) Examination is insufficient without evaluation. When we find misplaced priorities, we must restructure our lives according to Scripture. Matthew 6:33 clearly states, Seek first the Kingdom of God... F. Determination Go up into the hills, bring down lumber and build the house. Then I will be pleased with it and glorified says the Lord. (8) Haggai makes the solution clear: get to work-build the Temple. When faced with a wrong, we are under obligation to seek God s answer. We must find it, we must accept it and we must put it into practice (James 1:22-24). G. Castigation You expected much, but then it amounted to little. When you brought the 2 / 6

3 harvest to your house, I ruined it. Why? This is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts. Because My house still lies in ruins, while each of you is busy with his own house. (9) Failure to obey God will always bring judgment. This judgment is on America today generally and upon apathetic Christians in particular. Those who are focused on their things while neglecting His things will end up with few things in the end. II. Disciplined Defined (1:10-11) A. The Curse So on your account, the skies have withheld the dew and the land its crops. (10) HCSB, p.1565; 1:10 The covenant curses in Dt. 28:38-39 indicate that when God s covenant people do not love and serve Him, He will neither bless their crops nor send rain (Dt 28:23-24). Thus these problems were on your account; you caused this to happen to yourselves. B. The Cause I have summoned a drought on the fields and the hills, on the grain, new wine, olive oil, and whatever the ground yields, on man and beast, and on all that your hands produce. (11) 1. Responsibility - The contrast between the guilty ( on your account ) and the Judge ( I have summoned a drought ) could not be clearer. 2. Results - When judgment falls on the guilty, often the innocent are impacted ( man and beast ). III. God s Power Revealed (1:12-14) A. The Power of the Law Practiced the entire remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God. (12) The key to revival was (and is!) obedience. Sixteen years of apathy were reversed by less than a month of Bible preaching. 3 / 6

4 B. The Power of the Lord s Presence I am with you -this is the Lord s declaration. (13) What a comfort and strength to know that God is with us! Because of their disobedience, the people had not felt God s presence; because of their obedience, Haggai now wanted to assure them. C. The Power of a Leader s Prerogative They began work on the house of the Lord. (14) Zerubbabel and Joshua led by example. Because of their leadership all the remnant of the people were stirred by God to join in. Leadership by example is a powerful motivator in the church, home, or Life Bible Study. IV. Word of Encouragement (2:1-4) A. The Price of Sin (1-3) Ezra 3:12 records that the older people who remembered the splendor of Solomon s temple wept at the sight of this new building. The sin was forgiven, the punishment (exile) endured, but the effects remained. B. The Promise of Security (4) Although the people were much poorer than before the captivity and could not build a lavish temple, God promised His presence, strength and security. J.R. Church draws several parallels between Jerusalem in Haggai s time and Jerusalem today with regard to the temple. V. Glory to Come (2:5-9) A. God s Promise This is the promise I made to you when you came out of Egypt, and My Spirit is present among you; don t be afraid. (5) In God s case, past performance is a great indication of future results. B. God s Power For the Lord of Hosts says this: Once more, in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. (6) God s power extends to the farthest reaches of the earth. 4 / 6

5 C. God s Provision I will shake all the nations so that the treasures of all the nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory says the Lord of Hosts. The silver and gold belong to Me -this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts. (7-8) This prophecy had a near term fulfillment through Darius decree (Ezra 6:8) in which the Persians paid the cost of finishing the Temple. In a future sense, it speaks to the Tribulation or Millennial Temple. And in the present tense, it speaks to God s ownership and our stewardship. D. God s Purpose The final glory of this house will be greater than the first says the Lord of Hosts. I will provide peace in this place-this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts. (9) Although King Herod the Great tried to fulfill this prophecy in Jesus day by remodeling the temple into one of the wonders of the ancient world, he could not bring peace to Jerusalem. So obviously this looks toward a day in the future (Ezekiel 40-44). VI. Promise of Blessings (2:10-19) Just as evil spreads more quickly than good, so the people s sin caused a blight upon the land. Haggai assures the people that because of their obedience...i will bless you (19). The implication to each Christian is significant; even after years of disobedience; God s blessings are only a decision away. VII. Promise of a Kingdom (2:20-23) The book concludes with a personal word to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah (21). HCSB, p. 1567, 2:23 My servant identifies Zerubbabel not as an insignificant governor, but as a key obedient person who followed God s directions. Make you like My signet ring indicates that Zerubbabel will carry the authority to act as God s legitimate Davidic ruler, a right that God removed from the evil king Jehoiakim in Jr 22:24. This no doubt gave some hope about a future Davidic ruler who would some day rule on David s throne (Is 9:6-7; Jr 23:5-6). Application: 5 / 6

6 1. Obedience brings blessing; disobedience brings judgment. One area of disobedience will affect our whole lives. 2. Our priorities should reflect God s desires first, our material wants later. 3. God promises that He will be with us and will bless us in obedience to His Word. Leader Pack: Item 6: Chart: Themes of the Minor Prophets ; Item 8: Chart: Contemporaries and Hearers Biblical Illustrator: p. 57, Haggai, Prophet of the Return Notes: **You may access David s Lesson Preview in MP3 format and notes at: Dates: 5/9 CBS Graduation; 5/10 SPF Mother s Day Luncheon; 5/17 Parent Commitment; 5/25 Memorial Day church offices closed; 5/29 - HCHS Graduation; 5/29 HUB Summer Kick-off; 5/29 ReCreate Date Night; 5/ th grade launch retreat; 6/7 Promotion Sunday, student led worship; 6/10,17,24 - SPF Summer Nights Bible Studies; 6/14-7/13 Pastor Gregg on Sabbatical; 6/14 SPF B-day Bash; 6/14 Matthew Hoskinson speaking; 6/15-19 Camp Intersect. 6 / 6