Nehemiah 13:1-3

[1] On that day they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people. And in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, [2] for they did not meet the people of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them—yet our God turned the curse into a blessing. [3] As soon as the people heard the law, they separated from Israel all those of foreign descent.

The Israelites heard from the law. They found out they were doing something wrong, and then fixed it.

They were able to change quickly, because they believed that God’s Law was the final word.

Now, I know that God’s word is true, that “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” – 2 Timothy 3:16

But I don’t act like it. I don’t try to change as quickly as I should… or rather, I do change quickly and end up in the wrong direction.

I’m a quick change artist… but I don’t make the right change.

or worse… I don’t read God’s word so I know what to change.

Instead, I go on selfishly, doing what I want. Doing what feels right – just what the Israelites were doing.

Thank God for forgiveness and grace. I’d be a dead man.

Open your eyes to the Scripture, and the only way to do that is to read it. Ask God to reveal to you what needs to be changing, or what needs to be changed. Then ask for strength to change it in yourself, or change it in the world.

We can’t do either without God… but with Him, we can do anything.

Before we head on to Chapter 13 of Nehemiah, let’s review Nehemiah 12.

Nehemiah 12:1-26 – Application

Summary:

You’ll find application where you look for it.

Read your Bible with half of your mind somewhere else, and you won’t find it. Passages like these will be boring, lists of names, and nothing more.

Read your Bible with your mind focused on what you’re reading, and you will find application. In the passage above you’ll find several times where they talk about praising God, standing guard, standing opposite in service (so they could encourage one another). You’ll also find, reading closely, that Nehemiah is listing these priests to show that the Levitical service was sustained through the whole of this difficult time, in spite of all their troubles, they still worshipped God with everything they had.

Nehemiah 12:27-30 – celebrate!

Summary:

When was the last time you had a celebration that involved songs and singing and thanksgivings, gladness instruments and praise?

I’m not saying we should celebrate rather than do work, rather than do things; rather, I’m saying we do need to celebrate, especially when something happens that only God could have done.

Praise, celebrate and sing to him for it!

Nehemiah 12:31-37 – singing when you’re happy

Summary:

There’s something about certain songs that feel like they take you right up next to the Holy, Awesome and Mighty God. Of course, its not the song, even the words that change me – it’s that I’m finally putting the focus onto the one on whom it should’ve always been.

Where is your focus today?

Nehemiah 12:38-43 – can your joy be heard?

Summary:

Finally, the people of Israel get to sing, rejoice, and praise God, for all that He had done for them. Both choirs, the officials, priests stood and gave thanks… and they were so loud that the “joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.”

How well is your joy heard?

Is the “joy of Isaiah” loud?

Is the “joy of _____ (insert your name here)” loud?

Can people literally hear joy in your voice?

Come back tomorrow for the start of Chapter 13 – the final Chapter in Nehemiah.

Nehemiah 12:38-43

[38] The other choir of those who gave thanks went to the north, and I followed them with half of the people, on the wall, above the Tower of the Ovens, to the Broad Wall, [39] and above the Gate of Ephraim, and by the Gate of Yeshanah, and by the Fish Gate and the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, to the Sheep Gate; and they came to a halt at the Gate of the Guard. [40] So both choirs of those who gave thanks stood in the house of God, and I and half of the officials with me; [41] and the priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets; [42] and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang with Jezrahiah as their leader. [43] And they offered great sacrifices that day 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.

Finally, the people of Israel get to sing, rejoice, and praise God, for all that He had done for them. Both choirs, the officials, priests stood and gave thanks… and they were so loud that the “joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.”

How well is your joy heard?

Is the “joy of Isaiah” loud?

Is the “joy of _____ (insert your name here)” loud?

Can people literally hear joy in your voice?

Or, like many, even me, are you letting the troubles of this life weigh down your voice… letting the weight of burden and pain keep you inside, keeping God inside, and now sharing who you are with the world?

Let go of that burden and pain, Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30:

[28] Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Let go, give it to God.

Then let people hear your joy!

Nehemiah 12:31-37

[31] Then I brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall and appointed two great choirs that gave thanks. One went to the south on the wall to the Dung Gate. [32] And after them went Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah, [33] and Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, [34] Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah, [35] and certain of the priests’ sons with trumpets: Zechariah the son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph; [36] and his relatives, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them. [37] At the Fountain Gate they went up straight before them by the stairs of the city of David, at the ascent of the wall, above the house of David, to the Water Gate on the east.

I don’t know what it is about me, but I usually am not one to sing when I’m happy. You know, singing in the shower, whistling a tune… that’s not me.

But something changes within me when the focus goes on to God… suddenly I want to sing praises and give thanks to Him! Maybe I’m just weird like that… but maybe you feel the same way.

There’s something about certain songs that feel like they take you right up next to the Holy, Awesome and Mighty God. Of course, its not the song, even the words that change me – it’s that I’m finally putting the focus onto the one on whom it should’ve always been.

Where is your focus today?

Nehemiah 12:27-30

[27] And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres. [28] And the sons of the singers gathered together from the district surrounding Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites; [29] also from Beth-gilgal and from the region of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built for themselves villages around Jerusalem. [30] And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and they purified the people and the gates and the wall.

Celebrate! That’s what the people of Israel are doing, because God has helped them build this wall in such a short time, now they’re dedicating the wall and praising Him.

I think we, at least the people I know, are fairly weak in the area of celebration. We don’t celebrate when we have a great thing happen. Sure, we may have a birthday party or a baby shower or a wedding shower. Maybe we’ll even go out to dinner for something.

But when was the last time you had a celebration that involved songs and singing and thanksgivings, gladness instruments and praise?

I’m not saying we should celebrate rather than do work, rather than do things; rather, I’m saying we do need to celebrate, especially when something happens that only God could have done.

Praise, celebrate and sing to him for it!

Another question: Are your dreams big enough that only God can achieve them?

What do you think?

Do you think we have a problem with not celebrating enough?

Nehemiah 12:1-26

[1] These are the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, [2] Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, [3] Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, [4] Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah, [5] Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah, [6] Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, [7] Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the chiefs of the priests and of their brothers in the days of Jeshua.  [8] And the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who with his brothers was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving. [9] And Bakbukiah and Unni and their brothers stood opposite them in the service. [10] And Jeshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiakim the father of Eliashib, Eliashib the father of Joiada, [11] Joiada the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan the father of Jaddua.  [12] And in the days of Joiakim were priests, heads of fathers’ houses: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah; [13] of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan; [14] of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph; [15] of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai; [16] of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam; [17] of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai; [18] of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan; [19] of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi; [20] of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber; [21] of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.  [22] In the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, the Levites were recorded as heads of fathers’ houses; so too were the priests in the reign of Darius the Persian. [23] As for the sons of Levi, their heads of fathers’ houses were written in the Book of the Chronicles until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib. [24] And the chiefs of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers who stood opposite them, to praise and to give thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of God, watch by watch. [25] Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers standing guard at the storehouses of the gates. [26] These were in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra, the priest and scribe.

Names. Lists and lists of names, again and again.

I remember wondering aloud once why God would include all of this information in the Bible. Not only these names, but think of the detail he went through when he told Moses how to build the Tabernacle. The detail here in naming each of the people, the priests in this case.

A wise man then said to me, “God is a God of order, if those passages prove anything.”

I believe that’s true. There’s a rhyme and a reason for why God keeps things in the Bible. If it was only to store the history of the Jews, I don’t think we’d all care that much… but just look through the last posts and we were able to find application within lists of names! Numbers, the book, is actually full of great application for our lives, but I’m willing to be that more than half of us half-heartedly read it, expecting it to be “so and so begat so and so” for pages.

All of this to say: You’ll find application where you look for it.

Read your Bible with half of your mind somewhere else, and you won’t find it. Passages like these will be boring, lists of names, and nothing more.

Read your Bible with your mind focused on what you’re reading, and you will find application. In the passage above you’ll find several times where they talk about praising God, standing guard, standing opposite in service (so they could encourage one another). You’ll also find, reading closely, that Nehemiah is listing these priests to show that the Levitical service was sustained through the whole of this difficult time, in spite of all their troubles, they still worshipped God with everything they had.

So, read with your mind focused, and see what you will find…

Nehemiah 11:19-21

[19] The gatekeepers, Akkub, Talmon and their brothers, who kept watch at the gates, were 172. [20] And the rest of Israel, and of the priests and the Levites, were in all the towns of Judah, every one in his inheritance. [21] But the temple servants lived on Ophel; and Ziha and Gishpa were over the temple servants.

It almost feels like Nehemiah 11 is taking forever, and maybe its because I’m pulling words out and focusing on them… or maybe its just what I’m supposed to write, we’ll see.

The gatekeepers, the men who kept watch at the gates, they protected the people within the walls of Jerusalem. I’ve always thought it would be an interesting/boring job. Probably half the time they would be bored out of their minds, until someone came to enter the gate. Then they would have to ask questions, use good judgement and be ready to attack, literally protect their homes, if need be.

Then I ask myself… am I being a gatekeeper in my own life?

Am I letting things into my mind and heart that I should be wary of?

Am I letting people in that are going to try to drive me away from Christ?

How are you keeping watch at your own gates?

Are you willing to miss out on things, not letting everyone in, to protect what’s inside?

Something to think about.