OVERVIEW:
The list of leaders who placed their seal on the covenant with God; the city of Jerusalem is populated by the Jews; the dedication of the city wall; Nehemiah condemns the people’s wicked ways and reforms the abuses.
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:
After making a “sure” covenant with God in chapter 9 to do all things according to His word, the leaders then “sealed” it. (9:38) Chapter 10 then lists for us the names of those that entered into this covenant with God that day by sealing it themselves. Little did they realize that their names would be recorded eternally in God’s word as an example for believers in every subsequent generation! In 10:28–39, we see the people actually applying the word in a practical way to their everyday lives. They gave evidence that they weren’t just coming to the word of God to gain INFORMATION but that they were coming to it because they were desiring TRANSFORMATION! It’s one thing for people to pray and sign a covenant; it is quite another thing for people to actually separate themselves from evil (10:28), straighten out their homes (10:28–30), honor the sabbath (10:31), contribute to the house of God (10:32–33), and serve God with their tithes and offerings! (10:34–39) In the 21st century, too many Bible conferences, Bible studies, Bible lessons and church services end with people feeling emotionally stirred and blessed, but somehow it doesn’t seem to translate into repentance, obedience, and transformation of life! Maybe this is a good time for all of us to honestly ask ourselves:
Am I able to detect life change through the things God is teaching me through the ministry of the word in and through my own local church, and through the 365 Days of Pursuit?
In chapters 11 and 12, the city of Jerusalem is populated, and the wall of Jerusalem is dedicated. It was necessary to at least get a portion of the Jews to live in the city, both for the good of the city and for the glory of God. This, of course, demanded faith because it required them leaving their homes for an unspecified place. Notice that all of the leaders moved into Jerusalem, some of the people graciously volunteered to move there by faith, and the rest of the people cast lots to determine who was to go so that a minimum of 10% of the people were actually dwelling in the city of Jerusalem. (11:1–2) Were you to take the time to do the math in 11:3–19, it would reveal that 3044 men actually made the move into Jerusalem. If this represents 10% of the male Jewish population that had returned from exile back into the land that was promised, it reveals just how small the returning remnant actually was. It certainly reiterates the principle Jesus taught in Matthew 7:14: ”Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and FEW there be that find it.”
From Nehemiah 7:2 and 13:6, we learn that Nehemiah had returned to Babylon for a few years, leaving the actual governing of the city in the hands of his brother, Hanani. Even though Hanani was “a faithful man, and feared God above many” (7:2), when Nehemiah returned, he discovered that the people had fallen back into their old ways. We would be wise to force ourselves to both observe and meditate on the horrible biblical reality that sin in the lives of God’s people tends to find a way of repeating itself! We can certainly never allow ourselves to become complacent! When Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem: he found that the inner parts of the house of God were being used to commit fornication (13:7); the Levites were not being supported for their work in the temple, forcing them to forsake their work in the house of God to work in their fields in order to sustain themselves (13:10); the sabbath day was being abused (13:15–22); and the Jewish men had repeated the sin of taking for themselves heathen wives. (13:23– 27; Deuteronomy 23:3–5) In fact, even the priests had sinned in this way! (13:28–31) It was necessary for Nehemiah, the courageous saint and leader that he was, to honestly confront the people with the reality of their sin, and to explain God’s judgment concerning it—and that’s exactly what he did! (13:1–3, 8–9, 11) Let his example cause us to examine whether we are judging the sin in our own lives, and whether we are being a good enough friend to those we say we love (or are leading) to confront them with their sin, that our Lord might receive the glory that is due His name through their lives.
CHRIST IS REVEALED:
- As the WALL OF JERUSALEM — Nehemiah 12:27. God is our fortress in whom we trust. (Psalm 91:2)