Lords Day Sermon February 4, 2024 "A Precious Stone in the Head of a Frog" (pt 15)

Communion, Unity in Christ, and Fellowship with the Saints

I just wanted to share, and I'm going to start off with just some scripture, and this is because of communion today. In John 17, in Christ's prayer, and he says in verse 20, I do not pray for these alone, I'm referencing his disciples, but also for those who believe in me, who there was, that's us, the church, that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me, and I in you.

May they also be one in us, that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory which you gave me, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them, and you in me, that they may be perfect in unity, and that the world may know that you have sent me, and have loved them as you have loved me, and we took communion today, and in that we have that strengthening of our weak faith, we taste and we touch the promises of God through Christ, that we may know that we have that communion and fellowship with the Father and the Son, and that we have that fellowship with the saints here, and I just want to share, and it may not mean too much, but for me, I'm so moved, I know that today is the first day that the congregation from which my family came in Connecticut is having communion, that church underwent a split, and it was awful, and they have now a new congregation, and that new fellowship, and today is their first communion as that new fellowship, and there is something as Pastor Claude spoke today, and in greeting Calvin, it's beyond a mere memorial, it's not simply something we do to remember, there is something mystical about communion, not in that it saves us, but to dissever communion from Christ is a great sin, and it is in that spiritual and mystical aspect of these elements, that we even here have communion and fellowship with the saints that are back in Connecticut, and though none of you may know them as brothers and sisters the way that I do, we still have fellowship, and with the churches that are here, because I know many of you have dear friends and brothers and sisters in the local churches here, and at this day, as they partake in this, we sup with them also.

Amen.

Yeah, just how burdened to share.

Praise the Lord. Amen.

Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty and freedom for a blessing. Praise the Lord, Greg, thank you for your obedience. I am so glad to, by the way, to be in a church where folks, where believers are not ashamed to follow the Lord.

Amen.

What a blessing.

The Law of Cleanness and Uncleanness in Haggai 2

Stand with us in turn to the book of Haggai. The book of Haggai, we're going to read chapter 2, verses 10 through 23. Haggai, chapter 2, verses 10 through 23. This is the word of the living God. On the 24th day of the ninth month in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, Thus says the Lord of hosts, Ask the priest about the law.

If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy? The priest answered and said, No. Then Haggai said, If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?

The priest answered and said, It does become unclean. Then Haggai answered and said, So it is with this people and with this nation before me, declares the Lord. And so with everyone, or so with every work of their hands and what they offer there is unclean.

Now then, consider from this day onward, before stone was placed upon stone in the temple of the Lord, how did you fare? When one came to a heap of 20 measures, there were but 10. When one came to the wine vat to draw 50 measures, there were but 20.

I struck you and all products of your toil with blight and with mildew and with hail, yet you did not turn to me, declares the Lord. Consider from this day onward, from the 24th day of the ninth month, since the day that the foundation of the Lord's temple was laid, consider.

Is the seed yet in the barn? Indeed, the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have yielded nothing. But from this day on, I will bless you. The word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai on the 24th day of the month.

Speak to Zerubbabel, he said, governor of Judah, saying, I am about to shake the heavens and the earth and 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 and the horses and their riders shall go down every one by the sword of his brother.

On that day, declares the Lord of hosts. I will take you. Oh, Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the Lord and make you like a signet ring. I've chosen you, declares the Lord of hosts.

Thus far as the reading of God's word, as we enter into this text this morning, by way of remembrance, it's important. Again, we are we are looking at these sermons of Haggai, the sermons of Zechariah in context of the book of Ezra itself, in which they were preached in that time frame.

Haggai preached his first sermon in the sixth month of the second year of King Darius. He preached his second sermon in the seventh month. And last week, if you'll remember, we looked at Zechariah's first sermon, which was preached in the eighth month of that second year.

And now here in the ninth month, Haggai preaches not one, but two sermons. Now, what he does in this is significant. And what we're going to see in this, if you want to put a header on your notes, Haggai's third and fourth sermons.

This is part 15 of this series of sermons that we're in. But if there was an overarching thought and a consideration that we want us to remember and to recognize, it is simply this external holiness or external righteousness does not save us.

Good works are not what makes you fit for the kingdom of heaven. The blood of Christ shed for the sins of mankind is what makes you fit for the kingdom of heaven. Being born again by the Holy Ghost of God is what makes you fit for the kingdom of heaven.

Have you been born again?

Several doctrines that we will see in this section, in these passages of scripture, we're going to see the doctrines of sin, the doctrine of justification, the doctrine of sanctification. By the way, the doctrine of sin is pretty straightforward, right?

All have sinned. That's the doctrine of original sin. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The doctrine of justification is that mankind is not made right in God's sight by his own deeds or by keeping the works of the law, but by the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

Justification by faith alone. Believers in Christ Jesus, whether they be old or young, are sanctified by the Holy Spirit of God, who constantly does the work of renewal in the spirit and the mind of his people.

We see reconciliation in this passage, in that God has reconciled man unto himself. And lastly, we see eschatological hope right here at the end. In Enhaggai's second sermon, we see eschatological hope.

So, that being said, one more title, if you want to put on the header of your note, you can put this, a precious stone in the head of a frog. That paints a vivid picture, doesn't it? Now, that is not something that I just made up or I'm trying to be clever with, but it's taken from a quote by one of the old Puritans, Anthony Tuckney.

And Anthony Tuckney said this, concerning what God is saying in this passage concerning holiness. He said,. Not outward riches and greatness. Tuckney said,. But like wings on an ostrich, which she cannot fly with, but only flutter and get the faster away.

By these, we only get to outgo other men, but by themselves, they do not help us to fly up to heaven or to carry others along with us. No, nor such inward gifts of learning and such lack abilities, though such polishing is necessary to the priest.

Yet it is not it, but holiness that's here engraven in his crown. Our great high priest is holiness. He is the righteousness of God. Tuckney said,. And what we're going to see in this text as we enter into this text, it's now been nine months after this 18 year delay of the rebuilding of the temple.

And now here in the ninth month of the second year of the reign of King Darius, as the scriptures tell us, the word of the Lord comes again by Haggai the prophet. Now, the attention in this message, in this first sermon on this ninth month, the first sermon of the day, the attention is turned to the priests.

And as the attention is aimed at them, there are some important questions that the Lord asks of the priests and what the Lord asks about what the law taught about cleanness and uncleanness. Now, in his fourth message, which is really just a straightforward encouragement, is that the latter portion of the day, what the Lord does is he speaks to his irrevocable, who is governor, and he makes a reference to the statement that he made just two months beforehand in his second sermon about the shaking of the heavens and the earth and about the overthrow of these thrones and of these kingdoms.

It is here, church, it is here that the word of the Lord by the prophet Haggai describes to or declares, that might be a better term, declares to Zerubbabel that he is going to make him like a signet ring for the Lord said to Zerubbabel, I have chosen you, declares the Lord of hosts.

Now through our exposition, we're going to get to that, but that would be just a overview summary of what we're seeing in this text in verse 11 and in verse 12. Notice what the Lord asks or what the Lord declares.

Ask the priest about the law. That's what we see in verse 11. Thus says the Lord of hosts asks, ask the priest about the law. Something significant for us here is to understand if anyone was to know and to understand the law of God in this time, in this context, it was the priests.

It was those who God had set apart for this purpose to know and to understand and to rightly interpret and communicate what the law of God said. The priests were responsible for not only knowing the law of God, but they were responsible for knowing how to rightly interpret the law of God and how to rightly apply the law of God, which that is the question that's being asked in these two questions to them.

How is the law rightly applied? So certainly it is one thing for the priest to know the facts of the law. It's one thing for them to know the law of God, and it is another thing completely for them to properly apply the law of God.

The duties of the priests, the duties of the priests, and this is just a little bit of information so that we understand the duties and the responsibilities of the priest and what the significance of this question to them is.

The duties of the priests had been clearly defined by God hundreds of years before this. As a matter of fact, maybe a thousand years before this, if I've got my dates correct. In Leviticus chapter 10, Leviticus chapter 10, verse 10 and 11, this is what God spoke through Moses to the Levitical priests.

He said, you are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean. And the Lord said, you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the Lord has spoken to them by Moses.

So, in a sense, in a very totally base simplified sense, what the Lord was doing here was pop quizzing the priest to make sure they understood their duties and their responsibilities to make sure that they were rightly interpreting the law of God.

Now, we have a principle when it comes to biblical interpretation, and that principle is simply this, Scripture interprets Scripture. We are not at liberty to make up meanings or give our ideas about what we think the Scripture says.

God gave the Scripture and God wrote and had written and meant what he had written down. It was true. Next, let's consider this. Let's consider how important and how right and proper teaching of God's Word was to those to whom it was assigned here, particularly the priests.

And for that, again, we must go to the Scripture. Let's go to Malachi 2, verses 1 -9. In this passage, in Malachi 2, 1 -9, and by the way, context for Malachi, Malachi was a contemporary. In other words, he lived during the time of Ezra and he lived during the time of Nehemiah, which was somewhere in the ballpark of 60 to 80 years after the reign of King Darius.

So, keep in mind, this is where we are in the text. It's not far removed. Nevertheless, even these many years down the road, there are still biblical and authoritative rebukes that the Lord directs at the priests because the priests were to understand, to know, to interpret, and to rightly apply his law.

So, down the road, there were still biblical and authoritative rebukes and exhortations that came from the Lord, not only for the people, but also for the priests. And this is what Malachi 2, verses 1 -9, this is the word of the Lord to the priests.

And he said, and now, O priest, this command is for you. It wasn't, not your brother, not my sister, but it's me, O Lord. Now, O priest, this command is for you. He said, if you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings.

Indeed, I have already cursed them because you do not lay it to heart. Behold, I will rebuke your offspring and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it.

Very strong language that the Lord uses here. So, basically, what the Lord was saying right there is you will be carried out with the trash. So, you shall know that I have sent this command to you that my covenant with Levi may stand, says the Lord of hosts.

My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him. It was a covenant of fear, and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name. True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips.

He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. For the lips of the priest should guard knowledge, and people should see construction from his mouth. For he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.

The Levitical priesthood was not a small task assigned to minuscule and meaningless men, but it was a task set up by God to demonstrate the glory of God in and through creation and by means of providence, as we learned in the catechism this morning.

Going on, he said this, You have caused many to stumble by your instructions. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts. And so I make you despised and abased before all the people inasmuch as you do not keep my ways, but show partiality in your instruction.

Now, having gone to that, we see the specificity. We see the solemn, serious nature of the job and responsibilities of the Levitical priest and we come back here to Haggai in the messages to the priests here at this portion.

It is directed directly at them, and it's two specific questions about the law, about cleanness and about uncleanness, about holiness and unholiness, about righteousness and about unrighteousness. God's people, church, if you are saved, you have been called to holiness.

Holiness, the scripture says, without which no man shall see the Lord. Now, that's bad news on a very basic level because we do not have the holiness to see God. But the holiness that Christ has given to us in the book of the Corinthians, I believe it is, the apostle Paul said this, that he who knew no sin became sin for us, so that we might be the righteousness of God in him, so that we might be found in him.

The apostle Paul said later in another epistle, not having a righteousness of my own, but a righteousness that comes from Christ Jesus, my Lord, who died for me and who rose again for me and of the spirit of God that he has placed in me, the apostle Paul said, so that I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

Holiness is a misunderstood word. Holiness is commonly defined as simply being separate or set apart. But when we consider the word holy, we must understand it in its full context. And when we talk about true holiness, we are talking about God.

God alone is holy in that he himself is set apart from everything that is not God. And God's people must be holy by being set apart from sin. So holy, this term holy, in its most focused usage is an adjective, a word that describes something.

It's an adjective uniquely associated with God, such as in when we hear the angels declare, holy, holy, holy are you Lord God almighty. It is so much bigger than being separate, separate, separate, or moral, moral, moral.

God is all of those things. But saying God is holy is to say that God is alone, uniquely God. In Isaiah chapter 45, we hear the words of the prophet declared to Cyrus the king, who by the way, where we are in Ezra, remember who the Lord moved to set his people free again, and send them back to Jerusalem to rebuild the tabernacle.

We hear the prophet Isaiah declared the word of the Lord, I am the Lord and there is no other. I am God and beside me, there is none else. So when we are saying God is holy, we literally mean it's a whole, in plain terms, on a whole nother level.

There is no comparison. God is exclusively and supremely God. He has no rivals. He is again, uniquely excellent. He is in his own category. There is no blending of categories. God alone sits on high and God alone looks down low.

The Bible calls God the Holy One over 50 times. And the Bible calls the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, over 90 times. He is unique. And so, as we consider this question, because the question is asked about holy meat.

As we consider this question, if someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and he touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy? And the priest answered and said no.

So as we consider that question about the holy meat and the question of uncleanness of touching and dead body, the second question, let's be specific with our thought process here. So first of all, what was holy meat?

The short answer is simply this. Holy meat was the meat that had been duly prepared by the priest for sacrifice. Holy meat was the meat that had been duly prepared, rightly prepared by the priest for the sacrifice.

The question here in verse 12 is again a very simple one. In plain terms, the question is this. If the holy meat touches anything else, does whatever it touches also become holy? To which the priest replied with the correct answer, which is no.

A basic application of this would be amongst us as Christians. We are declared holy and righteous based not upon ourselves or our goodness or our deeds, but upon the righteousness of Christ. Now we have friends, we have family members who are lost, who are outside the grace of God, whom we pray for that they would be saved.

And man, wouldn't it be awesome if we could just go put our hand on them and impart to them the righteousness of God. Sadly, that ain't never going to happen. If only a man, woman, boy or girl only becomes righteous when God the Holy Spirit regenerates their heart and their mind.

So holiness can't be transferred by us. This is what the Lord is teaching them here. He's reminding them that holiness cannot be transferred by taste, touch or smell or by sight. Going on. It is significant for us as Christian people to understand that in and of ourselves, as I stated, we are unable to transfer the righteousness of God that has been imputed to us on Christ's behalf to other people.

We are incapable, unable of bestowing to other people what God alone has bestowed on his people. So notice here that Haggad's question is not to the priest. It's not what do you think or how do you feel about this?

He's asking them a pointed question. What do you think or what do you feel about this? Do you think that this might be possible? What does the word say? Very, very important there. So it's required for the priest to answer what God has commanded in the law and not their ideas about it.

Significant here. So the next question posed to the priest was, as we read further, verse 13, if someone who is unclean by contact with the dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean? The priest answered and said, it does become unclean.

So if someone touches the dead body and then touches something else, then does what they touch become unclean also? And the answer was yes. The law stated that if anyone touched the dead body, whether it be man or beast, they were considered unclean.

Now, the difference between that which is holy and that which is unclean is that uncleanness or sinfulness can be transferred from one to another. Here we see the doctrine of original sin. Since the time of the fall in the Garden of Eden, sin and uncleanness had passed to all mankind.

There's no escaping sin. We are born in sin, shaped in iniquity. This is where we understand the doctrine of total depravity. Going on, as we move right along here, notice the difference between that which is holy and that which is unclean is that uncleanness or sinfulness can be transferred from one to another.

Since the fall in the Garden of Eden, we see this. Uncleanness has been passed to all mankind. But on the other hand, righteousness is not transferred or infused, but righteousness is imputed. Righteousness, the scriptures teach us, that the righteousness of God is accounted to our behalf.

If you want to put it in very plain, even plain terms, it's like Christ put his righteousness in our bank account when we were dead broke. And now we live on the righteousness of Christ. We live by the righteousness of Christ.

We write our checks, so to speak, by the righteousness of Christ Jesus, our Lord. So, as we consider this, as we consider this, that God alone imputes righteousness based solely upon the merit of Jesus Christ to his elect people,.

What do we see next?

In verse 14, Haggai answered. So Haggai gives an answer here as well. Haggai gives an explanation in verse 14, or a reasoning for the line of question, why this line of questioning was coming. So it is, for he said there in verse 14, so it is with this people and with this nation that every work of their hands and what they offer there is unclaimed.

And then Calvin said this, Calvin said this concerning that statement, but before we go there, the importance of this statement is huge. It's phenomenal because the question that we must ask ourselves here as we are here is why was the work of their hands and what they offered there on the altar, why was it considered unclean?

Why was the work of their hands and everything they offered considered to be unclean? Calvin put it this way, for as long as they are polluted, however they may spend money and sacrifices and however much they may weary themselves in worshiping God, not only is their labor in vain, but whatever they offer is polluted and is an abomination only.

For anybody, be you man, woman, boy or girl, be you present here or watching elsewhere, if you think that anything you can give to God is pleasing and acceptable in his sight, you are sorely mistaken.

Because all the works of our hands, the thoughts of our mind are only evil continuously is what the word of God says. This is why we need a savior. This is why we don't have to offer a sacrifice that we think God will be pleased with.

We know the sacrifice that God is pleased with. It was the sacrifice of his only begotten son who died on, who hung, becoming sin for us, taking on himself the wrath of almighty God on our behalf. So now then, consider this again concerning the priest's attitude and the people's attitude alike for us to understand this, comparing scripture with scripture in Matthew chapter 23.

Matthew chapter 23 verse 16 through verse 22. Jesus is rebuking the scribes and the Pharisees and this is what he says to them in verse 16. Woe to you blind gods who say if anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing.

But if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath. You blind fools, for which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred?

Pointed question.

And you say if anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing. But if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath. The Pharisees in Jesus' day were still placing the emphasis on what they gave as bigger and better and more important and more significant than the temple and the altar itself.

You blind men, Jesus said to them, for which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and everything on it. And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it.

It gets bigger and bigger and bigger. And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits on it. It all points to the holiness of almighty God. The point is that the people's focus was on the small stuff when they should be focused on God himself.

Both Christian hear this today. Lost person hear this today. Both motive and matter mean something in the context of our worship. We are to worship God out of a pure heart sincerely because we've been born again by the spirit of God.

We cannot offer, it's important for us to know and understand, we cannot offer acceptable praise and worship unto God except it be mediated through Jesus Christ the Son. Verse 15 -17. As we move to the end of this section here and move through the last section there.

Verse 15 -17. Notice what the Word of God says. Verse 15. Now then, consider from this day onward. Sorry, that's verse 18. Now consider from this day onward. What is being spoken here? This is a call to remember once again.

We have seen this repeated over and over and over. We see this in the scriptures from Genesis to the book of Revelation to remember, to recall, to mind. This is why we are called to be sober minded. This is why we are called not to be overcome with the cares of this world but to set our affections on things that are above.

Not on things who sits at the right hand of God the Father. We are called to remember. We are reminded that though they seemingly had much, because remember this, the Lord said to remember those 18 years.

Again, this is country. This is what is being said here. The Lord said to remember those 18 years before y 'all started rebuilding the temple, remember the condition of your life. The question is asked here in the text.

How did you fare? Basically, how did that work out for you? Calvin, again, since the Lord snatched away their food from their mouth and they remained inattentive to such a judgment, it was an evidence of extreme stupidity.

Oh, wait, you're not supposed to use that word. I'm just going to block it for the kids to hear that word, right? Stephen Lawson, even in our day, Stephen Lawson, the theologian, Stephen Lawson said this, Sin makes you stupid.

It makes you act ignorantly. It brings nothing but hurt and pain, death and sorrow. But joy, peace and righteousness and forgiveness of sin can be yours in Jesus Christ. Forgiveness of sins. Next, the Lord recalls, begins to recall to mind how though they seemingly had much, he says, you remember when you came to a heap of 20 measures, but there were only 10.

When one came to the wine vat to draw 50 measures, there were but 20. This is what the Lord is reminding them about here. The Lord was very forward with them to let them know that he himself, that he himself was the giver of good gifts and that he himself was the one who could take those gifts away as well.

And so at the last of verse 17, the Lord states that despite all of this, the people still did not turn to the Lord. And church, listen, it is as if, because Haggai in this message had already just a month before heard Zechariah preach the message where the Lord repeatedly made this queen return to me, says the Lord of hosts.

In the next verse, verse 18, we see that the Lord in his grace and his goodness makes this day, the 24th day of the ninth month, a day to be remembered. Again, it is so easy when we look at dates in the Bible to just skim and zoom behind them and think they are of no significance, but days matter to God.

And days should matter to us. The Lord gives them, and a matter of fact, the Lord gives them a question to remember this day. And that question is this, is the seed yet in the barn? Is the seed yet in the barn?

Matthew Henry said concerning that statement, is the seed yet in the barn? Yes, it is, Matthew Henry said. And it's not yet thrown into the ground. The fruit trees do not as yet bud, the vine and the fig tree and the olive tree as yet had not brought forth so that nothing appears to promise a good harvest or a vintage next year.

But he goes on to say this, nature does not promise it, but now that you begin to apply in good earnest to your duty, the God of nature promises it, as he has said from this day forward, I will bless you.

On the 24th day of the ninth month, the Lord said, is the seed yet in the barn? Don't forget this day, this is significant. Matthew Henry went on to say, it is the best day's work you ever did in your lives.

For hence, you may date the return of your prosperity. He does not say what they shall be, in general, he said, I will bless you that those that know what are the fruits flowing from God's blessings, know that they can desire no more to make them happy.

There's nothing else that you can look forward to that is better than the blessing of God on your life. He said, I will bless you, and then you shall soon recover all your losses, shall thrive as fast as before you went backward for the blessing of the Lord that makes rich and those whom he blesses, he blessed indeed.

And lastly, Henry said, no, when we begin to make conscience of our duty to God, we may expect his blessing and his tree of life is so known by its fruit that one may discern almost to a day, the remarkable turn of providence in favor of those that return in a way of duty so that they and others may say that from this day forward, they are blessed.

The days matter to them and the days should matter to us. Matter of fact, concerning salvation, some folks remember the exact day and the hour when the Lord turned in from darkness to light. Other people can mark a general timeframe in a general sense when they were born again and they began to see the fruit of righteousness in their lives.

There are days and there are times that are worth setting to memory. And when in times of doubt and fear, we should recall these days to mind, not based on what we have done, but based upon what God has said and what Christ alone has accomplished.

In July of 1530, Martin Luther penned a letter to his friend and this is what he said. His friend's name was Jerome Weller. He said, during a season of depression, Weller began to doubt the reality of his salvation.