The purpose of the book of Haggai is to give a wake-up call to those who have fallen into a state of spiritual complacency. In chapter one we see a call to construction. The children of Israel became slack in the work of rebuilding the temple. The temple laid waste for 15 years while the people enjoyed their personal riches and comfort. The Lord speaks to the people through Haggai and calls them to return to the work of rebuilding the temple. You and I have been given the same call. We are called to awake out of spiritual slumber and have a fresh commitment to the things of God and to the work of building and strengthening His church. However, as we see in 2:1-9, our confidence to do the work must be in God. We receive this confidence by reflecting on what God has done in the past, focusing on what God can do today, committing to the work, and by placing our hope in what God promises that He will do. With a call to construction and a call to confidence, there is also a call to clean living as we see in 2:10-19. God cannot bless a people that is not living right. If our work is going to be acceptable to the Lord, we must live a life of holiness. Such a life of holiness is impossible in our own efforts for we are totally depraved sinners. However, holiness is possible by loving Jesus. The more we love Jesus, the more time we will spend with Him, and the more time we spend with Jesus the more like Him we become.

As we come to the last few verses of the book of Haggai, we find that there is one final call. It is the call to confidence. If we are going to be who God would have us to be and do what God would have us to do, we must have confidence in God.

Confidence in God’s Omnipotence (v. 20-22). In these verses we find a prophecy concerning the millennial reign of Christ, the time when He will rule the nations of the world. The people in Haggai’s time related personally to this prophecy because they were living in a time when the Persians ruled some two million square miles of territory. There is coming a day when Jesus Christ Himself shall return to the earth along with all His saints who lived in the church age and in previous dispensations, and He will overthrow the nations of the world and He will establish His kingdom on the earth and will rule for 1,000 years. This same Jesus that will rule on this earth is the same Word that was in the beginning with God and was God and is God. It is the same One who spoke the world into existence and created man with His very hands. It is the same One who came down to this earth and humbled Himself to become a man born of a virgin. It is the same One who walked on the water and calmed the raging sea. It is the same One who healed the blind, made the lame to walk, cast out demons, and raised the dead. It is the same one who died on the old rugged cross and paid the price for all of man’s sin. It is the same One who rose from the grave; conquering death, hell, and the grave. It is the same One on whom whosoever calls can be saved. Now, let me encourage you with something. If Jesus can do all that. If Jesus is all of that. Don’t you think that He can give you the power and the confidence to do all that He has called you to do? If your confident in what you can do, you will fail miserably. However, if you are confident in what God can do, you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.

Confidence in God’s Sovereignty (v. 23). It is important here that we define what we mean by the sovereignty of God. To say that God is sovereign means that God is in complete control of all things. He knows what He is doing. He has a plan for your life and mine. He has a plan for this world. However, in His sovereignty He has given mankind the gift of free will. He has a plan for you, but He will not force His plan on you. Notice in verse 23 that God says to the people of Haggai’s day and to our day today that God has chosen you. God has chosen to give you the gift of salvation. He has already done everything that needs to be done on order for you to be saved from hell and be given eternal life in heaven. The price for your sin has already been paid for you. However, in order for that gift to become a reality, you must by faith call upon the name of Lord and accept His free gift of grace. If you have accepted God’s gift of salvation for you, it must be understood that God also has called you into a life of service. He has chosen you to do great things for His glory. Sadly, most Christian never live up to their full potential. God desires to not only do a great work in you, but He also desires to do a great work through you. Since God has chosen you to do great things for Him, He promises to equip and to give you all that you need to do the work. However, you must respond to this call. It is knowing that God in His sovereignty has chosen us for this great work that we can have the confidence to step out and do the work of which we are called.

Confidence in God’s approval (v. 23). God says to Zerubbabel that He will make him a ‘signet.’ A signet is an indication of honor. God guaranteed Zerubbabel that the Davidic line would continue. In other words, God was saying, I approve of you and I will keep my promise to you. When it comes to answering God’s call to do the work of building and strengthening His house, God promises to be with us. In other words, God is for you. He is on your side. When He calls you to do great things for His kingdom and you answer that call, He will be cheering you on. God is your number one fan. He is your chief cheer leader. He wants you to succeed in all that you do. When you answer His call, you will be on His approval list and He will personally see you through to victory.

When it comes to serving the Lord, you do not have to be afraid. You can have the confidence to do great things for His glory. That confidence is not in what you can do, for you can do nothing. The confidence is in what God can do, because God can do anything.