An Encouragement for a life of Obedience

(Haggai 2:10-23)
I. INTRODUCTION
-Can you remember the first time you disobeyed your parents?
-When I was still a child, my mother has set a rule in the house. We cannot watch TV or play until after we’ve finished
our homework and have taken a nap no choice but to obey she is the authority
-As I grew older, I realized that I can go around the rule, esp the nap part. When she’s already asleep, I can sneak out to
play or watch TV I faked my obedience I still recognized her authority but quietly started disobeying
-And as I grew much older (teens) that’s when I started asking why?  If my parents gave a command or a rule, I
asked why? (ex. They wanted me to go home from a sleepover but I didn’t want to yet)  Not that the command
was irrational but simply because I wanted to assert my independence
-I wanted to be the master of my own life, the only rule that I will follow… I open with this because…

Context:
-In our passage today (Book of Haggai and Zechariah), Israel is confronted with the issue of obedience. Like me, they
were faced with the question, “Why should I obey God?”
-The Lord set out to answer this and His main response is, “You should obey because the God you are serving is worthy
of your obedience.”
-How? He points to His Character: In Chapter 1 we’ve seen His Sovereignty and Justice; the first part of Chapter 2 we saw
His Faithfulness (brings hope) and His Power and Rule over all creation
-We continue to see this today as we study two more attributes that show God as worthy of our obedience…

Outline
Why should we live a life of obedience to God? We should because…
1. God is gracious (vv. 10-19)
2. God is glorious (vv. 20-23)

Background
-930 BC United Israel was divided
-Israel (North)-Samaria: captured by Assyria (722 BC) 2Kings 17:5-6
-Judah (South)- Jerusalem: captured by Babylon (607-587 BC) Persia defeated Babylon
-537 BC, after 70 years, they return to rebuild the city of Jerusalem; beginning with the temple (Ezra; King Cyrus)
-535 BC (2 years after), the foundation of the temple was laid; enemies discouraged the rebuilding project and bribed
officials to stop it; they succeeded (Ezra 4:4-5)
-535-520 BC (15 years) work stopped, until the 2 nd year of the reign of King Darius
-520 BC (6th -9th month; Sept-Dec) Haggai begins his ministry to encourage the people to rebuild the temple (Ezra 5:1-2)
-520 BC (8th month) Zechariah begins his ministry to encourage the people to rebuild the temple (Ezra 5:1-2)
-515 BC (after about 4 years) the temple was rebuilt (Ezra 6:14-15)
-445-444 BC (70 years after) Nehemiah goes to Jerusalem to rebuild its walls (King Artaxerxes)

II. BODY
A. God is gracious (vv. 10-19)
Point: We should be encouraged by God’s grace in our obedience. That is, even if we fail, we can always go back
to a Father who is merciful, who receives us back with open arms.
Proof: (v. 10, cf. v. 1) When- this oracle came almost two months after the last one, 24 th of the ninth month
(corresponding to Nov-Dec; Dec 18, 520 BC); three months after they’ve restarted rebuilding the
temple
Image: (vv. 11-14) What is it all about? How did God show His grace?
-Mosaic Ceremonial Law, directed to the priests (knowledgeable of this law)
-Leviticus and Numbers: designates the unclean and clean (in a ceremonial sense) things, food, people
(brought by circumstances)
-Purpose: what is and what is not fit for worship
-Imagery: for God’s people to be separated from defilement for the exclusive use of God
 -2 Questions
1. (v. 12) Can holiness, or ceremonial cleanness be transferred? (meat fold (y) food, stew, wine, oil)
(cf. Lev 6:27) on Sin Offering; assumed that holiness is transferred from the holy object to a person
or another object; but not from these second consecrated items to the third
-in order for an unclean person to be clean again, he needs to wait for a period of time & do some
ritual purification, not simply by touching a holy or clean object or person (Numbers 19:11-12)
2. (v. 13) Can ceremonial uncleanness be transferred? (dead bodypersonfood, stew, wine, oil)
(cf. Num 19:13) YES, uncleanness is transferred from the dead body to a person to the tabernacle
-The Main Point: (v. 14)
-the Israelites are unclean; not just in a ceremonial way but in a spiritual way, relational way (with God)
-they are not in a right standing with God
-Why? Because of their wanton disobedience to God’s command to rebuild His temple (Ezra, cf. Hag 1:2-4)
-Result? Their work, their offerings are unacceptable to God; defiled by their disobedience
REMINDER: even if we do more acts or offer more things to God, these will not restore our fellowship
until the root issue or the root sin is addressed (for the Israelites it’s disobedience)
PICTURE: true in prayer (Ps 66:18); husband and wife: issues are resolved—root is addressed, not bribes
PRACTICE: Do you feel far from God? Could sin be affecting your relationship with Him?

Effect: (vv. 15-19a)

-Obvious sin: disobedience What was the effect? (v. 15)
-God’s was displeased (vv. 16-19a)
-He struck their agriculture, produce, work
-ex. less than expected harvest, calamities (blight, mildew, hail)
-God called their attention
-His judgment is not for judgment’s sake only, but an act of grace to call the attention of the Israelites
that they may repent and come back to Him
REMINDER: the challenges we’re going through may be blessings in disguise, God’s way of calling our
attention to sin that we may come back to Him
PICTURE: “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains (CS
Lewis);” What did God use to draw you to believe in Him? (sickness, challenge, trial)
PRACTICE: Friends, do not despise trials and challenges. Instead, ask God, “Lord, what are you telling me
through these experiences?”

Encouragement: (v. 19b)

-The Israelites were disobedient to God (Temple)work, offerings were unacceptable to Him God
struck their agriculture (displeasure, call their attention)…
-Clincher: “Consider from this day onward….From this day on, I will bless you!”
-Paraphrase: you are disobedient so I won’t accept your works and offerings, so I judge you in your crops
and agriculture. But from this day on, I will bless you!
-Why the Blessing? Most obvious: they changed their ways and restarted the rebuilding project
Notice: God’s gracious prerogativeblessing could have come after the rebuildingat the moment
they resumed work (Hag 1:14)three months after (start of the sowing season>good harvest)
God’s perfect timing God was looking at the heart (attitudes) not outcomes
Picture: The life of King Josiah (2 Kings 22-23; 2 Chronicles 34-35)
Problem: In our lives as believers, God calls us to obey, but sometimes, we are gripped with doubt that He is still
willing to accept us or our offerings and ministry because we’ve sinned repeatedly or fallen away so badly.
-‘pag napatunayan ko na ang sarili ko sa Lord saka na lang ako lalapit ulit (good work mentality)
-Matthew 11:28-30;
-Come out of sadness This is not God’s example with the Israelites. ‘Di pa tapos ang
From wherever you’ve been
temple, ‘di pa maayos ang walls, but there’s a change of heart and
Come broken hearted
attitude and God showed them mercy!
Let rescue begin
Come find your mercy
 Oh sinner come kneel
Earth has no sorrow
That heaven can’t heal
Practice: Are you like the Israelites in our passage? Disobedient, living in sin, isinasantabi ang Diyos, inuuna ang
sarili, pero takot lumapit sa Kaniya kasi pakiramdam mo ‘di ka tatanggapin. May you find encouragement in
God’s grace. He is not after your performance, He’s after your heart. He’s calling you to trust in His character,
to surrender to His Son, Jesus (all your fears and disobedience, sins), and He will restore you! All by grace!
Restate: God was calling the Israelites to obey His command. He encourages them through His grace. May this
same grace spur you to live in obedience to the Lord.

B. God is glorious (vv. 20-23)

Point: We should be warned by God’s glory in our obedience. That is, God is King of the universe, He cannot be
mocked and so we must respond properly to His commands.
Proof: (v. 20) When? On the same day as the previous oracle.
Image: (vv. 21-22) What is it all about? How did God show His glory?
-He gave an end-time promise, imagery
-“On that day” points to the Day of the Lord (Zech 14:1), the appointed time of His return for judgment
1. God brings Cataclysm in the Universe (v. 21; Hag 2:6)
-shake the heavens and the earth
2. God Conquers all earthly rule (v.22; cf Hag. 2:7)
-overthrow the throne of kingdoms
-destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations
-overthrow the chariots and their riders by the sword of their brothers
3. God is Crowned King on earth (v. 23)
-Zerubbabel: governor of Judah, assigned by God as the rep of the Davidic dynasty (signet ring)
-symbol of the resumption of the Messianic line (interrupted by the Exile—Jehoiachin; Jer 22:24)
-Messianic line culminates in the rule of Jesus as Divine King at His future and final return in glory
Warning: -this is the God who commands you!
-He makes creation tremble, overthrows kingdoms and destroys armies
-Before this God, who are we to disobey?
Picture: Job 38:4-18, When Job demanded to speak with God about his predicaments, He answered with a series
of questions that are meant to remind him of his humanity and God’s glory
Problem: The problem with us is that we think God is too small and we are too big; we think we are gods and He
is not; we overestimate who we are underestimate who He is.
-His glory is a warning, a reminder that though the God who commands is gracious He is still God and He
cannot be mocked
Practice: If you’re on the other extreme where your pride blinds you, nagmamatigas ka sa disobedience kasi
iniisip mo wala namang masamang mangyayari sa’yo. Be warned! God is glorious. He will not allow His
glory to be trampled upon.
-He will return again as King. And whether you acknowledge Him or not now will be irrelevant then for on
that day, all knee will bow in heaven and on earth, under the earth and acknowledge Jesus as Lord (Phil 2:9-11)
Restate: God is a glorious. If we have no other reason to obey Him, let us remember that we’re heeding the call
of a Divine, Everlasting, All-Powerful King.

III. CONCLUSION
-Why should I obey God? Because of 1) His grace and 2) His glory
-He gives us two reasons that roughly cover whatever our attitudes are towards God

A. He is gracious
-maybe you've been hard-headed for the longest time, living in sin, following the flesh
-you think there’s no hope for you anymore, God doesn’t care about you; He doesn’t want your obedience
-PICTURE: Remember Israel’s experience! They are a stiffed necked people right from the start! (Egypt, Promised
Land, Judges, Kings, Exile, Return), “Consider from this day onward….From this day on, I will bless you!”
 -Imagery that God carries on up to the New Testament (Parable of the Prodigal Son)
-He bestows grace not because of anything we’ve done, not because of who we are but because of who He is, a
loving, gracious God
-If you’ve been running away from God (refuse to read His Word, talk to Him in prayer, fellowship with Him) maybe
today is the day… may you be encouraged to live in obedience because of His grace (undeserved gift)

B. He is glorious
-maybe you've been hard-headed for the longest time, living in sin, following the flesh
-you think God is not concerned with holiness, that He overlooks sin, sweeps it under the rag
-PICTURE: Remember Nadab and Abihu (Lev 10); or King Uzziah (2 Chronicles 26); Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5)
-If you’ve been living in sin, thinking that it’s okay, that God doesn’t really mind, be warned by His glory and holiness
-Don’t wait for the discipline of the Lord to come down upon you before you obey (Jonah)

-Ultimately, whether you are doubting if God can still accept your obedience because of your sinfulness; or you are
blinded, disregarding His glory and holiness in your disobedience; everything boils down to the Spirit’s conviction
-No amount of preaching, counseling, discussion divorced from the Holy Spirit can change your heart,
-So I pray for the Spirit’s supernatural intervention to plant a conviction for obedience in the heart of each one

Closing Story
Husdon Taylor
-early 1800s and Missionaries were going to China but only in the coastal provinces, not the inland
-Hudson Taylor, founder of OMF had a burning passion to send missionaries to the interior provinces out of love for
the lost and conviction of God’s Great Commission
-but He also doubted, Can it be done? Is it not too dangerous? Is it not beyond our means? Do we have enough
people? He knew the Commission but he’s being held back by worries from carrying it out, obeying God’s call
-until he went on a break and quiet reflection in Brighton, England; while walking on the beach, God gave him peace,
to trust in Him fully to provide all the needs by grace for He is God
“There the Lord conquered my unbelief, and I surrendered myself to God for this service. I told him that all
responsibility as to the issues and consequences must rest with him; that as his servant it was mine to obey and to
follow him.”
-“God’s work, done in God’s way, will never lack God’s supply”  no solicitation, rely fully on God