You will notice in Ezra chapter 5, the first prophet mentioned is the prophet Haggai. I've entitled this message, Haggai's Call to Rebuild. At the end of the 70 years of the Babylonian captivity, God moved Cyrus. It was prophesied 200 years before this would take place.

God moved Cyrus to tell the children of Israel, the ones who wanted to go back, to go back. And 50,000 people left to go back and rebuild the temple and to set up the walls of Jerusalem. They took the four-month journey to Jerusalem to rebuild And for 15 years, they met constant opposition. God told them to do it, and yet there was constant, non-stop opposition.

Look in Ezra chapter four, beginning in verse 17. Then sent the king an answer unto Rahim, the chancellor, and to Shimshi, the scribe, and to the rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria, and to the rest beyond the river, peace, And at such a time, the letter which you sent unto us hath been plainly read before me, and I commanded, and search hath been made, and it's found that this city of old time hath made insurrection against the kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made therein, the city of Jerusalem. There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, which had ruled over all countries beyond the river, talking about David and Solomon. and toll, tribute, and custom was paid unto them. Give ye now commandment to cause these men to cease, and that this city be not builded until another commandment shall be given from me. Take heed now that you fail not to do this.

Why should damage grow to the herd of the kings? Now, when the copy of King Artaxerxes' letter was read before Rehum and Shemshi the scribe and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem under the Jews and made them to cease by force and power, then ceased the work of the house of God, which is at Jerusalem.

So it ceased under the second year of the reign of Darius, King of Persia. Do you remember who Darius was? You remember the story of Daniel and the lion's den? This Darius. And then for 15 years, the building ceased. That's a long time. 15 years. Perhaps they had simply become discouraged. Perhaps they settle into living without the building, even though this is why God sent them to Jerusalem in the first place. And then along comes Haggai. Would you turn with me to the book of Haggai? It's the third to the last book in the Old Testament. Malachi, Zechariah, Haggai. And I'm going to read to you how God comes as God's.

Haggai chapter 1, in the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month. Now, I want us to think about Darius for a moment. Turn with me, hold your finger there in Haggai, and turn with me to Daniel chapter 6. This was Darius' experience. Daniel chapter 6, beginning in verse 10. He is the one who commanded them to begin the building again. And I want us to remember this event took place before this time that Haggai came. So he already had some familiarity with the God of Israel. Daniel chapter six, verse 10.

Now, when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, that's where Darius, there was a law made that you weren't allowed to pray for 30 days to any God but him. Now, when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house and his windows opened in his chamber.

He didn't close his window so people wouldn't see it. He wanted them to see it. Not for showing off like the Pharisees, but he wanted them to know that he wasn't going to submit to that law. His windows being opened in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did a four time before this law was made.

Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication for his God. They knew he was going to do it because they said, we can't find anything against him except to be with his God. We can't find anything against this man. Then came they near and spake unto the king concerning the king's decree. Hast thou not signed a decree that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within 30 days save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, the thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. This is so significant.

No law could be altered once it was made. It could not be altered. Then answered they and said before the king that Daniel, which is the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree which thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day. Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself. You see, Daniel was his right-hand man, and he loved Daniel, but he knew he could not change the law. Once the law is made, it can't be changed.

And he set his heart on Daniel to deliver him, and he labored to the going down of the sun to deliver him. Then these men assembled unto the king and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and the Persians is that no decree nor statue which the king establishes may be changed.

Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God, whom thou service continually, he will deliver thee. And a stone was brought and laid upon the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet. with the signet of his lords, that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel. Then the king went to his palace and passed the night fasting. Neither was instruments of music brought before him, and his sleep went from him, Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste into the den of the lions. And when he came into the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel. And the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live forever, my God hath sent his angel. and to shut the lion's mouth, that they have not hurt me.

For as much as before him, innocency was found in me." Do you know if you're a believer that's true of you too? Innocency is found in you, sinlessness. He wasn't talking about his own personal merits. He was talking about the innocency that's found in being a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, being represented by him.

And also before the old king, I've done no hurt. Then was the king exceedingly glad for him and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den and no matter of hurt was found upon him because he believed in his God.

And the king commanded that they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of the lions. Then their children, their wives, and their lions had the mastery of them and break all their bones in pieces wherever they came at the bottom of the den.

Then King Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages that dwell in the earth, peace be multiplied unto you, I make a decree. Remember, this decree can't be altered. I'll make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom, men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, and steadfast forever, and his kingdom, that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.

He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions. So this Daniel prospered in the area of Darius, in the reign of Cyrus the Persian. So this was Darius' experience of the God of Israel.

And so Haggai speaks at this time. Now let's go back to the book of Haggai. In the second year of Darius, Darius is going to be the one who orders the building to begin. In the second year of Darius, the king, In the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the Lord by Haggai, the prophet. And to Zerubbabel, the son of Sheol, Teal, governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the son of Josedek, the high priest, thus speaketh the Lord of hosts and say, this people say, the time has not come. The time that the Lord's house should be built.

The time has not come. The people had stopped the building. They'd been forced to, and they carried on with their own lives. And the Lord of hosts comes to these people and says, why are you saying the time has not come? That they were wrong to stop building. Well, they were forced to. They were still wrong. If God's for you, who can be against you? They should have continued. building.

Now, I understand. I put myself in their place. I probably would have stopped too. If people were pointing their cannons at me and getting ready to kill me, they stopped. And then they got used to their lives. And I suppose that things were going well for them during this time.

Now, what about this temple they stopped building? This temple is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's the Old Testament declaration of Jesus Christ and him crucified. The priest, the sacrifice, the accepted sacrifice, God's acceptance of the sacrifice. This is the finished work. They were supposed to finish it, and they didn't. The building was left unfinished. And they said, it's not time to rebuild the building.

We will soon in the future. Now, I've said this before. If you haven't heard it before, listen to it carefully. There are two false refuges that men hide in. The past and the future. The past, what I did, what I experienced. The future, what I'm going to do. Works. Works. That's all that is. I look to the past, when I believed, what I experienced, what I did, the future, what I intend to do. Beloved, the time to believe is now. Now is the accepted time. Today is the day of salvation. Now, it was part laziness, part satisfaction with our own lives, but it was a failure to do what God said to do. The time to believe is now.

This people, verse two, thus speaketh the Lord of hosts. These people say, the time has not come. The time has not come that the Lord's house should be built. Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying, is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your sealed houses? And this house lied waste. Now, sealed houses means big, expensive houses. They were doing well. They were settling in Jerusalem, had their wives, their kids, building a family. This was a 15-year period. They were doing well.

He said, is it true that you have time for your houses and let my house lay waste? Verse five, therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, Consider your ways, and he gives five examples, all of which represent not finding satisfaction. Look what he says. Consider your ways.

You sow much and bring in little. You don't reap what you sow. You reap a lot less than you sowed. You eat, but you have not enough. You're not satisfied. You drink, but you're not filled with drink. You're still thirsty. You clothe you. but there's none warm. It doesn't give you any warm. You're outrageous. And it's like putting your money in your pocket with holes and it all comes out and you end up having nothing. Now, all of these things speak of insufficiency, inadequacy, not satisfied, left short, knowing you're missing something.

Verse six or verse seven, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, consider your ways, consider this of you not building the temple. Now, like I said, the temple of Jesus Christ, and that's what this temple is, the temple of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. It's the New Testament, it's the Old Testament type of the New Testament person, Savior, the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. That's what the temple represents in every degree. And to fail to build the temple and to finish the work is to fail to look to Christ and His finished work. That is the point because there's only satisfaction in looking to Him and Him alone and His finished work.

You remember the words of the Lord to the Woman of Samaria, whoso drinketh of this water shall thirst again, but whoso drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst, but the water that I shall give him shall be of a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

Now, if you look to Christ, You don't look for anything else. You're satisfied. You don't want anything else. You're plumb satisfied to be saved by Him and Him alone. You find satisfaction. You're not thirsting for more. His covering is a perfect covering for you. You don't want anything else.

He's your necessary food and drink. You eat and drink. He is your eat and drink. He is your food. He is the bread of heaven. He is the water of life. You find perfect satisfaction in looking to Him, resting in Him. I can't tell you how much I love this verse of Scripture. When He had by Himself purged our sins.

He did it by himself. I made no contribution. He did this all by himself. He didn't even have the help of his father at this time. This was his work of purging sins when he had by himself purged our sins. He sat because the work was finished. That's what the finishing of this building represents, the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. And they were allowing it to lay waste. And he was calling upon them to finish the work, to look to Christ alone.

Now verse seven, thus saith the Lord of hosts, consider your ways and build the house, and I will take pleasure in you, no, in it. All of God's pleasure is in Christ. His pleasure is not you building it. He's just using you to build it. His pleasure is in Christ. This is my beloved Son in whom I'm well pleased. Hear ye Him. And not only will I be pleased in this house, I will be glorified. Oh, the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.

He gets all the glory and salvation because He did it all, and we love it that way because that means it's Him doing it all. If He doesn't get all the glory, that means there's something we have to do. But no, there's nothing we have to do. He gets all the glory.

When that house is finished, God says, I'll have pleasure in it, and I'll be glorified. I have glorified Thee on the earth. I have finished the work. thou gavest me to do." Now, this is what this rebuilding of this temple represents, the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. And what satisfaction and peace we find in that.

Verse 9, you look for much, and lo, it came to little. When you brought it home, I didn't blow upon it. Why sayeth the Lord of hosts? Because of mine house that's waste, and you ran every man into his own house. The only place of security and safety and salvation is in this house. Finished. And here you are running to your own house, running to your own self, running to your own works.

Verse 10, therefore the heaven over you has stayed from dew, and the earth has stayed from her fruit. And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labor of their hands. Then Zerubbabel, now this is the message he brought them in this time of inactivity, not seeking to build the house. Then Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua, the son of Joshadech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the Lord. Then said Haggai, the Lord's messenger, and the Lord's message unto the people, saying, I am with you, save the Lord. What else needs to be said?

They shouldn't have quit building the house. If God be for us, God's with us, isn't he? If God be for us, who can be against us? If God be with us, who can be against us? There's never a time to cease doing the Lord's building for this finished house, this looking to Christ alone. Then spake Haggai, the Lord's messenger, and the Lord's message unto the people, saying, I'm with you, saith the Lord, and the Lord.

Now remember how Zerubbabel and Joshua, the high priest, rose up to build the building. Here's why. And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua, the son of Joshedek, the high priest, and the spirit of the remnant of the people. And they came and did his work in the house of the Lord of hosts, their God." Now, this is so encouraging to me. Why did Zerubbabel and Joshua and the people begin this work again.

Because the Lord stirred their spirit. Now here's what this says to me. Lord, stir my spirit. Lord, stir my spirit. Don't leave me to myself. Don't leave me to my own understanding. Don't leave me to my own will. Don't leave me to my own thoughts. Don't leave me to my... Stir my spirit!

And what an encouraging this is in the preaching of the gospel. Don't you want the Lord to stir your spirit? I know that there's going to be people respond to the gospel message for this reason. The Lord will stir their spirit. And that's what took place here. The Lord stirred their spirit.

In the fourth and 20th day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius, the king. Now remember this Darius. We already read about him in Daniel chapter six. And that event took place before this took place. He knew God. Verse chapter two, verse one, in the seventh month, in the one and 20th day of the month, came the word of the Lord by the prophet Haggai, saying, speak not as a rebbeble, the son of Sheol-Tiel, governor of Judah, and Joshua, the son of Joshua-Dec, and the high priest, and to the rest of the people, saying, who is left among you that saw this house in its first glory? How do you see it now? It's not in your eyes, not in your eyes, in comparison, as of nothing.

There were some very old people at that time, and they remembered Solomon's temple. They were there. Now, most of the people had never been to Jerusalem before this. They came because God stirred their hearts up to do it, but they'd never been there. But there were some really old people that came, and they must have been in their 90s at least at this time, or 100, but they remembered the glory of that temple. And he said, this one in your eyes is nothing compared to that one. And that speaks of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, his first coming, his coming.

Well, he was born in a barn in the midst of the smell of manure. No wealth. He came as just Well, there's no form nor comeliness. When we should see him, there's no beauty that we should desire. That's how he came. Nobody was impressed with him. They didn't know that he was the glory of God, that he was the brightness of God's glory. It was veiled. They didn't know who he was. His own family members didn't know who he was. They weren't impressed. You're not impressed?

Well, the time has come when you will be. Verse 4, yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, even though this doesn't seem impressive. You know, in the book of Zechariah, he's the other prophet prophesying. We're going to consider a message by him next week. But you remember when he said, who has despised the day of small things? These things seem small to you. They're not with God. Yet be strong, those irreparable, saith the Lord, and be strong, O Joshua the son of Joshedek, the high priest, and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work for, and he renews this promise, I am with you. That is the heritage of every believer.

He's with you. When you're not aware of it, when you're not even thinking about him, he's with you. with you, yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for thou art with me. Now, walking through the valley of the shadow of death is walking through this, right now we're walking through it. But fear not, he's with you. And he tells these people, don't stop this work because I'm with you.

Verse five, according to the word that I covenanted with you, when you came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you, fear not." Now I love, he reminds them of his covenant. This is hundreds of years later, and he talks about the covenant he made when they came out of Egypt.

It's the same covenant that David spoke of when he said, although my house be not so with God, yet hath he made with me an everlasting covenant. Now the only hope of the gospel is the covenant that God has made. And it's not a covenant He made with you, it's a covenant He made with His Son. And we're the beneficiaries in it, being in Him, but it's a covenant He made with His Son. And everything He says is based upon His covenant promises. A covenant making, covenant keeping, faithful God. He says, I speak according to the covenant.

Fear not, verse six, for thus saith the Lord of hosts, yet once, it's a little while, I'll shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land, and I'll shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with glory. save the Lord of hosts. You see it as not so impressive. One time in not too long, you're going to see it as the most glorious thing there is, filled with my glory. Now, this is a reference to the first and the second comings of Christ.

But I love the way he calls his beloved son, the desire of all nations. Isn't that a beautiful name for the Lord Jesus Christ? the desire of all nations. I love the way he's called by John, the savior of the world. And he'll have a people out of every kindred, tongue, tribe, and nations. Truly, he is the desire of all nations. He's the savior of the world. There's one God, one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. This is the message to the world. The glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, I'll shake all nations. The desire of all nations shall come and I'll fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts.

Now the silver is mine and the gold is mine, saith the Lord. The building materials are mine. Now you show mercy and grace. to us to serve our hearts, but we realize the only reason we're acting is because you stirred our hearts, and we know all the building materials are yours, the silver and the gold. Now, here's this promise, verse nine. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord. This house that you're not impressed with, it's going to be more glorious than the one you remember from Solomon.

And in this place will I give, what? Peace. Peace. In this place, the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember when he said, these things have I spoken unto you that in me, you might have peace. You're not gonna have any peace anywhere else. You're not gonna have any peace looking to yourself, to your own works, to anything that you do or don't do. The only place you'll find peace is in this place, the Lord Jesus Christ, having made peace by the blood of his cross.

Chew on that for a moment. having made peace by the blood of his cross. And you that were before times enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight. That is peace.

Having been justified, having been justified, I'm 66 years old. I don't know how long I've been a believer. I don't know. Do you know when you're first saved? No, I don't. I've got guesses. Sometimes I think it couldn't have been then. Sometimes I didn't think it didn't happen until today.

You know, I've felt that way before. But I know this, I am more mystified and enamored with God making a way to be just and justify this ungodly sinner. I'm more enamored in a way that magnifies his justice and his honored law, his glorious person. I'm more amazed.

Yes, this is not a doctrine. This is God-glorifying truth. Yes, it is a doctrine, the doctrine of justification by faith, but oh, how it glorifies God and gives every believer peace. Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God. God's at peace with me. He is satisfied with me. He's not looking for anything else from me because he has all, he is in my peace. The Lord Jesus Christ. Peace by Jesus Christ. He is Lord of all.

The only peace and satisfaction there is is looking to Christ alone. Christ and produces nothing but no peace. When do you look to Christ alone? When he's all you got, and you don't have anything else. That is to look to Christ alone, and that's the only place you find satisfaction. That's the only place you find peace.

Why did they stop building? Well, a combination of the force and power of art, Xerxes, and their own spiritual apathy and indifference. But when the Lord stirred up their hearts, instead of running back to their old house, they ran back to the temple for the temple to be finished. Speaking of the finished work of Christ.

Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you for who you are. How we thank you that salvation is of the Lord. How we thank you that you stir up the hearts of your people. And Lord, we ask that you would stir up our hearts in the preaching of the gospel. Oh Lord, enable us all to be involved in the preaching of the gospel, the building of your spiritual house, your holy temple made of your people. Bless this message for Christ's sake. In his name we pray.