Tag Archive | Nehemiah

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Days 271 & 272

Sep29

Day 271 – Reading – Nehemiah  8 – 10

Day 272 – Reading Nehemiah 11 – 13, and Psalm 126

Today’s reading tells of the people weeping, experiencing “the joy of the LORD,” celebrating and rejoicing, and a deep and long confession of their sin and the sins of their ancestors, ending in a solemn commitment in writing to obey God.  All this … because they heard God’s Word read and explained.

(****Oh, LORD, may my reading and study of Your word elicit weeping, confession of sin, then joy & celebration with a commitment to love and obey You…from my heart.)

Day 271 – Nehemiah 8.

It was the first of the seventh month, usually when the Feast of Tabernacles was celebrated.  The people gathered as one to hear the Law of Moses read.  A wooden platform was built to elevate Ezra and 14 other priests who would help to read and explain the law. This was set up in the large area facing the Water Gate, south of the Temple Mount. 

Ezra opened the scroll, and all the people stood.  He blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people said, “Amen, amen.” 

While the people stood in their places, they read from the book of The Law of God, clearly, and gave the sense (meaning) so the people understood.  They read from early morning until midday, about six hours or more…. all standing.  And all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law.

Nehemiah and Ezra said to the people. “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”  They told the people to go their way, eat and drink sweet wine, and send food to those who had nothing ready. It was a holy day to the LORD.  So there was great rejoicing.

The next day, all the heads of fathers’ houses, with the priests and Levites, came together to Ezra to study the words of the Law. They found it written that the people should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month, and that they should publish it in the surrounding area. “Go out to the hills and bring branches and make booths.” 

So they obeyed and set up booths everywhere, living in them for the week. And day by day, they read from the Book of the Law of God.  They celebrated for seven days, and on the eighth day, there was a solemn assembly, according to the rule.

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Nehemiah 9.

And so, in the spirit of the solemn Day of Atonement, the people of Israel assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and earth thrown on their heads (a sign of deep contrition). 

They STOOD and CONFESSED their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers. 

They stood and read the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of a day. For another quarter of the day, they made confession and worshiped the LORD their God.

On the stairs, the high priest Jeshua and other priests cried with a loud voice to the LORD their God.

Then Jeshua and the others told the people to stand up and bless the LORD their God.

“From everlasting to everlasting, Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise. YOU are the LORD, YOU alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them, and You preserve all of them, and the host of heaven worships You. You are the LORD, the God who chose Abraham….  And You have kept Your promise, for You are righteous.

And throughout the day, they recited the history of how God dealt with His chosen people, Israel.

  • “You are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love … and you did not forsake them….. even when they made a golden calf…
  • “You in your great mercy did not forsake them in the wilderness…”
  • “You gave your good Spirit to instruct them, and did not withhold your manna…. and gave them water… sustaining them for forty years.
  • “You gave them kingdoms and peoples and allotted to them every corner.”
  • “You multiplied their children as the stars of heaven…”
  • “So they ate and were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in Your great goodness.”

They confessed the sin and rebellion of their fathers.

  • “But they were disobedient and rebelled and cast your law behind them….
  • “You gave them to their enemies who made them suffer…
  • “But when they cried out to You, You heard from heaven and sent saviors….
  • “Yet they turned again away from You and did evil… so You sent their enemies again.
  • “Many times You delivered them according to Your mercies.
  • “Many years You bore with them and warned them, yet they would not listen.
  • “Nevertheless, in Your great mercies, You did not make an end of them or forsake them, for YOU are a gracious and merciful God.

Now, they confess their own sins, and acknowledge that where they are, is because of their sin. 

  • “Now, therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, You have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly.
  • “Our kings, princes, priests and fathers have not kept your law or paid attention to Your commandments and warnings, they did not serve You or turn from their wicked ways…..
  • And now, behold, WE ARE SLAVES THIS DAY, in this land You gave our fathers to enjoy.  WE ARE SLAVES, and the land’s rich yield goes to the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins.  They rule over our bodies and over our livestock as they please, and we are in distress.

And so they wrote and signed a “firm covenant” to obey God and not repeat the sins of their fathers. 

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Nehemiah 10.

The people who signed the Covenant are listed in detail at the top of this chapter. Nehemiah, the Governor, is first. Then, all the leaders and nobles, priests, Levites, temple workers, and of the laity, those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the land to the Law of God, with their wives and children. They enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law that was given by Moses, and to do all the commandments of the LORD.   They also pledged to give the yearly Temple tax to support the religious workers, and the regular required offerings. 

“We obligate ourselves to bring the first fruits of our ground and of all fruit trees, year by year, to the house of the LORD.  Also, the firstborn of our sons, our cattle, herds, and flocks.”

“We will not neglect the house of our God.”

(These are bold and righteous commitments.  Can they keep them? (If they were like me and the people today, probably not, sadly.)

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Day 272 – Nehemiah 11

The leaders of the people lived INSIDE Jerusalem, while the rest of the people lived outside the walls in their towns and villages.   So the people cast lots to bring ONE OUT OF TEN to live inside the city walls.  Nehemiah did this to hurry up the reestablishment of homes and businesses in Jerusalem.  Names of people and places are listed in this chapter.

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Nehemiah 12.

Before the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple, there were 24 courses of priests, each course serving in the temple for a period of two weeks per year. (King David set up the schedule.)

Sadly, only FOUR of the 24 courses returned from Babylon.  These were now divided into 24 courses. 

  • (Only 22 are mentioned here, perhaps because these priestly families died out with no sons to follow at the time Zerubbabel originally named them.)

Next, the finished wall around Jerusalem was dedicated.   All the Levites were called in to celebrate the dedications with GLADNESS, THANKSGIVINGS, and SINGING.

The Priests and Levites first purified themselves, and then they purified the people and the gates and the wall.

Then Nehemiah brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall and appointed two “great choirs” to give thanks.  One half went all the way south along the wall, and the other went to the north to meet them, all surrounding the House of the LORD.

They sang, offered sacrifices, and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy. “And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away!   For long ago in the days of David and Asaph, there were directors of the singers, and there were songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.” 

(Thank you, David.  And thanks to all our own music directors and leaders who lead congregations in praise in churches around the world!)

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Psalm 126.

“When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,

We were like those who dream.

Then our mouth was filled with laughter,

and our tongue with shouts of joy;

Then they said among the nations,

“The LORD has done great things for them”

The LORD has done great things for us;

We are glad.

Restore our fortunes, O LORD,

like streams in the Negev!

Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!

He who goes out weeping,

bearing the seed for sowing,

shall come home wit shouts of joy,

bringing his sheaves with him.

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Nehemiah 13.

Now in the 32nd year of King Artaxerxes, Nehemiah returned to Persia as he said he would.  He’d organized and led the people to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and they’d done it with God’s help and protection. The wall had been dedicated.  

But while he was back in Persia, bad things were happening again.  He (obviously) got news of it and asked permission from the king to return.

Problem #1. While they were reading from the Law of Moses each day in the annual cycle, they came on the portion (Deut. 23:3-6) that said “No Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the Assembly of God because of that event with Balaam cursing them as they approached the Promised Land.”

As soon as they heard that law, the people separated out those of foreign descent from the temple workers, but…..  before the reading and the doing of this law, something awful had happened.  One of the priests – Eliashib, whom Nehemiah had caught siding with the enemy earlier (Neh. 2:10) – had smuggled Tobiah into one of the storage rooms of the temple, and he was LIVING THERE!   THE NERVE!

(You remember Tobiah, right?  He and Sanballat were two of the main hindrances to Nehemiah’s wall work.)

SO…………  when Nehemiah got back, he was VERY ANGRY!  He threw out Tobiah and all his household furniture from the chamber. Then he gave orders for the chamber to be cleansed, and for the vessels of the House of God to be brought back in.

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Problem #2. And while he was at it, Nehemiah found that the portions of support had not been given to the Levites, so they had gone home to work in their fields. 

Nehemiah confronted the officials, gathered the Levites back to their stations, and got after the people until they brought their tithes of grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses. He then appointed a reliable priest, a scribe, a Levite, and his assistant to fairly distribute to the Levites. 

Then Nehemiah prayed, “Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for His service.”

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Problem #3. Then our eagle-eyed Nehemiah spotted people working on the Sabbath. They were treading grapes in the winepresses, and bringing in heaps of grain and fruit and fish which they loaded and brought into Jerusalem to sell on the Sabbath!!!   

Nehemiah confronted the leaders about this broken law. “What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day?  Did not your fathers act in this way, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city??? You are bringing MORE wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”

Nehemiah began closing all the gates in the walls of Jerusalem as it started to get dark before the Sabbath.  He gave orders for them not to be opened until AFTER the Sabbath.  And he stationed his guards to make sure it happened. 

Problem #4. Sooo… the merchants simply unloaded all their stuff outside the wall and held a “market” there.  But Nehemiah got after them as well.  “If you do this again, I will lay hands on you!”

He then told the Levites that THEY should purify themselves and come guard the gates, to keep the Sabbath day HOLY.

And Nehemiah prayed, “Remember this also in my favor, O my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love.”

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Problem #5. And….. AGAIN…… Nehemiah saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod (Philistia), Ammon, and Moab.  And half their children couldn’t even speak Hebrew.

Nehemiah confronted them.  And cursed them.   And beat some of them.  And pulled out their hair!

(I’d say he was pretty angry and zealous for the LORD!!)

And Nehemiah made them swear an oath NOT to give their daughters or take daughters to foreigners.

“Did not Solomon, king of Israel, sin on account of such women???  Among the 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!  Shall YOU now act treacherously against our God?

Nehemiah noticed that one of the sons of the high priest had married one of Sanballat’s daughters!!!  Nehemiah CHASED HIM AWAY!

And Nehemiah prayed, “Remember them, O my God, because they have desecrated the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

Problems #6+. Then Nehemiah cleansed them from everything foreign … and he established the duties of the priests and Levites, each in his work … and he provided for the wood offering at appointed times, and for first fruits.

Wow.

And he prayed, “Remember me, O my God, for good.”

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(What a man and what a leader Nehemiah was!  He was strong and hard on sin.  He did not get distracted from his work. He honored his word.  He was honest and giving.  It seems he knew MORE of the law than even the priests and Levites knew.  He led the people in righteousness. And he prayed … again and again.

O LORD, for men in leadership like this today!  And I ask that some of Nehemiah’s “straight path” ways would be evident in me too.)

 

 

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 270

Sep27

Day 270 – Reading –  Nehemiah  6 – 7

Nehemiah 6. 

THIRD OPPOSITION:  When those three conspirators – Sanballat, Tobiah, the Ammonite, and Geshem, the Arab – saw that the wall was built (but still had no gates), they invited Nehemiah to lunch.  HA!  Our boy knew they meant to harm him and declined. “I’m working and can’t stop.”

FOUR TIMES they sent him this invite and four times he declined. (Seems they should have gotten the message.)

Next, Sanballat sent an open letter via his servant accusing Nehemiah and the Jews of rebellion, saying they planned to make him King, in opposition to the one in Persia.  Then Artaxerxes will come and make war. 

Nehemiah’s response was stinging. “Seriously?? You are inventing things to frighten us, thinking we will drop the work and not finish!  Go you way, I’m not frightened!” 

Nehemiah didn’t stew about this threat, he prayed. “But now, O God, strengthen my hands.”

FOURTH OPPOSITION: Next they hired a false prophet, to try and lure Nehemiah into the Temple and escape a murder threat. “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the Temple. Let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you by night.”

Nehemiah held up his hand to halt the fellow. “Should such a man as I run away?  And what man such as I (not a priest) could go into the temple and live? i will NOT go in.”  With that, Nehemiah understood that this was not a prophet of God, but a man from Tobiah and Sanballat. 

And again Nehemiah prayed, “Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, according to theses things that they did, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid.” (Ezekiel 13:17-18)

And so, despite all the opposition, the wall was finished.  It took 52 days under Nehemiah’s stead leadership and resistance to opposition … and prayer.   “And when all our enemies heard of it, all nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.”

However, Tobiah continued to send letters to try to make Nehemiah afraid.  (What a jerk!)

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Nehemiah 7.

When Nehemiah had finally finished the doors, and the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites had been appointed, he gave his brother Hanani, and Hananiah, the governor of the castle,** charge over Jerusalem, for the governor was “a more faithful and God-fearing man than many.” 

**The “castle” was the “Tower of Hananel” set on the NW corner of the wall.  It was used as protection for the Temple. (See the map of gates in yesterday’s post.) When Herod rebuilt the temple area, he made this “fortress,” the Antonia, where the Roman guard was housed in Jesus’ time.

Nehemiah’s instructions to Hananiah and his brother were to “Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot. And while they are still standing guard, let them shut and bar the doors.”   Nehemiah called for this to prevent looting and sabotage by their enemies, for “Jerusalem was wide and large, but the people within it were few. None of the houses had been rebuilt.”  (Such a smart leader!)

Then God put it in Nehemiah’s heart to enroll the nobles, officials, and people by genealogy.  He found the original book of the people who had returned in the first wave under Zerubbabel.  In that book, it was written,

“These were the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried into exile. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his town. They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua…. etc.”

Nehemiah updated this record.

 

 

 

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 269

Sep26

Day 269 – Reading – Nehemiah  1 – 5

Next in the 3rd book of the exile history is Nehemiah.

It begins in the 20th year of King Artaxerxes’ reign in the Persian capital of Susa. Nehemiah, born into Jewish exile, was neither a prophet, priest, nor descendant in the royal line. He was a working man in a high and trusted position of “cup-bearer” to the king.

It was his duty to personally serve the King’s wine, even to first swallow some if there was a concern about poison.  It was a lucrative position.  Nehemiah had gained personal wealth as mentioned in Neh. 8:5, 10, 14, & 17.

Nehemiah was also a man of prayer. This book records TWELVE of his prayers. Several of them are very short, “arrow” prayers, showing that Nehemiah knew God, had a close relationship with Him, and could send brief, urgent requests as the need arose, confident that the LORD  would hear and answer.

The book of Nehemiah was written by Ezra.

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Nehemiah 1.

One day, Nehemiah’s brother, Hanani, visited him, having just arrived from Judah. Nehemiah quizzed him about what was happening, and the brother spoke of bad news. The remnant there was in “great trouble and shame.” The walls and gates of Jerusalem, which King Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed and burned nearly 200 years before, were still in a state of rubble.  The Holy City, the Temple, and the people were defenseless. 

This broke Nehemiah’s heart, and he began fasting and praying to the God of Heaven. (1:5-11) 

  1. He acknowledged that the people of Israel had sinned greatly in God’s sight. 
  2. He confessed that this is the reason they were scattered among the nations. 
  3. He reminded God of his promise to gather them back to the land … which He had.
  4. Then Nehemiah asked that God would give him good success when he put a request before the king that day.

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Nehemiah 2.

The scene is now in the dinner hall of the palace. Nehemiah is waiting upon the king. He pours a wine glass and gives it to Artaxerxes.

The king looks up into Nehemiah’s face, expecting to see a calm, assured smile. (It was against the law to have a sad or mad face in the presence of royalty.)

“Why is your face sad?“ he asked. “You’re not sick, are you?“ (e.g. Did you drink poison???)  Then the king looks closer, sits back, and says to his butler knowingly, “This is nothing but sadness of the heart.”

Nehemiah gulps and says, “Let the king live forever! But why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire.”

Putting his fingertips together and raising an eyebrow, Artaxerxes asks, “What are you requesting?”

Here is one of Nehemiah’s “arrow” prayers.  All that’s said is, “So I prayed to the God of heaven.”  Then he states his request. 

“If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight … that you send me to Judah, to the city of my father’s graves, that I may rebuild it.

The king glances at the queen, who is sitting beside him, then asks, “How long will you be gone, and when will you return?”   (It would be 12 years before his return. see Neh. 5:14)

Boldly, Nehemiah asked the king for letters, 1.) to the governors of the “province Beyond the River” that would let him pass through, 2.) to the keepers of the forest to get timber for the gates and the house he would live in.  The king granted him all … “because the good hand of my God was upon me.”

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Nehemiah arrived and was there three days before anyone knew it.  He wanted to see the situation with his own eyes, so at night he tried to ride around the city. He looked at the rubble, especially the destroyed gates, making plans as he went, until he reached a point that was impassable, and returned. (The Valley Gate, Dung Gate, Fountain Gate, and the King’s Pool.)

Then he approached the city officials and the people, and told them how God had been with him, and how the king had okayed the project. “Let us rise up and build!”

FIRST OPPOSITION:  When the neighboring governors (Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab) heard it, they jeered and protested. “What?? Are you rebelling against the king?”  they cried.

“The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you, YOU, have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem!” responded Nehemiah.

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Nehemiah 3.

Read this chapter as you follow the map. It lists the Gates and portions of the wall that each group worked on, starting at the top.

Beginning with the High Priest and other priests at the Sheep Gate, the Tower of the Hundred, and the Tower of Hananel, these worked nearest to the Temple of God.   

Another group of priests worked on the Fish Gate and the Gate of Yeshanah.

Others worked all the way down the western side to the Dung Gate, the King’s Garden, and the Pool. 

More workers repaired on the ascent, or Eastern side at the Water Gate, Horse Gate,  Muster Gate, and the Corner Tower and Gate of the Guard. They closed the gap at the Sheep Gate again.  

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Nehemiah 4.

SECOND OPPOSITION:  Sanballat came again, angry and jeering. He said in the presence of the army of Samaria, “What are these feeble Jews doing?  Will they restore it for themselves?  Will they sacrifice?  Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish?”

Tobiah, beside him, said, “Yes, they are building.  But if a fox goes upon it, he will break down their stone wall.”

Nehemiah doesn’t fight with shouts and fist-waving.  He prays to God,  “Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunt on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives. Do not cover their guilt, and let not their sin be blotted out from Your sight, for they have provoked You to anger in the presence of the builders.”

When Sanballat and Tobiah, along with the Arabs and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls was going well, and the breaches were getting closed, they were VERY ANGRY.  They all plotted together to come, and fight, and cause confusion.

But what did Nehemiah do?  And we prayed to our God and set a guard day and night.”

But a quiet unease began to spread among the workers.

  • “Our strength is failing.
  • There is too much rubble. 
  • By ourselves, we won’t be able to rebuild the wall. 
  • Our families are telling us to come home.
  • Our enemies said they would come in and kill us.”

So, Nehemiah, in the lowest parts of the wall, stationed the people by clans with swords, spears, and bows. 

And he encouraged them with, “Do not be afraid of them, Remember the LORD, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.”

And from that day on, half of his servants worked on the construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail.  And the laborers worked with one hand on a tool and one hand on a weapon.  And he told everyone, if they heard the sound of a trumpet, they were to rally to the spot and help.

All of Nehemiah’s own brothers, servants, and guards did not take off their clothes, but stayed inside the wall all night, with a weapon in hand.

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Nehemiah 5.

Another problem arose about the lack of food and supplies, and families going hungry.  Just like in Jerusalem in the days before the fall, the wealthier people were mistreating the poor.  Sons and daughters were being sold as laborers/slaves to pay for food. Vineyards, fields, and houses were being taken for taxes.

“WHAT IS THIS??” An angry Nehemiah wanted to know. He was very angry, and as governor, he brought charges against the nobles and officials. “You ought to walk in the fear of our God.   My brothers and I are lending them grain and money. Let us abandon this exacting of interest.  Return this very day, their fields, vineyards, olive orchards, and houses.  AND return the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you took!

Meekly, the elders and officials said, “We will restore and require nothing further. We will do as you say.”  And the people DID as they said.  (WOW!)

Nehemiah adds that in all the 12 years he and his brothers were there, they did NOT TAKE THE GOVERNOR’S ALLOWANCE.   Also, he bought no land and fed many at his own expense.  He and his servants were there to work… to the glory of his God.

And he prayed, “Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people”

 

 

 

 

2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 272

Sep28

    Day 272—We are in the NINTH month of Bible reading with more of Israel’s history and the end of the book of NEHEMIAH, with a PSALM.

    Day 272 – Nehemiah 11 – 13, Psalm 126 (leaders in Jerusalem, the dedication of the wall with choirs, Nehemiah leaves & returns & scolds people)

Nehemiah 11.  This chapter lists the secular and religious people living inside Jerusalem and tells how 1 in 10 were chosen by lot to live within the city’s walls. 

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Nehemiah 12.  This chapter begins by listing the priests and Levites who had returned with Zerubbabel and Jeshua/Joshua and Nehemiah and Ezra. 

Next, the completed wall of Jerusalem, which Nehemiah was sent to rebuild, was dedicated in a large and joyful ceremony.  (With gladness, thanksgiving, singing; with cymbals, harps and lyres.)  The leaders of Judah were put up on the wall, and two great choirs were appointed to give thanks.  Ezra, the scribe, led the procession up to the temple. They sang and rejoiced, “for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.”

Men were appointed over the storerooms, contributions, first fruits, and tithes to gather into them portions required by the Law for the priests and Levites.  “And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah gave the daily portions for the singers and gatekeepers as well as the Levites and priests.”

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Nehemiah 13.  On that day of dedication, they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people.  This time, they discovered the law that said no Ammonite or Moabite (descendants of Lot) should be allowed in the assembly of God. This was because of how they had treated Israel when they came from Egypt. (Numbers 22-23).  As soon as the people heard this, they separated from Israel those of foreign descent.

NOTE: It appears that after this, Nehemiah returned to the service of cupbearer to King Artaxerxes. He had been gone for two years.  While he was back in Persia, things began to fall apart. The priest, Eliashib, who was over the chambers for grain & offering storage, had cleaned out one of the larger ones and made a room for Tobiah. (Remember him? Arch foe of the Jews, back in Nehemiah 1-8) 

Other things had happened, too. The offerings for the Levites had fallen off, so they had to go work their farms outside the city. All kinds of work and buying & selling were done on the Sabbath, which had caused God’s anger in the past.  And, the people had begun intermarrying again with women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab, so much so that their children couldn’t speak or understand Hebrew. 

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Nehemiah 13.  Nehemiah (after about 9 years, asked King Artaxerxes if he could return to Jerusalem to set things right. He was given approval.

He first threw Tobiah and all his furniture out of the temple storage chamber and had it cleaned.  Then, he confronted all the officials of Jerusalem and asked why the tithes had stopped coming in.  Soon, the people were bringing their tithes of grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses. Nehemiah chose reliable men to distribute it to the Levites.  (The prophet Malachi – which we’ll read tomorrow – also prophesied against these people for neglecting this very thing.)

Next, Nehemiah raged against the people for buying and selling in the city on the Sabbath. “What is this evil thing you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day? Did not your fathers act this way, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and this city?”  He regulated the opening and closing of the city gates, closing them at the beginning of the Sabbath and not reopening them until afterward.  When merchants camped outside the walls to sell there, he chased them off. 

Nehemiah got very angry with those who were intermarrying with pagans. He confronted them, cursed them, beat some of them, and pulled out their hair.  He made them take an oath that they would not give their daughters to pagans or take women from them. 

 “Did not Solomon, king of Israel, sin on account of such woman?. He was beloved by his God and God made him King over all Israel. Nevertheless, foreign women made even him to sin.  Shall you do all this great evil and act treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women???

Even a grandson of the high priest had married a daughter of Sanballat (Remember him?).  Nehemiah chased him out. 

“Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign, and I established the duties of the priests and Levites, each in his work.”  Remember me, O my God, for good.

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NOTE: We don’t know if Nehemiah ever returned to Babylon/Persia.  And even though we study the prophet Malachi tomorrow, the book of Nehemiah was the final book in the original Old Testament.  It was the end of the Biblical history of the Jews for about 400 years until the next prophet came saying… “Prepare the way for the Lord, make his paths straight. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (A voice crying in the wilderness: John the Baptist)

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Psalm 126. 

"When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, 
we were like those who dream. 
Then our mouth was filled with laughter 
and our tongue with shouts of joy; 
then they said among the nations, 
'The LORD has done great things for them.'  
The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad."

2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 271

Sep27

    Day 271—We are in the NINTH month of Bible reading with more of Israel’s history and the book of NEHEMIAH.

    Day 271 – Nehemiah 8 – 10 (Joy at the reading of the Law, Feast of Booths celebrated, confession, and commitment)

Nehemiah 8. After the wall was finished, and the people were living in their towns, in the seventh month, the men, women, and children of the age to understand gathered in the square just inside the Water Gate on the east side of the city and south of the Temple.

They gathered together to hear Ezra read the “Book of the Law of Moses.” (1st five books of the Bible, the “Torah”). “Bless the LORD, the great God,” Ezra said, and all the people answered, “Amen, amen.” Then they lifted their hands, bowed their heads, and worshiped the LORD. 

(I should do this before I read God’s word each morning, too!)

Standing on a raised wooden platform, with Levites on either side, Ezra read from early morning until midday. The Levites helped the people to understand the Law while they listened. The people were attentive, hearing like it was the first time, and they wept.

“This day is holy to the LORD your God,” said Nehemiah. “Go, eat the fat, drink sweet wine, and share with the needy.  Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

Then, they gathered again the next day to study the words of the law. They heard about the Festival of Booths/Tabernacles and realized they hadn’t obeyed that command for quite a while.  Ezra told them to gather branches and build booths, for they would celebrate the week unto the LORD. (It was to remember the days they’d lived in temporary shelters those 40 years in the wilderness.)  And they kept the feast, after which there was a “solemn assembly.” (The Day of Atonement)

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Nehemiah 9.  The people assembled, fasting and in sackcloth. They confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.  They stood and heard the reading of the Law for a quarter of the day, and for another quarter, they confessed and worshiped the LORD their God.

Then, in verses 4 – 37, the Levites stood on the stairs and cried to the LORD their God. Then they commanded the people to  “Stand up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting.”

In worship and confession of sin, the Levites recited God’s mighty redemptive acts on Israel’s behalf, from creation through His promises to their forefathers, His faithfulness and care of them despite their sin and rebellion, and His offers of grace and mercy. “You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them, and did not withhold your Manna and gave them water.”  

They praised God for bringing them into this good land and giving them prosperity but confessed that when they were filled with His great goodness, they became disobedient, rebelled, and committed great blasphemies. He had given them to their enemies (in Judges), but, when they cried to Him, He had sent them saviors and rest. However, soon, they were back into their old sinful ways.

God had warned them for many years by His prophets, but they would not listen. Finally, He sent them as captives to foreign lands.  But even there, He had spared a remnant. 

“Now, therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love, let not all the hardship seem little to You that has come upon us.  You have dealt faithfully, and we have acted wickedly.  

They confessed that despite being in the land God had promised to their fathers, they were slaves. SLAVES! The land’s rich yield all went to the kings God set over them….because of their sins. Those kings now rule over their bodies and livestock as they please.

“Because of all this, the Levites prayed, “We make a firm covenant in writing” to obey God and not repeat the sins of our fathers.”

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Nehemiah 10. Like John Hancock boldly signing our own Declaration of Independence, Nehemiah, the governor, was the first to sign the seal of that “firm covenant.” Then came the names of the priests, Levites, and others. Surprisingly, Ezra’s name is not listed. All the rest of the people entered an oath (and a curse for breaking it) to walk in God’s law, to observe and do all the commandments, plus His rules and statutes. They also “obligated themselves” to bring yearly tithes and offerings to the house of God. “We will not neglect the house of our God.”

 

(Fresh starts, vows, and commitments are so wonderful. I wonder how long they – like we – can keep them.) 

 

2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 270

Sep26

    Day 270—We are in the NINTH month of Bible reading with more of Israel’s history and the book of NEHEMIAH

    Day 270 – Nehemiah 6 – 7 (Nehemiah threatened, wall finished, genealogies)

Nehemiah 6. Unable to get the building of the wall stopped with military force because the people kept weapons with them as they worked, Sanballat and Tobiah tried a new method.  They sent a letter inviting Nehemiah to come away for a little conference down by the coast. 

He saw through their murderous plot and said, “No thanks. I’m busy right now.”  Not to be discouraged, the conniving group sent four more invitations. (Hey, did it get lost in the mail? Come join us!”)  But Nehemiah’s answer was always the same. Nope.

Next, Sanballat sent him “an open letter.” This suggested that many people had read it and agreed with it.  The letter claimed Nehemiah planned to make himself king, and they were building the wall to revolt against Persia. Artaxerxes will hear about it and send an army.  “So come, let us counsel together.”

But again, Nehemiah saw through their attempt to get him alone to kill him.  He and Artaxerxes had a deal. When the project was done, Nehemiah would return to resume his position as cupbearer. The king trusted him.  Nehemiah knew these were attempts to keep the wall from being finished, and he prayed, “But now, O God, strengthen my hands.”

Finally, Tobiah and Sanballat hired a false prophet (actually a friend of Nehemiah’s) to tempt him, out of fear for his life, to go into the temple to hide because the plot was to kill him that night.  Well, Nehemiah was not afraid except to go into the temple.  “Should a man as I run away?  And what man such as I could go into the temple AND LIVE??” 

And he prayed, “Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, according to these things they did, and also the prophets who wanted to make me afraid.”

And so, the wall was finished!! After being in ruins for nearly 100 years, the wall around the holy city was completed in 52 days.  And the enemies around Jerusalem WERE AFRAID.  They knew God had helped them.

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Nehemiah 7.  Then, after Nehemiah had finished all the gates and doors in the wall, he put his brother Hanani in charge of the city, telling him not to open the gates until the sun was well up, and to close and lock them in the evening, and post guards. The city was “wide and large,” and few people lived inside the walls. And their homes were not yet rebuilt. 

Then, Nehemiah found the record of the people who planned to return, written by Ezra in Babylon. Nehemiah updated it to the ones who had actually made it to the land, 42,360 besides servants (7,337). Some people could not trace their lineage, although they considered themselves Jews and they were included. He also listed the many gifts that were given, mainly for the upkeep of the Temple and those employed there. (Worth millions today.)

2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 269

Sep25

    Day 269—We are in the NINTH month of Bible reading with more of Israel’s history and the book of NEHEMIAH.

    Day 269 – Nehemiah 1 – 5 (Nehemiah to Jerusalem, rebuilding the wall, opposition)

NOTE: Ezra and Nehemiah were originally one book, with Ezra as the author. Ezra draws from Nehemiah’s personal diaries.

Nehemiah 1. Nehemiah was the cupbearer to the Persian King Artaxerxes in the capital of Susa. (This king was Esther’s stepson.) As cupbearer, Nehemiah was with the king at meals and tested the drinks for poison. He was a trusted servant.

Nehemiah’s brother, who had been in Judah, arrives and reports that the returned exiles are in trouble. It’s been 13 years since Ezra led the second wave of returnees. The temple is completed but not secure since the city walls are still rubble with the gates charred. 

This distresses Nehemiah, and he weeps. Then, he prays, confessing his and their sin, praises God’s faithfulness to His promises, and asks for mercy. (Nehemiah prayed for four months before finally approaching the King with a request.)

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Nehemiah 2. One day, when serving the king’s wine, Artaxerxes noticed his downcast face. At first, the king thought… EEEK, has the man tested my wine and been poisoned???  “Are you sick??”  And Nehemiah told him about his “heart” sickness concerning Jerusalem, where his ancestors were buried. It was sitting in ruins.  

“What are you requesting?” asked the king.

Before answering, Nehemiah quickly prayed to God in heaven, then said, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, send me to Judah, to Jerusalem, that I may rebuild it.”

The king glances at the queen sitting beside him, then asks, “How long will you be gone?” Nehemiah tells him.

The king agrees to let him go, and also to Nehemiah’s request for letters of passage proving he is on the King’s errand and acquisition papers for supplies to rebuild and repair the Temple courtyard and the city walls.  The king grants it all and includes an armed escort for protection because “the good hand of my God was upon me.”

Four months and three days later, Nehemiah gathered a few men and went out at night to survey the broken-down walls. Then he told the Jews, “Come, let’s build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision.”  He told him how King Artaxerxes had approved and that the hand of God was upon him for good. 

“Let us rise up and build!” they said. 

But, opposition arose from 3 men, local district leaders in Samaria, Ammon, and an area south of Jerusalem.  “What are you doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”  (Fortifying a city in a Persian-controlled land could be seen as doing just that.) 

“The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we, His servants, will arise and build,” Nehemiah answered.

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Nehemiah 3. This chapter chronicles the people assigned to each of the areas of the wall and the gates of Jerusalem. They were responsible for building that portion and connecting it to their neighbors.  (If possible, get a map of Jerusalem at the time of Nehemiah that shows all the gates and towers.  It’s fascinating.) 

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Nehemiah 4.  Sanballat, Gov. of Samaria, was enraged and jeered at the Jews, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish and burned ones at that?”    

And Tobiah, the Ammonite, jeered, “Yes, what they are building–if a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall.”

And Nehemiah prayed, “Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunt on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives.”  AND THEY CONTINUED TO BUILD THE WALL up to half its height – for the people had a mind to work.

But, now the Arabs and Ashdodites joined Sanballat and Tobiah, and were very angry. They plotted to come and fight against Jerusalem and cause confusion in it.

And Nehemiah prayed to God and set a guard as protection against them day and night.  As the people began to fear, Nehemiah stationed people with swords, spears, and bows.  “Do not be afraid,” he said. “Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome. Fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!“

From then on, half the people worked on construction, and half held spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail.  Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other.  And each builder had his sword strapped at his side while he built.

And so they labored from the break of dawn until the stars came out.  And then they stayed inside the walls at night, guarding the work. None of them removed his clothes, and each slept with his weapon at his right hand.

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Nehemiah 5.  As if the threat of battle was not enough, a problem arose from within.  It seems that some wealthier people were hoarding and not helping the poor, especially as there was also a small famine going on.  What???  This was one of the things that the prophet Jeremiah had accused the people of before Jerusalem was destroyed – neglecting the poor by the greedy wealthy.   Would the people always return to former sins? 

This totally angered Nehemiah, and he blasted the nobles and officials.  “How can you exact interest from your “brothers?”  We have brought back our Jewish brothers who were sold to the nations, and now YOU are selling them again!!!  Ought you not to walk in the fear of the LORD? Let us abandon this exacting of interest.  Return to them their fields, vineyards, olive orchards, houses, and percentage of money, grain, wine, etc., you have been extracting from them!!

And…. they said, “We will restore these.  We will require nothing from them.  We will do as you say.” And the people did as they promised. WHOA!

Nehemiah led by example, feeding people with his own money (not the King’s allowance) each day. 

“Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people.”