Week 5 - Haggai 2:10-19

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HAGGAI’S THIRD ORACLE

So the people obey and they build the temple, but Haggai is not finished.  The word of the Lord comes once again and this time it’s a message for the priests.  It’s a question about the law and the answers tell a story about sin.  

Through the law, God was always teaching his people that sin defiles; it corrupts, it breaks, it separates.  The parable was retold throughout the law: if something clean touches something dirty…it is the clean thing that is defiled.  

THE PROBLEM

God’s message for the people in Haggai 2 was that their problem was prevailing uncleanness.  Their human sin problem corrupted their entire being…and because of this everything they touched became unclean. 

Historically Israel often got it backwards: God’s people thought that it was Holiness that was contagious…not sin.  They did this with the ark of the covenant as we read this week in 1 Samuel 4, and later on with the temple itself.  These physical symbols of God’s Presence among His people quickly became to them like good luck charms.  As long as they had “the temple” in their midst…they were good!  

So now here they are building the TEMPLE..they must really be holy.  Right?

But Holiness is not passed on like this.  “Every work of their hands…”(2:14) whether building the temple or even offering sacrifices in it… All of it would be defiled because of their prevailing sin problem.

We can often think similarly: that holiness is contagious but sin is not.  If we can just get close to some “holy” things, it will pass on to us.  Our proximity to these things are what we point to as our justification; maybe it’s the women’s bible study, or Sunday morning church, some volunteer service or charitable giving.  

But like we said last week, All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away(Isa. 64:6).  My sin problem is not a list of behaviours, but a prevailing heart condition and it touches every part of me, my thoughts, choices, feelings and actions.  I will always want to reach out and seize glory for myself.  Our natural inclination is rebellion against God.  That is our sin problem.  It corrupts deeply every good thing I try to do…right down to my motivations.

THEIR PROBLEM IS MINE TOO

I didn’t really understand this growing up “Christian.”  I was under the assumption that I was one of the good people since praying a prayer at a young age.  Being a christian meant doing right, being good, not doing wrong and not being bad.  I judged those who were doing wrong or being bad and even that somehow was another notch in my goodness belt.  

And I wrongly believed that controlling my behaviour in this way somehow controlled God’s feelings for me.  “Do good, God is happy with me.  Do bad, God is unhappy with me.”  And I’ll tell you I felt pretty good about it.  Because on the outside I did pretty good.  I had no concern for the pride, hate and anger that filled my heart because on the outside I was checking the list of all the good “christian” behaviours and I hadn’t missed a thing.  I wore my piety like a badge of honour and like the pharisees I was blind to the fact that I was actually like a white washed tomb.  

It wasn’t until I began to read and study the bible for myself that my eyes were opened to my immature thinking about the gospel.  

I remember the day I was reading in Matthew where the Pharisees asked Jesus what the most important commandment was and I was shocked by the answer.  I mean, I had heard that verse my whole life, but seeing the context of Jesus saying it was MOST IMPORTANT shocked me.   How could I have missed this?  To LOVE God was most important…?  Immediately I sensed that I had been living out something different!

Shortly after as I was in Matthew I read about Pilate asking the people, “What shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?”  And they all shouted, “Crucify Him!” And he said “Why, what has he done?” and they yelled louder “Crucify him!”  And Pilate walked away from it wanted nothing to do with this innocent man’s death and the people yelled, “His blood be on us and our children!” (Matthew 27:22-25)

And for the first time ever I realized it!  His blood WAS ON ME and my children.  It was my sin that held him on that cross, it was my hand that threw stones, and my mouth that uttered the death threats.  I was not Pilate in the story - I was one of the murderous, angry mob.  He had to die because I am a sinner. 

And on that day…I exchanged the belt of goodness for the belt of TRUTH.  Finally after 35 years, I began to see my sin as sin.  It wasn’t a list of things I had done…it was a rebellious heart that naturally wanted to be the boss and secure my own goodness, my own salvation.  I knew repentance that day.  And I think I finally saw the beauty of Jesus.

BLINDNESS OF GOD’S PEOPLE

Israel did not see their sin as sin.  They were too busy as I was looking at all their righteous acts.  Like building the temple.  Do you know that for 150 years the prophets had warned Israel that exile was coming if they did not repent of idolatry and turn back in obedience to Yahweh?  But they ignored the prophets.  They thought that since they had the temple among them they had God in their back pocket.  In their minds, as long as the temple stood they maintained God’s favour.

Their sin problem was a big problem.  It blinded them to their real need and even to the consequences of their disobedience.  All those contrasts we observed in 2:16-17 this week highlight the fact that while God’s people were made for abundance, their disobedience had left them lacking in all areas. 

And considering this BIG prevailing sin problem God’s people had, they shouldn’t have been surprised by the curses they were experiencing right? They should have known.  Disobey the gods, your crops will fail.  Do bad…get bad.  That’s how the religions of the neighbouring nations worked. They were “therefore religions.”  “So that” systems.  If I do this, the gods will do that…the gods they grew to know so well in Babylon.

But that’s not how Yahweh works.  He’s unlike the so-called gods of the surrounding nations.  And He does not operate in the same way.

THE TURNING POINT

“BUT” says vs. 19.  Imagine the words coming from Haggai’s mouth, “BUT!”  Not therefore curses, not “because of this…smiting and destruction,” No, Yahweh says to this sin plagued people with hearts prone to disobedience, 

“BUT…from this day on I will bless you.”

Their lack of yield is a direct result of their covenant disobedience.  God knows this, as well as He knows their inability to break the cycle of their prevailing uncleanness.  The good news is that He is going to deliver them from this Himself.  It all starts with a “but.” 

GOSPEL GRAMMAR

We talk often about marking the contrasts in the bible as we study, especially the “but”s as they seem to signify these contrasts.  However it’s also worth marking simply to see how often this kind of grammar appears, because in the words of Bible teacher Paige Benton Brown, it is the Gospel grammar of Grace.

She reminds us that where every other religion on earth is a “therefore religion,” a “so-that system,” based on causes and effects, the Gospel of Grace is never causitive but always contradictory. It never preaches “so that,” but instead declares “AND YET.”  It is not “therefore,” it is always “BUT.”  The Gospel is never because of, it is always in spite of.

God says: ”You have a sin problem.  All of your offerings to me are defiled by it.  But from this day on…(wait for it!!) I will bless you.” 

Isn’t it beautiful?!  Blessing for their inability.  Fruitfulness for their lack.  Abundance for their drought.  Beauty for their ashes.  That is the essence of the gospel and it truly is good news.  Not only for the people of Haggai’s day but also for you and me.  

APPLICATION FOR US

Sometimes in our haste to celebrate grace we skip over our sin.  I understand not wanting to dwell in guilt and death when there is forgiveness and life offered, but we do well to pause a moment and feel the weight of our prevailing uncleanness.  The weight of it drove Jesus to the cross and our forgiveness and reconciliation does not come without cost.  I love the way Thomas Watson writes it,

“Til sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet.”

When Jesus began the sermon on the mount saying, “Blessed are those who mourn…” he was talking about those who mourn over their sin.  Godly sorrow that leads to repentance.  To seeing the beauty and sweetness of Jesus’ worth and work.

Ours is prevailing uncleanness.  It is not a list of behaviours, but a heart that desires glory for ourselves rather for the One to whom all glory and honour is due.  And we can’t make ourselves clean simply by interacting with that which we deem holy.  We need deep inner cleansing.  We are hopeless to change.  We lack what it necessary for us to experience our greatest need.

And yet.  

But.  

Jesus!

This week as we wrap up our study in Haggai we will hear the promise of how God will bless this sin-plagued people.  As you read what it meant for them, don’t miss what it means for you!