God Builds Confidence Through Suffering

Physical suffering dramatically affects our lives. This past week, I reflected on how suffering can contribute to a lack of confidence. Consider how suffering limits one's ability to perform daily activities, causes pain and discomfort, impacts body image, and leads to feelings of dependence on others, all of which can negatively affect self-esteem and self-worth, resulting in a decreased sense of personal capability and confidence in one's abilities. Seeing the effects of this, one article gave some ways physical suffering can decrease confidence:

• Physical limitations: Chronic pain or disabilities can restrict movement and limit participation in activities, making individuals feel less capable and competent in their daily lives.
• Body image concerns: Physical changes due to illness or injury can lead to negative self-perception and body image issues, affecting how someone views themselves.
• Social isolation: Feeling different or unable to participate in activities with others due to physical limitations can lead to social withdrawal and isolation, further impacting self-esteem.
• Dependency on others: Relying on others for assistance with daily tasks can sometimes lead to feelings of helplessness and diminished control over one's life.
• Psychological impact: The stress and anxiety associated with chronic pain can further exacerbate feelings of low self-esteem and lack of confidence.

Maybe you’re an athlete with a significant injury. As a result, you feel less confident in your abilities to return to your sport at the same level, which leads to self-doubt or anxiety about re-injury. A person with chronic pain may feel limited in their daily activities, leading to feeling inadequate or lacking confidence in managing their life well. Someone with a visible disability might be overly self-conscious or have low self-esteem due to perceived negative judgments from others about their appearance. And, in all of these examples, I feel like I’m barely scratching the surface. I hope you feel the reality, though, that suffering can alter our confidence.

In Haggai, we spoke about these people facing problems last week. They had vertical questions related to God allowing all that they held dear to be destroyed or defiled, and if that wasn’t enough, they were carried off to a foreign land. They had returned, and you could almost feel their shell shock as God invited them to consider their ways and seek Him. God’s movement toward them through the prophet had a profound effect. Today, God will continue to ground these people in the blessed assurance that they can have confidence in Him. No negative thinking, good religious activity, or false humility about their abilities or role can cloud what their Father in heaven thinks about them. So, today, God will work through His Word to build confidence in us through suffering.

Of course, suffering makes firm footing, good standing, or confidence in God elusive. The typical experience of people going through suffering isn’t to feel like they are on the mountaintop enjoying sweet fellowship with their Father. Suffering works the opposite in our hearts. We are tempted to think that God has abandoned us and typically don’t realize until we look back how God was coming through. Even in our sin, that is the case. But, while we were still sinners, we’re told Christ died for us. One Christian song from 30 years ago said, “God can’t plan the end and not plan the means.” If God works impactfully for your good, He’s envisioned the best ways to help us look like Christ. Will we lean into Him and rest in Him for confidence? Today, no matter where you are in sin or suffering, we’ll be invited into God’s heart. Join me, then, as we see 3 assurances God provides to build confidence through suffering…

Read Haggai 2:1-23 (This is God’s Word; thanks be to God)

3 assurances God provides to build confidence through suffering…

First, I. God assures His people of His eternal work. (1-9) 1 In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet: 2 “Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to all the remnant of the people, and say, 3 ‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes? 4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the LORD. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the LORD. Work, for I am with you, declares the LORD of hosts, 5 according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not. 6 For thus says the LORD of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. 7 And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the LORD of hosts. 9 The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the LORD of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the LORD of hosts.’”

I love the timestamps the Bible provides. Chapter 2 begins on October 17, 520 B.C. God’s message comes through the prophet to Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the remnant of the people during the Feast of Tabernacles. You might remember that the Feast of Tabernacles was a time for celebrating how God provides and protects His people. The message comes, and it centers on the temple. Some in the community had seen the temple before the Babylonians destroyed it, and undoubtedly, it stung to see this temple in this way. Yet, the question at the end of v.3 is telling: “Is it not as nothing in your eyes?” So, the call comes to be strong. Be strong. Work. Don’t fear. And why should they press into this? Because God is with them. [In] “verse 4, the Lord says, “I am with you.” In Hebrew, this is a verbless clause that does not designate the tense of the implied verb. [This linguistic trick points to] the promise: “I have been, am, and will be with you.” His presence had been and would continue to be constant. The second assurance of his presence suggests the same thought. Verse 5 says literally that “my Spirit is standing in your midst.” In Hebrew, “is standing” is a participle which underscores the continuance of the verbal action: Without interruption, God’s Spirit had been with them, and nothing could or would disrupt that special communing relationship.” Just like He was with His people as they came out of Egypt, He would be with these people so they didn’t have to fear. 

We’re also told that God will shake creation and the nations. This temple’s glory will be greater than the former. God will work for shalom—peace— for His people. As you read through this, hear the encouragement God is giving as we’re told repeatedly, “declares the Lord, declares the Lord, thus says the Lord, says the Lord, declares the Lord.” He will surely do this. He’s preparing these people for something utterly astounding among them: He’s going to send His Son. I love how one writer put it: “The main point of [this section] is that God has a purpose for his people greater than their perceptions and expectations. The second temple would have greater glory because it would be the temple to which the Prince of Peace would come. Having a vision of the coming Christ would keep their focus sharp.”

Coming full circle, then, do you see how God is building confidence in His people? He’s assuring them that they can have confidence because God is continually working, whether in the past or into the future, for their good. Will they lean into Him and receive this? Consider your own life. Look at the story God has worked in you (we spent the opening few weeks of the year considering this in Adult Sunday School). Whether looking back or facing an unknown future, God is building confidence in you by assuring you that He is eternally at work. Lean into Him. 

Secondly, this passage continues by showing us that II. God assures His people of His cleansing work. (10-19) 10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, 11 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: Ask the priests about the law: 12 ‘If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy?’” The priests answered and said, “No.” 13 Then Haggai said, “If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?” The priests answered and said, “It does become unclean.” 14 Then Haggai answered and said, “So is it with this people, and with this nation before me, declares the LORD, and so with every work of their hands. And what they offer there is unclean. 15 Now then, consider from this day onward. Before stone was placed upon stone in the temple of the LORD, 16 how did you fare? When one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were but ten. When one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were but twenty. 17 I struck you and all the products of your toil with blight and with mildew and with hail, yet you did not turn to me, declares the LORD. 18 Consider from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. Since the day that the foundation of the LORD’s temple was laid, consider: 19 Is the seed yet in the barn? Indeed, the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have yielded nothing. But from this day on I will bless you.”

Recognizing that God is working is one thing, but what about us? We are sinners. Haven’t we flubbed this up enough that God’s plans are negated? This is the point of this middle section. We’re given another time stamp to show that this book's final section came on the same day. If you want a detailed background, Leviticus 11-14 and Deuteronomy 14 give the precise laws. The priests are asked about carrying holy meat, and it touches something. Does it become holy? No, the priests answered. But, if someone has come into contact with a dead body and touches it, does it become unclean? Yes, it would. Haggai doesn’t want them to miss the point; they lived that way. “Verse 14 should read, “So was this people, and so was this nation before me . . .” to make it clear that this refers to their previous status.” But God had cleansed them. Disobeying God made their lives difficult, and they remember this too well. Not turning to God and leaning into Him puts us on a path that won’t lead to blessings. And, even vv.18-19 are given to assure us that God and not merely the gifts or blessings He provides is the point. He will bless us by giving us Himself. 

Back to our confidence issues. We know how we’ve disappointed and failed to measure up to God. And a passage like this comes not to drive us down into the ground but to draw us up to God Himself. The problem is that sin causes us to distance ourselves from God (see that in v.17?). God comes to assure us of His cleansing work. He comes to remind us that His future blessings come regardless of past mistakes. That’s what the joy of forgiveness is. Listen to that in Psalm 32:1-5: 

[1] Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,

whose sin is covered.

[2] Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity,

and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

[3] For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away

through my groaning all day long.

[4] For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;

my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah

[5] I acknowledged my sin to you,

and I did not cover my iniquity;

I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,”

and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah (ESV)

God is working through this message to assure you of His cleansing work this morning. Lean into Him and find forgiveness and a future with Him. 

Third and finally, III. God assures His people of His Messianic work. (20-23) 20 The word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, 21 “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I am about to shake the heavens and the earth, 22 and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and overthrow the chariots and their riders. And the horses and their riders shall go down, every one by the sword of his brother. 23 On that day, declares the LORD of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the LORD, and make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the LORD of hosts.”

The word comes again through Haggai to Zerubbabel about shaking. God is going to rattle the earth and overthrow thrones and kingdoms. All rivals will be put away. Whether it’s their strength or battle stuff (like chariots and riders or horses and riders), they’re all going down. God will accomplish this by taking Zerubbabel and making Him a signet ring, His chosen One. The language of this signet ring is significant: “The signet was a symbol of authority and privilege belonging to the royal office. When God removed the signet from Jehoiachin (Jer 22:24), it appeared that hope for a Davidic kingdom was gone. God stripped Jehoiachin of honor and excluded any of his descendants from inheriting the throne (Jer 22:30). Since Zerubbabel was a descendant of Jehoiachin (1Chr 3:17–19), he could never himself sit on the throne. But the Lord’s making him a signet guaranteed the unconditional certainty of God’s covenant promise that David’s greater Son would rule. Kingship was transferred to another line of David, ensuring that the promise was realized in Jesus.”

Or as my favorite study Bible put it in this glorious way: Jesus is the Greater Son of Zerubbabel (Matt. 1:13). He came in a position that would grant him no respect in the world, humbling himself and taking the form of a servant, being faithful unto death (Phil. 2:5–8). On the cross, Jesus looked more like a new Jehoiachin, cast off by God, than a new Zerubbabel, God’s chosen servant. But underneath God’s temporary rejection of his Anointed was an eternal promise that could not be broken. Just as the sins of the Davidic kings brought exile and destruction to their subjects, the righteous death of this Davidic King brings life to those who trust in him. When your confidence is waning, I hope you can lift your eyes and look to the One who perfectly fulfills all righteousness for you and assures you that suffering will not be the end of your story.

In conclusion, today we’ve seen 3 assurances God provides to build confidence through suffering… I. God assures His people of His eternal work. (1-9)

II. God assures His people of His cleansing work. (10-19)

III. God assures His people of His Messianic work. (20-23)

One outcome of this sermon is inviting all of us to go all in with Jesus. For some, Jesus is an idea we’ve not embraced fully. And, I’m pleading with you today to forsake your sin and all that you can make of life to believe in Jesus. Trust Him and the hope He can for eternal life. No matter where you find yourself, He’s the good news. If your past paralyzes you, He’s achieved forgiveness for you. If you wonder whether or not God is for you, Jesus assures you that He is. And, when you wish someone could live your life better, He’s done that, too. In suffering, then, look to Him. Keep trusting. See how He’s come through and let Him be your story. Let’s all find assurance and confidence in suffering by knowing Jesus and making Him known so we can glorify and enjoy God forever.