HAGGAI 4 God Is in Control

RECAP__In Message #1 We saw their priorities were all wrong. We see the spirit of the people was stirred by the Word of God. They were moved and motivated by the Spirit to do the work.

God came with message #2 Be Strong and Work. God came with message #3 Return to me and receive. Haggai 2:19 “From this day on I will bless you.”

Message #4   Haggai 2:20-23 The word of the Lord came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month: ²¹ “Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. ²² I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother. ²³ “‘On that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘I will take you, my servant, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

• This last message was delivered on the same day as the third. God speaks to address a need He sees. This time He came with a message specifically for the leader.

From the content of the message, we can surmise that Zerubbabel was struggling to find the strength to go on. A small nation surrounded by bigger and stronger neighbors. So God spoke. Because God knew he needed a word from Him

To do the work of God for the long haul and complete the job, we need a Word from God. If we don’t hear from Him, we lose heart and become fearful, distracted, or discouraged.  To start is easy, to persevere is another story altogether.

In the Christian life, it’s not how you start but how you finish.

• Those who finish strong are the exceptions. Why? Because we face so many struggles–strongholds– we are fighting against the devil, against our own flesh, and against the cares of this world.

It wasn’t easy for Zerubbabel. Under the circumstances, and in a leadership position, he felt the pressures and difficulties. God came with His timely message, specifically for him.

• As children of God, we are equipped by God to deal with difficult times.

God will encourage us, and our encouragement will come from the Word of God.            I pray that we will always be inspired by the Word, to always remain excited about the Word and be thrilled by what He says.

The first thing Zerubbabel needs to be reminded of is this: God Is in Control

God wants Zerubbabel to know the ‘I WILL” S…’ He says,

“I will shake the heavens and the earth;” “I will overturn royal thrones,” “I will shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms…” “I will overthrow chariots and their drivers…” “I will take you…” “I will make you like my signet ring… I have chosen you.”

• These are not foolish statements made by someone who likes to brag. These are promises made by the Sovereign God of the universe.

I will take you…I will make you…I have chosen you…

We need to be reminded, and submit ourselves to the only One who is in control.

• Not just control, but absolute control of everything in our lives!

I want to share with you a passage from Acts 2:22-24 “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. ²³ This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. ²⁴ But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.”

Wicked men thought they had the upper hand when Jesus was crucified. However, Their plot was absorbed within God’s plan.

2:23 “This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge;”

• You put Him to death, but God raised him from the dead! 2:24 “it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.” Nothing can come against God’s set purpose and plan.

We may be shocked and discouraged by what wicked men are doing today. Or what the enemy is trying to do. Yet nothing evil can thwart God’s set purpose.

• God takes what is evil and causes the good to triumph. He has the final say.

(C S. Lewis: “Our leisure, even our play, is a matter of serious concern. There is no neutral ground in the universe: every square inch, every split second, is claimed by God.”)

Why did Zerubbabel need to hear this?

• To prevent him from being overwhelmed by hopelessness, in what seemed to be a bleak situation. We are all susceptible to this, and can easily lose faith in God and doubt God’s control over all things.

So many things are beyond our ability to control, the one thing we do control is our response to God in the midst of them.

• We can blame God, attack God, and accuse Him, or we can simply trust that He alone, being the sovereign God, knows what He’s doing and why He’s doing it.
• No matter how discouraged we get; no matter how much we want to quit and give up; don’t ever forget that God is still in control.

He is the same supreme Ruler over every circumstance, every trial, every hurt, every wrong, every death, every loss, every pain, and every injustice we experience.

• Submit to it, and embrace this great quality about God. “He is in Control”

 Next, we see: that God tells Zerubbabel what He is going to do IN THE FUTURE.

• God always tells His people what He is going to do – that’s His promise. What is God’s promise? It is God telling us NOW what He will do in the FUTURE!
• So what did God say to Zerubbabel about the future?

God will enable Zerubbabel to re-establish the nation of Israel.

But more than that, in a prophetic way God says He will in the last days establish His Kingdom on earth through Jesus Christ.

Vs23 ‘In that day,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel My servant, the son of Shealtiel,’ says the Lord, ‘and will make you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you,’ says the Lord of hosts.”

In order words, through his bloodline, God will continue the royal line and bring in the King of Israel.

Zerubbabel is the descendant of King David. When David was the king of Israel, God made a promise to him that the throne would never depart from his family. Zerubbabel belongs to the royal bloodline. Through him, God will bring in Jesus.

• Both Matthew and Luke trace the ancestry of Jesus Christ back to Zerubbabel Matt 1:12-13 After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, ¹³ Zerubbabel the father of Abihud, Abihud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor.  GOD IS IN CONTROL
• God’s salvation plan is on track. Nothing has changed. God is planning for the grand entry of His Son.
• Man sees only the present. God sees the future.
• Israel may have lost sight of it, but not God.
• A man may become disillusioned with what is going on, but not God.

God’s plan for us has not changed.

God Is Still For US. And if God is for us…who can be against us?

• We may not feel that way all the time, but the truth remains: God is in Control