It Takes Work - Nehemiah 13
Insight Into Scripture
Good Morning! I hope that you have had a restful weekend.Today, we are finishing the book of Nehemiah with chapter 13. If you remember, Jerusalem was destroyed, GOD put it in Nehemiah's heart to build the wall. After starting the wall they faced severe opposition to the point of death. But, with much prayer and faith the wall was finished in 52 days.
The city was secure and now the people could focus their attention on GOD, and repair their relationship with HIM while building a city. Nehemiah must of saw that is was good, he accomplished what GOD had put in his heart to do, he left Jerusalem only to return some time later. Were things the same? Had they changed since he left..........
Bringing the Bible Alive
Nehemiah was governor of Judah for two terms. Nehemiah was absent from Jerusalem for an undetermined amount of time, since he had to ask if he could return back (13:6-7) it was probably not the intention of King Artaxerxes to have him return. The text does not say that he returned as governor or just to take care of the circumstances concerning Tobiah.
The men from Tyre (13:16) were merchants who traded throughout the Mediterranean world. There must have been a colony who had been permitted to operate outside the parameters of Jewish law.
Scripture
6 While this was taking place, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king. And after some time I asked leave of the king 7 and came to Jerusalem, and I then discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, preparing for him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. 8 And I was very angry, and I threw all the household furniture of Tobiah out of the chamber. 9 Then I gave orders, and they cleansed the chambers, and I brought back there the vessels of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense. - Nehemiah 13:6-9
Thought For the Day
Today, we are finishing with the book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah has not just been a book on how to get things done, a wall built, a city started, or the thoughts of a great leader. Nehemiah has been a book on how to hear GOD's call for us to build something, how to launch that call, protect it, expect resistance from satan, and today, maintain that calling. Remember, Nehemiah was just an ordinary person like you or I. GOD called him to help rebuild HIS city.
GOD may put it in your heart to build anything, it does not have to be as spectacular as the Jerusalem wall. It could be a marriage, a friendship, a men's or women's group, a church, or a business.
I am sure that in your lifetime GOD is going to put it in your heart to build several things. Today, I wanted to take a look at how to maintain those things that you were called to build, and look to the next project GOD is calling you to.
In chapter 13 we see Nehemiah returning to the city that GOD put in his heart to build. It does not say how long Nehemiah was gone, but, I think it might of been a little too long. After Nehemiah returns to Jerusalem, I see several words in the NIV version that appear more than once; "I rebuked", "I warned", and "I Purified". The people/us are born sinful. It is very easy to fall back into those sinful patterns as Nehemiah found out when he returned and found them holding tithes from the Levites, corruption inside the Temple (Tobiah), and selling and buying on the Sabbath.
Once you start a project and get it running, you have to maintain it. You can not walk away from it, and let it run by itself. If it is your marriage, it will take daily visits and lots of work. If it is a relationship with your son or daughter, it also might take a couple visits a week to keep an open and honest relationship. If it is a friendship that you have developed, it might take a cup of coffee every week to see how that person is doing.
If you are maintaining a business type project like a church or business, Nehemiah has great advise in Chapter 13:13
"I put Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and a Levite named Pedaiah in charge of the storerooms and made Hanan son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, their assistant, because these men were considered trustworthy. They were made responsible for distributing the supplies to their brothers".Once your project is up and running, it will take time and effort to keep it maintained. It will not maintain itself. Budget time to keep the passion that GOD has put in your heart alive! Have a Blessed day and I hope to see you Tuesday when we start Esther! GOD Bless. :)
Closing Prayer
Dear JesusThank You Father for the words and heart of Nehemiah. Father I pray that I will keep the passion going in my life and that I will be open to any appointments that You place on my heart. I pray that I am able to drop what I need to be there where You want me.
I love You Father and I pray in Your Great Name, Amen.
Bible Trivia:
ReplyDeleteConnect these Thoughts:
a) The rainfall of Noah's flood
b) Jesus fast in the wilderness
c) Jesus' post-resurrection appearances
ANSWER: the # 40 connects the thoughts
Genesis 7:11-12, Luke 4:1-2, Acts 1:1-3
I know I state this often when numbers come up but it is important to study the Bible from all angles. Once again seeing how many times the #40 is repeated in the Bible I have dug for more information.
Forty is the number of trial and testing.
Numbers in the Bible are not always meant to be taken literally, but as symbolic. We might become suspicious especially when a number appears frequently. There is a couple of ways to view the #40. One is it represents a longer period of time, but there is more. The longer time has content: It is a time of need, of struggle, of testing. There is in fact extra-biblical evidence for this usage as well. But in the Bible, another way, Forty denotes a period of preparation for some special action of the Lord; it is a time of grace.
After the flood in Genesis, a new creation begins. After Moses talks with God, the covenant is renewed. After Israel's wandering in the wilderness, they enter into the Promised Land. After Elijah's journey, God strengthens him to resume his prophetic ministry. After Jesus' temptation, he begins his public ministry; after the Ascension, we enter the age of the Church. At the end of "A" season of Lent, we celebrate Holy Week and Easter.
Thinking of Lent, someone might think of spring. It is interesting to find that the word Lent comes from a German word for "springtime." In other languages example Spanish: Cuaresma, the name for the season before Easter is derived from the Latin word for "40," this could very well be showing us that something else important is happening.
I conclude with this: I hope I don't bore anyone. I just hope one person discovers how alive the Word is and interesting it can be to look for symbolism found within Gods Word
IN CHRIST
Ecc.3
Donna