"The word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, "Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I am about to shake the heavens and the earth, and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and overthrow the chariots and their riders. And the horses and their riders shall go down, every one by the sword of his brother. On that day, declares the LORD of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the LORD, and make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the LORD of hosts."Haggai 2:20-23 ESV
Our God is the great maker and promise keeper. When God makes a promise, He tells His people what He is going to do. So when God makes a promise, God telling us NOW what He will do in the future. As we continue in Haggai, we see that God spoke to Zerubbabel about the future in Haggai 2:20-23 with two promises.
We can lump these statements in verses 20-23 into two broad categories:
A. The first promise has to do with the overthrow of earthly kingdoms
We see here God repeating His promises from earlier in Haggai 2:6-7, “For thus says the LORD of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of hosts.” Now the promise in Haggai 2:21 -22 obviously refers to the same shaking, which God said would take place “in a little while.”
Although there may have been some partial fulfillments of that shaking of the nations when Persia, Greece, and Rome were overthrown, the final fulfillment is still future in our day! Clearly God’s idea of “a little while” does not coincide with our idea of “a little while”! Peter wrote to mockers who say, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” As Peter goes on to point out, “But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:4, 8-9). There is coming a day when God is going to shake the heavens and the earth. In that day everything made by the hand of man will come crashing down.
Revelation 16:17-20 describes that day and connects with the Battle of Armageddon just before Jesus returns to the earth: “The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘‘It is done!” Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found.” Think of it. Paris leveled, Tokyo in ruins, London turned into a disaster area, New York burning, Miami in flames, Los Angeles in ashes, San Francisco fallen to the ground. Everything that man builds collapses before his eyes. So it is with everything that is of this world. This is a sobering reminder, and one we dare not forget.
B. The second promise has to do with God’s plans for Zerubbabel
“On that day, declares the LORD of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the LORD, and make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the LORD of hosts" (verse 23).
What part can a person play in God’s purposes? Haggai offers Zerubbabel the answer to this question here. First, you are my servant. The word here was used for many of God’s most famous servants, from Moses to Joshua to David. God says one of the most important roles one can have in the purposes of God is to simply be His servant.
Then He says “I will take…I have chosen you” Again note the first-person pronoun repetition. God does not place conditions on this strategy; he just says that I will do it. God says that he will “take” and “has chosen” Zerubbabel. These two terms imply special divine selection for a special purpose. God also said that that he would make him a signet ring. Most of us are not familiar with the concept of a signet ring. The signet ring was a stone carved with the symbol of the person in power. It was used by pressing it into clay tablets to authenticate what was written on them. Thus, it was much like a signature today. The signet was a precious object. So it was kept on the ruler’s finger or on a cord around his neck. It was guarded with his person. God was saying that Zerubbabel was going to be like that to God. God was going to place the governor on his finger or hang him around his neck so that, even though nations and even heaven and earth should be shaken, Zerubbabel would not be shaken. He was safe in God’s hand and so are you.
As the Lord’s signet ring he also had the seal of God’s promise to provide for the future Messiah. In other words, through his bloodline, God will continue the royal line and bring in the King of Israel. Zerubbabel is the descendant of King David. When David was the king of Israel, God made a promise to him that the throne would never depart from his family. Zerubbabel belongs to the royal bloodline. Through him, God will bring in Jesus. Both Matthew and Luke trace the ancestry of Jesus Christ back to Zerubbabel (Matthew 1:12; Luke 3:27).
God’s Kingdom will be established. His King will come through Israel. God’s salvation plan is on track. Nothing has changed, despite Israel apparent failure. God is planning for the grand entry of His Son. Man sees only the present. God sees the future. Israel may have lost sight of it, but not God. Man may have become disillusioned with what is going on, but not God. God’s plan for you has not changed.
Thus the book ends with a stirring word of encouragement to a discouraged leader and to us. It was God’s way of saying, “Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up. Be greatly encouraged. You have no idea of how great my plans are for you.”
Five times God has asked us in this book to “consider your ways”. Now this day God wants us to be encouraged and strengthened by considering His ways. He is in control. He keeps His promises, and He is on your side. He had a purpose for Zerubbabel and He has a purpose for your life. “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his father’s” (Acts 13:36). God has a plan for every life. God wants you to realize His call upon you. And each life works in the master plan for the world. He is concerned about every individual fulfilling His purposes in their generation. He wants the moms and dads, husbands and wives, grandparents, managers, laborers, kids, and especially you, to achieve what He has for them. And He will do it through you. He will choose, He will make, and He will take you to you divine purpose. And just like Zerubbabel you will never know the full reaches of your life.
Ajith Fernando tells the story of a godly missionary who faithfully served in a village in Sri Lanka over a long period of time. He did not see anyone from that community come to Christ during his lifetime. After his death a young missionary came to the village to take his place and was surprised to see almost the entire village respond to the call of same gospel his predecessor had proclaimed to them for so many years. Perplexed and humbled, the young man asked the villagers why they did not respond to the gospel during the time when that great and godly man lived among them. They responded that the old missionary had told them that “for me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” And if they became followers of Jesus Christ they would not need to fear death. What he said impressed them, but they needed to see if what the man said was really true. So they watched him live and waited till he died. In seeing the way that he lived and the way that he died made them all want to become Christians.
Do you see what God can do? He is purposeful with you and your life, He is the sovereign Lord, He is large and in charge to accomplish His plans for you and through you.
Pastor Bill
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