THE GLORY OF THIS LATER HOUSE SHALL BE GREATER

THE GLORY OF THIS HOUSE SHALL BE GREATER

Haggai 1:1-15; 2:1-7, 18-19

When King Cyrus died in war, Ahasuerus also called Artaxerxes, succeeded him and ordered the work of rebuilding the Temple to stop. At that time the Jews that had returned from Babylonian captivity went back to their own businesses. When King Artaxerxes died Jews continued attending to their private businesses – building houses, farming and livestock breeding. The rebuilding of the Temple was neglected. It was in this climate that Haggai was commissioned and began his work as a prophet. God called him to serve the returned exiles in Jerusalem.

In this book God was calling these remnants to reconsider their priorities and restart the rebuilding of the Temple of God. They were called to:

(I)  Consider Their Ways; (2) Be Strong and Rebuild The Temple of God; and (3) Expect The Greater Glory. Today we look at three Divine Injunctions.

 

1.     CONSIDER YOUR WAYS

Hagg.1:2-10

God rebuked his people because of their misplaced priorities. We must remember that these were the 50,000 devout people who made the Aliyah back to Israel at the decree of King Cyrus. The rest of the Jews (an obvious majority) have now settled in Babylon. They had built houses, raised children and grandchildren, and had quite established themselves in Babylon.                  It is ironical that those Jews whose forefathers sat down and wept by the rivers of Babylon when they remember Zion, had no appetite to go back to Zion! Isn’t it similar in the UK? People feel satisfied with themselves, and there is no place for God anymore! But to those who had gone back to Israel God said, ‘Consider your ways’. Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house, and I will take pleasure in it.

What can we glean about these people to whom the prophet is speaking the word of God?

(i)                These were the remnant who came back from Babylon

(ii)              These were devoted to God and His worship

(iii)            They had been separated for something very important

(iv)            They were in the right place (Jerusalem) at the right time

(v)              They were fulfilling prophecy and the will of God (Jer.29:10-14)

These 50,000 strong batch were a favoured group of people. But let’s briefly come back to the reason God was rebuking them.

(i)                They were in Jerusalem for a divine purpose – to rebuild the Temple of God. And God was going to use them to restore the tabernacle of David which had fallen down.

(ii)              But they had got their spiritual priorities wrong (Hag.1:2-5). They were living for themselves rather than for God’s glory.

(iii)            They built paneled homes for themselves and their families; they built schools and businesses – all valid pursuits – but they neglected the Temple of God. They almost forgot why they came back to Israel.

This is applicable to us in the United Kingdom today. Where are those great Christians who so raised the profile of Christianity world-wide. Where are those Churches who sent out missionaries to every nation preaching the Gospel? Where are the people who attended the Churches I see every 500 meters around our city centres? We need to consider our ways. “Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house, and I will take pleasure in it”. We need to reorder our priorities.

As one retired G.P. put it, “Britain is now a post Christian and a postmodern nation”. Christian truth is no longer absolute. There is latent hostility against Christianity.  Beautiful Church edifices are being converted to public houses where Christian emblems and biblical doctrines are parodied. We need to consider our ways. Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house, and I will take pleasure in it. We need to reorder our priorities.

Christians all over the world are going through some of the greatest period of persecution. Stories from Syria this week says that about 300 people, mostly Christians have been taken captive by the Islamic State. Those who survive are forced into slavery of all sorts. Hardly anyone speaks for these people. Boko Haram has been slaughtering multiplied hundreds with sinister impunity in northern Nigeria. Hardly anyone cares for these anymore.

God calls us to consider our ways. Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house, and I will take pleasure in it. Let us respond by reordering our priorities.

2.     BE STRONG AND BUILD THE HOUSE OF GOD

Haggai 2:1-5

God says to His people, “Be strong”. God is encouraging us in an age of uncertainty. If we agree that we are now a post-Christian nation, we are saying that there is a religious vacuum in our country. Now science tells us that nature abhors vacuum. This implies that the vacuum created by the demise of Christian institutions and Churches, not only in the UK but also in Europe, will be filled with other things – things like Islamic fundamentalism, rape, child abuse, murder, greed and many other forms of lawlessness. As Dr John MacArthur put it, “We are not really evolving. We are devolving”.

God says to all who believe today, “Be strong and build the house, and I will take pleasure in it”. There are ways in which this command applies to us today.

(i)                We are commanded to rebuild the ruined Spiritual Temple of God – the Church as the Body of Christ (Acts 15:16-17)

(ii)              We are commanded to build up the believers (Ephesians 2:19-22; 4:11-13)

(iii)            We must continue our effort in cross-cultural ministry

(iv)            We must build up our strength in evangelistic outreaches

(v)              We must build up our children and the young people as future builders of God’s house.

God says to all of us as He said to Joshua (Jos.1:7), “…Be Strong and very courageous”.

You are here today to join hands with us in thanksgiving to God and to raise funds for the Regional HQ building of Deeper Life Bible Church in Scotland.

God is saying to you through me, “Be strong and very courageous”, and give to the building of the house for God.

God says to us, “I am with you”. “I will take pleasure in the building.” Your presence here today has encouraged us. And when you give towards this building project, you will encourage us even the more. And when the building is finally completed, it will bring glory to God. You be around to see it with your eyes, and worship inside it. It will be a glorious time.

3.     THE GREATER GLORY IS COMING

Haggai 2:1-9; 18-19

God is repeating His encouraging words to us.

“Be Strong and work”. “I AM with you saith the LORD of hosts”

“My Spirit remains with you”.  “Fear not”

“I will the heaven and the earth and the sea and the dry land”. God will still shake the nations.

“The silver is mine, and the gold is mine”

Thus saith the Lord, “The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: “and in this place I will give peace, saith the LORD of hosts”. Jesus is coming back with the Glory of God the Father. And His Church shall no more be oppressed but filled with glory.

Now let us obey the Lord (Hagg.1:12), as Zerubbabel and Joshua the High Priest and all the returnee Jews obeyed the Lord. Then the Tabernacle of the Lord will be built up again.

 We will wrap up this message with God’s word of encouragement (Haggai 2:18-19)