September 29: Nehemiah 11-13, Psalm 126

September 29, Nehemiah 11-13, Psalm 126

Nehemiah continued…

Nehemiah 11 It seemed as thought the intent here was to repopulate Jerusalem. All the leaders lived there and so they cast lots for other people to come live there and some came voluntarily and were blessed because of it. 

Then we read a list of the chiefs that lived in Jerusalem, along with the Benjaminites, Levites, Priests, gatekeepers and overseers.  

Nehemiah 12 This is another list of Priests and Levites who came up to Jerusalem at that time.

Then it was time to dedicate the wall that they rebuilt. This was to be a huge celebration of a time of thankfulness as they dedicated the temple with singers and musicians. Nehemiah made sure that the priests were purified and the people too. 

The people came to the city and then we learn about 2 choirs that were put together to give thanks to God. The choirs went to both sides of the city and they rejoiced together and made great offerings and sacrifices to God with great joy. Just like in the time of King David, there was music before the Lord with leadership.

Nehemiah 13 That same day they read from the Book of Moses and learned that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly and so they sent all the foreigners away. Before this happened, Eliashib the priest - who was in charge of the chambers of house of God - prepared a place for his relative Tobiah (an enemy of the Jews). All of this was happening when Nehemiah wasn't there because he was visiting his old King Artaxerxes. When Nehemiah returned and saw the evil that was done - that Tobiah had a place in the Lord’s house - he took all his furniture and threw it out. What else happened when Nehemiah had been away? The Levites were not getting their fair share of the portions, the Jews were not obeying the Sabbath, the outsiders are selling things to the Jews on the Sabbath, Jews married foreigners… What was the results? Nehemiah appointed treasurers to make sure the Levites got their share.Nehemiah kicked out the the sellers on the Sabbath. He was so angry because these were the things that led to the fall of the Jews. With the intermarrying, “And I confronted them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair. And I made them take an oath in the name of God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. Did not Solomon king of Israel sin on account of such women? Among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, foreign women made even him to sin.” They were being outright disobedient and needed to be reminded of the covenant that they just made that they just broke. Nehemiah prayed numerous times that God would not hold their sins against him but that God would remember Nehemiah’s good deeds. Nehemiah did his best to cleanse all the idols and foreign gods. 

Psalm 126 This is a community lament. God is the one who restores and saves. God had been made known among the nations for how He blessed and took care of His people. Joy will be the overarching emotion. 

To sum it all up: 

• How quickly we can (like the Jews) forget the promises we make when things become ‘normal’ or when the leader that motivated everyone is gone. We have to stop this. Our convictions need to be ours - not an emotion but a life change. 
• We must strive with every effort to be obedient to God and not go back to our old ways. Eradicate the sins that send you back to who you once were…