BEFORE we proceed to any application of God's word we need to be quite clear as the meaning and revelation the words themselves declare. So in the opening of this sermon let us seek to understand exactly what these verses reveal concerning Israel in the time of Haggai.

These verses commence with God opening up the thinking of the Israelites as they lived in Jerusalem after their return from exile. Apparently they were working very hard in providing for their living. The trouble was that the Israelites were not gaining the expected return for their labours. The harvests fell far short of their expectation. No doubt the same result accompanied their trading. The deals they managed to achieve fell far short of what they had hoped for. In other words there seemed to be a blight on all their labours, so that however hard they tried and laboured, the return for all their effort fell far short of what was expected and what was usual. We can empathize with this scenario. Weather conditions can prove to inhibit the harvest expected. A firm can be overcome by circumstances beyond its control which reduce profits, and can cause serious losses. A person can find their salary reduced so they are unable to meet their expenses.

The reason for this experience of loss given by God through the prophet Haggai is one that would be rejected out of hand by the world, and indeed the church in our day. Because of this bible explanations like the one here are rejected, and the truth expressed is denied. The reason why Israel was experiencing such a loss in their expectation in life was because of the action of God. God tells Israel that their loss was because of the action which came from God. Their crops failed because God blew the profit away. Their business results were poor because God intervened to cause it to be so. The explanation goes on. The watering of the earth was withheld, described in the verses before us as the heavens withholding their dew. In other words there was drought. The reason for the drought is explained. God says that he caused the drought - 'I called for the drought' (v.11) God tells Israel that he was responsible for the failure of all their efforts.

However if the question is asked as to why God acted in this way, the reason is given by God in verse 9. It was because the temple, God's house, remained in ruins, and the reason for this is plainly implied. The reason was because the people neglected to work in the rebuilding of the temple. This neglect was because the people were so busy in their own affairs, that they had no time or inclination to work for the Lord. The fact the temple remained in ruins was evidence that God and his will were being neglected, and the people were living for themselves. We can see a serious underlying reason for this neglect of God. There was a serious spiritual decline in the nation of Israel. God was not loved and obeyed. Self interest had taken the place of interest first of all in God, even though the people owed everything to God. He made them a nation, and he had protected and blessed them. Israel's heart, however, was centred on themselves and not the love of God evidenced in their history.

THE LESSON.

The lesson from this history and God's explanation to Israel is clear if we are prepared to receive it. The lesson is that God is active in the lives of his people, and when they depart from living for God first, and seeking to obey his blessed purpose, then God steps in with correction. This action is not vindictive, but action to bring back God's people to love God and put God first. The action was one of conviction of their sin of worldliness, and to call them back to living for God.

The first thing to appreciate from this history concerning Israel in the time of Haggai is that fact of God's sovereignty over all the affairs of mankind. God is in control of the elements. He is able to intervene in the natural order of things. He is the Lord Almighty. The Lord tells us here that he was the cause of the drought which limited the harvest. The Lord says here that he is in control of the affairs of men, and does from time to time act in a detrimental way in the affairs of men. These verses also tell us the reason for this action of God, and it is that the ways of humanity were displeasing to God and in opposition to the will and purpose of God.

How this revelation is hated and denied by the world today, and specially by the church. This action of God is denied as totally unworthy of a true conception of the mind and character of God. It is assumed that all the actions of God in the world and in the church are benign, and that it is assumed that because God is love, that he does nothing that is unpleasant to human life. God is there to bless regardless of the way human beings and society behave.

This contradicts the whole revelation of the Bible which tells us that God is our creator, and that we are his creatures, and that we owe obedience to him as our Lord and God. We can understand how a godless world would deny this, and give some secular meaning to all events of history; but the attitude of the church to this revelation when it denies God's action in the world has no defence. There is little or no acknowledgement of the fact that being created by God we owe him our total obedience and allegiance. This obligation is even greater when we remember that as Christians we are redeemed by God at great cost, even the blood shedding of Christ, the only begotten Son of God.

This defencelessness before God is seen in the complaint God had against Israel as expressed in these verses. God's blessing of Israel throughout their history was monumental. God had poured out blessings upon them. God had brought them out of exile in Babylon and given them back their land, but they were still living selfish lives, being concerned only for their own pleasure, and neglecting love for God and obedience to his will.

RELEVANCE FOR THE CHURCH.

Life was running heavily for the Israelites because they failed to heed God's will and command. The reason for this was God speaking to them in action to show his displeasure at the way they were behaving. The action of God had a purpose, which was the correction of the way of life of his people and bring them back to allegiance and obedience to him.

This may seem very harsh to our thinking, but this is because we fail to appreciate the true nature of the Christian life. The words of Jesus in Matthew 11: 28-29 are so relevant here. Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

In the first place the invitation by Jesus here is addressed to all who are burden by the weight of their sins, and are seeking relief. Jesus assures all who are so burdened that he has answered the complete need with regard to the burden of sin, and has purchased for us full and free forgiveness of all our sins. But the invitation is a continual one for all who have put their trust in Jesus.

Jesus explains what coming to him involves. It is to place ourself in total trust under his yoke. The picture here is of a plough. Of Jesus as the one leading and guiding the plough, and of the believer in Jesus submitting to the yoke of the plough, and so being totally under the control, guidance and direction of Jesus who drives the plough. Jesus tells us in these two verses that this is how we learn from Jesus, and by this submission we find rest for our soul.

This rest first and foremost is knowing the blessing of total forgiveness of all our sins, and being reconciled to God, and being welcomed as a member of the family of God; but this rest takes us further. In this total submission to Jesus, and seeking to live according to his will and purpose, we experience the rest of knowing the blessing of Jesus, and the satisfaction of knowing the love and care of Jesus, and his guidance in all the affairs of our life. Jesus then gives a word of assurance. Jesus says that his yoke is easy and his burden is light.

The Israelites in the days of Haggai had been asked to be yoked to the will of God, which in particular meant they had to rebuild the temple. When they disregarded the will of God, the progress of their lives progressed heavily. When they set about living for God in obedience, then their lives were blessed. The yoke they feared and were reluctant to accept, proved to be light and easy.

APPLICATION.

How are we able to see an application for the church today, and indeed in every age? Its application is seen in the fact that Israel here was dealt with by the Lord to cause them to return to him and begin the work which God wanted from them, which was to build the temple to his honour and glory. It is a fact, as we study the history of Israel, that God's afflictions on his people in the main were directed to bring his people back from spiritual decline to himself. It was only when Israel failed to learn the lessons God was seeking to teach them, and refused to repent and turn back again to him, that final judgement was executed.

The church today, in the United Kingdom at least and in every denomination, is showing what Israel was experiencing in the days of Haggai. Much effort in all sorts of directions, has produced a disappointing return for all the effort being put in. As a member of the Church of England I see a church well organised, and working hard, but still a church of declining congregations, except for some notable exceptions. In any case the church is making little if any impact on the nation as a whole, and except for taking some moral high ground is achieving very little growth. This can be said also of other denominations. What is the answer to this.

The first thing the church needs to do, and every individual Christian, is to see this decline as God speaking, and declaring to his church that there is something seriously wrong in the way the church is acting. We need to see that it is God 'blowing on all this effort' (v9) to bring it to nothing in order to make clear that we are not honouring him in all this effort, but have departed from his will and purpose. If the church is not willing to face the fact that God's blessing is not being seen in the overall work of the church, then there can be no hope for the church in the long term, and in the end a final judgement on the church because it does not heed God's voice.