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I would like to tell you a child story. There was once a boy, just call him our boy. He was breaking from primary six. His parents were uneducated and had small income. They spent most of their income on another son in a private Chinese secondary school. They were already arranging our boy for work in a provision shop as an assistant or as an apprentice. They noticed that our boy seemed determined to continue his education. Our boy is lost and without hope. I think the picture show in the kind of loss and no hope. So there is a very tough challenge for the parents. What to do? Either you totally forget about this son and send him to the shop to work, or you have to work harder just to take whatever balance to put to help him. So the parents consulted the assistant principal of the primary school. And this man is special. He has a nickname. People call him Moses crossing the Red Sea. Or in Chinese, because he's a Chinese school. So you can see he's telling a lot of Moses story to some classes. Of course, this principle, give two choices as I said. Either you spend more money to send your son to a prestigious independent Chinese school, or go to the government funded school, which is cheaper. So I think the choice is very obvious. So the boy was sent to this government school. In the government school, he had enjoyed free tuition. In other words, they don't need to pay school fees. And also has a cheap boarding school. In fact, our boy is actually at and stay with the local people, the Bhumi Patra. I think he is one of the whole room there, maybe 20 people. It's a good way to learn from them, the culture and speaking also. So the choice is very clear as the time goes by. The choices for this public school is very wide, and it can continue further education. And then for the other boys, because of the independent school, and they can only hope to go to the university overseas or somewhere. Chinese system, no. But that's not the way their parents can manage because it's too expensive. But for the boys, you can continue. So we will leave it for the time being to continue the next part two. So the point is that when we come to the point that we are desperate, and sometimes we look seeing that there's no hope, there is the prophet or there is a message and encouragement from God. So it's through this principle. That assistant principle is the prophet and also the encourager. So we can recognize it later now. Because it gives the option, because through their contact and so on, he knows that government school is cheap and also useful in the future. So we notice that this unfavorable choice turned out to be the best choice. So there was a counselor or a prophet of God to come into the picture whenever we look for it, and they the person will come in and help. Just now the reading from Israel chapter 5, verse 1 and 2. Okay? Don't need to go through it because I think we heard already. Thanks to uh Sylvester reading three scripture one time. So now let's look to the Lord in prayer. Oh Lord, enlighten us in the short but profound message of Israel chapter 5, and see the pictures of your servant Haggai and Zechariah, the prophets who fired up the zeal to rebuild the house of the Lord after years of total during the post-exalic period, and feel the encouragement of the prophets in their midst, how they prophesied and actively supported the builders to accomplish the task of building the temple despite the difficult situation and tread their faith. Let the word of my mouth be moved by the Holy Spirit and the meditation of our hearts in line with your sovereign will. Amen. Okay. Turn to the outline. So the outline is very simple. So the first scripture, Israel chapter 5, verse 1 and 2. So the building of the temple is the main character will describe Haggai and Zechariah, the prophets. And also there's a builder. That builder is Jerobiel, okay? Jerobel and his uh priest is uh Joshua. And in the scripture, Haggai, chapter 1, verse to 11, the calling is that repent and obey and build the church. In other words, they have been doing something else for their own benefit. They have neglected the house of the Lord. Okay, then the next Zechariah chapter 1 verse 1 to 6. This is a call to return to the Lord. In other words, they have lost and also been described, they were like their forefathers. They have neglected neglected the social justice and the weak and the widow and those are foreigners. Okay. Here with Haggai, we go into some reading there. And then the obvious thing is to look at the how much how much the Lord comes into the picture, no. In fact, in the 11 verses there, we can find seven times, seven times the name of the Lord was mentioned. And every time they speak, they mean it's a God in action. God in action. So in the 11th scriptures, 11 verses, that seven times he was speaking. So according to the commentary by Hannah Harrington, the first patch of the returning from Babylon reached Jerusalem during the King Cyrus' reign in Babylon. The leadership of Shes Bazaar is a relative of this uh Jerubel. So was succeeded by Jerubel, who was with Joshua the priest. So they started to rebuild their homes and also coming together to build the temple on the foundation already laid, which I think Pastor Viji mentioned about two weeks ago, is there's great celebration when the foundation was laid. So great jubilation. So they were so overjoyed. So now these returnees coming back from Babylon, they are willing, ready to build. So these people, when they come together, they saw not only the foundation there is a ruin. You can see there's a ruin there. The previous picture, the previous picture showed that the Hakai showing the ruin. Okay, only some pillars and columns left. And also the whole city of Jerusalem was torn and also torn down and also burned by the Babylonian conquerors about 50 years ago. I mean quite some time, 50 years ago. But these people who returned from uh Babylon, they have gone through suffering, right? They were something like slaves, then sent away and to work under the master. Master will ask them to do everything they have to oblige. They are slaves, no freedom, they have no land also. So somehow they learn that there is something like a purification by fire. In other words, they know that the forefathers and they themselves have done something wrong. The Lord is not happy with them, and so they have gone through this suffering. And they continue to maintain and preserve their ethnic and cultural heritage. In other words, they keep the law and so on. So the offer of the locals to help them to build the temple was rejected. Because these people, Jerubel and uh Joshua, they look at these people as unholy people because of their syncretism of idol worship. They made their combine, compromise, other type of worship. They also worship God, but they also worship other idols. Then they have also intermarriage with the Gentiles. So when they were being rejected, the locals become antagonistic and they support such work by discouraging them and making false allegations of their possible sedition. This pressure plus a drought that came in, I just mentioned the prophecy there, that they make it very hard for the people to continue working. So the the building of the project was delayed and also stopped for 15 years until the reign of Darius 1. Now we shall now look at the beginning part of the Israel, how this was written by Israel, chapter 5. Now, the prophets, start with now, okay. So to any readers, for me also together, I was thinking that now. So this is written by Israel. So it's about the same time, right? Time of Israel. But be careful. The time of Haggai and Zechariah is some 60 years earlier. In other words, the building project already completed, and already they can go to the temple to worship and offer sacrifices. So when I look carefully and I look at the original language, which is written in the imperial, and I make each series actually uh translated and prophesy. And the word is and not now. So the word is uh it nabi prophesy. Okay. So this will be very clear to all the readers. So do we agree? When you look at the picture, you know the history, uh they put together, easier to understand. Now, just how we heard about the name of the Lord mentioned many times in the scriptures, so we know that there's a power in this Almighty God working through the people. First, he moved King Darius, so he searched the treasury and found the decree of King Cyrus. So he said that authorize them and in fact support them to build the temple. So immediately endorsed it. So at the same time, when this decree to continue building the temple, the two prophets mentioned, Haggai and Zechariah, they also prophesied. So in the second year of the Darius the king, the sixth month, this one is mentioned in the scriptures. Uh here. Here again, uh, there are five five verses the name of the Lord mentioned in this uh Zechariah's uh prophecy. Verse 1 to verse 6, right? But five times the name of the Lord mentioned. Why they record down this? Because that's how we see uh a God in action, you know. God started to move, and God spoke to the prophet, and the building project continues smoothly, right? From thereafter. Let's now observe the roles of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah had played. We are not studying the roles of the Old Testament prophets. In the Old Testament, and then some prophets actually they were endowed with divine authority, you know. Remember like Elisha, we can command fire to come down to burn these uh kings' uh soldiers. But for the subsequent, especially the early churches, uh, Apostle Paul urged the church to exercise the gift of prophecy. Gift of prophecy is not for personal gain, but it's for the edification, the building up of the church. So let's summarize uh two uh two uh prophecies by Zechariah and also Zechariah, uh Zechah. Okay, so first thing Zechariah touched on the spiritual and emotional side for the people of their covenant with God, okay? He declared God's calling, return to me. Okay, we heard that clearly, and I will return to you, said the Lord of hosts. He compared them to their forefathers before the exile because the forefather declared that social justice for the marginalized and foreigner, they needed to repent, obey his word, and to observe governmental relationship with God so they would not face another exile or suffering as punishment. So there's a warning and encouragement of the prophet in Israel chapter 5. The second verse stated that the prophets also inquire and also lightly go and visit the frontline workers and see them, what is the working condition and support them. In other words, they are helping the people, encouraging them, and urge them to continue building the church, building the temple. This will boost their morale in the building work. Okay, and then the prophets, if they are doing all this with so many builders, uh, they could be easily burned out now. But remember, God is working right, and God will minister to the prophet and also to the people. So God after spoke and he also worked. And this reminds us of Jesus Christ, who came in the human body some 500 years later, uh, after this post-Azalic, the returning from Babylon 500 years later, then there's a time Jesus came in. He traveled throughout the area of Galilee and also Capanam and also uh Jerusalem to preach, to heal, and to deliver. Many people actually, including the disciples, say that he could probably be one of the prophets. Yes, he is a prophet, but he's more than the prophet, he's the savior of the world. So let's look at it, how we apply to our modern world. Is there anything something to do with prophecy and something with the gods coming down and talking to us through another person? The story of the Jerobail and those uh builders are not just a story, you know. It's a record for us to show that it's like us today, you know, we are also facing threats and difficulty, right? We know of terrorism. Uh we know that uh as Christians, we seem to be very soft and naive. Of course, we are strong in the sense that in the word of the Lord and also in faith. And in this world of a competitive society, you know, the survival of the weak, the strongest. So there are many people, just like me, uh, why I am one of the typical types of uh. So after I got gone through the secondary school, then further study, uh, earn the diploma, then after that I work a few years and pay myself to go overseas to study. So thank God for God's provision. So in the work environment, I continue to work hard, okay? Of course, I still come to church, but kind of uh part-time like this, and also not so committed to serve in the ministry. So I fit into the category of those uh Jews who came back from Babylon. As verse 5 in the Haggai say, now, therefore, thus said the Lord of hosts, consider your way. You have sown much and harvested little. You eat but you never have enough. You drink and never have your few. You clothe yourself, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so, to put them into a bag with host. So, they describe people like me, maybe some of you, that we have put a lot of effort in a secular job and hope to build up something good for us. But what about the work of God? What about the God's calling? It's important to know that when we work, and also we must have a balance to serve the Lord. And it is not easy to strike the balance. Supposed to, there are some even work on a Sunday, also, but because of work environment, uh public service, uh, transport, and so on, they need the public service Sunday. But otherwise, they could find time to come to the church and also to be with the brother and sister. So for the Zecharias warning to return to him and also turn away for evil ways and evil deeds. That also applies to me. Because why? I find that there's something to do when we're dealing with the contractor, dealing with the client. There are something sometimes we do not disclose, but something that is not exactly conforming to the standard. So if we seek the Lord, the Savior, definitely we can find him, right? So I sought and found encouragement from the Lord. When I put aside my worry pursuit, for me, I'm not making a U-turn. Because when young, even primarily six, I already made a commitment to serve the Lord after I have a family, raise a family, and then I will serve. I am likened. I'm likened like a laborer who worked at the sixth hour in the vineyard. That you can find in Matthew chapter 20, verse 5. The owner and the vineyard master, they call up the worker in the early morning, then later afternoon, and so on. So the sixth hour is the later part of the year. So I'm likened to this type of people who come later to serve. Also, there's a the word there. Do I expect the same pay as the those who work earlier? Of course, I do not expect it because they earn uh they are deserved more money. But the master in the Bible's parable said that they get the same pay, you know. And some of the early workers, of course, grumble, say that not fair, you know. We work so hard whole day under the hot sun, you pay the same amount. And then I come in so late, you also pay them the same amount. So we don't consider that as a norm. It's very special. God's economy is different from my economy. But of course, asking me whether I expect more pay, no, no, I don't expect to get more pay. They deserve more pay. Those who work longer. Now, let's put in piece the word temple worship and the temple building. So sometimes we ask ourselves, you know, these things seem to be very foreign. We talk about the Old Testament, they talk about this temple, animal sacrifices and so on. But we don't do it today. We come to church and we have fellowship and the temple is a big building, but here we are small churches. But take note for the animal sacrifices, especially in Hebrew chapter 9, verse 22, it says that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin. Okay, that was written in the Old Testament also. Moreover, Hebrews 10, 11 says, and every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices. We can never take away sin. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sin, he sat down at the right hand of God. So Christ Jesus had paid the sin for us. We don't need to offer those uh animal sacrifices, he paid for it at the cross, uh, he bleed and died there. So he's offering the best sacrifice and he's sinless. So we are eternally grateful for the perfect sacrifice of Christ, made once for all, and did away the animal sacrifices done by the temple priest. And we need only to go to Christ and accept his gift of forgiveness and also receive the gift of eternal life in Christ. Regarding the temple, we remember in the John chapter 4, verse 21, how Jesus told the Samaritan woman, because Samaritan woman said that we worship in Jerusalem, we worship here, where the Jacob tells us to worship here. But Jesus said to the woman, Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know, we worship what we know. For salvation is for the Jew, from the Jew. But the hour is coming and it's now here. When the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in true. Hence, temple worship is replaced with the church worship and we worship God from our heart. We worship him in spirit and in truth. Not animal sacrifice or must go to the temple. In fact, the epistle also reminded us that we are the temple of God. In other words, God also comes into our heart. So it doesn't mean that if you come to church there, we will have God. Outside working environment, in school and so on, you still have the God in your heart there. Because you still can pray to Him. Because He's everywhere, He's uh omnipresent. Our God is so good to us. So let me summarize the few things that I cover. First is the introduction of the poor and confused boy, correct? And subsequently grown up in society, and then he repented because he feel that he's not serving the God, he's serving himself more. Then Israel chapter 5, verse and 2, the main characters I mentioned, and also what they did. Okay, then Jerubel and the rest of the British, they were fired up by the prophecies. Sometimes you need a God's man to speak it louder. For modern days, we have preachers, they even shout at the pulpit, and people listen. But of course, you see suffering, people listen if you touch the heart. And of course, voice speaks very clearly to our heart. And we listen to the voice of God, also the same thing. So in Haggai, it mentioned the repent and obey, building the temple. Okay, and Zechariah is a call to return to the Lord and observe a social justice and the law. Okay, these are the briefly mention the gist of the two prophecy. So let's take care of the warning and encouragement. The prophet and their rebuke of their complacency are not just for the post-exotic people. I have shared my testimony. I'm like many of you, some of you, okay. We misplace priorities to seek our own fortunes and benefit first. But this will never satisfy ourselves or yourself. You need the prophets or the messengers from God, listen to the advice and encouragement from the servant of God to love one another, to build each other up, and run the race to receive the crown. But if you do, you will be well pressed, okay? But be generous to the poor and serve the Lord in the church or ministry you are called. So let this come into mind that you think that this also meant to us.