Priests who returned with Zerubbabel               verse 1- 7

Now these are the priests and the Levites that went up with Zerubbabel the

son of Shealtiel – Jeshua – Seraiah – Jeremiah – Ezra – Amariah

Malluch – Hattush – Shechaniah – Rehum – Meremoth – Iddo

Ginnetho – Abijah  Miamin – Maadiah – Bilgah – Shemaiah – Joiarib

Jedaiah – Sallu  Amok – Hilkiah – Jedaiah

These were the chief of the priests and of their brethren in the days of Jeshua

Levites who returned with Zerubbabel               verse 8- 9

Moreover the Levites – Jeshua – Binnui – Kadmiel – Sherebiah – Judah

 Mattaniah – which was over the thanksgiving – he and his brethren

      also Bakbukiah and Unni – their brethren

                  were over against them in the watches

High Priest: Joiada                                             verse 10- 11

And Jeshua begat Joiakim – Joiakim also begat Eliashib – Eliashib

begat Joiada – Joiada begat Jonathan – Jonathan begat Jaddua

Family leaders of priests                                      verse 12- 21

And in the days of Joiakim were priests – the chief of the fathers

of Seraiah = Meraiah – of Jeremiah = Hananiah 

of Ezra = Meshullam – of Amariah = Jehohanan

 of Melicu = Jonathan – of Shebaniah = Joseph

of Harim = Adna – of Meraioth = Helkai – of Iddo =Zechariah

of Ginnethon = Meshullam – of Abijah = Zichri

of Miniamin of Moadiah = Piltai – of Bilgah = Shammua

of Shemaiah = Jehonathan – of Joiarib = Mattenai 

of Jedaiah = Uzzi – of Sallai = Kallai – of Amok = Eber

of Hilkiah = Hashabiah – of Jedaiah = Nethaneel

Records kept                                                        verse 22- 23

The Levites in the days of Eliashib – Joiada – Johanan – Jaddua

were recorded chief of the fathers – also the priests

to the reign of Darius the Persian

The sons of Levi – the chief of the fathers

            were written in the book of the chronicles

                        even until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib

Family leaders of Levites                                     verse 24- 26

And the chief of the Levites – Hashabiah – Sherebiah

Jeshua the son of Kadmiel – with their brethren over against them

to praise and to give thanks

                                    according to the commandment of David

 the man of God

ward over against ward

            Mattaniah – Bakbukiah – Obadiah – Meshullam – Talmon – Akkub

                        were porters keeping the ward at the thresholds of the gates

These were in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua – the son of Jozadak

            and in the days of Nehemiah the governor

                        and of Ezra the priest – the scribe

Levites called together for dedication of walls     verse 27- 30

And at the DEDICATION of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites

out of all their places – to bring them to Jerusalem

      to keep the DEDICATION with gladness

                  both with thanksgiving – singing – cymbals

psalteries – harps

AND the sons of the singers gathered themselves together

            both out of the plain country round about Jerusalem

                        and from the villages of Netophathi

ALSO from the house of Gilgal

            and out of the fields of Geba and Azmaveth

                        for the singers had built them

villages round about Jerusalem

AND the priests and the Levites PURIFIED themselves

and PURIFIED the people – gates – wall

One choir went southward on top of wall            verse 31- 37

THEN I brought up the princes of Judah upon the wall

            and appointed two great companies of them that gave thanks

                        whereof one went on the right hand upon the wall toward

the DUNG gate – and after them went Hoshaiah

half of the princes of Judah – Azariah – Ezra – Meshullam – Judah

                        Benjamin – Shemaiah – Jeremiah

            and certain of the priests’ sons with trumpets – namely

                        Zechariah the son of Jonathan – the son of Michaiah

the son of Zaccur – the son of Asaph – and his brethren

Shemaiah – Azarael – Milalai – Gilalai – Maai

Nethaneel – Judah  Hanani – with musical

instruments of David the man of God

                                                                        and Ezra the scribe before them

And at the FOUNTAIN gate – which was over against them

            they went up by the stairs of the city of David

at the going up of the wall above the house of David

even to the WATER gate eastward

Second choir went northward on top of wall       verse 38- 39

And the other company of them that gave thanks went over against them

and I after them – and the half of the people upon the wall

                        from beyond the tower of the furnaces even unto the broad wall

And from above the GATE of Ephraim – and above the OLD gate

and above the FISH gate – and the tower of Hananeel 

and the tower of Meah – even unto the SHEEP gate

and they stood still in the PRISON gate

Two choirs went praising the LORD                  verse 40- 42

So stood the two companies of them that gave thanks in the house of God

and I – and the half of the rulers with me – and the priests

                        Eliakim – Maaseiah – Miniamin – Michaiah – Elioenai

Zechariah – Hananiah – with trumpets

                        Maaseiah – Shemaiah – Eleazar – Uzzi – Jehohanan

Malchijah – Elam – Ezer

And the singers sang loud – with Jezrahiah their overseer

Great joy in celebration                                       verse 43

Also that day they offered great sacrifices – and REJOICED

            for God had made them REJOICE with great JOY

                        the wives also and the children REJOICED

                                    so that the JOY of Jerusalem was heard

even afar off  

Tithes brought to the storehouse                         verse 44- 47

And at that time were some appointed over the chambers for the treasures

for the offerings – for the firstfruits – for the tithes – to gather into

them out of the fields of the cities the portions of the

                  law for the priests and Levites

for Judah REJOICED for the priests and for the Levites that waited

And both the singers and the porters kept the ward of their God

and the ward of the purification

      according to the commandment of David

and of Solomon his son

For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were chief of the singers

and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God

And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel – and in the days of Nehemiah

            gave the portions of the singers and the porters – every day his portion

                        and they SANCTIFIED holy things to the Levites

                                    and the Levites SANCTIFIED them to the

children of Aaron

COMMENTARY:

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers

: 24      And the chief of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brethren over against them, to praise and to give thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of God, ward over against ward. (3034 “give thanks” [yadah] means to praise, to confess, to express gratitude or show appreciation to (someone), laud, or confess the name of God.)

DEVOTION:  Lists of names seem unimportant to us today. Why would the LORD have all these lists in the Bible? Family history is important to the LORD. It was part of the record of inheritance in the Promised Land. It was part of service to the LORD in the Temple. If there was no record found regarding someone’s ancestors than the person was not given the inheritance. Some records were lost during the times of captivity of the children of Israel. If the records were lost for some reason the priest had to go to the LORD regarding direction as to what to do with those individuals whose records were lost.

Now we have a group of Levites who were given the responsibility of praise and thanksgiving during ceremonies. Apparently they were divided into two groups that sang oppose one another during these ceremonies. It was two groups supporting one another in song.

Our names are written in the Book of Life in heaven. Only the LORD knows for sure who is in that book. However, we need to make sure that we understand that only those who are genuine believers are written in the Book of Life. Their names have been there since before the creation of the world. There are no surprises in heaven only here on earth.

So we have to make sure that we are serving the LORD with the gifts HE has given us to bring honor and glory to HIS name all the days that we have on this earth. These individuals were serving in the area of song.

What is your family doing for the LORD this week??? God wants us to make sweet music together as a church family.

CHALLENGE:  All the parts have to come together each Sunday to make sure each worship service honors the LORD.

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers

: 27      And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps. (8057 “gladness” [simchah] means joy, jubilation, the emotion of great happiness and pleasure, mirth, loving pleasures, or gaiety.)

DEVOTION:  One of thesaying I would have when I led a church service was that sometimes the people looked like they were sucking sour lemons. It seems that to some people they go to church to be serious and not have a smile or enjoy worshiping the LORD.

This is not what the LORD wants from those who are worshiping HIM. HE wants us to come with all our emotions. HE wants us to come with an attitude of praise. HE wants us to think that this is something wonderful we can do in our service to HIM.

The LORD enjoys genuine praise from HIS people both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. We are part of the New Testament Church. We have more blessings than those of the Old Testament people of God.

God has revealed HIMSELF in human form and given us an example to follow. The New Testament believer has the complete WORD OF GOD in the Bible. We have more information regarding how HE worked in the Old Testament times and how HE works today.

If we come to a worship service and not expect a blessing than we came for the wrong reason. Each church service should be a blessing to all those who attended. In the Old Testament we find the children of Israel worshiping from time to time but not like they should have.

Here in this passage we find them worshiping in spirit and in truth and it was a wonderful time of worship. There was great happiness. The Temple had been rebuilt. The city had been rebuild. It was a joyous time for them. They were back in the Promised Land worshiping their God.

We need this type of thinking as we walk into church each Sunday that we have an opportunity to worship without threat of someone coming in to arrest us like happens in other countries. It should be a time of praise both inward and outward to everyone who can worship the LORD without fear of going to prison or being killed for our faith.

CHALLENGE: Do we appreciate what we have in our freedom of worship in this country? It is slowly being taken away by our society who thinks that they know better than God.

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: 31      Then I brought up the princes of Judah on the wall, and appointed two great companies of them that gave thanks, whereof one went on the right hand on the wall toward the dung gate: (5975 “appointed” [‘amad] means to go up before, to stand in position, to stand respectfully before, to assign a duty, responsibility or obligation to someone)

DEVOTION:  Can you imagine these two groups walking around the city of Jerusalem singing praises to the LORD? Each group was following a leader. Nehemiah led one group one way and Ezra led another group around the other way and they met at the Temple area for a grand celebration of what the LORD had done.

The walls were completed in 52 days. That is unheard of in those days but the LORD was in the building of the walls. The enemy tried to hinder the work but the people had a mind to work. When God’s people want to work great things happen.

So we have a wall completed and the city repopulated. Now it was time to watch the LORD continue to work in the city bringing the people into a proper relationship with HIM.

Revival is the relationship the LORD wanted with HIS people. They had forgotten HIM and now they were seeing HIM work and wanted to praise HIM for what HE was doing in their life and in the life of their nation.

Times of singing bring people together to understand that they have something to sing about in such an evil world. We have something to sing about every day because we have been given the gift of salvation. It has eternal gifts waiting for us in heaven as we serve the LORD faithfully.

We need leaders who love the LORD and are willing to lead people in the right direction. Nehemiah and Ezra were such men. Who are we following or who are we leading today? Are we helping others grow in their relationship with the LORD through our ministries?

CHALLENGE: Our ministry should have a goal to encourage every believer to grow in the LORD. This takes effort because there are always some who seem to fall through the system.

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers

: 43      Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.

            (8055 “rejoiced” [samach] means be glad, exult, merry or joy.

DEVOTION:  When a job is completed, how do you feel? When it is a big job do you want to celebrate?

Here we find the walls of Jerusalem are rebuilt. The city is being filled with people who volunteered to move in or were chosen by lot to move in. The city needed a population to build houses and protect the city from the enemies of the LORD.

Now we find it is time to dedicate the walls. Nehemiah planned a great day of celebration for the dedication of the walls. He divided the group of priests and Levites worshipers into two bodies.

Each body was to celebrate with singing and praising of the LORD. It affected the whole city of Jerusalem from one gate to the others. They were marching around the city on the walls of Jerusalem. Once group went one way and the other went the other way and met in the middle where the Temple was built.

There was a large group gathered that included the woman and children. The joy was so loud that they heard it outside the city. There was great gladness. There were songs of praise sung. It was a wonderful worship service to the LORD.

There was provision made to continue the worship of the LORD after the dedication service. The priests and the Levites were given offerings, firstfruits, and tithes to be gathered at the Temple chambers. There would be portions for both groups.

The people were glad to give to the LORD and HIS workers. When we come together to worship the LORD for something greater than a wall, we should make a lot more noise. Why? We have the blood of Christ that frees us from sin and our enemy the devil. We have the promise of HIS presence with us in each of our worship services. We have the completed inerrant Word of God.  We have a solid foundation. We have the truth to share with the world.

Our worship services should have this kind of joy. When we look around at the people attending our churches, do we see this JOY? If not, why not? Too often we don’t appreciate all that the LORD has given us. Too often we are more afraid of what people will think in the worship service than what the LORD thinks. Let us worship the LORD in spirit and in truth!!!

CHALLENGE: Come to church each Sunday ready to celebrate the free gift of Salvation that Christ purchased on the cross. During the singing – sing out loud. Make your joyful noise unto the LORD!!!!

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: 47      And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah,

                        gave the portions of the singers and the porters, every day his portion:

                        and they SANCTIFIED holy things unto the Levites; and the Levites

SANCTIFIED them unto the children of Aaron. (6942 “sanctified” [qadash] means consecrate, to be holy, to be pure, clean, purified, to set apart, devote, sacred, honor as holy, or dedicate.)

DEVOTION:  The giving to the LORD was to be done to support the work of the ministry in the Temple. The singers received a portion of the giving and they gave a portion of their portion to the priests. The ministry was supported by the people of Jerusalem and the ones who were supported also tithed to the work of the ministry.

Everyone was required to tithe their income to the LORD. This included the priests and the Levites. No one was exempt from giving a portion of the income to the work of the LORD.

So even those who are in leadership who are paid for their work need to make sure that they give a portion to the LORD. They give a tithe to support the work of the LORD as well.

We are to be a giving people. Too many today are takers rather than givers to the work of the LORD. This is not God’s plan. HE knows that if we are willing to give a portion of our income to HIM in a proper manner that we are genuinely committed to the work HE wants done here on this earth.

There are many ministries that are under supported because those who are part of that ministry don’t understand the needs of the ministry or the leadership is not communicating well what is necessary to keep the ministry going.

Some local church pastors are afraid to preach on giving because they fear that the people will think that all they want is a raise. That is not always the case. Sometimes the pastor does need a raise to support his family but most of the times it is necessary for the outreach and upkeep of the ministries of the local church where the needs are not being met.

A church moves forward with money in the account to spend on outreach and upkeep. Visitors want to see a building that looks good. Also they want to see ministries that can help their families to grow in the LORD. This takes money.

Even today the LORD would like us to give at least a tithe of our income to the ministry. Our offerings can go to other ministries as well. If we are known as a giver the LORD can bless us with more than enough to support ourselves. If we are not givers the LORD cannot bless us with real blesses that money cannot buy.

CHALLENGE: It is even a challenge to those in ministry to tithe their income to the LORD but it must be done for the LORD to bless his ministry.

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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:

BODY

Chastity (Purity in living)

Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)

Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)

Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)

Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)

SOUL

Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)

Frugality (wise use of resources)

Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)

Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)

Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)

SPIRIT

Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)

Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)

Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)

Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)

Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)

Priests                                                                         verse 1- 7, 12- 21, 30,

                                                                                                35, 41, 44

            Playing trumpets – priests sons

            Singers with Jezrahiah – overseer

                        (choir director)

Levites                                                                        verse 1, 8, 22, 24, 27,

                                                                                                30, 31, 38, 40,

                                                                                                44, 46, 47

            Songs of thanksgiving

            Watches

            Praise and give thanks

            Purified the people, gates, and wall

Porters                                                                        verse 25, 45, 47

Ezra – priest and scribe                                            verse 26, 36

Singers                                                                        verse 28, 29, 45, 47

Give thanks                                                                verse 31

Marching around Jerusalem on wall – praising    verse 35- 40

House of God                                                             verse 40

Offered great sacrifices                                            verse 43

            Joyous day

            Great joy

Some appointed over the chambers of the

            Treasures, for the offerings, for the

            firstfruits, for the tithes                                verse 44

Asaph – chief of the singers                                      verse 46

            Songs of praise  and thanksgiving

Sanctified holy things                                               verse 47

Children of Aaron                                                    verse 47

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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)

Book of the chronicles                                               verse 23

Commandment of David                                          verse 24, 45

Solomon                                                                     verse 45

God the Father (First person of the Godhead)

God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign)                        verse 24, 36, 40, 43,

                                                                                                45, 46

House of God                                                             verse 40

God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)

God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)

Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)    

Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)

Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)

Darius the Persian                                                    verse 22

Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)

Praise                                                                          verse 24, 46

Man of God                                                               verse 24, 36

Gladness                                                                     verse 27

Singing                                                                       verse 27, 42

Thanksgiving                                                             verse 27, 46

Musical instruments used to praise                         verse 27, 35, 36, 41

Purified                                                                      verse 30, 45

Rejoiced                                                                     verse 43, 44

Great joy                                                                    verse 43

Tithes                                                                          verse 44

Purification                                                                verse 45

Sanctified                                                                   verse 47

Israel (Old Testament people of God)

Zerubbabel                                                                verse 1, 47

            Days of Zerubbabel

David – man of God                                                  verse 24, 36, 45, 46

            Commandments of

Nehemiah the governor                                            verse 26, 47

            Days of Nehemiah

Ezra the priest and scribe                                        verse 26, 36

Dedication of the wall                                               verse 27- 43

Jerusalem = city of David                                        verse 27, 28, 37, 43

            Dedication of the walls of with gladness

            City of David

            Joy of Jerusalem heard afar off

Princes of Judah                                                       verse 31, 32

Women and children participated in the

            celebration                                                     verse 43

Solomon                                                                     verse 45

Church (New Testament people of God)

Last Things (Future Events)

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DONATIONS:

Remember that all donations to Small Church Ministries are greatly appreciated. The treasurer will send a receipt, at the end of the year unless otherwise requested. Please be sure to make check out to “Small Church Ministries.” The address for the treasurer is P.O. Box 604, East Amherst, New York 14051. A second way to give to the ministry is through PayPal on the website: www.smallchurchministries.org.  Also, if you can support this ministry through your local church please use that method.  Thank you. All donations are tax deductible.

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QUOTES regarding passage

12:44–47 The priests and Levites pleased the people because they “performed the service of their God … according to the commands of David.” Their goal was not to please people but God; their model for worship was not the current fad but biblical instruction. They were careful to follow what was stipulated in God’s Word. The ministers may have been torn between scriptural authority and the pull of creativity to adapt to a new situation. God is pleased with creativity; but more importantly he demands faithfulness to his revelation. The combination of the two is a constant challenge to those in charge of leading worship.

The result of a ministry that aimed to please God and to be faithful to his Word was that “all Israel contributed the daily portions” (v. 47). Faithful ministers encourage faithful worshipers. (Breneman, M. (1993). Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (electronic ed., Vol. 10, p. 267). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)

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47. all Israel … sanctified holy things unto the Levites—The people, selecting the tithes and first-fruits, devoted them to the use of the Levites, to whom they belonged by appointment of the law. The Levites acted in the same way with the tithes due from them to the priests. Thus all classes of the people displayed a conscientious fidelity in paying the dues to the temple and the servants of God who were appointed to minister in it. (Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 1, p. 301). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.)

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Remember that the book has two parts. The first and longer part concerns the building of the walls, a task in which Nehemiah played the leading role. This part fills chapters 1–7. The second, shorter part concerns the revival in Jerusalem and the rededication of the people. In this revival Ezra, the priest and spiritual head of the nation, is most prominent. This part occupies chapters 8:1–12:26. In the dedication of the walls, these two important sections of the book come together. Ezra is present to lead one-half of the celebrating people. Nehemiah leads the other. Moreover—and this is most significant—the two groups circle the walls, which Nehemiah had built, and converge at the temple, the spiritual center of the nation’s life at which Ezra presides. (Boice, J. M. (2005). Nehemiah: an expositional commentary (p. 126). Grand Rapids, MI: BakerBooks.)

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In Nehemiah 12, the priests and Levites were the first to dedicate (or, as it says, “purify”) themselves, which was fitting since they were the ones who were to conduct the dedication service. We are not told what this work of purification consisted of, but it was probably ceremonial washings of themselves and their clothes, fasting, abstinence from sexual intercourse, and sin offerings.

The people were next. They probably merely washed themselves and their clothing, though they may have been asked to abstain from sexual relations too. (Boice, J. M. (2005). Nehemiah: an expositional commentary (p. 129). Grand Rapids, MI: BakerBooks.)

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The result of this joyful service of dedication was a plentiful supply of produce to sustain the work of the ministry. The people gave “not grudgingly or of necessity” but joyfully and gratefully (2 Cor. 9:7). Missionary leader J. Hudson Taylor used to say, “When God’s work is done in God’s way for God’s glory, it will not lack God’s support.”

Our material gifts are really spiritual sacrifices to the Lord, if they are given in the right spirit. The Apostle Paul called the gifts from the Philippian church “an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God” (Phil. 4:18). Jesus accepted Mary’s gift of precious ointment as an act of worship, and Hebrews 13:16 reminds us that doing good and sharing are sacrifices that please the Lord.

But before we can bring our material gifts to the Lord, we must first give ourselves to Him. Paul commended the churches of Macedonia because they “first gave themselves to the Lord” (2 Cor. 8:5, NKJV), before they shared in the missionary offering he was receiving for the needy believers in Jerusalem. Our gifts cannot be a substitute for ourselves. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Determined (p. 137). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

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Elaborate preparations are made to make the dedication meaningful. Levites, particularly the families of singers, come from near and far in order to practice and prepare for a grand musical celebration. The priests and Levites purify themselves and then, through the proper offerings at the altar, they sanctify the people and the temple as well as the gates and wall. (Elwell, W. A. (1995). Evangelical Commentary on the Bible (Vol. 3, Ne 12:27). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.)

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They sanctified holy things, i. e. they sequestered or set apart the first-fruits and tithes from their own share, and devoted them to the use of the Levites, to whom they belonged. And so did the Levites by the tithe of the tithes. Thus they all conscientiously paid their dues to God, or his assigns, and did not profane those things which God had sanctified, nor take them to their own common use, as divers ungodly or covetous persons had formerly used to do when they had opportunity. (Poole, M. (1853). Annotations upon the Holy Bible (Vol. 1, p. 905). New York: Robert Carter and Brothers.)

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In the first place, as a preparation for the whole of the subsequent ceremonies, the priests and Levites carried out a great work of purification. They began with themselves, because the men who are first in any dealings with religion must be first in purity. Judged by the highest standard, the only real difference of rank in the Church is determined by varying degrees of holiness; merely official distinctions and those that arise from the unequal distribution of gifts cannot affect anybody’s position of honour in the sight of God. The functions of the recognised ministry, in particular, demand purity of character for their right discharge. They that bear the vessels of the Lord must be clean. And not only so in general; especially in the matter of purification is it necessary that those who carry out the work should first be pure themselves. What here applies to priests and Levites ceremonially applies in prosaic earnestness to all who feel called to purge society in the interest of true morality. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? The leaders of moral reforms must be themselves morally clean. Only regenerate men and women can regenerate society. If the salt has lost its savour it will not arrest corruption in the sacrifice that is salted with it. But the purification does not cease with the leaders. In ceremonial symbolism all the people and even the very walls are also cleansed. This is done in view of the new departure, the fresh beginning. Such an occasion calls for much heart-searching and spiritual cleansing—a truth which must have been suggested to the minds of thoughtful people by the Levitical ceremonies. It is a shame to bring the old stains into the new scenes. The fresh, clean start calls for a new and better life. (Adeney, W. F. (1903). The Books of Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther. In W. Robertson Nicoll (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible: Samuel to Job (Vol. 2, p. 670). Hartford, CT: S.S. Scranton Co.)

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FROM MY READING:

(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)

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Berea Bible Church – Pastor Brian Miller

Daily Hope

Today’s Scripture

Acts 17:16-34

Knowing your audience is a key part to effective communication. It is beneficial to consider what is important to the hearers as you attempt to gain their attention and accomplish the purpose of your discussion.

Paul had been in Athens for some time waiting for Timothy and Silas to reunite with him after he left northern Greece. While he awaited their arrival, he observed that Athens had become a gathering place for many people of intellectual and artistic interests. Each place that he visited he noted shrines or edifices dedicated to gods and objects of worship. This syncretism of thought and practice led Paul to speak openly both in the synagogue and the marketplace about Christ and the resurrection.

As was customary with Paul, people before long were responding and discussing his viewpoints and positions. Those who made it their career of studying and discussing new ideas and views, soon confronted Paul and asked him to attend their meetings. The Areopagus was a high hill that overlooks Athens and had become the meeting place for philosophers and intellectuals to daily discuss issues and new ideas.

Paul begins his presentation, and he rivets their attention with an opening remark that all present related to, “… I perceive that in all things you are very religious…” (v.22). Many had concluded and pronounced him a “babbler”, a term which carried the idea of a bird picking up seeds and flitting from one spot to another. Therefore, his opening statement became vital to retaining the attention of the learned audience. He moves the topic of the message pointedly and consistently in alignment with the current philosophical viewpoints, which those listening were accustomed to discussing. Paul began to expound first with creation, developing the point that God was interested and involved in man’s lives throughout history. Paul concluded by emphasizing God had raised Christ from the dead.

The insertion of a resurrection was the critical point where the listeners moved from passive listeners to active participants. The idea that God was present and active was palatable but raising someone from the grave was more miraculous than some could accept. The quiet audience now begins to mock, ask questions and the speech concludes before Paul was finished. Despite the abrupt ending, some join him and believe his message. Paul departs and continues to speak in the marketplace and sites that are available to him.

What appears to be a failed message is used by God to invoke a group of people insulated from the gospel to consider Christ. By taking the opportunity to speak, Paul uses the platform to present Christ. We are given opportunities to speak to those who are not aware of Christ’s presence. As we recognize individuals’ needs and interests, may we be faithful to share Christ as Paul did. God has the power to work in spite of what may appear as a closed heart or door.

With an Expectant Hope,

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GOD’S OMNISCIENCE

Great is our LORD, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.
Psalm 147:5
Another of God’s great attributes is His omniscience. God knows all things, and His knowledge is always absolute knowledge. It is perfect knowledge, a complete knowledge of everything.
There are very many statements of this, of course, in the Scriptures. Take, for instance, Psalm 147:5: “His understanding is infinite.” Then in Proverbs 15:3 we read, “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.”
The Bible tells us quite a lot in detail about this knowledge, this omniscience of God. For instance, it tells us about God’s knowledge of nature: “He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names” (Psalm 147:4). But let me give you another example. Do you remember those tender words of our Lord in which He tells us that not a single sparrow falls to the ground without our Father’s knowing it (Matthew 10:29)? Everything in the realm of nature is known by God. It is quite inconceivable to us, but the Bible asserts this is true of God. Look up into the heavens on a starry night and see all that multiplicity of stars. He knows them, every one, and He has a name for everyone. There is nothing in creation but that God knows it in that intimate and personal sense.
But we are obviously more interested in God’s knowledge of us and of our human experience. Psalm 139 is very eloquent here. The psalmist says, “Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off” (verse 2). My very thought! He knows all about me. “Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways” (verse 3). Indeed, he goes further in verse 4 and says, “For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.” What an exact and detailed knowledge God has of us!

A Thought to Ponder
God knows all things, and His knowledge is always absolute knowledge.
(From God the Father, God the Son, p. 63, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones)

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Lamentations 3
God sends a message of hope and restoration to Israel.
INSIGHT
Through the prophets, God has been warning Judah for many years to turn from idolatry to serve Him only. Finally, her sin has compounded to the point that judgment is no longer avoidable if God is to be true to His Word. But although destruction overtakes Judah, there is hope on the horizon. Jeremiah writes: “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (vv. 22-23).  (Quiet Walk)

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God Our Savior
“But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared.” (Titus 3:4)
Six times in the pastoral epistles Paul refers to God (evidently meaning the Father) as our Savior (1 Timothy 1:1; 2:3; 4:10; Titus 1:3; 2:10; 3:4). Usually, however, he and the other New Testament writers identify Jesus Christ as our Savior. “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18, for example). In the same fashion, Paul relates that his commission to preach the gospel came from “God our Saviour” (Titus 1:3), while elsewhere he says his commission came “by the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:12).
Is this a contradiction? No! In fact, references to God as our Savior should not surprise us, for it is found in numerous places in the Old Testament. (See, for example, Psalm 106:21.) Furthermore, our understanding of the Trinity insists that all three persons of the Godhead are One in God. Of course, Christ made many references to the fact that He was not acting on His own but came to do “the will of him that sent me” (John 6:38). Paul himself seemed to be comfortable with this seeming overlap, for in one sentence he wrote, “God our Saviour;…Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour” (Titus 1:3-4). Such usages further confirm also that Jesus is God.
While Christ was the primary instrument of salvation as the perfect sacrifice for sin, God the Father is the source of all human salvation, and the application of the title Savior to Him is proper. Indeed, we derive great comfort as we see the role of all three Persons of the Godhead involved in our salvation.
“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). (JDM, The Institute for Creation Research)

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Listening Matters

Come at once. We have struck a berg.” Those were the first words Harold Cottam, the wireless operator on the RMS Carpathia, received from the sinking RMS Titanic at 12:25 a.m. on April 15, 1912. The Carpathia would be the first ship to the disaster scene, saving 706 lives.

In the US Senate hearings days later, the Carpathia’s captain Arthur Rostron testified, “The whole thing was absolutely providential. . . . The wireless operator was in his cabin at the time, not on official business at all, but just simply listening as he was undressing. . . . In ten minutes maybe he would have been in bed, and we would not have heard the message.” 

Listening matters—especially listening to God. The writers of Psalm 85, the sons of Korah, urged attentive obedience when they wrote, “I will listen to what God the Lord says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants—but let them not turn to folly. Surely his salvation is near those who fear him” (vv. 8–9). Their admonition is especially poignant because their ancestor Korah had rebelled against God and had perished in the wilderness (Numbers 16:1–35).

The night the Titanic sank, another ship was much closer, but its wireless operator had gone to bed. Had he heard the distress signal, perhaps more lives would have been saved. When we listen to God by obeying His teaching, He’ll help us navigate even life’s most troubled waters.  By James Banks, Our Daily Bread)

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