Day #272

Sermon - Audio
Nehemiah 11-13 & Psalm 126 - Audio
Nehemiah 11-13 & Psalm 126 - Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

11

The resettlement of Jerusalem and its suburbs [ 11:1–12:26 ]. The book of Nehemiah has affinities with utopian literature, which portrays a good society and highlights the institutional key that makes the society good. The renewing of the covenant in the preceding chapters pictures the institutional key that underlies the good society that Ezra and Nehemiah help to reestablish. The lists of clan leaders who repeopled Jerusalem and the surrounding territory in this present unit build up a cumulative picture of a well-ordered society. As we look at the categories of people who are named, it is obvious that the author regards the religious leaders (such as priests and Levites) as having special prominence in this holy commonwealth. -ESVLB-

1 - Lots were cast in order to bring people back to Jerusalem. Now that much of it had been rebuilt, it was time for people to come and populate it. Notice the contrast of the leaders dwelling within Jerusalem setting a good example for the people. Their finally beginning how to shepherd correctly.

2 - All the people who were willing to freely offer themselves were blessed. They chose to do what was hard. They chose to do what God had called them to.

Q - Are we choosing to do what's hard/what God has called us to, or are we just blending in and going along with the flow? People moving back to Jerusalem likely gave up land, many material possessions, social priorities, and probably some friends and family. They did this for the sake of the mission. What are we giving up for the mission?

3-24 - Here is a list of the leaders dwelling in Jerusalem. This list includes military leaders, priests, royal servants, etc.

25-36 - Here is a list of the Jewish villages

12

1-26 - List of Priests and Levites throughout the days of Zerubbabel, Joiakim, and Darius of Persia

27-34 - Notice that there is much celebration with instruments! This is a time of jubilee.

30 - We see that the Priests and Levites once again can purify themselves, the people, and the land. Things have been brought back to how they were intended...for a time.

43 - "The joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar" = Their loud worship was heard and acknowledge by other people/nations. The joy of the people spread.

44-47 - Offerings were given, and once again things were set apart as Holy for God.

13

The exaltation of the covenant renewal ceremony and the dedication of the walls gives way to some glimpses of unholy behavior in the community at the end of the book. The keynote of this chapter is the same as that of the earlier ceremonial sections of the book: to show that a good society is one that knows and obeys God’s law. The sequence is as follows: a reading of the law leads the people to separate themselves from foreigners (vv. 1–3); Nehemiah cleanses the temple of the desecration represented by allowing a pagan (Tobiah) to have his residence in it (vv. 4–9); Nehemiah also needs to reinstitute the financial support of the Levites so they can do their appointed work in the temple (vv. 10–14); Nehemiah calls a halt to various types of Sabbath breaking (vv. 15–22); Nehemiah stands up to men who had married pagan women (vv. 23–29); summary statement by Nehemiah regarding his reforms (v. 30). -ESVLB-

1-2 - We see that the Ammonite and Moabite people are cursed because they did not have concern for the Israelites when they needed food and water. Once again this goes back to Genesis 12:3 that "God will curse those who curse you." However, even in the midst of the hatred shown to the Israelites, God found a way to turn it into a blessing.

Q. Think back through your life and look for times were things could have been a curse, but God turned them into a blessing.

3 - The people actually obeyed the Law regarding the separation of people. This is one turning point that can be seen...they are actually obeying the Word of God!

4-9 - This is a strange and sad section. Nehemiah went back to Persia for about 10 years. When he got back he found out that the priest had disregarded the separation issue. In fact, this priest named Tobiah is actually a Ammonite as well which means the people had let him back in...ughhh.

At this point Nehemiah has to be questioning the ability of the people to hold on to what God has called them to...will/can it last?

10-14 - oh no! The people also decided that giving was no longer important. The lack of giving showed Nehemiah where the people's hearts were. Giving does this.

15-22 - The Sabbath is forsaken - "Did not your fathers do this, and did not God bring all this disaster on us and on this city!" If I'm Nehemiah I'm a little bit ticked off at this point.

21-31 - Now the people are intermarrying their sons and daughters...finally Nehemiah has had it.

Thoughts - Nehemiah comes back and finds that the people are no different than the other nations. Nehemiah stands up and proclaims to the people = "STOP BEING LIKE EVERYONE ELSE...BE GOD'S PEOPLE!"

31b - Nehemiah ends by washing his hands of these people and asking God to remember that he was faithful.

God's people once again forgot that it is about God's story and not theirs.

Day #271

Sermon - Audio
Nehemiah 8-10 - Audio
Nehemiah 8-10 - Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

Nehemiah 8-10

Nehemiah 8 – When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, he found more than just broken walls, he found broken lives. In response, Nehemiah gathers the people together to hear Ezra read God’s law. The people repent and promise to change their lives by obeying God’s words.

8:7 The Levites presumably moved among the crowd, ensuring that all could understand what was being read. Such interpretation was one of their special tasks. In order to facilitate this teaching, the law may have been read in manageable sections. This kind of understanding is primarily spiritual, though there could also have been problems with basic concepts and even language.

8:12 These are important themes of worship in Deuteronomy, where worship was associated with God’s rich gifts and the privilege of sharing them.

Nehemiah 9:1-31 The Israelites set aside a day of penance. The congregation first spent time reading the Scripture, then spent another quarter of the day worshiping God. The result was a beautiful prayer and a mosaic of their past. The ninth chapters of Ezra, Nehemiah and Daniel are devoted to confessions of national sin and to prayers for God’s grace.

9:6: Their praise honored God’s grace and power in creation.

9:7-8 Their praise honored God’s grace and power in his covenant with Abraham

9:9-11 Their praise honored God’s grace and power in Egypt and the Red Sea.

9:12-21 Their praise honored God’s grace and power in the desert and at Sinai

9:22-25 Their praise honored God’s grace and power at the conquest of Canaan.

9:26-28 Their praise honored God’s grace and power through the judges and through the prophets and kings (v29-31).

Nehemiah 9:32-37 The present great distress was in no way the fault of Israel’s faithful God. He had upheld his side of the covenant bargain impeccable, having been indisputably and unwaveringly just. While the people acknowledged total responsibility for the accumulated disasters, they petition God to now do what he had done in the past, see their distress and come to their aid.

Nehemiah 9:38-10:29 lists the leaders who renewed the covenant. The rest of the people who renewed the covenant swore the general oath of obedience to its stipulations.

Nehemiah 10:30-39 gives the particular pledges to obedience.

Day #270

Sermon - Audio
Nehemiah 6-7 - Audio
Nehemiah 6-7 - Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

Nehemiah 6-7

Chapter 6 – This is a conspiracy against Nehemiah, but the wall is finished.

v. 1 – Sanballat the Horonite is known from other sources to have been the governor of Samaria. Tobiah is an Ammonite who belongs to a people that was one of Israel’s historic enemies. Geshem the Arab may have been from Kedar. Kedarites had settled close to Judah.

v. 3 – Nehemiah would not divert time and effort from God’s work for discussions with his enemies that he knew would be fruitless and probably dangerous to him.

v. 4 – Nehemiah follows diplomatic protocol in the exchange of letters.

v. 5-7 – The open letter intended to exert extra pressure on Nehemiah, perhaps by creating fear within his own community that his actions could lead to disaster. “There is a king in Judah” – if this were true it would certainly inflame the Persians. Sanballat portrays himself as loyal to Persia and also as the Jews friend, offering to diffuse the danger posed by these alleged rumors.

v. 12 – Shemaiah, who may have been a priest, was pretending to speak with prophetic authority, but Nehemiah sees that his prophecy was false.

v. 17 – It is ironic that Tobiah is highly considered among the Israelites. It is because of an alliance based on the marriages of Tobiah (an Ammonite) and his son into families of Jewish nobility. This perhaps explains Tobiah’s hostility to Nehemiah’s work.

Chapter 7 – Nehemiah lists those who return from exile during the time of Zerubbabel.

v. 1 – “gatekeepers, singers, Levites” – is a typical grouping of worship officials, so it is surprising to find them guarding the walls. Yet guarding the city was ultimately related to establishing the worship of God and His temple.

v. 2 – Hanani and Hananiah may have possibly replaced the rulers previously set in Jerusalem.

v. 6-73 – This is a list virtually identical to the one in Ezra 2. The purpose is not to give new information but to highlight Nehemiah’s next concern; to repopulate Jerusalem.

Day #269

Sermon - Audio
Nehemiah 1-5 - Audio
Nehemiah 1-5 - Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

Daily Reading: Nehemiah 1-5

Introductory notes from the ESV Literary Study Bible:

The book at a glance: The book of Nehemiah has been called one of the liveliest pieces of writing in the Bible. It is a sequel to the book of Ezra, which records the stories of the first two remnants that returned from exile to Jerusalem. The book of Nehemiah tells the story of what befell the third wave of returnees, some thirteen years after the second group had returned. Two main actions occur—the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem and the recommitment of the returned exiles to fulfill their covenant obligations. There is something for virtually everyone in this book, which is a general’s diary, a governor’s report, a civil record, a management handbook, and a memoir all in one short book. The events covered in this historical chronicle and collection of hero stories span approximately fifteen years. Part of the liveliness of the book stems from the striking character of Nehemiah, who emerges from the pages as a godly and decisive leader

The book of Nehemiah as a chapter in the master story of the Bible: Like the book of Ezra, the book of Nehemiah records an important phase of the national history of God’s OTcovenant nation. In this history we can see how God wants his people to live and worship, and this is a main strand in the master story of the Bible. Furthermore, rebuilding the city of God, literally and symbolically, is a key biblical theme.

A companion story to Ezra: The book of Nehemiah invites comparison to its predecessor, Ezra. The careers of Ezra and Nehemiah overlapped, and the book of Nehemiah completes the action that began with the book of Ezra. The book of Ezra deals with two main events—the movement to rebuild the temple and a reform movement based on a return to the law of the covenant. The book of Nehemiah follows the same pattern: as in the book of Ezra, the first half is a rebuilding story (the rebuilding of the city wall), and the second half is a story of reform (a return to obeying God’s covenant rules). The division of duties between Nehemiah and Ezra are complementary: Nehemiah’s leadership is governmental and administrative, while Ezra’s leadership is priestly and liturgical.

Nehemiah 1

1.4 This is a very emotional verse. Nehemiah sits down abruptly. He is overwhelmed by the news. Similarly today, it is common that when someone hears bad news, they need to sit down.

1.5 “Nehemiah’s response to hearing the news is indicative of his awareness that God was calling him to a completely new sphere of service, for which his position and training had uniquely prepared him. This is shown in particular by his sense of identity with his people (4, 6–7) and the fact that he prayed about the situation for four months (2:1). (Clearly, the account we have here is but a summary.) Such a period of waiting is indicative both of faith in the reality of the call and of sustained commitment (New Bible Commentary).” The prayer comes off as especially sincere. Worth reading through slowly. He calls on God, appealing to the promises God had made to his people. This interaction with God also led him to confess the sins of the nation to God. This very importantly frames the entire book in terms of 1) God's covenant 2) a repentant Israel. This is what will enable Israel to rebuild the city of Jerusalem.

1.11 The seemingly random comment about Nehemiah being cup bearer to the king is a parenthetical statement. It actually points forward to chapter 2. Nehemiah's status as cup bearer gets the whole process rolling. His status is merely one more link in the chain of God's sovereignty. God is working behind the scenes in this story in order to give Nehemiah the position he needs to have access to the king.

Nehemiah 2

2.4 Notice again how prominent prayer is in Nehemiah's action. He is always seeking God in all he does.

2.8 Nehemiah is aware that God the one who is really in control here.

2.10 Sanballat, Nehemiah’s arch-rival, is known from a document discovered in Egypt to have been the governor of Samaria and to have given his sons good ‘Yahwistic’ names. We may speculate that, following the debacle of Ezr. 4, he had been given temporary jurisdiction over Judah and that this may account for his jealousy of Nehemiah. Tobiah had close personal links inside Jerusalem (NBC)

2.13 This is quite a dramatic scene. Nehemiah enters the city at night to inspect the city (I imagine a figure like Zorro riding in through the gate. He plans to keep his mission secret from potential enemies.

2.11-20 “After arriving in Jerusalem, Nehemiah tested his vocation with caution. First, he engaged physically, but in secret, with the task which confronted him (11–16), no doubt ‘counting the cost’ of so momentous an undertaking cf. Lk. 9:57–62; 14:28–32). Secondly, with more than a hint that he believed that God had sent him, he invited the cooperation of the people in the fulfilment of his call (17–18). Their unanimous response confirmed that he was on the right path. Individual vocation generally finds such confirmation by the community of faith (Acts 13:1–2). Finally, he was not deflected by opposition, but rather responded with a positive assertion of what he had been called to do, and left the outcome to the God who had initiated the task (19–20).” (NBC)

Nehemiah 3

This chapter is a detailed list of construction tasks (which narratively speaking aren't completed till chapter 6).

“The overall picture to emerge is instructive. It demonstrates first a unity of intention by the people, some forty sections apparently working simultaneously. This could not have been achieved had there not been good supervision, close cooperation and an eye open for what was being done in neighbouring sections. Secondly, however, the interests and motives of those involved differed considerably. Some worked on the basis of family association, others as individuals, some in district associations, some on the basis of their position in society and yet others because of professional association. Moreover, in many cases the people were employed at that point in the wall where they had a vested interest. These first two points serve as a useful illustration of the unity and diversity which should characterize the work of the church (cf., for instance, Rom. 12:3–8;1 Cor. 12:4–27; Eph. 4:1–13). Finally, it is challenging to note the varying degrees of involvement. A few refused to participate at all (5); most appear to have completed the task allotted to them; but some even managed a second section (NBC).”

Nehemiah 4

Plot and counterplot [ chapter 4 ]. What began simply as a story that has gripped us with its picture of industriousness, efficiency of organization, and engineering and architectural expertise now becomes a conflict story, as the Jews’ neighbors display hostility to them and their rebuilding of the city wall. The conflict unfolds as a plot by the Jews’ enemies and a counterplot by the Jews. The sequence is as follows: Sanballat and Tobiah taunt the Jews (vv. 1–3); the Jews pray to God for deliverance and continue to build the wall (vv. 4–6); a confederation of enemies plans a secret attack on the Jews, who respond with prayer and stationing of armed defenders at the wall (vv. 7–14); the Jews continue to build the wall with a strategy of half of the men building the wall and half of them standing guard (vv. 15–20), along with a scheme of alternating nighttime watch and daytime work (vv. 21–23). Good ways to read this chapter include the following: follow the plot conflict between the Jews and their enemies; note the specific ingredientsof human ingenuity in the actions of the Jews; observe the references to God—both the people’s expression of faith in God and the introduction of God as an actor in the story. The archetype at work is the triumph of the godly underdog. (ESV Literary Study Bible)

Nehemiah 5

5.1-13 The sense of social injustice was aggravated by the facts that their creditors were fellow-Jews (1, 5) and that they were reaching the point of having to sell themselves into debt-slavery. Though not illegal as such, such practices were permitted only as short-term measures, and the law was concerned to protect the longer-term interests of the very poor (e.g. Ex. 21:2–11; Lv. 25; Dt. 15:1–18). This could not help in the present sudden emergency, and, besides, what was happening was contrary to the whole ethos of what Nehemiah was attempting to achieve (6–8). He therefore brought moral pressure to bear on the creditors by confronting them in public and by candidly acknowledging his own shortcomings in the matter (10). In this way he cut straight through any legalistic arguments in order to uphold the moral spirit of the law, very much in the manner of some of the earlier prophets. (NBC)

5.14-19 In order to illustrate the principle that within the community generosity is to be preferred to personal gain, Nehemiah reflected on his practice throughout what we now learn for the first time was his twelve-year term as governor (14). This is considerably longer than the period envisaged at 2:6, and we know next to nothing about what happened after the first year. The highly selective nature of the biblical record is thus again emphasized. (NBC)