Proverbs 19:20-21 (NLT)

Get all the advice and instruction you can,
so you will be wise the rest of your life.

You can make many plans,
but the LORD's purpose will prevail.

2 Chronicles 31:3-5

The king contributed from his own possessions for the morning and evening burnt offerings and for the burnt offerings on the Sabbaths, at the New Moons and at the appointed festivals as written in the Law of the LORD. He ordered the people living in Jerusalem to give the portion due the priests and Levites so they could devote themselves to the Law of the LORD. As soon as the order went out, the Israelites generously gave the firstfruits of their grain, new wine, olive oil and honey and all that the fields produced. They brought a great amount, a tithe of everything.

Have your fields produced?  Been blessed??

Haggai 2:23

 “‘On that day,’ declares the LORD Almighty, ‘I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ declares the LORD Almighty.”

From Background Notes [BN] for October 6^th & 7^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

In the present context, the purpose of the signet ring was to authenticate legal documents, identify property, or authorize proxy, functioning much like our signature (Jeremiah 32:10-44; 1 Kings 21:8). If one person gave another person his seal, then he thereby conferred authority and trust. God is making Zerubbabel the equivalent of a seal in this sense.

Haggai 2:23

“‘On that day,’ declares the LORD Almighty, ‘I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ declares the LORD Almighty.”

From Background Notes [BN] for October 6^th & 7^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Because Zerubbabel showed himself as a servant for the Lord’s building project, God reaches out and takes hold of him with sovereign love and promises him something new.

Jeremiah 7:3-7

This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place. Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD!” If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, if you do not oppress the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your ancestors for ever and ever.

From Background Notes [BN] for October 6^th & 7^th  written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Notice how the mantra in 7:4 was really a deception. The temple could not make an unholy people holy.

Haggai 2:13

Then Haggai said, “If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?” “Yes,” the priests replied, “it becomes defiled.”

From Background Notes [BN] for October 6^th & 7^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Our initial reaction to the two questions and their answers might be: It doesn’t take much for unclean things to make other things unclean, whereas becoming holy doesn’t happen by second-hand contact with another holy thing.

Haggai 2:12

If someone carries consecrated meat in the fold of their garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, olive oil or other food, does it become consecrated?’” The priests answered, “No.”

From Background Notes [BN] for September 29^th & 30^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Now, according to Jewish practice, the meat originally became holy because it was brought to the Great Altar as a “peace offering” (Hebrew: šelāmîm) and thereby dedicated to God for a special use.