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And now God was graciously going to bless his people. So that brings us to our text today. That is Haggai’s fourth message and final message to the remnant of Israel. And it’s actually given on the same day as the third message. So on December 18, 520 BC.
So as we study this passage, keep in mind this transition from curses to blessing for this final message from God through Haggai, which would be the greatest blessing that they could possibly receive that we’re studying here in our passage. So look with me at the text. It says the word of the lord came a second time to Haggai on the 24th day of the month. Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah. So pausing there, this message was specifically given to only Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, which, like honestly at this point isn’t saying a whole lot since the temple was incomplete and the rest of Jerusalem still lay in ruins.
Zerubbabel was governor over a struggling people that had returned to Judah and whose economy and stability was not very great. In Haggai’s first and second message, God sent the message to Haggai, or sorry, sent the message to Zerubbabel and Joshua, the high priest, to then deliver the to all the remnant of Judah. And Haggai’s third message was specifically meant for the priests in Judah to understand that the people’s defile, to understand the people’s defilement for their sin before God. But Haggai’s fourth message is addressed only to Zerubbabel, zeroing in on him as the key person for God’s blessing to Israel, which I’ll have more to say on that later. So looking at the text, it says, speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I am about to shake the heavens and the earth and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms.
I’m about destroy the strength of kingdoms of the nations and overthrow the chariots and their riders, and the horses and their riders shall go down every one by the sword of his brother. The first thing God tells Arubbal is that God himself is in control of over the heavens and the earth. God will fight for Israel by overthrowing the thrones and the kingdoms of the Gentile nations. And so just like putting yourself in the shoes as a rubbable like this would be very encouraging to hear as a leader of the remnant of Judah, like, it’s not him versus the world, it’s God versus those who oppose him and his people. And God will fight for his people, which is a Good reminder for us that it’s not us versus the world for all who place their faith in Christ.
It is the living God inside of us by the power of the Holy Spirit versus the spiritual powers of darkness and heavenly places that seek to oppose God, whom cannot and will not prevail against the Lord Almighty. The main title that God gives himself throughout the book of Haggai is the Lord of Hosts, which emphasizes that the Lord’s rule is over both the heavenly and the earthly kingdoms and their armies. His hosts are both temporal and eternal. He is the giver and sustainer of all life. Yahweh is ruler and king over both heavenly and earthly beings of vast numbers.
None can stand against the Lord of Hosts. Zechariah, who was prophesying to the remnant of Israel during this time as well, prophesied that the four nations that oppressed and scattered Judah, being Egypt, Assyria, Babylon and Medo Persia, would receive judgment from God for scattering Israel. Zechariah said God would terrify and throw down these nations for what they had done to Israel and that God would use four other nations to do so. This is also not God’s first time saying that he would shake the heavens and the earth through Haggai. Previously, in Haggai’s second message he had given two months prior to regarding the future glory of the temple.
The Lord declared that he would shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and dry land and all the nations. So here in our text, God is reiterating his dominion over the heaven and the earth, reassuring Zerubbabel that judgment would surely come to the nations that oppose the Lord of Hosts. There’s also key. There’s a key phrase in our text that is pointing towards judgment not only coming to the nations that existed during Haggai’s time, but but also to the nations in the future. So if you look with me actually at verse 23, it starts off that verse by saying on that day.
So the phrase on that day is actually a common phrase in prophetic writing that sets the Lord’s actions in an unspecified future, that is on the day of the Lord. So the day of the Lord is referenced many times throughout the prophetic writings as a time of judgment that would fall upon all who oppose the Lord, but refuge for all of God’s people. So Haggai’s final message to Zerubbabel is not only speaking about God’s judgment that would come swiftly to the existing nations, but it’s also judgment on the day of the Lord that is still to come in our very day today, this is a great reminder and encouragement for us that a nation does not stand or fall based upon its military strength or size or power. A nation rises and falls based upon the sovereignty of the Lord of hosts. Psalm 46 says this.
The nations rage, the kingdoms totter. He utters his voice, the earth melts. The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress. Come, behold the works of the Lord.
How he has brought desolations on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear. He burns the chariots with fire. Be still and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress. So look with me back at the text.
In verse 23, it says, on that day declares the Lord of hosts. I will take you, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shatiel declares the Lord and make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the Lord of hosts. All right, that’s verse 23. So we’ll go ahead and wrap it up. You guys can go home.
We’re done with Haggai. We’ll finish up. No. So this is. This is where we really need to lean in.
This is getting at the heart of Haggai’s message and really the heart of this book as we finish out here. So God tells Zerubbabel that on that day, meaning some unspecified time in the future, or even multiple times in the future, the Lord will make Zerubbabel like a signet ring, for God has chosen him. So what does this mean? And why does God say zerubbabel will be like a signet ring? Before I answer that, I want to point out what else God says about Zerubbabel.
God addresses him here in our text as my servant, the son of Shatiel. Calling Zerubbabel God’s servant meant that Zerubbabel was obeying the Lord and would likely accomplish a task that God had laid out before him. The prophet Zechariah gives us some insight to Zerubbabel’s accomplishments that he prophesied around the same time as Haggai. If you’d like, you can go ahead and actually just flip a couple pages forward in your bibles to Zechariah 4, 6, 10. So, yeah, Zechariah 4, 6, 10.
I’m just going to briefly read through this I think this is helpful for understanding our text. This is what Zachariah says, Chapter 4, verses 6 through 10. Then he said to me, this is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, not by might nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts, who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain, and he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of grace, grace to it. Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, the hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house.
His hand shall also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. For whoever has despised a day of small things shall rejoice and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. So what will the Lord’s servant Zerubbabel accomplish? According to the prophet Zechariah?
It says here that Zerubbabel will not only lay the foundation of the Lord’s temple, but he will also complete it, which happens almost five years after the last message that’s given for us today in Haggai. And Zechariah also prophesies that the temple will not be built by might nor by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord that shall bring forth the top stone, or better known as the capstone, amid shouts of praise, saying grace, grace to it. We see this play out in the book of Haggai as God actually stirred up his people by His Spirit to continue the work on the temple. After 16 years of apathy and selfishness, the people of Israel struggled with idolatry of themselves as they paneled their homes instead of the Lord’s temple. Zechariah also mentions the final stone, the capstone will be placed on the temple that will result in shouts of praise to God.
But here in this passage, there’s even more that Zechariah and Haggai are alluding to for the work of God that he was going to accomplish through his servant Zerubbabel. So go ahead and flip back to our text back to Haggai 2. So looking back at our text in Haggai, the Lord also emphasizes to Zerubbabel that he is the son of Shatiel. He gives this specific title as he’s addressing him. And what makes being the son of Shatiel a like very significant is that Shatil is actually in David’s lineage, making Zerubbabel related to all of Judah’s kings before him and most importantly making him a descendant of David.
So this is extremely important. For God had promised to David hundreds of years ago that he would never cease to have one of his offspring on the throne. And not only that, but that there would be one who would come to establish God’s house and kingdom forever as the Son of God, the Messiah that was to come. So this was a very great and heavy promise that was given to God’s people. But a lot had happened since this promise was given to David.
This promise that God made many, many years ago. Now that the city that David had once resided in, the city of David, Jerusalem, it lay in ruins. God’s people remained scattered. The temple remained unfinished. Could this governor of Judah, Zerubbabel, really be a hope for the coming Messiah?
Or had God forsaken his promise he had made to David all those years ago because Israel’s sin was far too great? The kings of Judah right before the exile to Babylon were not outstanding kings. Actually, I think it’d be helpful if I gave you some information just regarding the history of, of these kings right up until the exile of Babylon. So right before Nebuchadnezzar besieged Judah, Jehoiachin ruled in Judah for three months and did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. The prophet Jeremiah said this about Jehoiachan, as I live declares the Lord through Koniah, which is actually another name for Jehoiachin, the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah.
If he were the signet ring on my right hand, yet I would tear you off and give you into the hand of those who seek your life, into the hand of those you are afraid of, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans. This prophecy from Jeremiah came true. And Jehoiachin was then captured in the first siege made by Nebuchadnezzar and placed in prison Babylon for over a decade. Jeremiah also mentions that if Jehoiachin was a signet ring on the Lord’s right hand, he would be tore off for his rebellion and sin against the Lord. So as we just looking at our text here about regarding the signet ring, like this is, this is not a great past as far as how God has continued to be with his people and specifically with his kings that were seeking to be in David’s lineage and be faithful to him.
This would certainly cause great concern and doubt for God to still bring the Messiah through David’s lineage after Jehoiachin’s sin and exile. And not only that, but it only gets Worse, after Jehoiachin, Jehoiachin’s brother Zedekiah became king in his place and ruled in Judah for 11 years and also did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. Nebuchadnezzar then came and sieged the city yet again, where Zedekiah and his officials tried to run away, even though the prophet Jeremiah had specifically told them to surrender to Babylon. Scripture says this about he did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet at the Lord’s command. He also rebelled against the king Nebuchadnezzar, who made him swear allegiance by God.
He became obstinate and hard, hardened in his heart against returning to the Lord, the God of Israel. All the leaders of the priests and the people multiplied their unfaithful deeds, imitating all the detestable practices of the nations, and they defiled the Lord’s temple that he had consecrated in Jerusalem. Therefore Zedekiah and his officials were captured. Zedekiah’s sons were slaughtered before his very eyes. And then Zedekiah’s eyes were put out as he was bound in chains and taken to Babylon.
To say like this was bad would be an understatement. Like this is absolutely horrible. And Chronicles like doesn’t even stop there with a description of how bad Judah’s sin was at that time. The writer of Chronicles says the people of Israel kept ridiculing God’s messengers, despising God’s words and scoffing at God’s prophets until the Lord’s wrath was so stirred up against his people that there was no remedy to be found. So God brought up the king of Babylon, who had no pity on slaughtering both the young and the old.
He took everything of value to Babylon and he burned God’s temple. He tore down Jerusalem’s walls, burned all the palaces, and destroyed all its valuable articles. Based on this description, the Israelites had to question if God would really bring the Messiah through David’s lineage after such rebellion against him and the destruction of God’s holy city. But looking at our text today, what is God’s final words to Zerubbabel on that day? Declares the Lord of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shatiel, declares the Lord, and make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the Lord of hosts.
So what is a signet ring, you may ask? A signet ring was used by the king in Daniel’s day while he was in exile in Babylon. And actually the signet ring was used to seal Daniel inside the lion’s den that Scripture says made sure that nothing in regard to Daniel could be changed. A signet ring was used by a person of authority to validate their authority and authenticity of whatever was being sent or sealed. It served as a signature when pressed into soft wax on a written document, bringing a guarantee that to what was said or sealed here God was saying that Zerubbabel stood as a guarantee of what’s to come, reassuring his people at that time that the promise of the Messiah coming through David’s lineage would certainly be fulfilled.
God choosing his servant Zerubbabel to be like a signet ring affirmed. God had not turned his back on his promise he made to his servant David all those years ago. Understand, this is by far the greatest promise that God could have affirmed to his people during this time. The Messiah would still come. There is still hope in this future king that is to come.
He is the one who Isaiah said would be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now and forevermore. The one whom Jeremiah proclaimed would be a righteous branch from David that will administer justice and righteousness in the land and cause Judah to be saved and Jerusalem to dwell securely. He is the good shepherd that Ezekiel says will tend the Lord’s flock and be prince among them. The one whom Daniel said was like the Son of Man riding on the clouds of heaven, given dominion and glory and a kingdom so that every people, nation and language should serve him.
The king who would change everything is still coming. God has continued to preserve David’s lineage and Zerubbabel stands as a living, breathing guarantee of that promise as God’s signet ring. The King of kings is coming. We now know who that king is. He has the name that is above every name, that every knee shall bow and tongue confess as Lord and his name is Jesus.
The greatest encouragement that God could have given his people in Haggai’s day was to affirm to them that the Christ is coming who will deliver Israel from all of their sin, and not only Israel, but all who repent and by faith believe in the Lord Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Jesus fulfilled all the law and prophets by living a sinless life as fully God and fully man, freely giving his life as ransom for many. The long awaited king came to die on a cross to take the wages of sin and death upon himself so that we would not be eternally separated from our Father in Heaven Jesus was buried and then rose again from the dead three days later, conquering sin and death, providing forgiveness of sin for all who confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in their heart that God raised Him from the dead so that people from every nation, every tribe and every tongue could could know the God who keeps his promises and who rescues his people from sin and death. This is who God would one day bring through his servant Zerubbabel, the governor of a small remnant in Israel in Judah and the promise that the Book of Haggai ends on us for today. So for the rest of our time I want to encourage you with five encouragements that God gave His people throughout the Book of Haggai as we finish out studying this book of the Bible together.
So if you’re taking notes, number one, don’t get comfortable paneling your own home, but consider your ways. God’s people laid the foundation of the Temple and then quickly became apathetic with the work set before them for 16 years. They then became more and more self absorbed with paneling their own homes instead of focusing on bringing glory to the Lord and His Temple. With all the comforts of America that we’re fortunate to have, it’s so easy for us to do the same and neglect reaching our neighbors in the city with the Gospel. As you hear and read God’s Word, consider your ways and test and see if your day to day life is seeking to glorify God above all else and if it isn’t, repent and set forth disciplines and goals in your life that will seek to honor and glorify the Lord.
Do not busy yourself with your own temporary home, but seek to build his kingdom first that will last for eternity.
2. Obey the Lord by the power of His Holy Spirit living inside of you. As the remnant of Israel heard the word of the Lord, they obeyed as the Spirit of God stirred them up to continue building the Temple for those who have placed their faith in Christ. God has empowered you with His Holy Spirit that equips you for everything you need for life and godliness. Christ, like God, is with you, like even now, His Spirit dwells inside you, guiding your paths in righteousness.
He will not forsake you. God desires his people to live in obedience as we abide in Christ through His Word and through prayer. Fear the Lord your God and seek to obey his commandments. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end and he is worthy of our devotion and obedience. Work together with God’s people and specifically like those who are sitting around you to build God’s kingdom.
We’re not meant to do this alone, but we’re meant by the Spirit of God to work together in accomplishing the things of God. If you’re living in sin, repent and turn to God. Otherwise the hand of God will not bless all that you do, but rather you will reap what you sow.
3. Your work for His Kingdom is significant the older generation Jerusalem wept when they compared the temple they were working on to Solomon’s great temple that was no longer. Yet God told them that their work was significant for the latter glory of this temple that they were working on would one day be greater than the former. And the reason for that is that Christ would one day enter that very temple. So don’t spend your time comparing to the past or to those around you.
Stay focused on the people and the work that God has given you for his glory. Your work for the Lord is significant.
God uses ordinary people and ordinary day to day routine to build his kingdom. As you obey his word and make Christ known, remember that in the same way God was with you when you first became a Christian, he is still with you today. Trust in God’s glorious plan for your life and for all of creation. 4. God has chosen to bless you through through the obedience of Christ despite your failures.
God revealed to the priests in Haggai’s day that just as a person is defiled from touching a dead body, so all of Israel is defiled because of their sin as well as their work on the temple. Yet in God’s great mercy and grace, he chose to bless Israel for their obedience and for the obedience of Christ who was to come. Be encouraged that our God is gracious and he is determined to bless his people as they believe in His Son Jesus and walk with Him. No, you were loved before the foundation of the world because God had already determined to die for your sins through Christ Jesus and Number five Last Encouragement. Finally be encouraged from our text today that Christ is coming.
Just as God guaranteed the Messiah would come through Zerubbabel, so the resurrection of Christ and the Spirit that now dwells in our hearts guarantees Christ’s return today. If you are here and you have not placed your faith in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, know that now is the time when God is calling all to repent and to believe in Jesus. Now is the time to seek the Lord while He may be found, for Jesus will return and he has declared it to be so. But when he returns, he is coming to judge all the earth and separate those who are his from those who are not. He will come like a thief in the night, which means he will come at a time that you do not expect.
And at that time it will be too late. In that day, kingdoms of the earth will fall before the Lord and Christ will rule with an iron scepter, bringing judgment to the whole earth, where every knee will bow and tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. So today I urge you repent and believe in the Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins, so that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. For those of you here that have placed their faith in Christ as their Lord and Savior. We, like the remnant of Israel, are also waiting for the day when Christ will come.
Only now we know that the long awaited king is Jesus, the Lamb of God, come to wash away the sins of the world. We must not lose hope, but keep our eyes fixed on Christ our King, who is preparing a house for us where we may dwell with God in perfect peace and delight. We, like the remnant of Israel in Haggai’s day, are tasked with building God’s spiritual temple through the proclamation of the Gospel. Until every nation and tribe and language proclaims the name of our Lord and King Jesus, we must remain steadfast in awaiting Christ’s return and zealous in our labor together for building God’s kingdom so that we do not lose heart in awaiting the return of our King. So in closing, I want to leave you with a prayer that John Calvin actually prayed in response to the Book of Haggai that I think is very fitting for where Haggai leaves us off in our text today.
And so it says, this is what Calvin prayed. Grant us Almighty God with the Spirit which has been fully poured on him, so that we may from the heart devote ourselves to thee and thus proceed patiently in our course, that with minds raised upwards we may ever go on towards that glory which is as yet hid under hope until it shall be at length be manifested in due time when thine only begotten Son shall appear with the elect angels for our final redemption. Let’s pray.
Lord, I thank you for your word given us today. Thank you for the book of Haggai and for the encouragements that you bring to your people and to us today.
And I pray God for those who are here and have not yet put their faith in you, God, that your spirit would do a work in their hearts that they may receive receive you, God, and that you may open their eyes to believe in you, Jesus and God, that you would use Red Village Church to be a means of continuing to be zealous in our labor and awaiting our king that is to come. God, give us endurance and help us to step forward in boldness. God, to not be distracted by the things of this world or by ourselves, but rather, God, we would be focused on the task at hand in building your kingdom and reaching those around us so that every nation and tribe and tongue would worship you. We pray these things in Jesus name, Amen.