Sermon for Lord's Day January 14, 2024 Haggai's Second Sermon "Can it get any Better than This?"(pt 13)

Haggai’s Second Sermon and the Rebuilding of the Temple

Haggai chapter 2 and as you know, as you recall last, I know it's been literally a change of the year since we were in Ezra. We have in Ezra been going through section by section in the book of Ezra to get an understanding of what was taking place during the time of the rebuilding of the second temple and also to get context for these sermons of Haggai and Zechariah that we are going through.

So Haggai chapter 2, we're going to read verses 1 through 9 in your hearing today. These are the words of the living God. In the seventh month, on the 21st 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 Jehozaddek, 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?

And 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 Jehozaddek, 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 the 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.

Thus far is the reading of God's word. You may be seated this morning. When last we left off in Ezra, you just want to make a note here, Ezra chapter 6, we left off in verse 12. And you might think to yourself, and I wanted to make this known, it might seem that to jump back into Haggai's sermon from where we left off in Ezra chapter 6 may be a mistake, but it is not because what we find throughout Haggai's book and throughout the book of Zephaniah is that we have particular dates given for when these sermons were preached.

And so what we're going to try to do as we make our way through this study in Ezra, in Haggai, and Zechariah, we're going to try to move in chronology or in order of time as these things took place. So in Haggai's first sermon, Haggai's first sermon, Haggai chapter 1 verse 1, we see that Haggai delivered this sermon in the sixth month on the first day of the month in the second year of King Darius.

And what we saw here in the text, in our text today, is that roughly about a month and a month and a half has passed. And so in the seventh month, on the 21st day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet.

So in Haggai's first sermon, there was a strong rebuke given to the people because for some 17 to 18 years, remember, they had kind of rested on their laurels. Things had gotten kind of threatening. So the work on the house of God had ceased.

And so God sent Haggai with his word to the people to remind the people that to consider their ways, particularly is what the Lord said, because the people had become kind of content, become like a daisical in the worship and in the rebuilding of the house of God.

And they had become so focused on their own homes that they let the building of the house.

Of God go.

So the word of the Lord came. They were reminded of what they should do. They were reminded of the provision that God had made for them. And the scripture tells us that the spirit of God worked in their hearts and in their minds, that the spirit of God stirred them up, that the spirit of God moved them to work.

And as things go naturally, it's a lot easier to keep moving once you've started moving. If it's a continuous motion, it's just the start and the stop is hard. A start and a stop is hard on vehicles. Start and stopping is hard as you grow in age.

Some of you will begin to understand this. Sometimes it's just best to keep moving. But the word of the Lord came by Haggai in the seventh month. So again, basically a year and a half. And notice, as we enter into the text, notice what the scripture says.

The Lord said to Haggai, speak now to Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel. Governor of Judah, speak to Joshua, the son of Jehozadek, the high priest, and to all the remnant of all the people and say this, who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory?

The question was asked because if you will recall, and if you just want to, in your study time this week, we'll be going there too very briefly, but I want to remind you that back in Ezra, back in Ezra chapter three, what we find at the end of that chapter is that the people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shout from the sound of the people's weeping for the people shouted with a great shout and the sound was heard far away.

So at the onset, when the altar was raised for the house of God, there was a great joy that went throughout all of Israel. There was a great rejoicing that took place, and at the same time, there was a time of lamenting, a time of weeping because the old folks had seen the glory of the former temple.

The new folks were just, the young folks were just excited to see this happening in their day after all they had heard about, and so the question is asked here by Haggai. It's likely that Haggai was one of these older folks who likely had saw the glory of the former temple, but the Lord prompts him to ask this question, who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory?

Now, the Lord is not casting or trying to cause doubt. He's not trying to cause heartache, but what the Lord is doing in this word through Haggai the prophet to the people of God is once again to focus their attention, to focus their thoughts on about what he was getting ready to speak to them.

Very, very important here. So if you remember on December 31st, we spoke about the Ark of the Covenant and how the Ark was missing, and we spoke about the significance of understanding not just of the things that were there that they had, but the things that they did not have.

Now there were a few more things missing from this second temple that they did not have. Number one, one of the things that the second temple did not have was the Shekinah glory of God. We're going to explain these as we go along as well, but I just want you to want to list these things out to you.

They did not have the Shekinah glory of God as the old, the first temple had. As we discussed two weeks ago, they did not have the Ark of the Covenant, also referred to in the scriptures as the Ark of the Presence.

They did not have the sacred fire and they did not have the Urim and the Tumim. OK, so let's take a moment. Let's look at what the people of God did not have in this rebuilt temple, because this is important to know what they did not have as we compare it with what they did have here in the text.

For what the first temple possessed, it's important for us to understand this, what the first temple possessed and what they did not have in the second temple, in this rebuilt temple they had in the first temple, because God himself accomplished everything that they had in the first temple.

God provided the Shekinah glory. God provided the Ark of His Presence. God provided the sacred fire. God provided the Urim and the Tumim. So what they had in the first temple was provided by God. And what they had in the second temple was accomplished by the work of their own hands.

This is why it was so arduous, why it was so laborious and why it seems so often they seem to be disheartened and to be discouraged. And it was quite a demonstration, in fact, that the temple made with hands, the second temple even, that the temple made with hands, it is evident that this was fading away and that the eternal tabernacle or the eternal temple, which is Christ, was coming.

Because what we're seeing in the Old Testament is shadows and types that are looking forward to the true and the living God. Now, if they did not have the Shekinah, if they did not have the Ark, if they did not have the sacred fire, if they did not have the Urim and the Tumim, what did they have?

I am thankful to say to you today that in the word of God, we see this. What they did have here is the promise of the perfect and the eternal temple, which was to be fulfilled in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

They had the promise of God. And brothers and sisters, today, there is no greater word that you can depend on than the word of the living God. When God promises, God fulfills. Very, very important. Robert Jameson, in his commentary, said this concerning them not having these things.

He said the connection of it with the Messiah more than counterbalance not having all these things, for he, Jesus, is the antitype to all four of these things. Very briefly, let's look at these things and look at the significance of the things that they did not have concerning the fire on the altar.

In Leviticus 6, chapter 9, in Leviticus, chapter 9, verse 23 through 24, and in Leviticus 10, verse 1, let's look to see what the word of God says there. Leviticus chapter 6 and verse 9, the scripture says in this context for this passage, instruction is being given on building the tabernacle.

Instruction is given by God upon how things are to be set up and how they are to be done. What we read here in Leviticus 6, 9, command Aaron and his sons say this is the law of the burnt offering. The burnt offering shall be on the hearth on the altar all night until the morning and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it.

So we see the significance of the fire on the altar. The fire on the altar was to be continually burning when we a lot of times when we read the Old Testament, we just overlook the fact and the reality that my friend, the priest had a arduous job.

They had a hard task. They were to be working constantly on keeping the fire going. Leviticus chapter 9, verse 23 through 24, moving forward concerning this fire, the scripture says, and Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting and when they came out, they blessed the people and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people and fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar.

And when all the people saw it, the scripture says they shouted and they fell on their faces. Where did the fire come from? It came from God. It wasn't a man made fire. This goes to salvation, brothers and sisters.

Today, a man made salvation will not save you and it will not keep you unless the fire of God fall from heaven, consume the sin in your life as the Passover lamb was burnt and roasted as Christ took our sin and became sin for us.

Unless you have been born again by the spirit of God, you shall not see the kingdom of God. So the fire was from God. The fire was to be burning continually. The fire was given by God. And then in Leviticus chapter 10 concerning the fire, Leviticus chapter 10, verse 1.

Now, Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took a censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them. So we see here, we see the significance of the fire on the altar.

What they did not have was the God started fire, what everything that was going to be done was going to be in their own power and in their own strength. Moving forward concerning the Shekinah glory and the presence, the arc of the presence, the Shekinah is a transliteration of the Hebrew word that means the one who dwells.

So the Shekinah glory of God was manifested in several different ways during the Old.

Testament times.

We see the Shekinah glory in the pillar of the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. We see the Shekinah glory in the smoke that settled down in the tabernacle door of meeting. We see the Shekinah glory of God from the smoke on Mount Sinai, just to name a few.

The arc of the covenant was also referred to, as we mentioned to you, as the arc of the presence because it represented the presence of God in the holy of holies, where that priest would go once a year beyond the veil, sprinkling the blood on the altar so that atonement would be made for the sins of the people during that year.

But this arc of presence, the arc of the presence as the light of God, it would shine down on the mercy seat. In the holy of holies, it wasn't lit up except by the presence of God, except by the presence of God.

It was dark with the exception of the light of God on the arc of the covenant. Frederick Brotherton Meyer, in a short homily teaching, said this concerning the bright Shekinah. He said this was the bright Shekinah cloud.

This was the symbol of the divine presence which had shown for Moses in the bush and led the march through the desert. It was as though God had found a rest and as it settled upon the most holy place, it was as though God had said, this is my rest forever.

Here I will dwell for I have desired it. Meyer went on to say this, the most holy place is the symbol of our spirit, meant to be the abiding place and home of God. And we shall not and shall we not invite the blessed Shekinah cloud to enter hither?

Addressing it in the words of the psalm, Arise, O Lord, into thy resting place, thou and the arc of your strength. He went on to say, because where he comes to abide, he abundantly blesses the provision and satisfies the poor with bread.

He clothes his priests with salvation and makes his saints shout aloud for joy. He erects the horn of strength and he prepares the lamp of light. And then Meyer asked this question, what were the conditions of this incoming?

As though this were just a mini sermon in three statements, he said, what were the conditions of this Shekinah glory coming in? First was unity, as is spoken of in the Chronicles, the account given unity, the trumpeters and the singers were as one.

Meyer said we must put away strife, divisions, variance and evil speaking. Our heart and life must be full of love. When the disciples were in one accord in one place on the day of Pentecost, the spirit descended.

Second, Meyer said we must be happy, hearty. He said they lifted up their voice. And I love the phrase he uses here. He says there was every symptom, every symptom. There was every symptom of sincerity and fervor.

Many times we like to link the word symptom with sickness and illness as in a negative connotation. May it be said of Reformed Baptist Church that we have symptoms of hearty love for the Lord. Third, thanksgiving and praise.

The scripture says they praise the Lord saying he is good for his mercy endures forever. How true, how true, how true that is. Lastly, concerning the Urim and the Tumim, concerning the Urim and the Tumim, the Urim and the Tumim, Urim was referred to as lights, Tumim was perfections.

There are several different views on this, but they were gemstones that were carried by the high priest of Israel on his ephod in the chest plate of his priestly garments. They were used by the high priest, pay note here, they were used by the high priest to determine God's will in situations.

So they were used to determine God's will to know right or wrong, to know true or false. Now, the reason for the demise of the Urim and the Tumim is not explicitly given in the scriptures. And since they were in whatever way they function, they were a physical means of revelation.

So the Urim and the Tumim, some say they were lights, sometimes some say they were bright flavored or bright shiny stones that lit up in certain ways to give an answer. Some say they were black and some say they were white to make it easy to determine right from wrong, true from false, yes from no.

However, it is important for us to note they were given as a physical means of revelation. And it appears that God was taking his people away from this easy certainty that was inherent in a mechanical means of revelation, moving God's people to the more consistent use of prophecy and the word alone, which is what we see throughout the text of scripture.

Now, what this would require, the more difficult application of this, of the norms, would be to identify true and false prophecy by simply rather than by using these stones, but by using the word of God.

So back, for example, Deuteronomy 13, Deuteronomy 18, we have God gives specific, clear instructions on how to tell if someone is a prophet or a false prophet. If they're telling the truth or if they're telling a lie, not only if they are doing this, but how we should respond to true and false prophecy given.

Very, very important there. All that information came from Baker's Evangelical Dictionary concerning the Urim and the Tumim. Now, we know what they did not have. They did not have the fire. They did not have the Ark of the Presence.

They did not have the Shekinah Glory. They did not have the Urim and the Tumim, but what they did have was a great hope. They had a great hope given in the form, as we're going to see in this text, in the form of prophecy that pointed them to no other than Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

How can it get any better than the first temple? How can it get any better than the first temple is likely what was going through their minds. How can the gold of the first temple be outshined by this second temple?

You want to know why that the old folks were so down and out? Because it did not hold a candle to the first temple. Maybe the question was asked, how can the fragrance of the showbread in the first temple be made any sweeter than it was?

How can the glory of God that was shown in the first temple be made any more glorious than it was to them? And it's as if it's as if if these questions had been asked, the Lord already had an answer that he was giving to them.

And so this is where we pick up in the text. The question is asked, who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? And how do you see it now? How do you see it now? The Lord knew their hearts.

The Lord knew their minds. He knew what was going on. He knows that he knows the thought process of man, for he made man. He knows us better than we know ourselves. And how easily, how easily we get discouraged and how quickly we forget that the Lord remains faithful and the Lord remains true to his church.

The Lord was not going to let them down and the Lord will not let his church today down. He is the head of the church. Now, concerning the thoughts of those older people lamenting, we again, I would just refer you back to Ezra chapter three, verses 11 through 13 there.

But the fact that this new temple didn't hold the candle to the second temple, it becomes very easy for us, any of us, none of us are exempt here. It becomes easy for any of us to become discouraged when things aren't as we would expect them to be.

I mean, when we come to church, we come with an expectation. We're going to do this. We're going to do this.

We're going to do this.

Well, what if Sunday school goes long? Then what do we do? We adjust. What if the songs mess up when we're playing? We adjust.

Right.

What happens if this happens? What happens if that happens? And we get this kind of of mold in our mind. And if anything is outside of that mold, all of a sudden we're ready to throw up our hands and to say, fool it.

Amen.

It becomes easy for us, very easy for us to become discouraged when things aren't as we think they should be or we expect them to be. And that is exactly what was going on in the hearts and the minds of the people.

Calvin comments on one type of discouragement that shows itself and it shows.

Itself as pride.

You say, how can discouragement show itself as pride? Well, he states that even in his day, that folks would get to the point that when the church didn't meet their high and lofty expectations, that rather than having realistic expectations for the church, instead people became inflamed with pride and virtually would virtually leave God himself.

This is what Calvin said. And he said this and violate the unity of the church. Calvin said this to quote him. He said, we are thus reminded that we are always to beware of the intrigues of Satan when they appear under the cover of truth.

When therefore our minds are disposed to piety, Satan is ever to be feared, lest he should stealthily suggest to us what may turn us aside from our duty. For we see that some leave the church because they require in it the highest perfection.

They are indignant at vices which they deem intolerable when they cannot be corrected. And this he's talking about the church in his day. And thus, under the pretext of zeal, they separate themselves and seek to form for themselves a new world in which there is to be a perfect church.

And they lay hold on those passages in which the Holy Spirit recommends purity to the church, as when Paul says that it was purchased by Christ, that it might be without spot or wrinkle. Calvin goes on, he says, as then these are inflamed with a zeal so rigid that they depart from God himself and violate the unity of the church.

So also there are many proud men who despise the church of God. They despise the church of God because it shines not forth among them in great pomp. And they think that God does not dwell in the midst of us because we are obscure and of no great importance.

And also because they regard our few number with contempt. But he said in all these, there is some appearance of piety. How so? Because they would have God to be reverence so that they would have the whole world to be filled with the fear of his majesty.

Amen there. But as Calvin said, as I have already said, Satan cunningly insinuates himself. And hence, we ought to fear his intrigues less under plausible pretenses. He should dazzle our eyes. But the best way of caution is to regard what God commands and so to rely on his promises as to proceed steadily in our course through the accomplishment of the promises.

Although the accomplishment of the promises does not immediately correspond with our desires, just because things aren't done when we want them done does not mean that God is not at work. And so this question is posed to Zerubbabel, it's posed to Joshua, it's posed to all the.

People.

Is it doesn't compare. How do you see it now? Is it as isn't it as nothing in your eyes? So the first temple, the first temple was unique. The first temple was unique because as far as humanly possible, it was perfect in its construction, so to speak.

The first temple was built to be an earthly copy of that heavenly tabernacle, the book of Hebrews teaches us this. With that being said, it's important for us to keep in mind that any reproduction of this first temple was not to be an improvement on the first one, but rather to point to the better and the more perfect tabernacle in the heavens.

It's not meant to get continually better and better and better because my friends, there will be a day when the perfect comes. It is unreasonable for us, church, it is unreasonable for us to assume that the second temple, it was unreasonable for them to assume that the second temple should be equal to the first temple in light of the simple fact, again, that it was merely a representation of that which was to come.

So what the people were given here in Haggai's second sermon is an ever increasing hope. They are given hope that goes far beyond the temporal hope that many cling to in this life, but rather they are given and we church have been given by the word of God an everlasting hope.

They are given hope for the future. Now, what exactly is this hope? To make it plain, to put it in a sentence, the hope is that the glory of this temple, as far as the second temple, the hope is that the glory of this temple will far surpass the glory of the last temple, because one day in the future, and we see this proven in the text, one day in the future, Jesus will enter into this temple and his own glory fills the temple.

A greater glory. John Gill said this. Nevertheless, the prince, priest and the people, speaking of Zerubbabel, Joshua and the people are exhorted to go on strenuously in the work of building. What was it the Lord said to them?

Be strong, O Zerubbabel, be strong, O Joshua, be strong, O people. This, my friend, is a exhortation and encouragement from God inciting them to keep on the work that they have been tasked at. Be strong, keep going.

And then he says, in case they don't get it, work, work. They are encouraged with the promise and this promise is not given upon an empty foundation or an empty base. But this promise, as Gill said, this promise is the presence of the Lord of hosts himself.

It's the presence of the promise of his word and his word, in which particularly we see here in the text, his word that was covenanted to them when they were brought out of Egypt. This is what we see repeatedly in the scriptures.

Remember how God delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt's bondage. Look back to that. God was faithful then, God is faithful now. Hey, God, concerning particularly verse four there, where he said, be strong, be strong, be strong and work.

The more he said this to remove their fears and their faintings, because it is declared that in a time most wonderful, a thing should be done in the world which should affect all the nations of the earth.

John Gill said, just repeating what the scripture said, for that illustrious person would come. Who is this one that is promised to come? Jesus Christ. No other than the Messiah. Who, as Gill said, all the nations do or should desire.

I believe if they had a song, it would have been, and some of y 'all are going to kill me. But you're going to, some of you automatically going to think to yourself, he is not already singing Christmas music.

And I'm saying every day is Christmas to the same man. Amen. I believe their song was, Come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel that mourns in lonely exile here until the son of God appears. O come, thou dayspring from on high, come and cheer our hearts and our spirits by thine advent here.

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night and death's dark shadows put to light. And then that song, oh, most folks don't even know that this is drawn from here in Haggai, spoken of Christ. O come, desire of nations, bind all peoples in one heart and in one mind.

Be it in every strife and discord cease. Fill the whole world with heavenly peace. So notice that the encouragement given by the Lord here, as we see in the text, in verse five, he says, according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt, the encouragement is given with the basis and with the foundation of the covenant faithfulness of God.

The word of God stands sure. The word of God is forever and firmly fixed in the heavens is what the psalmist teaches us in Exodus chapter six, verse two through nine. Let's look at what God told them.

This is what God is reminding them of. Exodus chapter six, verse two through nine, the scripture says, God spoke to Moses and said to him, I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but my name, the Lord Yahweh, I did not make myself known to them.

I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they live as sojourners. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel, whom the Egyptians held as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant.

Say, therefore, to the people of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burden of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment.

I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord, your God, who brought you, the scripture says, that you'll know that I am the Lord, your God, who brought you out from under the burden of the Egyptians.

I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you for possession. I am the Lord. Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses because of their broken spirit and their harsh slavery.

They didn't listen because they were so discouraged. But what God has reminded the people here in Haggai's day is to be encouraged that there is a greater day coming. How amazing that is. Haggai chapter two, verse five.

That's where we're looking at that from. And I'm reminded in the New Testament. We see this same exhortation, this same call to stand, to work and to look unto the Lord who has saved us and called us with a holy calling in our lives.

In second Timothy, the apostle Paul writes to Timothy in verse one through 13. And he says this, you then my child, be strengthened, be strengthened. What did the Lord say in Haggai? Be strong, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses in trust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. And he said this share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.

An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is the hardworking farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

Remember, Jesus Christ risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound. Therefore, I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

The saying is trustworthy, for if we have died with him, we also will live with him. If we endure, we shall reign with him. And if we deny him, he will deny us. If we are faithless, he remains faithful.

Why? He gives the answer for he cannot deny himself. So God is pointing the people here in Haggai's time during the rebuilding of the temple. He is pointing them to no greater oath that has ever been made because God swore by himself that he would do these things.

And when God makes the promise, you can count on it. Church, today, I want to encourage you today by the word of the Lord to consider whose you are, not to not forget whose you are. You belong to Christ if you are saved.

If you are saved today, you are a child of the living God. You have been adopted. You have been adopted and made to be heirs of eternal life. Church, if you're saved today, your sins are forgiven and you have the right to expect and to look forward to more than this world has to offer you.

Stop looking at this world. Set your mind, set your heart on Christ who is above is what we are taught in the book of Colossians. God has promised to care for your temporal needs as well as your eternal needs.

So the exhortation is this. Cast your cares, Christian, today upon the Lord, for he cares for you. The exhortation today to you last person is cast your care on the Lord for you are carrying a weight and a load of sin that you are not able to bear.

But Christ came. Christ took upon him the wrath of God to bear the weight and the burden of our guilt of sin and to be made the propitiation for our sins. He has taken it for you. And so what must you do?

Believe on Jesus today. He not only died for you, but he was buried and he arose again on the third day. So God's promise to his people church stands as firm today as it did to them here in the five hundreds BC's.

He is faithful. In Jeremiah or in the book of Lamentations, the prophet Jeremiah lamenting, as the book says, Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet, lamenting the condition of the people of Israel.

He said this despite all of his lament. He said the steadfast of the Lord never ceases because his mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. That's what the scripture says. And then he declares.