Imagine a sterile scalpel falling on the floor during a surgery. Would the surgeon simply say, “Well, the instrument was sterile, therefore the floor must also be. Pick it up and hand it to me”? That ridiculous illustration puts in modern terms, the illustration the Lord uses in Haggai 2:10–23.
Beware of sin’s defiling power. Sin pollutes, corrupts, and impacts your life. God says, “Ask the priests.” The priests had the responsibility of instructing the people, including in matters of ritual purity, Leviticus 10:10,11. In the Old Testament ceremonial laws, certain things and certain people were holy, set apart to God in a special way. There were elaborate ceremonies for consecrating priests for their role of handling the holy things. This holiness reflected the character of God. Thus Uzzah was punished with death for touching the ark in David’s day. Haggai asks the priests to rule on the question as to whether ritual holiness, ritual purification, could be transferred and their response is negative. Haggai addresses the people as they have been rebuilding for a couple of months. He is interested, not only in their progress in construction, but even more in their seeing their relationship with their God. The ceremonial cleansings were not primarily about modern sanitation (though they may have had some benefits in that direction). Haggai’s second question focuses on the ceremonial defilement that came from contact with a dead body. Not only did the person who had touched the body become ceremonially unclean, anything or anyone he touched became unclean. Anyone who was ceremonially unclean was prohibited from entering the Temple or participating in public worship. The point of the second question was a strong reminder of just how easy it was to become ceremonially unclean. (You see this reflected in the practice in Jesus’ day of Jews refusing to enter the home of a Gentile.) The message behind the ceremonies was a lesson in the corrupting effects of sin. The attitude of the people, though outwardly religious, had been one of neglect of the Lord and his Temple. This attitude of heart had affected their entire lives with its corruption, verse 14. Remember that you can’t isolate sin to one area of your life and tolerate it there. Sin, wherever it exists, has a corrupting, defiling effect.
Give careful thought to God’s actions. Haggai calls you to look both ways. Look back at what you have experienced. Look ahead at what God will be doing. Look beneath the surface. The people had delayed starting the rebuilding because times were difficult. Haggai wants you to take a close look, and respond to the Lord, not just to surface appearances. The people had experienced frustration. What they had was far less than what they reasonably (from their perspective) expected. The shortages were the Lord’s judgments, the result of God’s personal activity. Verse 17 refers to or even quotes Amos 4:9. The problems served the purpose of calling the people back to their God. Sin has its defiling effects. It corrupts your whole life.
“Works, however splendid they may appear before our eyes, are of no value or importance before God, except they flow from a pure heart.” John Calvin, (Commentary on Haggai)
Trust in Jesus Christ, who cleanses us! The prophet speaks, assuring you, the Lord will bless you! The Lord deals faithfully with his covenant people. There is a tie between obedience and his blessing.
God graciously came to his people and summoned them, through Haggai, to renewed obedience. That call was heeded, and they began to rebuild. Now God promises his blessing. The source of the blessing is God’s grace, not the obedience of the people. Nevertheless, the blessing cannot be divorced from covenantal obedience.
The blessing comes despite the prevailing defilement of uncleanness. You can experience God’s blessing, not by doing a bit of good here and there to earn his favor, but only if the Lord deals with the defilement of sin. That is why the rebuilding of the Temple was so important—for there the guilt and defilement of sin was dealt with. Only a sovereign, gracious God can deal with the defiling work of sin by sending One to take away the sin of the world. And when Jesus came, he overcame the defiling power of sin. That is illustrated in his dealing with the leper in Luke 5. The leper pleads for healing. Others avoid the man who is “unclean.” But Jesus touches him and heals. The Savior is not contaminated by disease, by pollution, or by your sin. He removes it!. In that grace you experience the blessing of God’s favor — from this day on. What the Aaronic blessing anticipated, God actually accomplishes in the sending of his Son. That is the real blessing which Haggai promises.
“Jesus Christ… can wash us thoroughly from all the defilement of sin in His own blood. He can quicken us, and revive us by His own Spirit. He can cleanse our hearts, open the eyes of our understandings, renew our wills, and make us whole. There is medicine to heal our sickness. If we are lost it is not because we cannot be saved. However corrupt our hearts, and however wicked our past lives, there is hope for us in the Gospel. There is no case of spiritual leprosy too hard for Christ.” (J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, Vol. 2, p. 137)
The Lord reigns! The Lord shakes the nations for the sake of his people.
The Lord shakes the earth to build his kingdom. Jerusalem and the temple rebuilding project seem minor in international affairs. Yet the Lord promises to shake the nations (see verse 6), judging them, in order that his people might prosper. Although they did grow in the promised land for a time, the shaking is ultimately the establishment of the messianic kingdom, Hebrews 12:26. This temple building project is important, for it anticipates a far greater temple. The returned exiles had faced opposition. Now God promises to overturn those who opposed him. The language recalls the destruction of Sodom, and the drowning of Egypt’s hosts in the sea. The Lord is present as the Judge and as the Vindicator of his people.
“What’s the meaning of that little temple in the midst of the great Persian empire? Faith responds that it has caught sight of Messianic prospects. This applies to Zerubbabel as well as today’s church… In the light of Christ’s coming, we see how important the temple is.” (C. Vanderwall, Search the Scriptures, Vol. 6, p. 97)
Thank the Lord for his signet ring. The Lord chooses his own. Zerubbabel, the civil leader, is the one chosen by the Lord. The Lord, in contrast with the thrones and kingdoms, makes this announcement. Your relationship with the Lord starts with his choice of you. Because God has chosen you, live as those who belong to him. Move forward in obedience. The Lord appoints his signet ring. The promise to Zerubbabel is the reversing of the curse on Jehoiachin, Jeremiah 22:24. The signet is not only precious, it certifies authenticity. The event takes place on the day of the Lord. Zerubbabel, governor, because Israel no longer could have a king, is not just a makeshift ruler. Rather, as the Lord’s signet, he anticipates the reality of the Messianic King. Luke 5 goes on to record the Messiah both healing a paralyzed man and forgives his sin. The risen Savior is the One to whom all authority in heaven and earth has been given.
The One who removes defilement is the One chosen by God, the Savior who is busy purifying his bride to present her spotless. He welcomes you today!