We are to care for our brothers and sisters in the Lord. No man is an island (Romans 14:7). We are to bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2). Certainly, we are not to take financial advantage of other in their times of need.
Many years ago, Bible students began to see a connection between the conflict in the book of Esther and the conflict inside each man and woman (Galatians 5:17). The entire book makes for a powerful allegory that demonstrates how we can have victory over the flesh and live in the power of the Spirit.
The children of Israel were to keep themselves separated from the other nations but, by intermarrying with the different nations around them, they had compromised and taken on their abominations. The answer for them, though it might seem harsh, was to separate from their heathen marriages.
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.
Two evil reigns follow the good reign of Hezekiah. We see the dangers of idolatry in these two reigns. We also see the influence a leader of the people has on those people. In both cases, the people follow their king.
