Episodes
Monday Aug 28, 2017
Nehemiah: Rebuilding A Community: The Reestablishing
Monday Aug 28, 2017
Monday Aug 28, 2017
The Reestablishing
- 1 - 3
- Read aloud from the book of Moses
- The word kept them grounded
- Guide for “right” living
- No Ammonites or Maobites
- Numbers 22 – 25, Duet. 23:3 -6
- Not a racial exclusion
- 4 - 9
- Nehemiah’s time away
- After acting as governor for 12 years
- Returns to King Artaxerxes
- Returns again to Jerusalem
- Eliashib ( a priest or THE High Priest)
- Opened up the temple to Tobiah
- Tobiah was an Ammonite
- Defiled the temple
- Removed the tithe for the priests and Levites
- Nehemiah knew how to deal with him
- Removed Tobiah’s belongings
- Had the temple cleansed
- 10 - 14
- Portion for the Levites had not been given to them
- They returned to their fields to survive
- Nehemiah reprimanded the officials
- They made it right
- He appoints his own people – considered reliable
- He ends with prayer
- 15 - 22
- They were not keeping the sabbath
- He again reminded them of the actions of their forefathers
- Nehemiah again had a solution
- He locked them out and threatened them
- Put his own people in charge again
- 23 - 31
- History repeats itself
- Intermarriage again an issue
- Referenced Solomon
- Losing their identity as “God’s people”
- Sworn enemies had found their way in
- Sanballat’s daughter – married into priestly line
- Tobiah given quarter in the temple
- Not by threats but by friendships
So What?
- What do we use to keep us grounded and focused?
- When we coast, we open ourselves up to bad judgement and then to sin.
- Friendship with the world
- Are we willing to provide another option
- Do we look just the unbelieving world around us?
Monday Aug 21, 2017
Nehemiah: Rebuilding A Community: The Dedication Nehemiah 12:1-47
Monday Aug 21, 2017
Monday Aug 21, 2017
Nehemiah: Rebuilding A Community
The Dedication
Nehemiah 12:1-47
The Priests & Levites (v. 1-26)
- A list of the priests & Levites:
- Under Zerubbabel (v. 1-11) (c. 538 BC)
- Under Joiakim (v. 12-26) (c. 444 BC)
- During the time of Ezra & Nehemiah (v. 26)
- References the Book of Chronicles as a source (v. 23)
- To show the continuity of the family lines for proper worship
The Dedication of the Wall (v. 27-43)
- Shortly after its completion, all of Israel dedicated the wall
- They saw it as God’s work
- And they made no distinction between the “sacred” and the “secular”
- The people marched around the city on top of the wall, which was 9 feet wide
- Half went clockwise, half went counter-clockwise starting at the Valley Gate
- They sang praises as they went
- They met in the Temple
- Where they offered sacrifices and more praise
The Temple Service (v. 44-47)
- The people committed to take care of the priests & Levites
- The people dedicated some to serve as professional singers in the Temple
- And committed to taking care of their needs
So What?
- When the work was done, they praised God
- And they promised to continue to praise and serve Him
- Do we see the work of rebuilding our community as God’s work that we get to share in?
- Making no distinction between ‘sacred’ and ‘secular’
- Do we have a commitment to serve Him as a testimony to those around us?
Meditation Verse: Nehemiah 12:43
Monday Aug 14, 2017
Nehemiah: Rebuilding A Community: The Repopulating
Monday Aug 14, 2017
Monday Aug 14, 2017
The Repopulating (v. 1-2)
- Chapter 11 begins where Chapter 7 left off
- City was in need of repopulating
- Leaders were already in the city
- Directed by the people, not Nehemiah
- Need to bring people in from surrounding cities and the countryside
- Plan to bring 1 out of 10 to the city
- 10% a common theme – (Neh. 10:37 tithe)
- Plan was to cast lots
- Common practice in the OT
- No mention in the NT after Pentecost except in Acts 1:26 due to the Holy Spirit
- Jerusalem called the “Holy City”
- One of only 5 times in the OT
- A city “set apart” or “made holy”
- Those chosen by the lots had a choice
- Stay put and refuse to go
- Be apart of God’s bigger plan for the city
- Count the cost*
- Those that went were commended by the rest
The Background (v. 3-9)
- Tribe of Judah
- 468 able men (brave or valiant)
- Descendants of Perez
- Listed in the genealogy of David and Jesus in both Matthew and Luke
- Tribe of Benjamin
- 928 men
- Genealogy include Saul (King) and possibly Saul of Tarsus (Paul)
The Workers (v. 10–24)
- 1192 priests listed
- 822 “carried on the work of the temple”
- 242 “heads of families” – (Lay ministers)
- 128 “brave warriors”
- 284 Levites listed
- “Outside work of the temple”
- Musicians - Asaph
- Gatekeepers, temple servants, singers
The Cities (v. 25-36)
- A listing of cities surrounding Jerusalem
- Allies in times of trouble
- Places they turned to when repopulating the city
Monday Aug 07, 2017
Nehemiah: Rebuilding A Community, The Covenant: Nehemiah 10:1-39
Monday Aug 07, 2017
Monday Aug 07, 2017
Nehemiah: Rebuilding A Community
The Covenant
Nehemiah 10:1-39
The Sealers & Swearers (v. 1-29)
- A list of those who sealed the Covenant scrolls is given:
- Nehemiah, the governor (v. 1)
- The priests (v. 2-8)
- The Levites (v. 9-13)
- The leaders of families (v. 14-27)
- Everyone swore an oath to obey God’s commands given to Moses (v. 28-29)
- Including calling down a curse on themselves if they failed to keep the Law
- See the curses in Deut. 27:15–26; 30:19
- Following the form of a suzerain covenant between a king and his vassals
- Including calling down a curse on themselves if they failed to keep the Law
The Specifics (v. 30-39)
- Not intermarry with foreigners (v. 30)
- Not about ethnicity
- ) Rahab & Ruth
- About being pulled away to false gods (Ex. 34:11–16; Deut. 7:1–4; 20:10–18)
- Not about ethnicity
- Keep the Sabbath (v. 31)
- Weekly, by foregoing commerce on that day
- Every 7 years, by giving the land rest (Ex. 23:10–11) and forgiving debts (Ex. 21:2–6; Deut. 15:1–2)
- Taking care of the Temple (v. 32-34)
- By giving money (v. 32-33)
- 1/3 shekel = $176 today
- $45 million/year (Neh. 7:66)
- This was for regular operations
- Not including other tithes and offerings
- By providing wood for the offerings (v. 34)
- 1/3 shekel = $176 today
- Taking care of the Priests & Levites (v. 35-36)
- Firstfruits= best of everything
- Levites & priests didn’t have land
- It was the rest of Israel’s job to take care of them
- 10% of everything went to the Levites
- The priests & the Temple were taken care of by the tithe of the Levites (Num. 18:25–32)
- By giving money (v. 32-33)
The Law’s Role for Us
- As followers of Jesus, we are under a different covenant than the Israelites were (Luke 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25; 2 Cor. 3:6; Heb 7:22; 8:6, 8-10, 13; 9:15; 10:16; 12:24; 13:20)
- Thus, the Law does not directly apply to us
- However, it is still God’s word for us
- Because it shows us God’s character and concerns
- Christians are called to not marry non-Christians (1 Cor. 6:14)
- So that we are not pulled away from our devotion to Christ
- Christians are called to enter into the Sabbath rest provided by Jesus (Heb. 4:9-11)
- Which, in practice, means taking time to rest from our work
- Christians are called to take care of the Temple of God
- The Church as a people (1 Co 3:16-17; 6:19; 2 Cor. 6:16; Eph. 2:21; 1 Pet. 2:5)
- Including those in full-time ministry (1 Cor. 9:9ff; 1 Tim. 5:17-18)
- Including giving to fund the ministries of the Church (2 Cor. 9:7)
So What?
- The people committed themselves to obey God fully
- Are we committed to do the same?
- Or do we pick and choose how we are obedient?
Meditation Verse: Nehemiah 10:29