Hag. 1:12-15: How to get back on track

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Intro

1)     In Hag. 1:1-11, Haggai told the people:

A)   Your priorities are out of line. You have been putting yourselves ahead of God.

B)    Consider your ways.

C)    The things that you put before God will never amount to anything anyway.

2)     The people listened, which is unusual in Biblical history.

A)   2 Chron. 24:20-21

B)    Jer. 38:2-6

3)     In Hag. 1:12-15, we will see the elements of the people’s success. What did they do that was right, and how can we imitate it today?

Elements of Success

1)     Hag. 1:12 – All the people obeyed and feared the Lord.

A)   Haggai’s message got a response from all the people.

1)     Zerubbabel (Davidic descendant, political governor of Judah)

2)     Joshua (High priest, religious leader)

3)     All the remnant of the people

(a)   1:2 – “These people”

(b)   1:12 – “the remnant of the people”

(i)    “Remnant” is a Bible word that should mean something when you hear it.

(ii)  Gen. 45:7 – They are the few who have been saved by God.

(iii)          Is. 10:20-22 – They are the faithful few compared to the many who are evil.

4)     POINT

(a)   All the people (from top to bottom) were united in their devotion and service to God. This is just about all we can ever hope for: The word of God went out and convicted the political leaders, religious leaders, and all the rest of the people, and they were all in agreement about how it was the right thing to do to move forward and serve God.

(b)   Application: Are you ready to participate? What did they all do?

B)    They all obeyed and feared the Lord.

1)     These are important Bible words that are used together in key contexts:

(a)   Deut. 13:4 (in comparison to listening to false prophets) – “You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him.”

(b)   Ecc. 12:13 – “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”

(c)   Is. 50:10 – “Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has not light trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.”

2)     POINT – The people did the right things (obeyed) for the right reasons (fear of God).

(a)   They obeyed God. Great.

(b)   But obeying God because you respect (fear) him as God is even better.

2)     Hag. 1:13 – “I am with you”

A)   This is another one of those phrases that we should recognize as important throughout the Bible.

1)     Isaac – Gen. 26:3, 23-24

2)     Jacob (running from Esau) – Gen. 28:15

3)     Moses’ call at the burning bush – Ex. 3:10-12

4)     Joshua – Deut. 31:7-8; Josh. 1:5

5)     David to Solomon – 1 Chron. 28:20 (temple building context)

6)     Jesus to his Apostles (the Great Commission) – Matt. 28:19-20

B)    Do you remember when your kids were little and they woke up screaming because they had a nightmare, and you run into their room and scoop them up and say, “Don’t worry. I’m here.” The lights are still off in the dark room, and the scary closet door is still cracked, but the whole situation is completely different when your parents are in the room with you.  

C)    POINT – Don’t think this entire project is on your shoulders. We do what we’re supposed to do, but we realize we are just tools and instruments in God’s hands.

3)     Hag. 1:14a – “The Lord stirred up the spirits” of all the people.

A)   What does it mean that God stirred up their spirit?

1)     “The verb ‘to stir up,’ draws on the imagery of sleepiness. Like those roused from slumber to participate in activity from which they otherwise would have been absent, so these people had been roused from their spiritual inattentiveness to participate in the urgent task before them.”[1]

2)     Other places where the word is used:

(a)   Is. 42:13 – A warrior getting worked up

(b)   Restoration context

(i)    2 Chron. 36:22 / Ezra 1:1 (cf. Is. 13:17; 45:1, 13; Jer. 50:9; 51:1, 11)

(ii)  Ezra 1:5

3)     Trans.

(a)   NET – “the Lord energized and encouraged…”

(b)   NLT – “the Lord sparked the enthusiasm of…”

B)    Haggai told the people God’s words, and God stirred up their spirits.

1)     Jer. 23:29 – “Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?”

2)     Heb. 4:12 – “The word of God is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword…”

3)     POINT: This would be a great prayer to pray for ourselves, and for other people (stir our spirits).

4)     Hag. 1:14b – “And they came and worked on the house of the Lord”

A)   Main point: I think this point is ultimately about deep commitment to God and his work.

B)    Note

1)     Hag. 1:1 = Aug. 29, 520 BC

2)     The people listened.

3)     Hag. 1:15 = Sept. 21, 520 BC

4)     This is 23 days later.

C)    Illustrations

1)     Have you ever heard a sermon or a class that moved you (i.e. you were stirred up), and you left with every intent to make some big and serious changes in your life? Then, what happened to that feeling 23 days later?

2)     Have you ever been convicted about some sin in your life, and you feel rightly disgusted by it, and ready to finally do something about it? Then, what happens 23 days later?

3)     We all experience these powerful moments of clarity, but then we go to bed and then go to work… and now it’s gone.

D)   23 days had passed since Haggai’s message about fixing their priorities, and then the people came and got busy building God’s house.

1)     This is not some kind of emotional high that they’re riding.

2)     These people have been changed by God’s word, and they are deeply committed and are ready to do what they need to do to build God’s house.

E)    POINT: Maybe there are tricks (motivation, inspiration, etc.), but nothing will replace a cold hard deep commitment to God and a raw desire to do his work.

Conclusion

1)     Maybe you are like Haggai’s audience:

A)   Prioritizing the wrong things, stuck in life, pouring all your energy into building up the fancy paneled houses of your career, or bank account, or status, or some other part of your life.

B)    Maybe you are apathetic, or exhausted or overwhelmed by the huge scale of what needs to be done.

C)    Question: What do you do after 15 years of procrastination and putting off what God has called us to?

2)     Steps to success:

A)   Get on board with the rest of God’s people.

B)    Fear and obey the Lord – Commit to the right things for the right reasons.

C)    Point about God saying, “I am with you”

1)     Zech. 1:3 – “Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts.”

D)   Listen to what God has to say, and then ask him to stir up your spirit to be changed by it and energized to do it.

E)    And then don’t burn out. We’re not looking for a passing fad. We’re looking for deep commitment and change.

[1] Richard Taylor, NAC.