Haggai 2

“If one carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with the edge he touches bread or stew, wine or oil, or any food, will it become holy?”’” Then the priests answered and said, “No.” And Haggai said, “If one who is unclean because of a dead body touches any of these, will it be unclean?” So the priests answered and said, “It shall be unclean.” vv.12-13

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Why is it that one can transmit diseases but one can't transmit health?  Well that's a little bit of what's in question here between the priests and the Lord through Haggai.  If a meat is holy (set apart) if it touches other food it doesnt make that other food holy.  There is not a transmission of holiness.  Just like we can say of parents and children, if a parent is a believer, a holy or set apart person for Christ, their child isn't automatically a believer.  Yet if one is unclean according to the law because of touching a dead body and then touches any of the things listed (drinks and food) it will become unclean.  

Now people are influenced by the people around them, so one that lives a holy life can inspire others too as well, yet also one who lives in their sin can cause others to sin as well.  This passage reveals though that uncleanliness is transmitted much easier than holiness.  How have you seen that be true in or around your life?

Haggai 1

“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.” v.6

Read chapter 1
Haggai is the first prophet by whom God spoke after the return of the Babylon captivity.  The Lord speaks and says consider your ways twice to them (verse five and seven).  The people were wondering why things weren't going well for them so the Lord has them consider their ways, their decisions, their priorities.  The decisions and priorities were themselves over God, they were so worried about setting up their life instead of setting up the place where the Lord dwells.  They kept saying "not yet" to the Lord, it was not a no never" to rebuild the temple, but life kept them pushing God.  How true many today say something along the lines of "I believe in God, but I'll follow Him later when I'm older" or something of the like?  
In our jobs we can work so much and then we get the paycheck and wonder why it doesn't seem to equal up once we pay all our bills of what's left for other things.  Yet what are those things that steal our money faster than we realize? Lavish home furnishings, drugs, alcohol, entertainment, the best phone, car, clothes, etc?   It often feels like "earning wages put in a bag with holes in it."  There's something missing and they think they just need more of things whether it be food, drink, clothes, money, that those things will satisfy, but it's never enough always craving more.  Now it's not wrong to have food, clothes, shelter as those are basic needs of a human, but this had been years of decisions and lifestyle now since they've returned and their concerns had no thought to the obedience of God.  Have you compared what is important to God and what's important to you to see if they line up?  What are you telling God "not yet" to in your priorities?  Why?

Esther 10

For Mordecai the Jew was second to King Ahasuerus, and was great among the Jews and well received by the multitude of his brethren, seeking the good of his people and speaking peace to all his countrymen. v.3

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The book of Esther ends and her name isn't even in the last chapter, and that's okay.  Nancy Leigh DeMoss sums it up like this, 

She has disappeared into the background. Her mission has been accomplished. She has fulfilled the purpose for which God brought her into the kingdom "for such a time as this."  She’s not seeking a place of prominence. She’s not seeking a place of position. She just wanted to be faithful to fulfill what God had called her to do.

This isn't how you may have thought the story would end, but how true that is of our own life story, how we don't know the end ever of how the Lord works just in the early chapters in our lives.  You don't have to always know how you're going to survive every situation in life.  God's in control though and will have a better outcome than you can think of.   The story ends on Mordecai's exaltation.  He started off as a nobody and then was exalted to second of the king. He sought the good of his people when he was a nobody and when he became a somebody.  His goal wasn't to become great or become the king's right hand man, he chose to live in the fear of God rather than fear of man.

What chapters in your life have led to outcomes you weren't expecting?  How do you or can you seek the good of people no matter what position you are in (in work, in your family, in your community, etc)?

Esther 9

Therefore the Jews of the villages who dwelt in the unwalled towns celebrated the fourteenth day of the month of Adar with gladness and feasting, as a holiday, and for sending presents to one another. v.19

Read chapter 9
Sounds a little bit like how we celebrate Christmas today with gladness, feasting and sending presents to one another.  Although this celebration wasn't a birthday party like Christmas is of Jesus being born man, but was a celebration of rest from the enemies of the Jews.  This was a spontaneous celebration, no one had to tell them what to do or how to celebrate, but then this celebration turns into a tradition and holiday to be celebrated every year for the generations of the Jews to come.  For one day (two in the capitol) the Jews defended themselves and killed 75,800 people.  This wasn't an ongoing battle till someone surrendered, it was the one day that was decreed to defend and fight back against anyone that would try to kill them.  Battle isn't fun and glorious whether you're doing the killing or not, it's scary, traumatizing, anxious ridden.  Surely after the day of battle they couldn't help but celebrate the Lord getting them through it, even though they knew they would.  When we get past warlike situations in our own lives we see what God has done and ought to stop and celebrate.  Hardships and celebrations go hand in hand.  Their sorrow was turned into a holiday to remember and not forget their liberation.  How do you celebrate when God has gotten you through hard situations?  Why do you think giving of gifts occurs in this type of situation?

Esther 8

And in every province and city, wherever the king’s command and decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a holiday. Then many of the people of the land became Jews, because fear of the Jews fell upon them. v.17

Read chapter 8
Haman, the enemy of the Jews (note he is the only one in all of scripture called this), is now dead and Esther and Mordecai are given his house and appointed over it.  Now just because their enemy is dead there are still complications for the edict is still in place to annihilate all the Jews.  So Esther goes to the king again to make a plea about this.  Mordecai is given authority to write another edict that the king will sign with his signet ring so that it must be.  Mordecai's decrees to allow the Jews to fight back against anyone who tries to kill them the same day Haman's edict was to be carried out, the twelfth month on the thirteenth day.  This surely causes for celebration of the Jews when only death was decreed but the decree reversed that; a "V-day" for the Jews.  Mordecai is like Christ.  We all have the sentence of death because of sin in our lives, but Christ's decree that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).  The decree of Mordecai gave freedom to the Jews at this time and the decree of Jesus gives us freedom today.  Celebration and joy should be taking place not depression and discouragement when we fear the enemy still.  Notice that many non Jews aligned themselves with Jews because seeing the turn of events for what should have been annihilation, they couldn't help but fear the God of Israel.  How have you seen others align themselves with believers out of something they could not doubt God's salvation in?  Do you celebrate a "V-day" in your life when Christ salvation was brought on you?

Esther 7

Then Queen Esther answered and said, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request.  For we have been sold, my people and I, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. Had we been sold as male and female slaves, I would have held my tongue, although the enemy could never compensate for the king’s loss.” vv.3-4

Read chapter 7
The King has now asked Esther a third time what her petition and request is and that whatever it is will be given to her, up to half the kingdom (v.2).  Just because she had a wide open door to make her request she waits.  If she would have responded the first time the King asked her there would have been a different outcome.  Surely she had godly wisdom for His perfect timing even if she didn't understand or know God's orchestrating.  So now she makes her petition and if you notice she uses the same wording Haman used to make the edict to destroy, kill and annihilate the Jews (3:13), so the king would know exactly what she was talking about.  I like to realize how Esther persuasively presented this to the king and how we can learn from it.  Notice that she's not some crazed wife yelling at her husband to sign us a decree, she isn't crying or losing her emotions, nor does she attack her husband's right hand man.  She shows respect to the king.  Notice that she calls her husband King.  Men need to feel respected and she knows that if he feels her respect he's more likely to honor her request.  Because the king cares for her she then goes on to appeal to her life in danger.  She focuses on his best interest rather than her own, what his loss would be over hers.  "She doesn’t throw accusations at the king. Instead she makes this humble, respectful, specific request" (Nancy DeMoss).  When you appeal to your husband or your boss or authorities in your life do you appeal humbly, respectful, specific? How can you change from attacking leaders for their decisions and petitioning your requests to one of respect?

Esther 6

So Haman came in, and the king asked him, “What shall be done for the man whom the king delights to honor?”  Now Haman thought in his heart, “Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?” v.6

Read chapter 6

Talk about perfect timing.  Haman is on his way to the palace to tell the king to have Mordecai hung, and the second he enters the court of the king the king calls for him to tell him to have Mordecai honored.  The king had no clue of this plot of Mordecai and was attempting to reverse it, he did it because the night before when he was having trouble sleeping decided to have the chronicles read to him and in hearing how Mordecai saved his life and hadn't been rewarded want to honor him now.  That's not just coincidence, that's providence.  No one's laughing at this turn of events except maybe some angles;)  I wonder if the king was hoping the boringness of reading old news records would help him sleep, but glad it livened him up.  The record of Mordecai saving the King by learning of the plot to kill him was five years earlier, five years!  That's a long time in receiving a reward for a good deed, but it did come with time.  How too we may have done thankful deeds never recognized, like being a parent, but take heart your reward will come maybe later in this life or maybe not till heaven.  Take heart God keeps records of your good deeds and delights to honor you. Now looking at Haman as well in this chapter was humiliated and taken a blow to his pride.  Ultimately it was his pride and selfish ambition that caused him this humiliation, not evil out to get him.  How often is it though with us or others when they're depressed that it's a result of things not going their way or their pride made humble?  Proverb 18:12 rings true of these two men, "Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, And before honor is humility."  When have you seen providence of perfect timing of God in situations so close to death or disaster?  Have you received a reward for something that happened a long time ago?  Was your heart humble or prideful in waiting for this reward?