Sunday
Morning Bible Study
March 9, 2003
Introduction
The people had just been through a horrible time of judgment. As a result of their continual turning away
from the Lord, God had allowed the Jews to experience a time of judgment, being
in captivity in Babylon for a
period of seventy years. Now,
miraculously, God opened a door for the people to return from Babylon
and begin the process of rebuilding their nation. A king named Cyrus issued a decree in 538 BC,
allowing the captives to return. At one
time the Jews had an army of a million men under King David, and now there were
less than 50,000 people, including women and children, who returned from Babylon
to rebuild. By 535 BC, the group has
returned to Jerusalem and the
people have laid the foundation of the Temple.
As soon as they people begin the process of rebuilding, they meet
opposition. The Jews had adversaries who
did not want them to succeed. As a
result of the opposition, the people become discouraged and for a period of fifteen years, the
construction project lays dormant. The time
is now August, 520 BC.
Ezra 5
:1 Then the
prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto
the Jews …
Haggai – Chaggay – “festive”; he is the first prophet to
prophecy after the Babylonian captivity. He prophesied from August to December
520 BC
Zechariah – Z@karyah – “Yahweh remembers”. Zechariah
prophesied for two years beginning in November 520 BC. He is a priest, son of Berechiah and grandson of Iddo. This is a very popular name in the Old Testament –
there are 29 Zechariahs.
:2 Then rose up Zerubbabel …and Jeshua …to build
the house
Zerubbabel is the leader of the civilian government, a descendant of King
David. Jeshua (also known as Joshua) is
the high priest.
As we’re going to see – God used the messages of the prophets to get things
moving and get the Temple finished.
The messages
Lesson
Deal with self-centeredness
(Hag 1:1-6 KJV) In the second year of Darius the king, in the
sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai
the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to
Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying,
{2} Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This
people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD'S house should be
built. {3} Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai
the prophet, saying, {4} Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled (paneled)
houses, and this house lie waste?
The people were spending all their time at Home Depot buying stuff for
their own houses while the work on the Temple
had stopped.
{5} Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.
{6} Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye
drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm;
and he that earneth wages earneth
wages to put it into a bag with holes.
The people were in an economic recession.
Things were tough. God is hinting
that things were tough because they were putting their own priorities ahead of
God’s priorities.
God’s house is not built when I put my own desires, agenda, goals, wants,
in front of God’s.
Illustration
Monkey Treats
Monkey trappers in North Africa have a clever method
of catching their prey. A number of gourds are filled with nuts (monkey treats)
and firmly fastened to a branch of a tree.
Each has a hole just large enough for the unwary monkey to stick his
forepaw into it. When the hungry animal discovers this, he quickly grasps a
handful of nuts, but the hole is too small for him to withdraw his clenched
fist. And he doesn't have enough sense
to open up his hand and let go in order to escape, so he is easily taken
captive.
In our lives, we can get too focused on the things that we want to reach
out and grab hold of. Yet those can be
the very things that keep trapped and keep us from finishing what God wants us
to do.
Lesson
The Danger of Comparing
The work stops when I compare my work to others. Some people thought that
the work wasn’t that special.
(Hag 2:1-9 KJV) In the seventh month, in the one and
twentieth day of the month, came the word of the LORD by the prophet Haggai,
saying, {2} Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah,
and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest,
and to the residue of the people, saying, {3} Who is left among you that saw
this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes
in comparison of it as nothing?
We saw this last week when the people had first finished laying the
foundation of the Temple. Some of the old men who had remembered Solomon’s wept because the new Temple
didn’t seem as wonderful as the old Temple.
They had gone down this road fifteen years earlier and it seems that it was
one of the things that had stopped the work.
{4} Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong,
O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be
strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you,
saith the LORD of hosts: {5} According to the word that I covenanted with you
when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth
among you: fear ye not.
He’s the same God who brought them out of Egypt
and promised to take care of them.
{6} For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little
while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry
land;
These Jews know what it’s like to have been shook up. And God isn’t through shaking things up.
{7} And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations
shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.
The “desire of nations” is Jesus.
{8} The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of
hosts. {9} The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former,
saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of
hosts.
Around 50 BC Zerubbabel’s little Temple
would get a face lift by King Herod. But
it was still the second Temple, the
same Temple that Jesus would be presented
in as a baby.
It was twelve years later at this same Temple
that a young man was entering into great discussions with the doctors, calling
this place “His Father’s House”.
It was in this same Temple that
Jesus would come and teach the multitudes as they were blown away by the His
teaching and His miracles …
(Mat 7:29 KJV)
For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
We can look back with the advantage of history and know that in the most
important aspect, Zerubbabel’s little Temple
was far greater than Solomon’s glorious Temple
because of the One who would spend time in it.
We ought to be careful about comparing ourselves and the things we do with
other people.
What’s most important is that we’re doing the things that God wants us to
do.
Illustration
Mr. Genor
Ray Comfort has an amazing story called “I Got Off At George Street”. We listened to the story back in July, last
year. If you recall, the story started
with a man in London sharing his
testimony about how he was met by a little white haired man on George
Street in Sydney, Australia
who said, “Are you saved? If you were to die tonight, would you go to
heaven?” The little man then handed this
fellow a tract. The man was troubled by
those comments, took the tract that was offered to him, and ended up later
coming to Jesus.
The pastor who heard this testimony was in Australia
the next week holding meetings in Adelaide, Australia. He heard a lady share her testimony about how
she was shopping in Sydney on George
Street, when she too was met by this little white
haired man who said those same words, also handing her a tract.
The amazing story goes on with the pastor running into all sorts of people
all over the world (including pastors, chaplains, and missionaries) who all had
shared the same story, having met this little man on George
Street.
Finally, the pastor himself was in Sydney
and decided he’d try and find this amazing little man, Mr. Genor.
When he finally tracked down the man, the pastor shared with the man all the dozens
of stories of people he had run into who had come to Christ through this man’s
ministry. This man was shocked. He shared his own testimony how he had come
to the Lord and that the Lord had changed his life so much, that he had decided
that he’d share his faith with ten people every day. He did this for forty years and had never
heard of anyone coming to Christ through his ministry. Yet he kept at it. His ministry influenced thousands without him
ever knowing about it. Click
here to download and listen to the story
It doesn’t take much. Just faithfulness.
Commitment. Being obedient.
Lesson
The need of cleansing
The people had another problem. It
was a problem similar to getting a cold or flu virus. They were sick and everything they touched
was getting sick.
(Hag 2:10-14 KJV) In the four and twentieth day of the ninth
month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the
prophet, saying, {11} Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ask now the priests
concerning the law, saying, {12} If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his
garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any
meat, shall it be holy?
When a sacrifice was made to the Lord, that piece of meat
or bread became “holy”. But that
“holiness” isn’t contagious. Things that
touch the holy thing don’t become holy.
And the priests answered and said, No. {13} Then
said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it
be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It
shall be unclean.
The thing that becomes “contagious” is sin and impurity. Our sin contaminates things around us. The people handled their sinful behavior like
a person who has a cold and goes around and coughs and sneezes on everyone
else.
{14} Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is
this nation before me, saith the LORD; and so is every work of their hands; and
that which they offer there is unclean.
Just as with their selfishness, God would use their
difficult times to try and get their attention to turn around.
God wanted the people to turn from their sins. He wanted to bless them.
As we turn from our sins, we experience God’s cleansing.
(1 John 1:9 KJV) If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
We see this cleansing in the high priest.
(Zec 3:1-5 KJV) And he showed me Joshua the high priest
standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to
resist him. {2} And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD
rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is
not this a brand plucked out of the fire? {3} Now Joshua was
clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. {4} And he
answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the
filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine
iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. {5}
And I said, Let them set a fair mitre
upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his
head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.
God did a work in Joshua’s life of taking away his sin and
putting clean garments on him.
Sometimes we fall into the trap of thinking that when we
sin, we are forever useless to God. We
want to quit the work.
If we think that God only uses perfect people, we are
fooling ourselves. God isn’t looking for
perfect people, He’s looking for people who will turn from their sin and let
Him cleanse them.
We talked on Wednesday about some of the other messages in Zechariah – how
God reassured the people that He was on their side (Zech. 2:5,8) and how it was
the Spirit’s job to bring success to the project (Zech 4:6).
As Zechariah ends his book, he jumps off into the future and speaks of some
amazing things:
He speaks about Alexander the Great (9:1-8), the victories of the Maccabees (9:11-17),
the conquests of Rome (11:1-9), of
the antichrist (11:15-17), of Israel
during the time of the Great Tribulation (12:1-9), and of Armageddon (14:1-3).
But mostly, he speaks of Jesus.
Some of the more famous passages:
(Zec 9:9 KJV) Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy
King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon
an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
This speaks of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem
on Palm Sunday.
(Zec 11:12-13 KJV) And I said unto them, If
ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my
price thirty pieces of silver. {13} And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the
potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them.
And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the
house of the LORD.
After Jesus was betrayed by Judas for thirty pieces of
silver, the money was taken and thrown into the Temple
and used to buy a potter’s field.
(Zec 12:10 KJV) And I will pour upon the house of David, and
upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications:
and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for
him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be
in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
This looks forward to Jesus’ Second Coming and Zechariah
uses some interesting language; an “only” son, the Spirit of grace, looking on
one whom they have pierced.
Lesson
Look to Jesus
This was part of the ministry of Haggai and Zechariah that kept the
builders building. They pointed to Jesus.
There are times when we too get tired and want to quit.
(Heb 12:1-3 KJV) Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about
with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin
which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is
set before us, {2} Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who
for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and
is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. {3} For consider him that
endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and
faint in your minds.
We need to put our eyes back on Jesus.
Illustration
In the old days before satellites, GPS, and radar, the Norwegian
sea captains had a method for navigating the fjords at night. They had a series of light houses built at
strategic points throughout the maze of waterways. They knew that they needed to keep their ships
pointed toward the light. As they would
come around a corner, they would see the next lighthouse and turn the ship
towards it.
We too need to keep our lives pointed towards Jesus. Life may throw us some curves, but we need to
keep turning towards Him.
6:15 And this house was finished
on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of
Darius the king.
Haggai and Zechariah’s ministries were from the 2nd year to the
4th year of Darius. The Temple
was completed by the 6th year, on March 12, 515 B.C. It was their ministry that got things
going and kept them going.
Lesson
God wants to finish what was started
(Zec 4:6-7 KJV) Then he answered and spake unto me, saying,
This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by
power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. {7} Who art thou, O great
mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth
the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace,
grace unto it.
The idea is that Zerubbabel had laid the foundation, and he would also put
the final stone in place. All the
problems that had seen like mountains would be leveled before him through the
work of the Holy Spirit.
God has a part of finishing what is started:
(Phil 1:6 KJV) Being
confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will
perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
We too have our part. We are not to quit but to finish:
(Col
4:17
KJV) And say to Archippus,
Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it.