The Mystery of the Eleventh Month

1. MONTH OF ENCOUNTER WITH THE WORD

Ezra 10:9-11: So all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered at Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth of the month; and all the people sat in the open square of the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of heavy rain. [10] Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have transgressed and have taken pagan wives, adding to the guilt of Israel. [11] Now therefore, make confession to the LORD God of your fathers, and do His will; separate yourselves from the peoples of the land, and from the pagan wives.”

Jeremiah 36:9-10: Now it came to pass in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month, that they proclaimed a fast before the LORD to all the people in Jerusalem, and to all the people who came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem. [10] Then Baruch read from the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of the LORD, in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shap Huhan the scribe, in the upper court at the entry of the New Gate of the LORD’s house, in the hearing of all the people.

Jeremiah 36:22-23: Now the king was sitting in the winter house in the ninth month, with a fire burning on the hearth before him. [23] And it happened, when Jehudi had read three or four columns, that the king cut it with the scribe’s knife and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the scroll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth.

2. THE MONTH OF BLESSING

Haggai 2:10-19: On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying, [11] “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Now, ask the priests concerning the law, saying, [12] “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.” [13] 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.” [14] Then Haggai answered and said, “‘So is this people, and so is this nation before Me,’ says the LORD, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean. [15] ‘And now, carefully consider from this day forward: from before stone was laid upon stone in the temple of the LORD- [16] since those days, when one came to a heap of twenty ephahs, there were but ten; when one came to the wine vat to draw out fifty baths from the press, there were but twenty. [17] I struck you with blight and mildew and hail in all the labors of your hands; yet you did not turn to Me,’ says the LORD. [18] ‘Consider now from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day that the foundation of the LORD’s temple was laid-consider it: [19] Is the seed still in the barn? As yet the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. But from this day I will bless you.’”