Ira Baptist Church
From Now On (Haggai 2:10-19)
  • Lord Reign in Me
  • Here I am To Worship
  • Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)

  • Introduction

    Haggai 2:10-19 is where we will be this morning.
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    Let’s Read and pray and we will dive into the text.
    Haggai 2:10–19 CSB
    10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Haggai: 11 “This is what the Lord of Armies says: Ask the priests for a ruling. 12 If a man is carrying consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and it touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any other food, does it become holy?” The priests answered, “No.” 13 Then Haggai asked, “If someone defiled by contact with a corpse touches any of these, does it become defiled?” The priests answered, “It becomes defiled.” 14 Then Haggai replied, “So is this people, and so is this nation before me—this is the Lord’s declaration. And so is every work of their hands; even what they offer there is defiled. 15 “Now from this day on, think carefully: Before one stone was placed on another in the Lord’s temple, 16 what state were you in? When someone came to a grain heap of twenty measures, it only amounted to ten; when one came to the winepress to dip fifty measures from the vat, it only amounted to twenty. 17 I struck you—all the work of your hands—with blight, mildew, and hail, but you didn’t turn to me—this is the Lord’s declaration. 18 From this day on, think carefully; from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid; think carefully. 19 Is there still seed left in the granary? The vine, the fig, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yet produced. But from this day on I will bless you.”
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    Pray
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    Spiritual Leadership Sets the Tone

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    Haggai 2:10–11 CSB
    10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Haggai: 11 “This is what the Lord of Armies says: Ask the priests for a ruling.
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    This is the 3rd message from Haggai.
    Haggai is prophesying after the exile.
    The Nation of Isreal was punished by exile, the Assyrians took captive the northern kingdom, the Babylonians took captive the Southern Kingdom.
    After being taken captive, having their city (Jerusalem) including the walls around the city and the temple destroyed.
    God worked things so they would return home after 70 years of exile.
    There are waves of people coming back to the Land to and to the City of Jerusalem.
    They start rebuilding the temple, the place where God dwells.
    And they get the foundation laid, only to be stalled by external forces, the Samaritans get mad and the people get worried they won’t have homes.
    So around 16 the construction pauses… An altar is build to offer sacrifices, the foundation of the temple is laid, but the people stop building.
    Enter Haggai.
    His first Oracle given is about how it’s time to stop not workings on the house of God. The only question is will the people obey? And in a rare moment in the Old Testament, the people obey a prophet!
    They repent, yes there was external pressure, yes they needed places to sleep and call home, but the Temple is where God dwelt, it was to important to let lay around with materials stacked and construction stopped.
    Haggai’s second prophecy was over how this new temple they were building was not going to be an nice as the old one. Inspired by God Haggai uses time to help them continue on… How we see the past, and what we think about the future dictate how we live in the present.
    And so Haggai encourages them even though the new temple will not be as beautiful and nice as the Old Temple, even so keep working! Haggai tells them about how this temple they are building in the end will be greater than the previous one. In ways they can’t see or understand, God was going to use this place they are building. And God is building in us living temples, they grow and honor God. So no matter what is happening in life, even so keep on growing in Jesus. Your Works don’t save you, Jesus saves, even so keep working out of a love for what Jesus has done for you.
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    So now we get to the 3rd Prophecy.
    Preached December 18, 520bc.
    But from the beginning there is a slight shift here.
    Prophecy 1: was preached to Zerubbabel (governor) and Joshua (High Priest) but the whole Remnant of people repented.
    Prophecy 2: was preached to Everyone.
    Prophecy 3: Haggai is sent to talk to the priests.
    Haggai’s ministry has lasted around 4 months.
    3 sermons and this one is to the people to offer the sacrifices, the people who ought to know the law of God the best, those from the tribe of Levi, a unique tribe.
    This is to the Spiritual Leadership of the nation.
    So keep in mind as we continue through the text, this is a people who have repented and are currently obeying what God has said… Specifically this is the spiritual leadership of this nation. This isn’t unbelievers Haggai is talking to.
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    Spiritual Leadership is Biblical in Nature

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    Haggai 2:12–13 CSB
    12 If a man is carrying consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and it touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any other food, does it become holy?” The priests answered, “No.” 13 Then Haggai asked, “If someone defiled by contact with a corpse touches any of these, does it become defiled?” The priests answered, “It becomes defiled.”
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    Haggai quizzes the priests over the law.
    This first question may seem odd to you and me, if a man is carrying consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and it touches bread, stew, oil, or any other food, does that other food become holy?
    This may sound weird because who walks around with meat in their pocket? Anyone need to admit they when you are out and about, you like to carry some ground beef in your hoodie? Maybe this is why Morgan won’t let me has the cargo short I so desperately desire, she is afraid I’ll fill my pockets with steak, because in cargo shorts you can!
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    Probably what Haggai is referring to is a wave offering, where the people would eat the sacrificed animal, but they could take it home to eat, or there are other sacrifices made they part of the sacrifice was some of the meat was to go to the priests for a meal, maybe the priests are taking it home, or it could have been meat set aside for a fellowship meal. This may seem odd to you and me, because out meat is in freezers, and transported in bags, but for this culture it wasn’t that big of a deal. This was normally how they did this.
    They had a garment, and kind of pocket they would wrap the meat and put it in their pocket.
    How does this meat get consecrated? They mean this was an animal sacrificed. It’s not normal everyday meal, this animal was set aside to be sacrificed at the altar for the people.
    So Haggai asks the question: let’s say they meat touches bread… stew… wine… oil… or anything else what happens?
    Does the other food become holy? No.
    That’s not how that works right… you can’t bottle holiness, it’s not something that you run around touching things with to make them holy… What kind of works based religion would come from that… everyone must touch the raw meat to be saved… ever week the raw meat would be drug around the building the town, everywhere…
    That’s not how holiness works.
    Haggai quizzes the priests on the Law and they know the Law! They know the Bible! That’s a good thing!
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    So Haggai asks a second question:
    If someone is defiled by contact with a corpse and they touch any of these things does it become defiled?
    The Priests say Yes!
    This is correct according the Old Testament law. We are talking about cleanliness laws, to touch a deceased person was to be ritually unclean, and they is something that can be passed on.
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    Germs in high school.
    Hand stainer
    Sickness spreads not health.
    I heard so and so’s temperature was 98.6 degrees, and they don’t even buy tissues or Tylenol anymore!
    I heard they don’t know what Vick’s vapo rub is, and they have never been to the pharmacy!
    I’m hoping my kids hang out with them and catch some of that healthiness!
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    Sin Spreads, Holiness and cleanliness isn’t like that.
    You don’t shake hands with someone and get your hand cleaner.
    You don’t catch a healthiness from other people.
    That’s not how ritual cleanliness worked
    That’s not how blessings from God work.
    That’s the point Haggai is showing the people.
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    We will get into the implication of this in a moment, but don’t miss Spiritual Leadership set the tone for this message.
    Spiritual Leadership leads.
    and Spiritual Leadership knows the Word of God.

    Spiritual Leadership Observes, Interprets, and Applies the Bible

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    Haggai 2:14–19 CSB
    14 Then Haggai replied, “So is this people, and so is this nation before me—this is the Lord’s declaration. And so is every work of their hands; even what they offer there is defiled. 15 “Now from this day on, think carefully: Before one stone was placed on another in the Lord’s temple, 16 what state were you in? When someone came to a grain heap of twenty measures, it only amounted to ten; when one came to the winepress to dip fifty measures from the vat, it only amounted to twenty. 17 I struck you—all the work of your hands—with blight, mildew, and hail, but you didn’t turn to me—this is the Lord’s declaration. 18 From this day on, think carefully; from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid; think carefully. 19 Is there still seed left in the granary? The vine, the fig, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yet produced. But from this day on I will bless you.”
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    Spiritual leadership leads, knows the Word of God, and observes, interprets and applies the Word.
    Haggai says if you are unclean, and building the temple, then whatever you touch becomes unclean.
    I love verse 15
    Haggai 2:15 CSB
    15 “Now from this day on, think carefully: Before one stone was placed on another in the Lord’s temple,
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    from this day on:
    God through Haggai tells the people remember when you needed 20 measures fo grain and only got 10.
    When you needed 50 measures of wine and got 20.
    When God sent weather that was so hot everything withered, and then so rainy that everything moled? Oh and don’t forget the hail. And still you didn’t repent and turn...
    Wait… this group did repent remember? This remnat is rebuiling the temple after Haggai’s first message a few month earlier...
    So what is going on? God is reminding them of their past of who they are spiritually in their core. Disobedient rebels.
    People who are not consecrated meat, but spiritually dead.
    Remember what touches a corpse becomes unclean.
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    Revelation 3:1–6 CSB
    1 “Write to the angel of the church in Sardis: Thus says the one who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: I know your works; you have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead. 2 Be alert and strengthen what remains, which is about to die, for I have not found your works complete before my God. 3 Remember, then, what you have received and heard; keep it, and repent. If you are not alert, I will come like a thief, and you have no idea at what hour I will come upon you. 4 But you have a few people in Sardis who have not defiled their clothes, and they will walk with me in white, because they are worthy. 5 “In the same way, the one who conquers will be dressed in white clothes, and I will never erase his name from the book of life but will acknowledge his name before my Father and before his angels. 6 “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.
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    Or Ephesians 2:1-3
    Ephesians 2:1–3 CSB
    1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. 3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also.
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    This is the biblical picture of who you and I really are… Spiritually dead.
    We don’t need to be better, try harder, do more, act less bad or do more good… we need resurrection.
    Haggai says it like this… from this day on The seeds have been planted, from this day God is going to bless us.
    We cannot change the past. We cannot control the future. All we can do it say from now on, I will live in light of this reality.
    Before Christ I was spriitually dead, but because of God
    Ephesians 2:4–10 CSB
    4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, 5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! 6 He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— 9 not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.
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    From now on… The Gospel is enough.
    This means for some when you leave here there are things you need to get rid of.
    From now on… this means your worth isn’t in career, kids, hobbies, etc. it’s in Christ alone.
    From now on...
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    Maybe you are still spiritually dead in your sin… what is keeping you from repenting and turning to Jesus.
    Maybe you have been saved but you aren’y living like it… from now on.
    Maybe you have been saved but you have been coasting… from now on.
    Maybe you have been saved but you are around unbelievers and you never tell them about Jeuss… from now on.
    Whatever it is… whatever the Lord is laying at your heart… from now on.

    Conclusion

  • Goodness of God
Ira Baptist Church
irafbc@live.com
(325)573-6277
https://fbcira.com/
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