2. George Patton’s “Weather Prayer”
Training Letter No 5
“This Army needs the assurance and the faith
that God is with us.
With prayer we cannot fail.”
3. We can’t appreciate how the people of the OT
thought of the presence of their God
• Bringing the Ark into battle – 1 Sam 4
Nor can we appreciate how they perceived the
loss of God’s presence
• Psalm 74:1-8
4. Psalm 74:1-8
O God, why do you cast us off forever? Why does
your anger smoke against the sheep of your
pasture? 2 Remember your congregation, which
you have purchased of old, which you have
redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage!
Remember Mount Zion, where you have dwelt. 3
Direct your steps to the perpetual ruins; the
enemy has destroyed everything in the
sanctuary!
5. Psalm 74:1-8
Your foes have roared in the midst of your
meeting place; they set up their own signs for
signs. 5 They were like those who swing axes in a
forest of trees. 6 And all its carved wood they
broke down with hatchets and hammers. 7 They
set your sanctuary on fire; they profaned the
dwelling place of your name, bringing it down to
the ground. 8 They said to themselves, "We will
utterly subdue them"; they burned all the
meeting places of God in the land.
6. The Time of the Return
• Time period – 538 B.C. – 433 B.C.
• People
– Kings (Persian)
• Cyrus (539-530 B.C.)
• Darius (522-486 B.C.)
• Xerxes/Ahasuerus (485-464 B.C.)
• Artaxerxes (464-423 B.C.)
– Leaders (early) – 538 – 516 B.C.
• Zerubbabel (governor)
Rebuilding
• Joshua (priest)
the Temple
• Haggai & Zechariah (prophets)
– Leaders (late) – 458 – 433 B.C.
• Nehemiah (governor)
Rebuilding
• Ezra (priest & scribe)
the Walls
• Malachi (prophet)
7. Ezra Setting for Haggai
• 1:1-5
– God had given control to Cyrus to accomplish His purposes
– God remembers His word, and begins to fulfill it
– God stirs the spirit of men (Cyrus & the exiles)
– God acts for His glory (“The house of the LORD”)
– “May God’s presence be with His people” – v. 3
• 3:1-6
– The altar is rebuilt, but not the temple
• 3:8-11
– The foundation of the temple is laid
• 3:12-13
– Mixed reaction to the laying of the foundation of the temple
• 4:24 – 5:2, 24
– Temple building is frustrated and stopped
8. Ezra 5:1-2
Now the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah the
son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who
were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of
the God of Israel who was over them. 2 Then
Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Joshua
the son of Jozadak arose and began to
rebuild the house of God that is in
Jerusalem, and the prophets of God were
with them, supporting them.
9. The Book of Haggai
• 2 Evidences of God’s blessing
– The people had returned to the Land
– The people were dwelling in the Land (18 yrs)
But…“You looked for much & it came to little” vs. 9, 5-6
• 2 Divine Activities – “Thus says the LORD of hosts”
10. Percentages of verses in books
containing the phrase, “LORD of hosts”
• Malachi (43.6%) • Habakkuk (1.8%)
• Haggai (31.6%) • Micah (1.0%)
• Zechariah (21.8%) • 2 Samuel (0.9%)
• Amos (6.1%) • Psalms (0.7%)
• Jeremiah (5.9%) • 1 Samuel (0.6%)
• Isaiah (4.7%) • Hosea (0.5%)
• Nahum (4.3%) First used in 1 Sam 1,
the term not only
• Zephaniah (3.8%) refers to, but signals
the activity of God
11. The Book of Haggai
• 2 Evidences of God’s blessing • 2 Motivations – 1:8
– The people had returned to the Land – God’s pleasure (favor)
– The people were dwelling in the Land (18 yrs) – God’s glory (weighty)
But…“You looked for much & it came to little”
• 2 Divine Activities – “Thus says the LORD of hosts” • 2 Responses – 1:12
– Drought, blight, mildew & hail – 1:11 / 2:17 – They obeyed command
– Dispersing the products of their labors – They feared consequen.
“It was I who did these things to you!” But…“Is it not as nothing?”
This came at the end of the
• 2 Problems – 2:10-14 summer harvest, and just
– The people are unclean before planting their
– Their works (what they touch) are unclean Thewinter crops –busy were
people were they
They say “it is not time”… & dwell in paneled houses about all other aspectsobeyed.
busy, but still they of
worship – cf. Ezr 3:4-6a
• 2 Solutions …except obedience to their
– Consider your ways – 1:7 primary mission
– Build the house – 1:8
12. “The Day of Small Things”
• Hag 2:3 – Is it not as nothing in your eyes?
• Ezra 3:10-12 – And when the builders laid the foundation of
the temple . . . many of the priests and Levites and heads of
fathers' houses, old men who had seen the first house, wept
with a loud voice when they saw the foundation of this house
being laid, though many shouted aloud for joy
• Zech 4:10 – Who has despised the day of small things?
• Hag 2:9 – The latter glory of this house shall be greater than
the former, says the LORD of hosts
13. The Book of Haggai
• 2 Evidences of God’s blessing • 2 Motivations – 1:8
– The people had returned to the Land – God’s pleasure (favor)
– The people were dwelling in the Land (18 yrs) – God’s glory (weighty)
But…“You looked for much & it came to little”
• 2 Divine Activities – “Thus says the LORD of hosts” • 2 Responses – 1:12
– Drought, blight, mildew & hail – 1:11 / 2:17 – They obeyed command
– Dispersing the products of their labors – They feared consequen.
“It was I who did these things to you!” But…“Is it not as nothing?”
• 2 Problems – 2:10-14 • 1 Encouragement
– The people are unclean – I am with you – 1:13
– Their works (what they touch) are unclean – My Spirit remains – 2:5
They say “it is not time”… & dwell in paneled houses cf. Zech 4:6 (present tense)
• 2 Solutions • 2 Results
– Consider your ways – 1:7 – I will bless you – 2:19
– Build the house – 1:8 – I will use you – v.23
14. Result of God’s Blessing
Ezra 6:7-12 – Decree by King Darius
• Let the work on this house of God alone
• You shall provide what is needed
– “day by day”
– “without fail”
• Do not alter this edict (upon pain of death!)
• Let it be accomplished with all diligence
Ezra 6:13-16
• They built & prospered
• They finished their building by the decree of the God of Israel
– And by decree of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes
• They celebrated the dedication of the temple with joy
15. Text: Haggai Height of Conflict: Reversal:
Haggai & Zechariah prophesy to The leaders & people obey & fear the LORD their God
(Ezra, Zechariah) God’s people in the name of the The prophets convince them of God’s presence
God of Israel – the LORD of hosts The LORD stirs their spirits to accomplish the work
Conflict Intensifies:
Resolution Begins:
Altar is rebuilt
Foundation of Temple is laid The people come to work on the house of the LORD
“People of the land” discourage “people of Judah” The work is despised as “the day of small things”
Work on the house of God in Jerusalem is stopped Renewed promise of presence, glory & shalom
Driving Conflict:
People settle into working on their own houses
God strikes the land, the people, and their labors God’s presence
with His people Conflict Unravels:
accomplishes His
Conflict Builds: program Haggai’s explan. & promise of God’s blessing
God stirs up the spirits of His people …as opposed to… Zech.’s visions & promise of God’s presence
God’s people return to the Land God’s people
accomplishing a
program to secure
God’s presence
Setting: Occasioning Event: Conflict Resolved: Outcome:
538 B.C. Cyrus’ decree: Letter from Darius The LORD’s temple in Jerusalem
securing provisions is finished
(in exile) Rebuild the LORD’s temple
in Jerusalem & forbidding prevention
16. “Zechariah stresses that God’s presence will
create the conditions necessary to reconstruct
the temple rather than requiring the temple’s
reconstruction as a precondition for his return.”
Hartle, James A. “The Literary Unity of Zechariah,”
The Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 35:2
(June 1992): 150.
17. So, what does this have to do with us
as we enter 2012?
• The people had lost sight of their primary objective
– “Build the house”
– Instead, they were busy making their lives comfortable
– What is our primary objective?
• “Going into all the world, make disciples…”
• “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God,
and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”
• “For to me, to live is Christ…”
• “But grow in the grace & knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ”
– What are we busy about (honestly)?
– What have we planned to be busy about this year?
18. So, what does this have to do with us
as we enter 2012?
• The people had lost sight of their primary objective
• As a result, their labors were being frustrated
• God was never far away – He had not turned away from
them, but was waiting for them to turn back to Him, and
to put Him first
• It’s not that God doesn’t care about the regular stuff of
life; but He can’t bless us if that’s what we are primarily
concerned about
• While God had a program for them to accomplish, He
wasn’t waiting for them to do it for Him, but instead, He
wanted them to do it with Him
19. And lest we think this doesn’t apply
to us in this dispensation . . .
20. But seek first the Kingdom of God
and His righteousness
And all these things shall be added unto you.
Mat 6:33
21. What does “putting God first” look like
for you in 2012?
• Restarting family devotions
• Restarting personal devotions
• Asking God to change the way you pray – from
blessing your comforts to changing your heart
• Being more bold in witnessing
• Being more committed in church attendance
or church membership
• Bible memorization
• Etc.
22. But, as we put God first this year
May God bless us,
every one,
in 2012!
