Small Beginnings

I am with you, declares the Lord.

And God sends forth his spirit to stir them up to begin the work. But as we come to chapter two, it's now been another three weeks. It's the 21st day of the seventh month, which is October 17th, 520 BC. And by this point, you can imagine that the initial excitement of resuming the work has begun to wear off. And the sheer immensity of the task before them has sunk in. I don't know if you've ever maybe started a house project. Initially, maybe there's this excitement and then a few hours later with some broken tools and a great deal of frustration, you realize that you're like a hundredth of the way through. Well, I can imagine that the Israelites felt something like that only much, much worse. Just picture the scene. The temple lies in ruins. There's probably just heaps of rubble piled up blocking everything. We know from Nehemiah that later when he comes to rebuild the wall, the burden bearers are struggling to carry stuff because there's too much rubble in the way. So to even be able to start construction and move material is a huge ordeal. And if Solomon had like a 200,000 man workforce who worked for seven years, only like 50,000 Jews initially came back from exile. Most of them, they have other jobs to do. They've got to make a living and stay alive another way. And then there's the issue of materials. Now Cyrus had given them a grant, which at least initially allowed them to gather some gold and silver, to buy some more timber from the Sidonians, to hire some masons. But Haggai 1 makes reference to them having to head to the hills and cut timber themselves. So clearly they don't have enough. It's probably not the same quality as Solomon had. And then there was the problem of enemies. They have foes in high places who oppose this work and would love nothing more than to be able to report to the Persians, oh, by the way, the Jews are now disobeying the most recent command from the emperor. And there's no wall around the city. There's no protection. In fact, Jerusalem itself is apparently in such rough shape that people don't want to live there. Because in Nehemiah's day, they have to cast lots to draft people to move back into the city. So there are a lot of demoralizing circumstances, and this is an absolutely daunting task. They have so far to go. And then on top of that, there's this sense, even if we succeed in rebuilding the temple, it's still not gonna compare to what was there before. I mean, how demoralizing to think the former glory is now lost forever. As we saw in our scripture reading from Ezra three, I think that's why many of the older men who had seen the former temple wept when they saw the foundation of the new being laid. They're thinking there's no way this is ever going to compare. Now I wonder, are there any ways that you can relate to that? As you think about what God is calling you to do in your life, what he's calling you to endure, do you ever feel demoralized or discouraged because of how daunting it seems? And is that feeling ever compounded by the fact that it's daunting as difficult as the work God is calling you to is? the end result still feels so insignificant or disappointing. Maybe it's parenting. You're overwhelmed, and you feel like you're just pouring yourself out for your kids until you've got nothing left. You just long to see your children growing spiritually, but the road ahead looks so long, you wonder if you've made any progress at all, and then you think, you know, even if my kids do grow up to know the Lord, even if they do straighten out, Do I really have much to show for my life? Is that really even significant compared to the accomplishments of others? Maybe you're facing some sort of significant illness or health problem, maybe even a terminal disease, and you have such a hard road ahead, and you know God's calling you to somehow be a witness, and you're thinking, how will I find the strength to do that? And then you're like, And is it really even all that significant in the end? Maybe it's your own sanctification. You want to grow spiritually as a Christian, you want to put sin to death, but it's just hard. It feels like every time you think you've won a battle, tomorrow that same sin rears its ugly head. Or maybe you've already failed in a significant way. You've hurt your spouse, you've disappointed your kids, broken a friend's trust, you've compromised your purity. As you look ahead to that long road of repentance, not only is that road so hard, but you feel this demoralizing weight of the thought, but it's never gonna be the same again. I'll never get back to what I had before, to what's been lost. Or it could be service within the church or a ministry you're involved with. It feels like you're just pouring out so much to make such little impact. You've shared the gospel with so many people, and they just keep turning away. You want to see the church grow in a certain area, but it just doesn't feel like it's getting anywhere. You're exhausting yourself trying to care for homebound members or aging parents, and you just keep thinking, but is my little work, is my ministry even that significant? Or maybe this'll be you 10 years from now, when you're a missionary somewhere, and you're still struggling to learn a new language, you're still just trying to survive in a new culture, you're missing all the things you've left behind, and you still haven't even seen a single convert. Well friends, as we turn to Haggai chapter two, verses one through nine this morning, we get to hear what God has to say to his people, as they face a daunting task and fear a disappointing outcome. And I think this can be summarized in three points. Number one, God says, be strong, work, and don't be afraid. Notice that those are the three commands in this passage. Picking up in verse one, it says, in the seventh month, on the 21st day of the month, that's October 17th,

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 Jehoshaddak, 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.

So be strong, be strong, be strong, work, and fear not. That's what God commands his people to do. And notice that God doesn't command that like a harsh, out-of-touch general who doesn't understand the conditions on the field. He commands these things in a way that assures his people he understands their situation. If the people are afraid to verbalize their discouragement that this temple seems like nothing compared to what went before, well, God gives them the confidence to express that. He says, is this not as nothing in your eyes? If the people are afraid of enemies and fearful of failure, well, God shows that he understands that when he says, I will be with you, don't be afraid. And if the people are feeling small and forgotten, well, God acknowledges that when he calls them a remnant and then speaks to Zerubbabel and Joshua by name. You know, God's acknowledging that gone are the days of the vast multitude that came out of Egypt. It's only a remnant left, but they are still personally known and seen by God. In fact, throughout Haggai, it can even start to feel kind of tedious and verbose. How many times God repeats, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and Joshua, son of Jehoshadak, the high priest. But I think that's God's way of reminding them that he sees and knows them personally. And he's the one who's placed them in the positions they're in. You see, friends, God is not aloof. He knows what we're going through. He knows that sometimes the work he's called us to do as Christians feels daunting and overwhelming. And yet he charges his people, be strong, work, don't be afraid. In other words, this tells us that there are times when serving the Lord requires some guts and grit. I mean, the Jews had to literally roll up their sleeves and move rubble. They had to have this strength to overcome the very real fear of enemies who could physically harm them and do very scary things to them. So how much more should we be able to do things like prioritize prayer and corporate worship even when it means getting less sleep than we want? How much more should we be strong enough to share the gospel even when we're afraid of what others might think? How much more should we not give in to temptation, but be strong and say no to sinful desires? Maybe it would be uncomfortable for you to have a conversation and try to reconcile with someone who hurt you, but be strong. Don't be afraid. Maybe you feel like quitting a ministry you're serving in because it's just become frustrating. Be strong. Work. I mean, deal with it appropriately. Maybe you're afraid to own a mistake you made, to bring your sin to light. Be strong. Don't be controlled by fear. And we live in a culture that wants to be so sensitive to emotional needs and making sure we're taking care of ourselves. But the call of scripture is

be watchful. Stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

It's

be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. And having done all, to stand firm.

It's

be anxious for nothing, but everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. Let your request be made known to God. and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

You see, we can't be thin-skinned or faint-hearted or feeble-kneed and do the work Christ has called us to do. Just like the Jews in Haggai's day, we need some guts and grit. God understands what we're going through, and he calls us to be strong, work, and not be afraid. But lest this seem like a pull yourself up by your own bootstraps kind of message, let's look at the next thing God tells his people. Number two, I am with you. Look again at the end of verse four. 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. God's saying, I haven't forgotten my covenant. I promised to be with you, and I still am. It doesn't matter that there's no more temple. It doesn't matter that the ark of the covenant has been lost. It doesn't matter that there's no more cloud of God's glory. It doesn't matter that their circumstances look bleak and perilous. He says, my spirit remains in your midst. God had assured them of this just three weeks earlier in chapter one, verse 13, and now he assures them of it again. Now, interestingly, the timing of this prophecy, the 21st day of the seventh month, aligns with the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, or at least when the Jews were supposed to be celebrating it. And during that feast, they were to leave their houses and live in makeshift booths or tents, as a way of remembering God bringing his people out of Egypt and through the wilderness. So perhaps this wilderness motif is already on their minds as God assures them, I'm with you according to the covenant I made with you when you came out of Egypt. And that's significant because these are people grieving the loss of the glory of Solomon's age. And God is pointing them back to a time before that, when there was no temple, when there were no walls of protection. There wasn't even enough to eat or drink. And there was a Red Sea in their way. And there were giants in the land. They had even greater obstacles and a greater work back then. But God himself was with them. He was their provider. He was their protector. He was their guide. He was their sufficiency. And God's saying, according to that same covenant, and in the same way, my spirit remains among you now. Yes, I've called you to a great work. Yes, you must be strong. Yes, it will be hard. But I am with you. I will enable you. I will strengthen you. I will be your sufficiency. And notice, side by side with God promising them his presence in this passage, notice how many times in this prophecy God reminds his people who he is. Verse one. The Word of the Lord, and that's all caps. This is Yahweh, His covenant name. The Word of the Lord by the hand of Haggai the prophet. Verse 4, Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares Yahweh. Verse four again, be strong all you people of the land, declares Yahweh. Verse four again, work for I am with you, declares Yahweh of hosts. Verse six, for thus says Yahweh of hosts. Verse seven, 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 Yahweh. Yahweh of Hosts. Verse 8, the silver is mine, the gold is mine, declares Yahweh of Hosts. Verse 9, the latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says Yahweh of Hosts. Verse 9 again, and in this place I will give peace, declares Yahweh of Hosts. Nine times in nine verses God reminds them, I am Yahweh. I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I am the God who appeared to Moses in the burning bush. I'm the God who entered into a covenant with you. And I'm the God who can only be named or defined in terms of himself. I am the God who is the I am who I am. And then six times in a row, he says, I am Yahweh of hosts, the Lord of the armies of heaven, the God who commands the legions of angels and before whom all the heavenly hosts bow in worship. And friends, the point of this is, if we would just remember who God is and realize that he is with us, that should be enough. We shouldn't have to know the plan. It shouldn't matter what the circumstances are. It doesn't matter how daunting the task is. If God is with us, it's enough. Remember Moses, God tells him to go to Pharaoh and tell Pharaoh to let my people go. Moses is like, well, who am I to go to Pharaoh? Why would he listen to me? He's got all sorts of excuses and God says, but I will be with you. Or Gideon, he says, how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I'm the least in my father's house. And God says, but I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man. Or Jeremiah, God calls him to be a prophet, he says, ah, Lord God, I don't know how to speak, I'm just a youth. God says, don't be afraid, I am with you. And then most of all, remember Jesus' own words to us.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

You see, as assuredly as God was with Israel to rebuild the temple in Haggai's day, a seemingly impossible task which they completed, Jesus is with us to go and make disciples of all nations, to fulfill the work he has called us to do. So brothers and sisters, let's be strong, work, and not be afraid. God is with you in your parenting. God is with you in your evangelism. God is with you in your discipleship. He's with you in your sufferings and your trials. The work is great, it will take everything you have, but he will strengthen you and enable you to do what you could never do alone. But not only that, God has one more thing to say in this prophecy of Haggai. And it's that in the end, it's he himself who will do the great work. It's that he's the one who's gonna do the things that we can't do. This brings us to our third point, number three, God will shake the earth and glorify his house. Now as I read verses six through nine, notice the repetition of I will.

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.

So the people are to be strong and work, but God will shake the earth. God will bring the treasure of all nations. God will fill his house with glory, and God will bring peace. Now when it says that God will shake the earth again, When was the first time? Well, it was Mount Sinai. When God descended on the mountain to give the Ten Commandments, and it says the earth trembled violently, God had already metaphorically shaken Egypt, plundered them, and brought his people out. And from Sinai, he would also command Moses to build the tabernacle, and use the treasure of the Egyptians to do it. And God himself then filled that tabernacle with his presence and glory. But when the earth trembled as God declared his law, the shaking testified to God's own holiness and power, and threatened judgment on any who would transgress his law. So what's the significance of God saying, yet once more, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land? Well, it's prophesying future, cataclysmic judgment. And that becomes all the clearer when you look down at verse 21, where God again says,

I am about to shake the heavens and the earth and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I'm about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations and overthrow the chariots and their riders.

In fact, as you may recall from our scripture reading from Hebrews chapter 12, the author of Hebrews quotes this verse in that passage. And after contrasting Mount Sinai with Mount Zion, he says, at that time, God's voice shook the earth. That's at Sinai. But now he has promised, and he quotes Haggai 2 verse six,

yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens.

Then the author of Hebrews says this phrase, yet once more.

indicates the removal of things that are shaken, that is things that have been made, in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

So in other words, the author of Hebrews is saying that when God shakes the earth again, only the things that cannot be shaken will remain. All right, this isn't just the next judgment and this ongoing series. This is ultimately talking about the final judgment, the final shaking. When God does away with all sin and evil on the earth, And I think we see this final shaking mentioned multiple times in the book of Revelation. For example, in Revelation chapter 6, when the sixth seal is broken, it says,

behold, there was a great earthquake. And the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth. as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and powerful and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne. and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?

This is terrifying judgment, and there's nowhere to hide. God is shaking out the earth, just like I took my doormat yesterday and shook it out and beat it to get all of the dust out. God is shaking the earth of all that is sinful, of all that offends, of all that opposes, It's the day when, as Hebrews says, there will be a removal of the things that can be shaken so that only the things that cannot be shaken may remain. And brothers and sisters, this is why we should be so grateful that through Christ we have received an unshakable kingdom that will remain. And many will be saying, the great day of God's wrath has come and who can stand? But by the grace of God, we can say we can stand. Not based on our merits, not based on what we've done, but based on the merits of Christ, based on His work, based on the fact that He went to the cross and died for our sins, bearing the punishment that we deserved, so that we might be washed in His blood. And based on the fact that he lived a perfect life, perfectly obeying the law of God in our place, so that we might be clothed in his righteousness. That's how we can stand on the great day of the Lord's wrath. That's how we can stand when God shakes the earth. And friend, if you're here and you're not in Christ, Please talk to someone today about what it would mean for you to repent of your sins and believe in Him and receive the gift of salvation. So Haggai says that God will shake the earth in judgment. But not only that. He also says,

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 latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former. And in this place, I will give peace.

So what does that mean? I mean, is this a reference to Herod spending 46 years making that second temple really beautiful up until the Romans came and destroyed it again in AD 70? Well, no. Once again, I think Revelation is helpful because when we come to the end of the book of Revelation, the new creation is finally revealed, a new heavens, a new earth, a new Jerusalem. And on one hand, it tells us there's no longer a temple at all. But then you realize that's because the whole creation is the temple. God's presence and glory fills it all. And the city, the New Jerusalem, is the most holy place. It's become the holy of holies of the temple of God. That's why it's a perfect cube. and it's constructed with all the treasures the earth has to offer. Twelve foundations made of gemstones, streets of gold, gates of pearl. The treasures of the nations have been brought in and God has filled his house with glory. As Revelation chapter 21 verse 23 and following says,

the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light. and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations, but nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.

" So friends, that's the day when God will have shaken the earth to rid it of all sin and evil. That's when God will have brought the treasures and glory of the nations in and filled his house with glory. And that's when God will have established finally and fully his everlasting kingdom of perfect peace. Because every enemy will have been done away with. And friends, that's the ultimate fulfillment of Haggai's prophecy. And that's what God himself is going to do. You see, the Jews in Haggai's day had a job to do. They were to work and build a physical temple. And as daunting a task as it was for them, you know, we can see how that still would seem sort of small in the grand scheme of things. But it had great significance. Because it was God's house. And God was using that house to testify to the greater work he himself would do, as his house would be the house that would one day fill the whole of creation. And the Jews had the privilege of being part of that. So even as God encourages them that he will be with them in the daunting task that they have to do, he simultaneously assures them that he's the one who will do the greater work in the end. He will shake all nations, he will bring the treasure, he will fill the house with glory, and he will bring true and lasting peace. And brothers and sisters, we need to labor here and now with that same perspective. God calls us to make disciples of all nations. He calls us to pursue sanctification. He calls us to be faithful parents and employees and church members and students. He calls us to strive together to see our local church grow stronger and healthier and more vibrant. He calls us to trust him and glorify him in the face of trial. He calls us to do many things that are hard and daunting. And doing so will require us to be strong, work, and overcome fear. And he encourages us that he's with us through that. that he's there to strengthen us, to be faithful in the little things that he has called us to do. But he also gives us this encouragement that in the end, he is the God who will do what we cannot. You know, at the end of the day, he is the God who converts people, not you or me. Even if you're the best parent or the best evangelist or the best missionary, God does that work. God is the one who is going to shake the nations and set all things right, no matter what happens to the future of America. We have a task to play, we have a job to do, but in the end, God is the one who's gonna set everything right. In the end, God is the one who is going to perfect your sanctification. No matter how many times you stumble and fall, no matter how greatly you've failed, He's the one who is going to raise you up in the end and glorify you with Christ and make you perfect to stand in His sight and His kingdom forever. God's the one who in the end is gonna truly resolve all the denominational divides all the inner conflict that we struggle with now as Christians, he's the one who in the end will make sure that his church is pure and glorious and ready to be presented as a bride for his son. And friends, that means that in the work that he calls us to do, even when it feels daunting and even when it feels insignificant, It's actually all part of God's greater plan. It has significance toward this glorious end. So be strong, work, and don't be afraid. And

let us be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord, your labor is not in vain.

Amen, let's pray. Our Father, we thank you so much for your word through Haggai, both to the Jews of his day and to us. God, we pray that you would strengthen us for present faithfulness. And we thank you that in the end, we can utterly rely on you. You are the God who is with us. You are the God who will do for us what we could not do for ourselves. We praise you for that and pray that you would be honored and glorified as you deserve. In Jesus name, amen. And now please stand and we're gonna sing as our response, Christ our hope in life and death.