Theme: The Betrothal of God with His
Church
1) A story worth telling
2) A home to establish
Everyone loves a good engagement story,
right? Most people want to make the moment of their engagement to be married a
memorable one. Sometimes, this means surprising your significant other. And it
usually makes for a good story to be told later. When most couples announce
their engagement, the first question in response is, “Well, how did he ask?”
We’re not in the wedding season right
now, but Christmas does remind us of marriage. One of the central themes to the
Christmas story is the betrothal of Joseph and Mary. We often use the word
engagement today, since our culture doesn’t really have an equivalent to the
Jewish custom of betrothal. The Jewish betrothal was an unbreakable promise
between man and woman. It was tantamount to the marriage vow and it was serious
offense to break a betrothal. In that culture, breaking the betrothal would
have been viewed as a divorce. The betrothal promise signified that the man and
woman had committed to one another before God and were simply waiting for the
formal wedding ceremony to live as husband and wife.
Our idea of engagement is looser. In our
culture, the marriage vows are made in the formal service. Now, with an
understanding of the betrothal, think of Mary and Joseph’s situation at the
time for Jesus’ conception/birth. They were committed to one another but they
were not to live as husband and wife yet. You can understand why we’re told
that Joseph thought he should quietly break off the betrothal with Mary. In his
mind, as well as everyone else’s, Mary had betrayed him and committed adultery.
There was no other logical explanation as to how she could become pregnant.
But, as we know, Mary’s pregnancy was no ordinary pregnancy. And as the angel
revealed to Joseph, there was no foul play involved. Mary and Joseph certainly
had a betrothal story worth telling, even though they probably didn’t share it
with too many.
There is another, deeper betrothal,
worth mentioning in connection with Christmas. It’s not a binding vow between
two people. It’s the marriage covenant between God and believers. Like Mary and
Joseph’s story, this betrothal involves some miraculous happenings. We hear
about it in our text for today from the prophet, Haggai, Haggai 2:6-9
"For thus says the LORD of hosts: `Once more (it is a little while) I will
shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; 7 `and I will shake all nations,
and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple
with glory,' says the LORD of hosts. 8 `The silver is Mine, and the gold is
Mine,' says the LORD of hosts. 9 `The glory of this latter temple shall be
greater than the former,' says the LORD of hosts. `And in this place I will
give peace,' says the LORD of hosts."
Lord,
help us remember, Unless You build the house, they who work on it labor in vain
(Psalm 127:1). Come to our hearts and build your kingdom through faith in Jesus
and the work of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Many people associate themes of marriage
with another prophet whose name starts with “H”, Hosea. Hosea is remembered for
being called by the LORD to marry a prostitute. Through this act he symbolized
the spiritual adultery that Israel had committed against the LORD through
wickedness and idolatry. Haggai, on the other hand, speaks of a marriage theme
in a positive light. What we see in the Messianic promise of our text, is the
story of God’s betrothal with His Church. The important verse that shows this
is 7: and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All
Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,' says the LORD of hosts.
The Desire of Nations is a title often
given to Jesus. But, in its most basic sense is simply means “Loved One” or
“Someone who fills a need.” In our modern lingo we might say, “A sweetheart, or
significant other, or marriage partner.” Jesus is the “Loved One” of all
nations because He is the universal Savior. His covenant of forgiveness is an
established relationship with believers. It is a contract, irreversible and
unbreakable, signed with His own blood. We shouldn’t be surprised then, that in
several contexts the Bible pictures this relationship by faith as a marriage.
Isaiah 62:5 …And as the bridegroom
rejoices over the bride, So shall your God rejoice over you.
Jeremiah 31:31-32 "Behold, the
days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house
of Israel and with the house of Judah-- 32 "not according to the covenant
that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead
them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a
husband to them, says the LORD.
Hosea 2:19-20 "I will betroth
you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me In righteousness and justice,
In lovingkindness and mercy; 20 I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, And
you shall know the LORD.
Romans 7:4 Therefore, my brethren,
you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may
be married to another-- to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should
bear fruit to God.
Revelation 21:2 Then I, John, saw the
holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a
bride adorned for her husband.
Our text from Haggai is the engagement
story of Christ and the Church. It is a story that continues to be told each
Christmas, but one that started long before the actual birth of the Savior. And
the way in which the LORD established this betrothal is as unique, special, and
surprising as any other engagement story. The LORD said that He would “shake”
the heavens and the earth and all nations would come to their beloved, the
Desire of All Nations.
The shaking of something by God doesn’t
exactly bring to mind comforting thoughts. In this context of Haggai’s
ministry, God’s people had returned home from the Babylonian captivity. They
were in the process of re-building Jerusalem but their priorities were
misplaced. The LORD spoke a stern warning to the people, saying, “Consider
your ways. You dwell in paneled houses, yet the LORD’s house is in ruins.”
The people had forgotten about the LORD and were only concerned with their own
well-being. God had to shake them out of this attitude.
He pointed out their foolishness by
saying, "You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not
have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe
yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, Earns wages to put into
a bag with holes." Each of the examples God lists is something
counter-productive. That’s what it’s like to consider your needs without
considering God.
God would indeed promise His people the
coming of the Beloved One, but first they needed a re-adjustment of their
priorities. And just like a couple contemplating marriage in life, so God’s
relationship with believers begins by planning the home. If God’s Temple
remained a heap of rubble, there would be no establishment or encouragement
through the covenant of grace. For a marriage to exist, there needs to be a
home.
The Temple was also significant because
when the Savior did come, it would serve as a picture of His body, the ultimate
sacrifice that would be offered to establish the betrothal bond. Jesus said,
"Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." 20 Then
the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and
will You raise it up in three days?" 21 But He was speaking of the temple
of His body (John 2:19-21). The Temple was the domain of God’s presence
among His people. While God does not need to dwell in man-made temples, having
a house set aside for Him shows the priority of Godly worship and respect. The
fact that the people had committed time to their houses, but not to the Lord’s,
was indicative of where their relationship with God was at. When the people
showed a disregard for God’s temple, it was also a disregard of God’s presence
in their lives.
We could have an honest discussion about
our priorities when it comes to the actual building where we worship God, but
there’s an even deeper connection of which we should be aware. Though we have
our church building, and temple in that regard, God’s betrothal to us by faith
shows us that He dwells directly with us today. That’s why we ourselves are
called temples dedicated to God. Paul wrote the Corinthians, Or do you not
know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you
have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price;
therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. (1
Corinthians 6:19-20).
Now that Christ has come to earth, born
in Bethlehem and crucified on Calvary, the home in which the marriage between
Himself is established is the individual heart. Have you prioritized this home
as God asks you to, or as the people whom Haggai ministered to did? What’s more
important this Christmas season; the many gifts for our homes or the treasures
of the heart for God’s house? Don’t be so sure that your heart is in the right
place just because you are here this morning. Haggai’s people were God’s
people. They had His presence in His temple, and yet they strayed. It was a
matter of priority and attitude for them, just as it is for us.
If you’re like me, you’re looking for help
in your relationship with God. When God examines my faithfulness to Him, I
cannot hide from the truth – I am lacking. I have been unfaithful. I have
failed to keep the covenant vow of faith with my Lord. There’s nothing that
requires Him to stay with me. Not very good news for Christmas.
But, then, a Child is promised. He is
born. He lives. He glorifies His Father. He teaches wayward sinners like you
and me. He perfects the human experience on earth. He dies, He rises, He lives
forevermore. That Child is my Lord and your Lord. He is my Savior and your
Savior. He is our beloved one, our desire. Why does it work out like this, when
everything we examine about our lives comes short? It works because God is
faithful. It works because even though we have strayed through sin, He will not
let us go. He keeps His covenant for us; the betrothal vow that He promised in
His Son, Jesus Christ. Truly, an engagement story worth telling again and
again!
The lives of the OT believers were like
living in an engagement relationship with the Lord. They had a promise from
God, but they were waiting for the fulfillment. They were united with Him in
Word but not in perfection. But, because God promised it through His Word, the
idea of an engagement doesn’t come close enough. No, it was more a betrothal; a
much deeper, much more committed promise than the often flimsy engagements of
our day. They were waiting, but they were with the Lord. There was an
unbreakable promise from God which nothing could reverse, even more sacred than
a marriage vow.
You and I are in a similar situation
today. Jesus has come, thank the Lord! But, we’re waiting too. Waiting for
eternal life; the everlasting marriage feast of our Savior, with His bride, the
Church. We are betrothed to the Lord, too; a promise sealed by His Word, and
now also, sealed with His blood. No matter what enemies may say, nothing can
reverse it and nothing is more powerful than the forgiveness Jesus won for you.
You will always have it and He will always remain faithful to you. Wait with
patience and hope, for your Desire is coming.
We read earlier from John’s revelation,
how He saw the Church coming down from heaven as a bride adorned for her
husband. That’s the betrothal story between believers and God. How does it end?
Read on: And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the
tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be
His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 "And God
will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor
sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have
passed away." 5 Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make
all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true
and faithful." 6 And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and
the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water
of life freely to him who thirsts. 7 "He who overcomes shall inherit all
things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. (Revelation 21:3-7)
Amen.
The peace of God which surpasses all
understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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