NEHEMIAH 8-13 LIVING FOR GOD2013 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: Nehemiah 8-13 Living For God

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2013.

Nehemiah chapter 8, though, we are finishing up the book of Nehemiah, covering the chapters that we read this week. The book of Nehemiah, of course, was written by Nehemiah during the time period that he was there in Jerusalem, which is about 444 B.C. to 432 B.C. And the theme of the book is really recounting or remembering what Nehemiah did, which was primarily the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls.

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They had been rebellious against God, and so God used Babylon to come and conquer the city of Jerusalem, the nation of Judah, and all the inhabitants were taken captive. So Jerusalem was left desolate for about 50 years, and then the Jews were allowed to enter back into the land when King Cyrus conquered Babylon.

So the Persian army conquered Babylon, King Cyrus of the Persian Empire. He released the Jews and says, you're free to go back to the land and to build the temple of God. And we saw that take place under the book of Ezra. The temple was rebuilt.

Well then, under Nehemiah, the walls of Jerusalem are rebuilt. And that's what we saw last week in looking at chapters 1 through 7. And so we see the continuation of that this week now as we finish off the book of Nehemiah. There's two distinct periods of history that...

or two distinct sections really of history that cover this time period of Israel coming back into the land. The first one is 536 to 516 BC and it's during that time that the temple is rebuilt. And then the second one is with Nehemiah and Ezra from about 457 to 432 BC and that's the wall being rebuilt and the people being called back to a right relationship with God.

So the book of Ezra looks at the first account.

The book of Nehemiah looks at the second account. And then we're heading into the book of Esther starting tomorrow. And that's an account of something that happened in between those two periods back in Persia as Esther becomes the queen of Persia in this book. And so we're looking at this time period now. Israel has been released. The Jews have been released to go back to their land after their period of captivity.

Well, in the timeline of the restoration, here's what it looks like. We saw in 536, Zerubbabel leads a group of people back to Jerusalem, and that's when they begin the work on the temple.

Well, we covered all of these different parts of history, but now looking at chapters 8 through 13, we're looking at 444 BC to 432 BC with Nehemiah has completed the wall. He's, you know, set up some things in Jerusalem and now we're just seeing a spiritual revival take place in these final chapters. And so Jerusalem is really being the center of worship again and people are getting right with God and we see that happening in the chapters this evening.

Quick look at the geography. Susa, or also known as Shushan, that is the capital of the Persian Empire, which is the ruling empire of the day. So that's where Nehemiah was. He was the cupbearer to the king. And then he traveled to Jerusalem to work on the walls, rebuild the walls. And he's actually going to go back to Persia for a little bit in the chapters this evening, and then head back to Jerusalem as well to be the governor of Jerusalem.

Babylon, of course, was the world empire before Persia. And that's the capital city there, Babylon. And so when Persia conquered Babylon, then it became the world empire. The world empire before Babylon was Assyria, which...

The capital of that was Nineveh. And so those are the three main capitals of those world empires that were ruling over and afflicting Jerusalem. Assyria tried to conquer Jerusalem and couldn't. Babylon conquered Jerusalem. And then Persia, when it came to power, released the Jews to go back and rebuild Jerusalem.

Well, that brings us then to Nehemiah chapter 8, where we begin our chapters for this evening. The key verse is verse 8. It says, So here in verses 1 through 8, we have Ezra reading the law of God.

In chapters 1 through 7 of Nehemiah, we're seeing the physical work take place. The wall is physically rebuilt. Now as we go into chapter 8, we're shifting gears a little bit and we're really talking about a spiritual work that is happening. A spiritual revival that goes on here in these final chapters after the wall is rebuilt.

And it begins with Ezra reading the law. Whenever there's going to be a new spiritual revival, a new work of God spiritually, it's always going to begin with the reading of God's word and spending time and getting involved in the word of God.

Now, what we see here in chapters 1 through 8, I'm sorry, verses 1 through 8, is very interesting because this is a pattern that we can see, well, the church has really followed the model that has been set up here in Nehemiah chapter 8. As Ezra is reading the law, we can see a lot of parallels, and I'll talk about that in just a moment. But what they are doing here is they are following the pattern of the synagogues.

Now, if you'll go back in history for just a moment, remember Israel had the temple. And Solomon built the temple. That was the center of worship. And so people would go there to worship, to offer their sacrifices. And that was the center of worship. And that's where people would go to worship God for the nation of Israel.

But when Babylon conquered Jerusalem and destroyed the temple and took the inhabitants into captivity, well, during that time period, while they're away from Jerusalem, they developed this custom within their society amongst the Jews where they would build synagogues. And so wherever Jews were gathered together, they would have a synagogue.

And so instead of having a temple, because they were captives in Babylon, they didn't have a temple, they would have synagogue. And the synagogue would be the place, they wouldn't offer sacrifices there, but they would go there for the reading of the law, they would go there for the teaching and instruction of the law, and so they would go there, it would be part of their worship to God. And so previously they would go to the temple, but being distributed now and not in the land anymore, the

temple is destroyed, then synagogues begin to pop up everywhere. And so they would worship God and learn about God there in the synagogues.

Well, as Israel was released to go back to Jerusalem, they continued that practice. And so they would, they established throughout history, synagogues all over the nation of Israel. And even within the city of Jerusalem, there was synagogues as well. And so people would continue to go there. And that was the place where they would be instructed in the law of God. And

And so what we see happening here in chapter 8, it's a model, a pattern of what they've been practicing in the lands that they were in before they were released to come back to Jerusalem. Where they're asking Ezra, come and read us the law, teach us the law, and practicing what they've learned in the synagogues in those days of captivity.

Haley from Haley's Bible Handbook says it this way. Synagogues arose in the days of the captivity with the temple destroyed and the nation scattered. There was a need for places of instruction and worship wherever there were Jewish communities. And so this is something that began while they were away. But now that they're back, they're continuing that tradition.

pattern. They're continuing to have synagogues and have this place of instruction. And so it's interesting because Ezra is often looked at as one of those who was, you know, very instrumental in the putting together of the synagogues in the nation of Israel and establishing that tradition. And here in chapter 8 we see that model being set up. And it's interesting to me because it's a model that has

on and we model our services much like what we see here in nehemiah chapter 8 in fact much of what the church has you know practiced throughout church history has been a result of the synagogue model that we find here in nehemiah chapter 8 um think about it okay so look at verse 2

It says, so Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. So they're going to be getting into the time of the word together, looking at reading the law of God. But notice it says it's all those who could hear with understanding. And so one of the practices that's developed in the church is to have something set apart for the children that they could hear clearly.

With their understanding. On their level. But the adults could understand the law of God. With their level. Or on their level. And so there's this distinction. This separation. The gathering is for those who could hear with understanding. And that's something that was distinct about the synagogues.

As well as when the early church began. After Jesus resurrected and the church began to meet. They followed the pattern of the synagogue. And we can see that we've inherited many of these things. In verse 4 you can also see the stage or the platform. And where we got that from. In verse 4 it says, So Ezra the scribe stood on a platform of wood which they had made for the purpose.

And then they had people beside him and they were, you know, in agreement with what was being read and the law that was being presented. But there's this, you know, distinct thing. So in other words, what other options are there? Well, we could sit in a circle, you know, we could have different configurations of a meeting together. But the way that we set up church, we've

You know, it's been carried on from early church history, which they learned it from the synagogues in Israel, which is, you know, what we see here established in Nehemiah chapter 8, where there's the platform, there's the stage from which the word of God is presented.

We also see here in verse 6, worship take place. It says, And so there's worship taking place here in this gathering as well. Before they're getting into the time of the word together, they're spending some time praising God and worshiping Him.

And it's being led by someone from the platform who is, you know, leading them and encouraging them to worship.

And then in verse 8 we have the reading and the teaching of the word. It says, So they read distinctly from the book in the law of God, and they gave the sense and helped them to understand the reading. So here's where we get the practice of looking at chapters and passages and scriptures and then helping to understand the meaning. What does this mean? How does this apply to us? Because for the people in that day, they were quite distant from God.

you know, Moses and Joshua and those, you know, those things that they were reading about. They'd been outside of the land of Israel for, you know, a generation or so. And so they needed some help understanding. The language would have been difficult for them because they've,

had different languages since that time, but also the customs and practices that they'd learned in the surrounding nations were different than what, you know, are being discussed here in the scriptures. And so they needed help to understand. It had to be communicated to them in a way that they could understand it. And that's what we seek to do as well. That's something that the church has inherited from the synagogue model.

David Guzik puts it this way, the people must leave understanding God's word better, not understanding the preacher's opinions better. And that's the goal, you know, to really focus on the word of God. And the goal is for you to have a better grasp and understanding of the word of God.

And so early on in church history, back in the book of Acts, you know, the church was meeting and it followed the pattern of the synagogues, which is what we see here in Nehemiah chapter 8. As an example of this, just to throw out a quick sample, you remember in 1 Corinthians chapter 14,

brought up passage because people wonder about, you know, what exactly does Paul mean when he says, let your women keep silent in the churches? And the guys don't wonder about what that means, but usually the ladies wonder, what does that mean? What is Paul saying there? But Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14.35, talking about the ladies keeping silent, he says, and if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home, for it is shameful for women to speak in church. So,

understanding that the church followed the layout and the pattern from the synagogues, we can understand what Paul is talking about. Because in the synagogues, they would have the seats for people as they were listening to the one who is on the platform presenting the word and giving the instruction. But their custom, their culture was the guys would sit on one side and the girls would sit on the other side.

They wouldn't sit together like many of you are sitting together as guys and girls. So they would be separate. And so Paul is saying, look, if the ladies have a question...

then let them ask their husbands at home, as opposed to shouting from one side of the room to the other side of the room, what does that mean? What is it talking about? When Paul says, you know, for it's shameful for women to speak at church, it's not, you know, just general talk, but it's argumentative or asking questions. It's that idea of, you know, interruption that's going on. And Paul is saying, look, because of the way that we're set up,

It's, you can't just kind of lean over and whisper and say, well, what does that mean? I don't get it. You know, they would have to interrupt the service in order for that to happen. And that chapter, 1 Corinthians chapter 14, that's what Paul is talking about. Everything needs to be done in decency and in order without those kinds of interruptions. Whether it be asking questions or interruptions of, you know, the spiritual gifts, whatever it might be, nothing.

it needs to be decent and in order, and that kind of thing can't be happening. And so understanding this synagogue model really helps us to understand examples like this, where, you know, there's questions or misconceptions about what Paul is saying, but when you know, you know, the context of where they were at, it makes a lot more sense. So here in Nehemiah chapter 8, you can see a lot of the things that we have inherited as churches. As we gather together to worship God, we

Spend time in worship. You know, sometimes we stand, sometimes we sit. In the same way that we see that happening here in chapter 8, there's times of prayer, but then there's the clear exhortation and teaching of the Word of God, which is the emphasis.

So that's what's happening in verses 1 through 8. I spent a little bit of extra time on there because I think it's important for us to understand that context. Now, going on verses 9 through 12, the people rejoice greatly. Now, at first they weep. They're sad because as they're hearing the word of God, they're realizing, wow, we're not really following that. We haven't been paying attention to what God has to say at all for a long time. And as they begin to realize how far away they were from keeping the word of God,

They begin to weep. But Nehemiah encourages them, no, it's not a time to weep. It's a time to celebrate. You know, I can really understand what's happening here, I think. You know, I've experienced these kinds of things in my own life where, you know, those times where God shows you

How far you are from the standard. How far you are from where he wants you to be. Maybe those times where he brings you back from a time of backsliding. Or maybe it's a time where you're walking with the Lord but you just had this blind spot. You didn't realize, you know, there's this big area of your life where you're just completely disregarding what God has to say. And then he reveals it to you. He shows you how far off you are.

And then at that time, it's really easy for us to beat ourselves up and begin to weep. And man, how terrible I am. But Nehemiah would say, no, rejoice. Because when God shows you those things, it's because he wants to work in you. When God shows you those things, it's so that he can begin that work in you. And so you can rejoice knowing that God wants to work in your life. And he wants to help you change and make you to become more like him.

But also you can rejoice because now that God showed you, you now have a new opportunity to start obeying right now. And so it might have been an area of disobedience or backsliding or a blind spot. But now you have the opportunity going forward to correct that and to walk in obedience to the Lord. And so, yeah, you might be tempted to beat yourself up.

But Nehemiah would say, no, rejoice. God's working in you. He's giving you a new opportunity. Rejoice because the word of God has been brought forth to you. And so in obedience to the word of God in verses 13 through 18, now they keep the feast of tabernacles. So as they're reading through the word of God,

They're weeping. Nehemiah says, rejoice. They come back again the next day. They begin to read again. And they come across the portion where God says, alright, here on this time frame, I want you to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And I love this about this chapter because the people said,

Hey, this is what God said to do. We're reading about it. This is the time that we're supposed to do it. So we need to just start obeying. And so they say, well, let's keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And so they're immediately putting it into practice and applying it to their lives and living out what God had instructed them to do. And so verse 17 says, the whole assembly of those who returned from the captivity made booths and sat under the booths

For since the days of Joshua the son of Nun until the day the children of Israel had not done so. And there was very great gladness. So this is the first time in a long time that they've actually put it into practice. Even you know the authors pointing out here. Even you know in the times of the kings before captivity. They didn't follow this. They didn't all live under booths like God said. But here it's a radical commitment to obedience of the word of God.

That they say, this is what God said, this is what we're going to do. And through that we see this great revival take place. And so I want to encourage you this evening as we continue on in the chapters.

if you want God to do a great work in your life a renewing a spiritual revival it begins with a serious commitment to the word of God the reading of the word of God but also a radical commitment to God whatever you say that's what I'm going to do that's what I'm going to live and if you tell me you know I'm going to need to to live in a booth for a week and celebrate this feast then I'm going to do that that that I'm going to be obedient as you speak to me through your word

Well, that brings us to chapter 9 now of Nehemiah. Verse 2 is the key verse. It says,

So verses 1 through 4, we have the people confessing their sins. And again, as they're reading the word of God, they're recognizing where they're falling short, where they're being disobedient. And so now there's this public profession and confession of their sins. But then we also see that followed by the prayer of the Levites in verses 5 through 38. And so there's this response as there's this great confession that goes on

Now the Levites lead them in prayer and they lead them in this repentance before the Lord. They begin the prayer in verse 6. It's beautiful. It says, you alone are the Lord. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens with all their hosts, the earth and everything in it, the seas and all that is in them. You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships you.

So they begin this prayer remembering who God is, who it is that they're worshiping and calling out to. But then they go in this prayer and they begin to recount Israel's history. They start with Abraham and how God called him and renamed him Abraham. Then they go to Egypt. Remember how God had, well, he preserved them in Egypt, but then he also delivered them from the bondage that they were in in Egypt.

And then how God took care of them in the wilderness and brought them to Mount Sinai and revealed Himself to them and delivered the Ten Commandments to them. They also are remembering how God provided for them the manna in their time in the wilderness and brought forth water from the rock to refresh them and to quench their thirst.

And as they're recounting their history... They also remember the rebellion that took place. The rebellious hearts of their fathers there in the wilderness. In verse 16 it says... But they and our fathers acted proudly... Hardened their necks and did not heed your commandments. So they're remembering all that God has done for them... But they're also remembering... Hey, in our history we've got some black marks. Some bad spots where even though God you've done all this...

Yet our fathers were proud. They were stubborn and they did not heed your commandments. But then they also recognize his mercy. And verse 19 says, Yet in your manifold mercies you did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of the cloud did not depart from them by day to lead them on the road. Nor the pillar of fire by night to show them light and the way that they should go. And so they're remembering, God we didn't,

follow you we didn't obey you but your mercies i love the word manifold there's many folds of god's mercies and you think i must have run out but then there's another fold and there's a whole new set of mercies that god has for you and then you think well i must have run out and then there's another fold and another new set of mercies that your manifold mercies you didn't forsake them

You continue to lead them. You continue to provide for them and show them the way that they should go. So they're remembering their history and what God's done and how great He is. Even though it goes on to talk about the golden calf. And we begin to worship this false God. Yet still you brought us into the promised land. And even though you brought us into this promised land, it goes on in verse 26 to talk about

They still rebelled and there was still rebellion even after you had brought them into the promised land. They rebelled against you, it says, and cast your law behind their backs and killed your prophets who testified against them to turn them to yourself. And they worked great provocations where they provoked God to wrath. But notice verse 30.

It's really important for us to remember our history. Because in looking at our history, we remember the great mercy of God, even though we don't deserve it. And that's what's happening here. They're remembering their history and how good God has been.

Even though the people didn't deserve it. And it's bringing them to say, what we experienced as a people is just, it's right, it's fair. What you did for us, God, even though we went into captivity, yet it's still a demonstration of your mercy.

Now as they recount all of that history and kind of brings them up to today where they're at as they're there in Nehemiah chapter 9. Well it brings them to their conclusion in verse 33. Well they say, however you are just and all that has been befallen us for you have dealt faithfully but we have done wickedly. But then notice verse 38. And because of all this we make a sure covenant and write it.

Our leaders, our Levites, and our priests seal it. And so what's happening here is the people, they pray this prayer as they're confessing their sin. And they say, we remember this is our history. You've been so good and we've been exceedingly rebellious. And so right now we're making a new commitment that we're going to walk with you. We're going to make a covenant. Our leaders are going to seal it. We're going to be your people. We're going to be obedient to you. So that's what we see happening here in chapter 9.

Now we go into chapter 10, verse 29 is the key verse. It says, So here's the continuation of chapter 9.

They agree. They're going to make this oath. They're going to make this commitment. And we see it take place in chapter 10. So verses 1 through 27, you have the record of those who sealed the document. Now this is important because what's happening here is a national repentance. And they are agreeing as a people, as a nation, we will walk with God.

God has been so merciful to us. He's blessed us abundantly. Historically, we've been stubborn and rebellious, but we don't want to continue that. So we are going to make this commitment together to walk with God and be obedient to him. And so all of these leaders are sealing the document as a witness saying, yes, we as a people and as the leaders here, we're going to be looking to apply the word of God and live by it.

This would be similar for us as a nation if Congress and the president would sign a new bill, a new law, a new covenant and say that we are going to follow God's word. We are going to put it into practice and live according to that. That's kind of what's happening here. The leaders are joining together to seal the covenant and to say, yes, we agree. This is what we are going to abide by.

And so verses 28 through 31, then we have the record of the oath to walk in God's law. So that's their promise. That's what they're looking to do. We're going to walk in obedience to God. It mentions a couple specific things like intermarrying. We dealt with that in the book of Ezra as well.

God forbid for Israel to marry people of the surrounding nations. It wasn't a racial thing. It was a religious thing because what was happening or what would happen if they did was God said that your hearts would be turned away from the Lord and you would begin to adopt the gods of those foreigners. And so the case would be different if

if that foreigner had turned to God and become Jewish by following God, by sacrificing at the temple, you know what I mean? By adopting the religion of the Jews in the same way that Ruth did, in the same way that Rahab did.

then it would be allowed in those cases. But that's not what was happening. And so they're making an agreement, yes, we're not going to marry foreigners, or for you and I today, we would understand it as, we're not going to marry unbelievers. That we're only going to be relating to those who are believers, that we'll only enter into that covenant of marriage with those who believe in Jesus Christ. Another thing that they mention in this oath is that they would not be selling things on the Sabbath.

And so they would be following God's word, remembering the Sabbath and keeping it holy. Well then verses 32 through 39, we have some ordinances for the temple. And so this revival is beginning. They're committing their hearts to God. They're committing to obey the word once again. And so in order for all of this to happen, they realize, well, we need to make sure that the temple is provided for. And

And so they institute an annual tax, a third of a shekel that they would give in order for the temple to be provided for. But then also that they instituted the offerings once again. And so here's the offerings following what God had prescribed in the law in Genesis through Deuteronomy.

They also arranged a schedule of priests and Levites so that there would be people to manage and to run the temple and to offer the sacrifices in the appropriate times. And then they also recommitted to bring in the first fruits of their crop and the tithes and the offerings that they were supposed to bring. And so there's these ordinances so that, well, the end result is in verse 39, it says at the end, we will not neglect the house of our God.

And so there's this recommitment to the house of God, the things of God, the temple and the worship of God. And that's what's happening there in chapter 10 of Nehemiah. Well now we come to chapter 11, verse 1 is the key verse.

It says, So in verses 1 through 24, it records for us the various people who were dwelling in Jerusalem. And then in verses 25 through 36, it mentions the villages around Jerusalem where the rest of the people were living.

It's interesting, the people dwelling in Jerusalem. Nehemiah went back to rebuild the walls, right? But what we can understand here in this chapter is that most of the people were not living in Jerusalem. There was a few, but most of the people were living in those surrounding villages. And so here they come to the point where they say, we need more people to move in, to live here, to maintain and manage the city.

And so they start casting lots and they decide, okay, one out of every ten people needs to move into Jerusalem. Now, of course, that would include their family as well. But, you know, one out of every ten families needs to move into Jerusalem and begin to dwell there. Now, it's also indicating here, there wasn't enough volunteers. You see in verse 2 that some willingly offered themselves.

So some people said, hey, I'll move my family into Jerusalem. We'd like to live there. So we volunteer for that.

Most of the people were not that way. They didn't have that heart. They didn't desire to move into Jerusalem. And so that's why they cast lots. And so if you got the lot, it wasn't, you know, you won the lottery. It was like, oh, bummer. You didn't want to, but you have to move into Jerusalem. That's kind of the idea, that they were populating Jerusalem and they did it fairly by casting these lots and one out of ten would have to move into Jerusalem. Okay.

So they cast lots to get some of the people to move, but not everyone wanted to live in Jerusalem. They've been living around Jerusalem, but not in Jerusalem. Now, it would be a little bit difficult to move into Jerusalem because...

You know, your friends were there around you in the villages that you've been living in. Your fields were there. And so your occupation was there. Your family was there perhaps. And so there was a serious commitment required. And that's why they rejoice when someone volunteered and said, well, I'll move. And they're like, all right, yeah, go. Go ahead and do that. While most of the people were not willing to do so. And so here they're repopulating Jerusalem. But mostly they were living around the area of Jerusalem.

Chapter 12, verse 43 is the key verse. It says, Also that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy. The women and the children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off. So here there's a great celebration going on as the wall is being dedicated. We begin the chapter though, verses 1 through 21, looking at the priests and Levites who came with Zerubbabel.

So this is just looking at the record, looking at the historical records. Now, Zerubbabel is long gone in Nehemiah's day, but they kept clear and accurate records of the lineage of the people, specifically the priests and the Levites, so that they would know who had the capacity to be able to serve as a priest or a Levite.

And so in the days of Zerubbabel, there is these priests and they're all listed there in verses 1 through 21 and the lineage of them.

Because remember, the Levites, they were the ones who served around the temple. You know, they helped maintain the temple. They were gatekeepers. They were singers. They did a lot of different things. But they couldn't operate in the function of the priest and offer the sacrifices and enter into the temple to maintain, you know, the lights and the showbread and that kind of thing. But they served all around the temple. Now, the Levites...

to be a descendant of Levi. Levi.

Levi, remember, was one of the sons of Jacob. Remember Jacob and Esau? He runs off. He's later renamed Israel. He has 12 sons. And one of those sons is Levi. You had to be descendant of Levi in order to be a Levite. That's why the name Levite was applied. Because it was those who were of the tribe of Levi who were sons of Levi, the son of Jacob.

And so they kept the record to make sure you had to trace your lineage back and say, yes, I'm of the tribe of Levi. I'm a descendant of Jacob's son, Levi. And so I have the right and the ability to be able to serve as a Levite around the temple.

Well, the priests, you had to keep accurate records of their genealogy as well because they had to trace their lineage back to Aaron, Moses' brother, who was the first high priest. And so Aaron was the first high priest. His sons and his descendants were the only ones who could be priests in Israel. So you couldn't be a priest if you were of the tribe of Judah or Benjamin or Issachar or Zebulun. You could only be

A priest if you were a descendant of Aaron. And so they kept all these records. And that's why it's important later on when you get to the New Testament. In the book of Hebrews when it points out that Jesus is the priest. The high priest.

But he's not of the tribe of Levi. He's not a descendant of Aaron. And so it makes the point that Jesus is a priest not after that order, but in the order of Melchizedek, which we saw in the book of Genesis. So that becomes important later on. So...

has the record here of their genealogy in verses 1 through 21, and then the continuation in verses 22 through 26, as the priests and Levites went back into the land, then those who were serving during the reign of Darius, who is the king of Persia, and I'll show you that in just a moment. So anyways, they just look at the record of those, and that's very important to them, because that means that they had the right to serve in those capacities. Well,

Well then verses 27 through 43, the wall is dedicated. So the wall is completed. There's this revival that's beginning. And now there's this dedication celebration. And so all the Levites are gathered together. And there's Nehemiah appoints two Thanksgiving choirs. And they go down the wall, one in each direction. And they're just singing and worshiping. And there's such great rejoicing, verse 43 says, that it's heard afar off.

And then in verses 44 through 47, there's people who are appointed over the temple. And so this is much like we saw in the previous chapter, that they're just making sure, all right, you people, you're scheduled at this time, you're scheduled at that time, you're assigned with this responsibility to make sure that the temple is maintained, that worship is ongoing, that sacrifices are offered, and all of that is being set up and arranged.

So those two lists of priests and Levites here on the kings of Persia, you can kind of see where they're at. So under King Cyrus, that's when Zerubbabel was allowed to return. He led the group of almost 50,000 and there was priests and Levites with him. And the record of that is there in verses 1 through 21. And then it records, you know, the history and the lineage of the priests and Levites.

And then the next section is the priests and Levites who were around and serving during the reign of King Darius, which was when the temple was completed. But, you know, there's about 50 years, you know, in between. And so it's a whole new group of priests and Levites that are serving under King Darius' reign. That's recorded there in chapter 12. When people are appointed over the temple...

We saw at the end of chapter 12 verses 44 through 47. Some of the people are assigned responsibility of the storerooms or the chambers around the temple. This is the layout of Solomon's temple. And as they rebuilt the temple back in the book of Ezra, they probably followed the same type of layout, the same type of model.

And so you had the temple in the middle, which was the holy place and the most holy place. That's where, you know, the Lord was going to meet with them. That's where the candlestick was and the table of showbread. But around the temple, immediately around it, there was those storerooms or the chambers, they would call it. And so there was different rooms within those. And

Different people were assigned responsibility for how that was managed and taken care of. And so here's another look of what it might have looked like from the outside. Again, this is Solomon's temple. So it wouldn't have been as elaborate for them at this time. But same type of thing. There was a structure on the outside attached to the temple where there was these chambers and storerooms. And that will become important in chapter 13 as we see Tobiah moves in. Alright, chapter 13 verse 14 says,

Nehemiah says, We see a lot of things happen here in chapter 13. It's kind of a busy chapter. First of all, in verses 1 through 3, the mixed multitude is separated. They're reading the word of God and they're responding to it.

And they read and they understand there's these certain nations that aren't allowed to be in the temple area, aren't allowed to visit the temple. Because these are the nations that joined together and hired Balaam. Remember when Balaam was hired back in the book of Numbers, right around chapter 22, 23, where Balaam is hired to curse Israel and they tried to thwart what God was doing with Israel through Balaam cursing them.

And so God said those nations that did that, they're not allowed in. So Moab, Ammon, they're not allowed to participate in the temple services and things like that. And so again, they're reading the word of God and they're just putting it into practice. All right, the Ammonites and Moabites, whoever you are, you know, from Ammon and Moab, you guys need to leave the temple premises. You're not allowed to be here because that's what God said.

Then in verses 4 through 9, Nehemiah throws out Tobiah. Now, this is the portion where Nehemiah explains he left, he went back to Persia for a time, then he came back to Jerusalem after, we don't know how long, but after a certain amount of time, he came back to Jerusalem and he finds that there's a lot of things that are out of order.

He finds that, man, there's a lot of things that need to be dealt with in the beginning of which the first thing is one of those chambers that we just looked at, Tobiah. Now you might remember Tobiah when Nehemiah was working on the wall. He was one of those guys who is mocking, who is ridiculing, who is trying to stop them from doing the work. So he's an enemy of the work of God and they've moved him in so that he's living at the temple in one of those chambers.

And Nehemiah comes and he says, no, this is not right. And he throws all this stuff out. And he tells the priest to consecrate the room and move back in the things that actually belong there. Now it's interesting. I think maybe because, I don't know about interesting, that's the wrong word. But it's funny. This week, earlier, I think it was Monday night, I had a dream. And maybe it was because I knew we were coming up on this portion in Nehemiah. But I had the dream where I came to the church and

And I hadn't been here for a while. And there was all kinds of different things going on. There was TVs all over the place. And the sound board was gone because Ronnie had borrowed it. And so we just had this little sound board to try to... We're trying to get it all hooked up and fixed and working right so that we could have service. But...

We're getting level set. We're getting things in order. And somebody comes out of the mother's room complaining that we're, you know, being too loud. And I look and I understand that somebody allowed them to move into the mother's room. And so there's a family of people living in the mother's room.

And so I think I was just living out Nehemiah, you know, in my dreams. Too much time in the word of God, perhaps. But it's that kind of idea that, hey, here in the temple, there's this person, this enemy of the work of God that's living there. And Nehemiah says, no, we got to clean house. We got to get things right. And so he comes back from his time off and he begins by throwing out Tobiah. Now, another thing he has to do in verses 10 through 14 is correct the rulers.

The rulers need to be corrected because the portions were not being given for the Levites. Remember, they made the commitment, alright, we're going to give, here's the annual tax, we're going to give our tithes and first fruits and offerings and provide so that the temple can operate. But when Nehemiah returns, he finds that's not happening.

And so the Levites have all returned back to their fields because they got to make a living. They got to feed their families. And so they've left the temple and they're out working in the fields because they weren't being provided for. And so Nehemiah corrects them and contends with the rulers in verse 11 saying, why is the house of God forsaken? Well, then we see another issue is addressed in verses 15 through 22 where Nehemiah enforces the Sabbath.

So while Nehemiah was away, they began to break the Sabbath. And so they are treading wine presses on the Sabbath. They're loading up donkeys and taking stuff to the marketplace and buying and selling there on the Sabbath. And Nehemiah sees what's going on.

And he puts a stop to it. In verse 19 it says, So it was at the gates of Jerusalem as it began to be dark before the Sabbath that I commanded the gates to be shut and charged that they must not be opened until after the Sabbath. Then I posted some of my servants at the gates so no burdens would be brought into the Sabbath on that day. So he's setting in order again the Sabbath.

Now remember, the people had committed, that was the oath that they took a couple chapters earlier, we're going to keep the Sabbath. But while Nehemiah was away, they strayed from that and began to do things that they were not supposed to do on the Sabbath. Well then in verse 23 through 27, the other issue that Nehemiah corrects is those who had married foreigners. Again, this is not about race, it's about religion, but

That the problem was these children of these people who had married foreigners, they weren't being taught how to worship God. In fact, it was so bad. Verse 24 says, half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod and could not speak the language of Judah, but spoke according to the language of one or the other people.

And so what was happening with these marriages, with these foreigners, was the mom was teaching the kids her own language, her own religion, not teaching the kids...

The things of the people of God. And that's really the issue here that is being addressed. And so verse 25. I contended with them and cursed them. You got to love Nehemiah here. I struck some of them and pulled out their hair and made them hair by God saying, You shall not give your daughters as wives to their sons nor take their daughters for your sons or yourselves. Why is Nehemiah going so crazy? Because just a couple chapters earlier they had made these commitments. We're not going to do this. But here they are.

They began to intermarry. Again, it's the idea, we would understand it today, of not being unequally yoked. And they began to marry unbelievers. And the unbelievers were teaching their children to be unbelievers instead of how to walk with God. And that's a serious thing. And so Nehemiah says, I want you to remember this, so I'm going to pull out your hair and you'll never forget. Never forget.

Well then in verse 28 through 31, kind of a summary, you see Nehemiah cleanses Israel. It says in verse 30, I cleanse them of everything pagan. I also assign the duties to the priests and the Levites, each to a service. So he's putting things back in order once again after they'd kind of fallen apart while he was away.

Well, here's a map of what it would look like. Nehemiah went from Jerusalem back to Susa, where remember he was the cupbearer to the king. So he went back there for a time. He got permission from the king, another leave. And so he went back to Jerusalem. It would be about 900 miles east

Each way, which as I shared the last couple weeks, it's about, you know, if you leave from here, go down, hit the five, head north, and stop in Oregon. I think it's about Portland, Oregon, is about 900 miles. So that's kind of the distance. So you could do it on foot, or maybe he was on a camel, so maybe ride a bike up to Portland, Oregon. And you'll get an idea for the distance that he was traveling each way as he went back and forth from Jerusalem.

Nehemiah was the cupbearer to this king, Artaxerxes. This is the time period that we're talking about. He was his cupbearer. And so he went back to Artaxerxes after being sent there. Spent some time with him. And then he gave him permission once again to head back to Jerusalem. And that's when he found the big mess that he had to correct.

Alright, tomorrow we begin the book of Esther. Now, we don't know exactly who the author of Esther is. It's possible that it was Ezra or Nehemiah because remember it happens in between the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. So either one of them could have recorded it.

It covers the time period from about 470 to 465 BC. And what we see happening there is the deliverance of the Jews. Now you know that Esther becomes queen. Here's the guy that she becomes the wife of. It's Xerxes I.

Artaxerxes, the next guy, that's who Nehemiah is the cupbearer to. So it's right in between there. Under Darius, that's when the temple was completed. And so it's Xerxes that she gets married to and she becomes the queen of Persia during that time period. Well, as we finish up this evening, I want to just do a quick rundown of the book of Nehemiah and some really some spiritual aspects to this book. Last week we saw...

Chapters 1 through 7, I kind of summarized it as doing God's work. And you can see here on the screen, I summarized it this way. When we're doing the work of God, it begins with chapter 1 where we're hearing and praying. We're hearing from God.

And he's putting something in our hearts. He's stirring up on our hearts about some person, some ministry, some work that he wants us to be involved in. And so then at that point we begin to pray. We begin to seek God and look for opportunity and see what does God want to do with that. Well then we enter into chapter 2 of Nehemiah where it's a waiting period. He waited for four months and then

It's time to go. God opens the door and he heads to Jerusalem and he assesses the situation. In the same way, when we are doing the work of God, we'll begin with God touching our heart, stirring our heart, and so we're praying and then waiting for the right opportunity, waiting for God to open the door.

But then we need to go and figure out what it is that we're getting involved in. So whether it's the mission field or children's ministry or witnessing to a neighbor or a co-worker, whatever it is, you know, at that point when God opens the door, then we need to go. Then in chapter 3, we enter into the season of working hard, where a lot of times the work of God is just hard work.

And you just got to be busy, you know, studying. You got to be busy doing the work, making the arrangements, making the connections, building the relationships. Whatever is involved in the particular work that God has called you to, there's a season that you're just working. You're just involved in doing the work. Then you enter into the time of Nehemiah chapter 4 where the attacks begin.

And it begins externally usually. There's these attacks from the outside. We saw it from Sambalat and Tobiah and the surrounding regions. They tried to put a stop to the work of God. And they had to learn to trust God and prepare for those attacks. And so you will enter into a season as well. As you are doing the work of God, there will be those attacks from outside where the enemy will be seeking to put a stop to the work that you're doing.

But as you survive those and you continue to trust God and be faithful to the work, then Nehemiah chapter 5, you'll enter into a new season of internal conflict and internal issues where internally there's complaints and oppression. And we saw these things happening between the people who were doing the work, between the Jewish people that was preventing and prohibiting the work that was happening there in Jerusalem.

And so if the outward attacks don't work, then they'll turn to the inward attacks. And the enemy will seek to use, you know, things within, either within yourself or amongst the brethren, to put a stop to the work. Now if that doesn't work, then you enter into Nehemiah chapter 6. And that's where it gets personal. And there's personal attacks where the enemy is calling out Nehemiah and saying, Hey, Nehemiah, you come over here. Let's talk.

And Nehemiah's like, no, this is a trap. And then they're accusing, hey, we're going to tell the king about you and what you're doing. And we're going to tell him all of these lies. There's these personal attacks to try to trip you up to keep you from continuing the work of God. But then as the work is completed, then you enter into chapter 7. Having survived the attacks and worked hard, now Nehemiah 7, you pass on the torch.

And then you start over again. You go back to chapter 1 and you're waiting. Okay, Lord, what's going to stir my heart? Who do you want to put on my heart? What do you want to do? And then you start over, you know, and as you're praying, then you go as God opens the doors and you keep going down the line. That's the cycle that continues as we're doing God's work. Now, looking at chapters 8 through 13 now, I would summarize it saying this is talking about living for God.

If you want to really live for God, this is the process that it's going to require. First of all, reading the Word. You are never going to grow until you make the reading of God's Word a real priority in your life.

If you really want God to work in your life, you need to get involved in the Word of God. And as serious of a commitment as you make to the Word of God, well, to that extent, God will be working in your life. That's how it works. The reading of the Word of God is the beginning of what God will do in your life. But as you read the Word of God, then now, chapter 9 of Nehemiah, you need to begin confessing and repenting. Because God will be showing you things in your life that are out of order.

That are out of line. Where you need to agree with God about, yeah, that's right. You're right. That's wrong. That's sinful. And turning from that. And that's what we see happening in chapter 9. Then chapter 10, it needs to also be building within us the commitment to obey. Where we're committing. Whatever you say, God. Whatever your word says. We're going to be obedient. We're going to walk in that. We're going to be faithful to that. And then on top of that, in chapter 11, we'll see...

God will begin to require some life changes. This was the chapter where people are deciding to move to Jerusalem or not. In the same way, people were wrestling with that. I don't know if I want to move to Jerusalem. They rejoiced when people went willingly because it was a commitment. It was a life change. They had to give up their old life.

move to a new location they had to be less connected to their old friends and family they had to be in a place that was more of a target for the enemy and so there was some risk involved as well in the same way as you are living for god you're reading the word you're repenting and confessing and committing to be obedient to god god's going to start to set before you some life changes

And it might mean that you're disconnecting from old friends and family. It might mean that you are putting yourself in a position where the enemy is going to be more on the front lines. You're going to be under attack. Where your old life is going to be left behind. And there's going to be some new changes, new things that he wants from you. And so you're making life changes as God is speaking to you. And then in Nehemiah chapter 12, you add on to that appointed serving.

And in chapter 12 we see all of the priests and the Levites listed. The choir that's appointed to worship God and praise God. The people who are appointed to serve in the temple. There's all these appointments going on of those who are serving in different capacities. In the same way you might have been generally serving. But as you continue to live for God. There's going to be some specific appointments where you're going to be committed. I'm going to run the sound ministry.

I'm going to be faithful on the worship team. I'm going to be faithful in the Spanish ministry or in the children's ministry. I'm going to be faithfully going to this place to witness or faithfully serving at that, you know, emeritus old folks home. Or I'm going to be faithful, committed to that. There's this appointment that I have. God has called me to serve in this capacity. And there's that commitment to that and the call to be faithful in that. But then we come to Nehemiah chapter 13. And here I say it's continual cleansing.

When you're going to be living for God. If you really want to live for God. Again it starts out in the word. And he's going to be showing you. And you're confessing. But it's going to be a continual thing. It's not a you know. Well one time I repented from my sin. And then I'll never have to do it again. No because things happen. Much like what happened in Jerusalem. Where hey there's going to be a season. Nehemiah's away. Some of those old things creep in again. Remember what we studied on Sunday. In Romans chapter 12.

Where Paul said stop being conformed to the world. Our natural tendency is to become like the world. And that's what happened in Jerusalem. They became like the world. The enemy moved in. They began to practice the commercial practices. And sell and buy on the Sabbath. Just like the rest of the world does. They became conformed to the world. In the same way. You and I. There will be seasons where.

We become conformed to the world. We become like the world. And there needs to be this Nehemiah chapter 13 where there's this re-cleansing and re-commitment and re-call to holiness. And we deal with those situations of conforming to the world. Those worldly marriages. Those areas where we've made room for the enemy in our lives. Those areas where we've forsaken the house of God.

Forsaken those commitments to serve. Where our priorities have been wrong. Where our children have not been trained in the ways of God. That there needs to be that call to repentance. And as we live for God, this is going to be something that is necessary. And so I want to end here tonight with a time of worship. And so George, you can come up. And the worship team, you can come up. And as we close in this worship song, here's what I want to ask you.

I want to ask you to invite God to do this kind of cleansing. We need the Holy Spirit to do a Nehemiah chapter 13 in us. And so I want to encourage you to invite God. Lord, show me. Are there some areas where I've conformed to the world? Are there some areas that the enemies moved in? Well, there's these worldly alliances that shouldn't be there. There's these things that are out of place.

That don't belong in my life. Because I want to live for you. And there needs to be a cleansing once again in my heart. And maybe you're blind to it. Maybe you already know. Ask God to show you if you don't know. Ask God to reveal to you what are those areas. Invite the Holy Spirit to come in. To clean house. And as you invite the Holy Spirit to show you. He will show you. Be faithful. To respond. To turn from those things. To cleanse your heart in those areas.

that you would be able to live for God, that you would be faithful to Him. 2 Corinthians 7, verse 1 says, Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Let's let the Holy Spirit do a Nehemiah chapter 13 in us, that we would cleanse ourselves and perfect holiness in the fear of God. Let's worship the Lord together.

We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of His Word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.