Last week: Ezra 4 – 85 years of opposition during reigns of 4 Persian kings Tempted to compromise (Ezra 4:1-3) Tempted to fear (Ezra 4:4-4) God’s people have always faced opposition when doing God’s work. We think that opposition is from people 'For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ' – Ephesians 6:12 We have an enemy that seeks to steal, kill and destroy. His tools are lies, temptation, deception. Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build… Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia – Ezra 4:4&24

Great Start/Fizzled Finish Rebuilt the altar. Resumed sacrificial worship. Laid again the foundation of the temple. Had prophecies to rebuild, leaders, materials, decree and funding from King Cyrus. But they stopped for 10 years – WHY? Discouraged by local peoples. Fearful of powerful enemies. What can help in the face of opposition? How can you keep going in fear? How can you have courage to go again?

Ezra 5:1-2 God sent Haggai & Zechariah, two prophets to encourage the Jews to rebuild.

Haggai 1:1-3/4-6 v. 2. “the people said it wasn’t time to build the temple” v. 4. Their priorities exposed: they built their own houses and neglected the temple v. 6. “Consider your ways” Sow much/harvest little. Eat/never enough. Drink/never full. Clothe/never warm. Work/nothing to show for it.

Haggai 1:7-11 v. 8. Go get the materials and build the house. v. 8b. “That I may take pleasure in it and may be glorified” God exposes the truth: the people were more concerned for their own pleasure, their own glory and neglected the glory of God. Putting their own glory ahead of God’s glory is the sin of idolatry.

The result: They worked but had nothing to show for it. They were never satisfied. The deception of idolatry: idolatry promises to satisfy, but can never fulfill you

In His kindness, God exposed their idolatry as hollow and empty. “I blew it away” (v. 9). I called for a drought (v. 11). He showed them that spending their lives on food, drink, clothes, wages was wasting their lives.

Haggai 1:12-13 / 14-15

The truth of God’s Word was spoken The people’s excuses were exposed The people’s self-centered priorities were revealed God opposed the people when their priorities were wrong The people repented of their self-centered lives God re-affirmed his Presence with them

God’s word to his people • Exposes the sin of idolatry as hollow and empty • Speaks the truth that our fulfilment is found God’s glory • Replaces our fear with courage in the promise of God’s presence