Transcript A Powerful Prayer Life

Life & Times of the
Minor Prophets
Prior Lesson: Anthony Alford
 Josiah
 Obediah
 Zephenia
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Life & Times:
Haggai
Sunday School Series
Lesson 9 – Perry Parks
Topics
 Last
four kings of Judah Overview
 The
Exile and the Return
 The
Message of Haggai
Goal
High-level view to help enrich your personal study
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The Timeline
Last 4 Kings of Judah
Jehoahaz – Josiah’s Son
 Put
in place by Elders after Josiah’s death
 3 month rule
 Taken captive by Pharaoh Neco (Egypt)
Jehoiakim (Eliakim)-Josiah’s Son
 Chance
to prevent exile (Jeremiah 26)
 Ignored Jeremiah…Killed the prophet Uriah
 Rebelled against Babylon in 605 BC
 Captured and exiled by to Babylon
 Deportation of Daniel
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The Trip to Babylon (900 mi?!)
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Jehoiachin –Taken to Babylon
 Last
king in line of David
 Taken to Babylon…Zerubbabel’s grandfather
 Temple plundered…people exiled (597 BC)
Zedekiah(Mattaniah) - Burned
 Jehoiachin’s
uncle…Ignored Jeremiah
 Rebelled against Babylon…killed fo rebellion.
 Temple Destroyed; Walls demolished (586 BC)
 Last group of exiles make the Journey
Land is desolate…people are exiled to Babylon
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The Exile & the Return
The Foreign Kings of the Exile
 Nebuchadnezzar
 Belshazzar
 Cyrus
–Babylon
- Babylon
– Medo-Persia
All humbled by God…All used as his instruments
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Nebuchadnezzar
 Daniel
& the Dream (Dan 2)
 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Dan 3)
 Driven Insane until he praises God (Dan 4)
“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and
glorify the King of heaven, because everything
he does is right and all his ways are just. And
those who walk in pride he is able to humble.”
(Daniel 4:37)
All humbled by God…All used as his instruments
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Belshazzar (Dan 5)
 Threw
a party with temple treasures
 Ghost hand wrote his judgment on the wall
 Condemned for not learning from father
 Kingdom conquered that night…Medo-Persia
 Medo-Persia’s rule over Judah from 539 BC
All humbled by God…All used as his instruments
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Cyrus the Great & the prophesy
 Ended
exile in 538 BC…prophesied by Isaiah
 Isaiah 44:28-45:7…written 688 BC…150yrs before
 Manuscripts exists today that pre-date Cyrus!
 Cyrus responds appropriately:
“The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the
kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a
temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people
among you may go up, and may the LORD their God be
with them.” (2 Chron 36:23)
All humbled by God…All used as his instruments
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The Return from Exile(Ezra1-3)
3 Trips…900 miles!
 Zerubbabel
 Ezra
in 538 BC – Cyrus – 50K ppl
80 yrs later –458 BC–Artaxerxes -2K ppl
 Nehemiah
12yrs later – 445 BC –Artaxerxes-few
Focusing today on the FIRST trip, Zerubbabel & Haggai
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Deciding to Stay or Go
 1st
trip: 50,000 ppl…many stayed behind
 Long,
difficult road…many Jews were wealthy
 Traveling 900 mi to a ruined city
 God moved the hearts of a committed few
God First…great zeal upon return!
 Nervous
about surrounding peoples (Ezra 3:3)
 Built altar…started worshiping, though afraid
 Began to lay foundation of temple
Be constantly willing to change your lifestyle to build God’s Kingdom!
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The Opposition
The would-be Samaritans
 Resettled
 The
after Assyrian conquest (722 BC)
“Nice guy approach” (Ezra 4)
 Zerubbabel
 The
rejects their help (Ez 4:2)
opposition escalates…bribing officials
 Few
faithful hands > many unfaithful hands
Do not be yoked with unbelievers (2 Cor 6:14)
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Running out of Gas?!
 Temple
work stop after a few yrs…535 BC
 Cyrus
dies 529 BC...Darius rules from 522BC
 Focus
shifted to building homes not the temple
 Dissapointed
A
in temple foundation? (Ezra4:12)
once zealous people lose perspective
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The Message of Haggai
The book of Haggai
 Message
 Ch1

to Zerubbabel & Joshua
– Breaking them down
God calls the people to focus on HIM
 Ch
2 – Building them up

Focus on His glory in the temple, not how it looks

God declares them holy and promises fruit

He encourages Zerubbabel for his faithfulness
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Haggai 1:1-12 –the breakdown
 God
frustrated their work to expose their focus
 If
we focus on God he will take care of us
 If
we focus on us, he will get our attention
 They
 Fruit
repented in their fear…got back to work!
grows by watering the root…not the fruit
Seek first His Kingdom, and God will take care of the rest
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Haggai 1:13-15 – the build-up
 “I

am with you.” THE great promise;
inspires boldness, courage and resolve!
 God
stirred their spirits to be willing to work!
 Same
promise when we seek & save the lost!
 God’s
spirit protects us AND motivates us.
Ps 51…begging God’s spirit to be with & motivate
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Haggai 2:1-9– I am with you…
Temple was looking less impressive outwardly…
…but God promised more glory inwardly!
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Haggai 2:10-19– I will bless you
 Object
lesson on the importance of holiness
 Before
this God’s hand was against them…
 …after
this day it will be FOR them.
 “From
this day on I will bless you.” (2:19)
God declares an end to their fruitless labor
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Haggai 2:20-23– the signet ring
 The
Lord will display his power,
 Zerubbabel…chosen
 God
to be God’s signet ring
is pleased when we lead others to him
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Lessons Learned…
Matt 6:33 – Seek First His Kingdom
“Water the root, not the fruit”
Spend your energy on getting what you want…
…He will keep you from it to get your attention!
More than he wants us comfortable…
…He wants us HOME
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Go get your Kids!!