Fill This Temple

In the passage today we take a second look at the people of Israel during the ministry of Haggai the prophet. As we learned last week, 70 years earlier, in the year 586 BC, the Babylonians invaded the Southern Kingdom, destroyed Solomon's beautiful temple in Jerusalem and had taken the people away to Babylon as captives. After 50 years, some of the people were allowed to return to Israel. When they arrived, they began the process of rebuilding their Temple, but the work stopped after just a short time because of opposition from the Samaritans. For 16 years the Temple remained unfinished. Then, God raised up the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to call the people back to their task of rebuilding the Temple. The people responded and they began to build again. But after only a month, they became discouraged and again they wanted to quit. They were disappointed by the Temple they were building and they were discouraged in the work they were doing. God tells Haggai to speak to the Governor Zerubbabel and the High Priest Joshua to encourage them to carry on. This morning we will speak to the Provision, the Past and the Promise!

I. v. 2 The Provision – As we consider The Provision, let’s talk for a moment about the politic. God told the Prophet Haggai to speak to the spiritual and civil leaders, speak to the governor of Judah and also the High-Priest, the religious leader of Jerusalem. There are some in the Christian community that suggest that politics and religion should never work together for a common good. There are some in the public square that suggest that religious leaders ought to stay out of politics and concern themselves with only spiritual matters of the local church. But God has the final say on this matter; He has consistently used throughout the ages people in government to do his will. He has often used the ungodly, the heathen, to exact judgement on the children of God. God even uses heathen rulers to make changes in government that not only benefit the children of God but also promote the Kingdom of God! Did not God use Abimelech to prove His sovereign plan to Abraham; did not God use Potiphar to elevate Joseph; did not God use the Philistines to exact judgement? Romans 13:1 clearly states that, “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.” 1 Peter 2:13 says, “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.” In Romans 9:17 Paul teaches, For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power in you, and that My Name might be proclaimed in all the earth." Our text today in verse 5 reminds us that before God brought Pharaoh down, He made a promise that the Hebrews will be rich! Exodus 3:21 God said, “I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be, when you go, that you shall not go empty. But every woman shall ask of her neighbor… for articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians."

In today’s lesson it happens again! Ezra 6 gives us the background; King Darius issued a decree, and a search was made in the archives, where the treasures were stored in Babylon. A scroll was found and in it was this record: In the first year of the former King Cyrus, he issued a decree concerning the temple at Jerusalem: “Let the house be rebuilt, the place where they offered sacrifices; and let the foundations of it be firmly laid, its height sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits, with three rows of heavy stones and one row of new timber. Let the expenses be paid from the king’s treasury.” A heathen king commanded that the funding for the temple be paid from his own treasury! Do you see the significance here? Many years before the temple was to be rebuilt God had spoken to King Cyrus about funding the project, and then He reminded King Darius that he will provide the financial resources that the Jews needed in reconstructing the temple even before they set out to rebuild! We need to trust that God has a plan and that He will provide for our needs. In verse 8 God says, The silver is Mine. And the gold is Mine. When we commit ourselves to do God’s will, the Lord will provide!