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A GOD WHO KEEPS HIS PROMISES
Haggai 2:1-9
David A. Denyer

We have a twelve-year old granddaughter named Kelsey who loves her grandmother. When we visit our daughter and her family in Pennsylvania, something we used to do much more often than since we moved to Arizona, Kelsey likes to have Dorothy lie down with her at bedtime. It has been that way since Kelsey was a baby. Invariably Kelsey asks Dorothy to sing what Kelsey says is her favorite hymn, “Trust and Obey.” (I’m assuming, of course, that you know what a hymn is!)

The words of that title summarize the preaching of the prophet Haggai. As is apparent from chapter 1 of the book of Haggai – found in the clean pages of your Bible – God’s spokesman issued A Call to Action – a call for the people to do the work of God. Haggai sought to, and succeeded in galvanizing his audience, the postexilic community, to repent of their indifference and get to work building the Temple that had been destroyed by the Babylonians years before. We could say, then, that the theme of the prophet’s first message – the emphasis he wanted make – was the importance of OBEDIENCE.

Chapter 2 of this book contains three messages: one delivered October 17, 520 B.C., and two preached on December 18th of that same year. They focus, respectively, on COURAGE, HOLINESS plus PATIENCE, and HOPE. In a nutshell, the thrust of those three messages, that is, the theme of chapter 2 (messages 2, 3 & 4), is the importance of TRUST; hence, TRUST AND OBEY.

The returned exiles needed to trust God even though trusting him seemed foolish; even though all the visible signs made trust appear to be ludicrous. So after emphasizing the importance of obedience in message one, Haggai encouraged the people in messages two and three, and Zerubbabel in sermon four, to stretch themselves out on the promises of God; to deny what seemed to be true if it contradicted the promises of God, and to quit believing someone else. In a word, his admonition was to PUT YOUR TRUST IN A GOD WHO KEEPS HIS PROMISES.

Haggai’s second message is in verses one through nine of chapter two. We’re given the year the sermon was preached in 1:15b, and the communication itself in vss. 1-3, READ. This word from the Lord was preached about fifty days after the first message. The people had started to work on the building project (1:14), but something happened to discourage them. It was probably a combination of things:

(1) The magnitude of the job,
(2) The meagerness of their resources, and
(3) The modest appearance of the new structure!

A clue to the situation is presented in the third verse. Some older folk were standing around who’d seen the House of God built in Solomon’s day. They thought of this new structure “as nothing” in comparison to what had existed. When asked how what was being done compared with the previous worship center, the elderly were frank. Human nature being what it is, there were probably a number who didn’t have to be asked their opinion – they voiced it regularly! From their perspective, there was no way the new Temple would be like the old one! After all, these people didn’t have large sums of money to pay skilled craftsmen from abroad as Solomon had done (vs. 9). Yes, Cyrus the Persian had designated money for the rebuilding, but there’s little reason to believe that it was still available; it had probably been used up, if it had ever been allocated (see Ezra 3:7).

Furthermore, the present occupants of Jerusalem didn’t possess gold or have access to costly ornamentation for this Second Temple, such as had been available for the previous sanctuary. To add to their despondency, during the time since they’d recommitted themselves to building, the Feast of Trumpets had occurred, the Day of Atonement had been celebrated, and now they were completing the seven day Feast of Tabernacles. Very little time had been spent in actual construction. In short, THE NEW BUILDING DIDN’T LOOK LIKE MUCH! It seemed to the observers, and probably to the workmen, “like nothing” (vs. 3).

VISION WAS NEEDED. The people had to be reminded of God’s Word through Zechariah, a contemporary of Haggai. That younger prophet said, “Who despises the day of small things” (4:10). So Haggai was given a new word from the Lord, and he used it in this second message to encourage the people to take heart. If the first message was a call to action – a call to obedience – then this second message was A CALL TO COURAGE, a call to trust in God though circumstances appeared to be against them.

Look at verses 4 & 5, READ. The admonition of verse four was identical to that which Moses gave to the Israelites coming from Egypt (Dt. 31:6). That injunction was what Moses gave to Joshua who was to lead God’s people into Canaan (Dt. 31:7 & 23). We find that same emphasis repeated by the Lord to Joshua in Joshua 1 (vss. 6, 7, and 9). Joshua then issued that challenge to the people (Josh. 10:25). David addressed Solomon the same way when he told him to build the original temple: “Take courage, and work, and the Lord will be with you” (1 Chron. 28:10 & 20).

And now, three times in Haggai’s message there was this call to “be strong,” (literally, “nerve yourself,” “stand fast,” “take courage”). Zerubbabel was to be strong, Joshua was to be strong, and all the people were to be strong. Notice that the leadership was addressed first. It was their duty to carry the work to a successful conclusion. They were to summon up their strength and not lose heart. But the leaders couldn’t complete the job alone; so “the prophet” laid his finger on the entire group (“all you people of the land”). ALL WERE TO WORK; ALL WERE TO BE STRONG; ALL WERE TO RECOGNIZE THAT GOD’S PRESENCE IN THEIR MIDST WAS AS REAL THEN AS IT HAD BEEN TO THEIR FORE-FATHERS WHEN THEY CAME OUT OF EGYPT, OR WHEN THE ISRAELITES ENTERED CANAAN, OR WHEN THE FIRST TEMPLE WAS BUILT, OR WHILE SOME AMONG THEM WERE IN CAPTIVITY. The Hebrew of this phrase denotes a frame of mind that enables one to pursue or initiate something with fervor and diligence. And that’s the idea! If the work of God is to get done ALL OF US must assume a responsibility to be involved, and do it with enthusiasm and diligence.

Notice again the words of encouragement in verses 4 & 5: “For I am with you, declares the Lord Almighty” (vs. 4). Furthermore, “my Spirit remains constantly in your midst. Fear not” (vs. 5). When we get to verses 6-9 we’ll see the further promise of God’s enabling for the future. But right now the prophet was reminding them that Yahweh, the Lord, was by their side. Countering the words of those who said “Does it not seem to you like nothing?” and the despair that went with that, was the reminder that THE LORD WAS IN THEIR MIDST TO ENABLE THEM TO DO HIS WORK! Haggai was reminding his audience that the presence of an Almighty God gives courage, determination and the conviction that he won’t let his program, his cause fail! Isn’t that great news?

Oh, how we need that reminder today! If being sent into captivity had seemed to annul God’s promises and the covenant, here was a sure word that just as God had been present with his people during all the events of the past, so he would be with them still! Just as he’d delivered them from Egyptian bondage, led them through the wilderness, fought Israel’s battles during the conquest, so he would still do it. Just as the Lord enabled them to build the Solomonic Temple, and had been with his people during the days of captivity – however far back you want to go – there was and is this constant reminder, “I am with you ... do not be afraid.” That refrain continues to the present with the admonitions “Be strong” and “work” directed toward us. That’s encouraging! The Lord God of Israel is committed to us. He knows what we’re going through, and will help us!

In writing on this Elizabeth Achtemeier said,

“God comes to be with his people not because they deserve it, not because they live lives worthy of his fellowship, and certainly not because they erect mansions worthy to house his glory but because in his covenant faithfulness he simply gives himself to dwell among them. After all, what need has he of earthly splendor, when all silver and gold are his (2:8)? What sacrifice could earn his love (cf. Micah 6:7) or what offering praise his mercy (cf. Isa. 40:16)? All is his, and nothing can be added to him. Yet to a struggling and despondent people he comes and says, ‘I am with you’ (Hag. 2:4). The covenant broken by Judah’s faithlessness is renewed by God’s steadfast love” (Nahum-Malachi, “Interpretation,” p. 100).
Obviously the age in which you and I are living, has different pressures than that of the sixth century B.C., but the reassuring word is that if we’re STRONG, and if we WORK the Lord our God will be with us! We don’t need to fear!

That directive from Haggai to “work” (vs. 4) means, “get back at the job, return to the task, resume your labor.” What God through the prophet was asking them to do seemed overwhelming. After all, the people didn’t have the know-how the Phoenicians had when they helped Solomon, and this present generation didn’t have the financial resources which that wealthy Israelite king was able to muster, nevertheless, the command was, “Do the job with all your might;” or, in other words, “trust me when you’re at your wit’s end; believe that YOUR WORK, plus MY PRESENCE and MY ENABLING will lead to the completion of the job.” You see, as Hans Wolff says, “Haggai’s encouragement wrests the people out of their depressive passivity and leads to the vigorous activity that is imperative for the work required” (p. 79).

Another way of putting this is, “Why let externals deprive you of the joy of worthwhile things, namely, eternal realities like my presence with you and the fact that you don’t need to be afraid?” That exhortation to “fear not,” from verse 5, is found over 350 times in Scripture. You can probably recall many of those. For example, it was God’s word to Abram when they entered into covenant (Gen. 15:1), the Lord’s encouragement to Isaac at Beersheva after dealing with the Philistines (Gen. 26:24), and what was said to Jacob as he headed down to Egypt (Gen. 46:3). After the Israelites took God at his word and left Egypt they came to the Red Sea with Pharaoh’s army in hot pursuit. It appeared as though they couldn’t move to the right, the left, backward or forward. But at that very moment Moses became the Lord’s mouthpiece and his exhortation was, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today ... the Lord will fight for you” (Ex. 14:13-14). Joshua had been admonished by Moses to be fearless because the Faithful One would never fail or forsake him (Dt. 31:8). When the Israelites were about to enter actual conflict in Canaan, Joshua needed new assurance and encouragement. These he received from the Almighty:

“... Get ready to cross the Jordan ... I will give you every place where you set your foot ... No one will be able to stand against you ... As I was with Moses, so I will be with you ... Be strong and courageous ... Do not be terrified” (that’s the phrase translated elsewhere as ‘Do not be afraid’) [Josh. 1:2-9].
We find that same exhortation several times in the Psalms (27:3; 46:2), in Isaiah (41:10; 43:1-2; 44:2-3), Jeremiah (30:10), Lamenta-tions (3:57), and Daniel (10:12). We should not be surprised, then, to find it over and over again in the New Testament (Mt. 10:28; 28:5; Lk. 5:10; 8:50; 12:32; Acts 27:24; 2 Tim. 1:7; Rev. 2:10). In essence the Lord was saying to the people of Haggai’s day, to those who came before him and after him, “Whenever I ask my people to do some-thing they don’t have to be afraid. I’ll take care of those who are threatening to oppose you and to discourage you. TRUST ME.”

In 1957 while I was attending Wheaton College one of several small devotionals came off the press, written by the president of the College. One of those was entitled Fear Not. In the preface to that book V. Raymond Edman wrote,

“Fear is perhaps the most damaging and destructive force in human experience. Everyone has fears: physical, mental, economic and social fears; apprehension because of the past and anxiety about the future. There is fearfulness that is founded upon fact, and there is solicitude based on symptoms and suspicions whose very uncertainty aggravate and enlarge our apprehensiveness. We reason, if we just knew the whole matter we would have less misgiving and mistrust.

“Almost always expressed in the admonition: ‘Fear not!’ the Scriptures tell us that we can be free from fear and trembling, from disquietude and trepidation, from nervousness and terror by our reading and believing what God has promised. To remember the Almighty and to rest upon His faithful Word is to realize the end of anxiety and alarm.

“The Highest assures us: ‘Whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil’ (Prov. 1:33). ... Testified the Psalmist: ‘I sought the Lord and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears’ (34:4). DELIVERED FROM ALL FEARS: what magnificent relief, what tremendous encouragement, what staggering strength!

“Freedom from fearfulness is not found in ourselves nor in favorable circumstances, but only in our lovely Lord and in the Word of His love to us. ... ‘Fear not,’ declares the Faithful One, ‘for I am with thee!’”
But there’s yet another matter Haggai wanted to convey to his people. It’s in verses 6 & 7, READ. Notice that these verses begin and end the same way: “This is what the Lord Almighty says” or “says the Lord Almighty.” God reminds the returned exiles as they’re hearing of the glories of Solomon’s Temple that the Lord Almighty – Yahweh, the Lord of hosts – is a world-shaker! He makes things happen in dramatic, unexpected ways. The future that Haggai holds out before his discouraged and sorrowing countrymen is nothing less than a universal reordering of all things and the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth. As God shook the earth at the Exodus (cf. Ps. 114), at Sinai (cf. Ex. 19:18; Ps. 68:8), and during the Days of the Judges (Jdg. 5:4-5), so now he will “once more” shake the cosmos and cause all the nations to bring their treasures to fill his house with splendor (cf. Isa. 60:4-7, 13; 61:6; 45:14; Rev. 21: 24). Merely because things appear to be a certain way at the moment is no guarantee they’ll remain that way.

The NASB renders verses 6 and 7, “I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. And I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the wealth of all nations; and I will fill this house (the one they were working on) with glory says the Lord of hosts.”

If we translate the passage that way – which I think is preferable – then we can conclude that that promise was remarkably fulfilled a few years before the birth of Christ. I say that because at that time a violent, evil man named Herod the Great spent a small fortune expanding, refurbishing and making beautiful again the work the postexilic community began in 520 B.C. Herod unknowingly fulfilled the promise of verse 7 that “the wealth (or treasures) of all nations” would be brought to the Temple. Herod was of Idumean descent. He ruled by order of the Roman emperor. His wealth came in part from taxes raised in Egypt, Syria, and other nations surrounding Israel, so he represented the wealth of his day. God led Herod, an unrighteous man, to expand on the work of the exiles so that what they started 500 years before did in fact result in a magnificent building, thought by most to be more beautiful than the Solomonic Temple (cf. Jn. 2:20).

As we’ll note in a few minutes, this interpretation is in keeping with what we read in verses 8 and 9. It led John Calvin to point out that the “glory” or “wealth” referred to in verse 7 is that of silver and gold. According to Calvin, it’s not a delightful or desired PERSON, but it’s precious THINGS that would come to the rebuilt Temple.

A different interpretation is taken by Elizabeth Achtemeier. She points out (p. 101) that Haggai is saying that “all PEOPLES will finally come with their offerings to the Lord of Hosts, just as Paul, using Isaiah 45:23, promised that ‘every knee should bow ... and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord’” (Phil. 2:10-11). In other words, this view – which is not altogether unreasonable and supported by other Scriptures – is that we have a prediction that people from all ethnic groups and all nations would one day become part of the “house of God” – Mibu as well as Moroccans!

A third interpretation has been put forth, one which some of you may be familiar with. The KJV and the NIV, based on the Latin Vulgate, translates this part of verse 7 as “the DESIRED of all nations” rather than “the treasures of all nations,” and this led to under-standing the word “desire” or “desired” as a reference to the coming Messiah; linking this with Simeon’s statement in Luke 2 (vss. 22-26) when he held the Christ-child in his hands and referred to him as the “Consolation” of Israel, thus seeing that as a fulfillment of Haggai’s promise. But this can’t be the meaning because the plural verb here renders a singular subject impossible. Therefore, it must be a reference to either the necessary funds for building the temple, some of which came from heathen sources, or to a future time when the Gospel would be preached in all the world and the Kingdom of God would be made up of individuals of every nationality, which is, in fact, what is presently happening!

But let’s go on. The promise of the prophet Haggai answered the frequently asked question that disturbed the people: insufficient funds. And so in verses 8 & 9 the Lord says, “I know that you need money and that the times aren’t prosperous. Yet your lack should not stop the building of my house. The Ultimate Owner of all things, the One of whom the psalmist wrote, “the earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it” (Ps. 24:1), the One who made the silver and gold, will supply the necessary funds from sources you know nothing about: “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of hosts.” “Your lack of wealth and material are irrelevant.” Isn’t that encouraging?

In the Old Testament is the promise that God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply! This is the foundation for what Paul later wrote to the Philippians, “My God will meet all your needs according to (or out of) the abundant resources which are ours in Christ Jesus” (4:19). Statements like these did then, and do now, strengthen the confidence of discouraged and disheartened people. What’s being expressed is the sovereign claim of our Lord to meet the needs of His impoverished people in times of need. You see, “he doesn’t merely act in the spheres of spirituality and eschatology. He shows that he’s also the Lord of all earthly possessions and all this-worldly values” (Wolff, p. 82).

The second message closes by telling us that the Lord has the power to change conditions completely. The older ones in their midst forgot that it was God who filled the first Temple with glory, not Solomon, and so they mourned a past that could never return. The people should not compare the glory of Solomon’s Temple, with the present ruins – that would change – but there were other things the Lord was going to do.

An immediate need was for the people to know that God was going to do what was needed to help them in their circumstances. In all areas astonishing changes were going to come about. You see, the affirmation was that “the glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house, says the Lord of hosts, and in this place I will grant peace, declares the Lord Almighty.”

The word that’s properly translated as “peace” needs to be understood. In the framework of Haggai’s prophecy the word means several things. First, it refers to fertility of the land, and thus the end of the curse of famine and vain labor (mentioned back in 1:6, 1:9-11, and 2:6; and will be again in 2:19). In other words, their lives would be fruitful and crowned with success and satisfaction if they put God’s business ahead of theirs – if they put first things first! A second meaning of the word shalom that would have had a great bearing on those sixth century B.C. Israelites was peace in the place of war. Instead of the sword, the nations would bring “treasures” (vss. 7 & 22). In light of the upheaval of that time this must have meant a great deal to these people. But there’s a third truth related to this word. “Shalom” also means salvation. I suggest that as one of the ramifications of the prophet’s message, with everything implied by that word: spiritual salvation, physical salvation, emotional, as well as economic salvation.

In the two physical senses, “peace” came; but in a spiritual sense it also was true; and that had a far-ranging meaning! The Lord Jesus graced this second temple with his glory and presence; and it’s THE GLORY – the splendor – of HIS dwelling in the midst of his people, taking up residence in their hearts, as the New Testament teaches, that ULTIMATELY brings peace.

Looking at the word “shalom” this way suggests that in the Temple made beautiful by Herod, “in the fullness of time,” the curtain that had forever stood between God and man, between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies, would be ripped in two by the death of Christ. Every obstacle that had ever existed between God and the sons and daughters of Adam was taken away the day Christ was crucified.

The point is, OUR LORD SHAKES THINGS, CHANGES THINGS, OVERTURNS POWERS AND RATTLES THE MOST SECURE FOUNDATIONS ON OUR BEHALF!

From the human perspective all of this seemed unlikely to the people of Jerusalem to whom Haggai preached in the sixth century B.C., but the Lord of History called them to TRUST AND OBEY. He had made a promise, and that was all they needed to know.

++++++

In The Finishing Touch (pp. 344-346), a devotional by Charles Swindoll he wrote this:

“There are days when the best thing you can do is leave it to God. Don’t sweat, don’t fret, don’t cry, don’t curse ... just smile and leave it to God. Your super-intense brothers and sisters may call it a cop out. No matter; leave it to God. Your conscience may try to prod you into action. Don’t yield; leave it to God.

“Philip Melancthon and Martin Luther were once deciding on the day’s agenda. The former was disciplined, intellectually gifted, serious, and goal-driven; the latter was equally intelligent but much more emotional, risky, even playful.
“Melancthon said, ‘Martin, this day we will discuss the governance of the universe.’

“To which Luther responded, ‘Philip, this day you and I will go fishing and leave governance of the universe to God.’

“What wise counsel!

“But, look at all the things yet to be done, you say. Think of those hard-chargers who got up earlier than you did and will skip lunch lest they miss a minute on their Day-Timer plan of attack. Think of all those who, while you are ‘leaving it to God,’ set new records of achievement. What examples of diligence and determination!

“ ‘Good examples’ can drive us crazy at times. They make us feel inadequate, they force us to squeeze ourselves into a mold that isn’t us, and they leave us with the impression that what we are doing isn’t nearly as significant as what they have done. Some days – not always, mind you – but some days you even have to leave ‘good examples’ to God!

“I love Jesus’ model of balance. He arrived on the planet with a mission more important than any soul who has drawn a breath of earth air. Yet He didn’t really get started until He turned thirty. What about all those ‘wasted’ years? He left them to God.

“We never read one time that He hurried anywhere. Or that He worried about anyone. What did He do with those who heard and shrugged and walked away? He left them to God. And those tight-lipped, nit-picking Pharisees who gave Him grief every time He turned around? You got it! He left them to God, too.

“There’s a great scene in Luke when a bunch of His disciples returned from their practical-work project. They were all excited about their success, especially that ‘even the demons are subject to us in Your name.’ Can’t you hear them?

“ ‘Wow, Lord ... you shoulda been there ... like zap! Out they came! And then a little later another horde of them bowed down in obedience. This is power, Jesus ... we had power out there. We put ’em in their place. Let’s go back and do it again. Hallelujah!’

“Ever so graciously He offered this mild rebuke: ‘Do not rejoice ... that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven’ (Luke 10:20).

“He wanted them to realize that they were significant not because of what they had done, but because of who they were. They were dear to the Father! They felt good about themselves because they had done well. Whereas Jesus implied, ‘Leave all that to God ... you have nothing to prove, you are approved. Your names are in the Book and that’s what really matters.’

“I can remember as if it were yesterday (though it has been more than twenty-five years) when I felt driven and drained by the never-ending demands of ministry. If folks weren’t changing, I felt responsible. If some drifted, somehow I felt at fault. If there wasn’t continual growth, I ached as if I needed to make it happen. If a sermon failed to ring with clarity and power, I struggled all of Monday and half of Tuesday. Talk about wasted energy.

“Time has helped. So has age. Virtually all of the thieves that once stole my joy and assaulted my motivation I now leave to God.

‘Don’t I care? Of course, I care! But those cares are now placed in the hands of One who can handle them. What once bothered me I have learned to give over to Him who doesn’t mind being bothered. Whereas criticism used to cripple me for days, I now do my best to sift and shift and sail; I learn what I can ... I turn the rest over to God ... and I get back at it. (Not always, but more often than not.) Leaving such things to God allows me more room down inside to rebuild and roll on.

“If I count correctly, there are over 350 ‘fear nots’ in the Bible – think of them as God’s one-a-day vitamins.

“For, as Barbara Johnson puts it, ‘Fear is the darkroom where negatives are developed.’ Get outa there!

“Let’s declare today the day you and I give ourselves permission to relax without being afraid or feeling guilty ... and leave the stuff we cannot handle or change to God? Is it a deal? Great! But what shall we do about the person who thinks we are slacking off too much? You guessed it. Just leave it to God!”

I suggest that that’s what the Lord was saying to the postexilic community through his servant Haggai. “BE STRONG. WORK. DON’T BE AFRAID. Do what I’ve called you to do, and leave the rest to me. I know the end from the beginning. That which I began to do in you, I’ll bring to perfection on the Day of Jesus Christ.”

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