One revival or restoration is never enough for the people of God. God’s people follow the natural lines of spiritual degeneration. They will naturally slide backwards toward the ways of the world. They require periodic revivals in order to remain close to the Lord. When the revivals cease, the people will fall further and further away from the Lord.
A covenant is a solemn agreement. The most important covenants in the Bible are those in which God makes a covenant with man: the Abrahamic Covenant, the Davidic Covenant, etc. Here is a covenant which man makes with God. The Israelites recognize the importance of God and covenant together to wholly follow Him.
As in the previous chapter, we see here a plain telling of events without any explanation of good or evil. However, these first two chapters are setting up the circumstances for a powerful story. As in chapter one, this lesson shows us the ways of the world.
The entire book of Esther is about God’s providential care of His people.
The message of Haggai, chapter two, is a message of coming glory (see Haggai 2:3, 7, 9; compare 1:8). The importance of the message is shown in the time in which it was given.
