I shared some reflections a few weeks ago. Although I've been a Bible learner and disciple of Christ for many years, I do not yet have this walk figured out. It's filled with missteps and mistakes, and even when I re-read some of my prior posts, I can see how I could have represented the truth more fully and adequately. It is humbling to know that God still brings truth even in our tiny bit of understanding.
Today, we start a Bible study I've refused to write for months. It is a chapter out of my dark soul and a testament to the bright communion God showed me over a long, swarthy night. I know I need to sit still and get some of the messy, messy work God has graciously done down on paper. I dread it and welcome it all in one.
Sometimes, our spiritual walls can erode. Maybe you're going to fellowship, but you're not really investing in the lives of others and building a connection. Your wall is thin. You're learning the Word, so there is a barrier in place to protect you from the world. Still, it is not broad and robust because you haven't allowed other believers to help fortify your wall through a godly relationship. Chew on that for a while. Where are your walls thin? Ask God to speak to you.
Now those who placed their seal on the document were:
Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah, 2 Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, 3 Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah, 4 Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, 5 Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, 6 Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, 7 Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, 8 Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah. These were the priests.
9 The Levites: Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, and Kadmiel.
10 Their brethren: Shebaniah, Hodijah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, 11 Micha, Rehob, Hashabiah, 12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, 13 Hodijah, Bani, and Beninu.
14 The leaders of the people: Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, 15 Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, 16 Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, 17 Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, 18 Hodijah, Hashum, Bezai, 19 Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, 20 Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, 21 Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, 22 Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, 23 Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub, 24 Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, 25 Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, 26 Ahijah, Hanan, Anan, 27 Malluch, Harim, and Baanah.
Not all the people could sign their names to the document – that would've taken forever. So instead, the leaders and heads of the congregation signed on behalf of the Jews. Notice Nehemiah's name was first. He was a godly man and one who indeed led by example. That is what we're called to be, too – living examples of the new covenant. So let's be willing to represent Christ and His nature.
28 Now the rest of the people—the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Nethinim, and all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, everyone who had knowledge and understanding— 29 these joined with their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse and an oath to walk in God's Law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes: 30 We would not give our daughters as wives to the peoples of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons; 31 if the peoples of the land brought wares or any grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we would not buy it from them on the Sabbath, or on a holy day; and we would forego the seventh year's produce and the exacting of every debt.
As I read through these statutes, it made me ever so thankful that Jesus Christ fulfilled the requirements of the law. In the Old Testament, it was "you do X, and God will do Y." So, for example, if the people were obedient in keeping the commandments, God would bless them. And vice versa. But God's plan all along was to show man how he could never be perfect on his own, but that a True sacrifice was necessary to bring about perfection.
Hebrews 10:1 tells us, "For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect." Meaning, in the Old Testament, they perpetually offered sacrifices to make man righteous. Still, only Christ's sacrifice made man perfect once and for all.
You know how it's just human nature to want to "do" something? We have difficulty accepting the simplicity of His grace and often allow our conscience to build a list of dos and don'ts. I encourage you to read the book by Chuck Smith entitled, How Grace Changes Everything. It's one of those that is worthy of re-reading, too, because it will help you shift your mentality from legalism to grace. Praise God that "…by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified" (Hebrews 10:14).
32 Also we made ordinances for ourselves, to exact from ourselves yearly one-third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God: 33 for the showbread, for the regular grain offering, for the regular burnt offering of the Sabbaths, the New Moons, and the set feasts; for the holy things, for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and all the work of the house of our God. 34 We cast lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, for bringing the wood offering into the house of our God, according to our fathers' houses, at the appointed times year by year, to burn on the altar of the Lord our God as it is written in the Law.
Again, we have ordinances listed. These ordinances were an agreement that the people would bring provisions to maintain the house of God. For the Levites themselves to provide all these requirements was too much, but there was more than enough, with everyone contributing a small portion. God has placed a shepherd (pastor/teacher) in each of our lives to guide and lead us in understanding. We should take joy in providing for them, just as they provide for us. 1 Timothy 5:17 reminds us of this: "Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine."
35 And we made ordinances to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, to the house of the Lord; 36 to bring the firstborn of our sons and our cattle, as it is written in the Law, and the firstborn of our herds and our flocks, to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God; 37 to bring the firstfruits of our dough, our offerings, the fruit from all kinds of trees, the new wine and oil, to the priests, to the storerooms of the house of our God; and to bring the tithes of our land to the Levites, for the Levites should receive the tithes in all our farming communities. 38 And the priest, the descendant of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive tithes; and the Levites shall bring up a tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, to the rooms of the storehouse.
39 For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the grain, of the new wine and the oil, to the storerooms where the articles of the sanctuary are, where the priests who minister and the gatekeepers and the singers are; and we will not neglect the house of our God.
Remember that what's listed here was already expected of the Jews. In Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, we see these ordinances of firstfruits, firstborn, and so forth. Yet, they weren't following what God had already directed.
In Malachi 3:7-8, Malachi speaks of the Israelites robbing God. "Yet from the days of your fathers you have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them…will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me…in tithes and offerings." Malachi was evident in pointing out the Israelite's sin of not abiding by God's commandments and robbing Him. Fortunately, they later heeded the word of the Lord and repented (as shown here in Nehemiah 10).
The question is this: How am I robbing God? Most of us would never think of going into the Apple store and stealing an iWatch. But how easily do we deny God of His glory? Isaiah 48:11 tells us how God will not give His glory to another. Anyways, why should He? After all, "He is before all things, and in him, all things hold together" (Colossians 1:17). How quickly are we to exalt ourselves instead of attributing our success to God's enabling power! Choose today to respond in humble repentance, just as the Israelites did, and walk in the meek nature of Christ. Amen.
