November 29, 2023

Will you choose faithfulness?

Nehemiah 10-11

Elia Dunne
Wednesday's Devo

November 29, 2023

Wednesday's Devo

November 29, 2023

Wednesday's Devo

November 29, 2023

Wednesday's Devo

November 29, 2023

Big Idea

Start with prayer.

Key Verse | Nehemiah 10:29

"[J]oin with their brothers, their nobles, and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God's Law that was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord and his rules and his statutes."

Nehemiah 10-11

The People Who Sealed the Covenant

1  1 10:1 Ch 10:2 in Hebrew On the seals are the names of 2 10:1 Hebrew lacks the names of Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah, Zedekiah, 2 Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, 3 Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah, 4 Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, 5 Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, 6 Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, 7 Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, 8 Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah; these are the priests. 9 And the Levites: Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel; 10 and their brothers, Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, 11 Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, 12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, 13 Hodiah, Bani, Beninu. 14 The chiefs of the people: Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, 15 Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, 16 Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, 17 Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, 18 Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, 19 Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, 20 Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, 21 Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, 22 Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, 23 Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub, 24 Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, 25 Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, 26 Ahiah, Hanan, Anan, 27 Malluch, Harim, Baanah.

The Obligations of the Covenant

28 The rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, and all who have separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, their daughters, all who have knowledge and understanding, 29 join with their brothers, their nobles, and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God's Law that was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord and his rules and his statutes. 30 We will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons. 31 And if the peoples of the land bring in goods or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on a holy day. And we will forego the crops of the seventh year and the exaction of every debt.

32 We also take on ourselves the obligation to give yearly a third part of a shekel 3 10:32 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams for the service of the house of our God: 33 for the showbread, the regular grain offering, the regular burnt offering, the Sabbaths, the new moons, the appointed feasts, the holy things, and the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God. 34 We, the priests, the Levites, and the people, have likewise cast lots for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, according to our fathers' houses, at times appointed, year by year, to burn on the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the Law. 35 We obligate ourselves to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of every tree, year by year, to the house of the LORD; 36 also to bring to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God, the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, as it is written in the Law, and the firstborn of our herds and of our flocks; 37 and to bring the first of our dough, and our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the wine and the oil, to the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and to bring to the Levites the tithes from our ground, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all our towns where we labor. 38 And the priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive the tithes. And the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers of the storehouse. 39 For the people of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the contribution of grain, wine, and oil to the chambers, where the vessels of the sanctuary are, as well as the priests who minister, and the gatekeepers and the singers. We will not neglect the house of our God.”

The Leaders in Jerusalem

1 Now the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem. And the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in Jerusalem the holy city, while nine out of ten 4 11:1 Hebrew nine hands remained in the other towns. 2 And the people blessed all the men who willingly offered to live in Jerusalem.

3 These are the chiefs of the province who lived in Jerusalem; but in the towns of Judah everyone lived on his property in their towns: Israel, the priests, the Levites, the temple servants, and the descendants of Solomon's servants. 4 And in Jerusalem lived certain of the sons of Judah and of the sons of Benjamin. Of the sons of Judah: Athaiah the son of Uzziah, son of Zechariah, son of Amariah, son of Shephatiah, son of Mahalalel, of the sons of Perez; 5 and Maaseiah the son of Baruch, son of Col-hozeh, son of Hazaiah, son of Adaiah, son of Joiarib, son of Zechariah, son of the Shilonite. 6 All the sons of Perez who lived in Jerusalem were 468 valiant men.

7 And these are the sons of Benjamin: Sallu the son of Meshullam, son of Joed, son of Pedaiah, son of Kolaiah, son of Maaseiah, son of Ithiel, son of Jeshaiah, 8 and his brothers, men of valor, 928. 5 11:8 Compare Septuagint; Hebrew Jeshaiah, and after him Gabbai, Sallai, 928 9 Joel the son of Zichri was their overseer; and Judah the son of Hassenuah was second over the city.

10 Of the priests: Jedaiah the son of Joiarib, Jachin, 11 Seraiah the son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, ruler of the house of God, 12 and their brothers who did the work of the house, 822; and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, son of Pelaliah, son of Amzi, son of Zechariah, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah, 13 and his brothers, heads of fathers' houses, 242; and Amashsai, the son of Azarel, son of Ahzai, son of Meshillemoth, son of Immer, 14 and their brothers, mighty men of valor, 128; their overseer was Zabdiel the son of Haggedolim.

15 And of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, son of Bunni; 16 and Shabbethai and Jozabad, of the chiefs of the Levites, who were over the outside work of the house of God; 17 and Mattaniah the son of Mica, son of Zabdi, son of Asaph, who was the leader of the praise, 6 11:17 Compare Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew beginning who gave thanks, and Bakbukiah, the second among his brothers; and Abda the son of Shammua, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun. 18 All the Levites in the holy city were 284.

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

22 The overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, son of Hashabiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Mica, of the sons of Asaph, the singers, over the work of the house of God. 23 For there was a command from the king concerning them, and a fixed provision for the singers, as every day required. 24 And Pethahiah the son of Meshezabel, of the sons of Zerah the son of Judah, was at the king's side 7 11:24 Hebrew hand in all matters concerning the people.

Villages Outside Jerusalem

25 And as for the villages, with their fields, some of the people of Judah lived in Kiriath-arba and its villages, and in Dibon and its villages, and in Jekabzeel and its villages, 26 and in Jeshua and in Moladah and Beth-pelet, 27 in Hazar-shual, in Beersheba and its villages, 28 in Ziklag, in Meconah and its villages, 29 in En-rimmon, in Zorah, in Jarmuth, 30 Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages, Lachish and its fields, and Azekah and its villages. So they encamped from Beersheba to the Valley of Hinnom. 31 The people of Benjamin also lived from Geba onward, at Michmash, Aija, Bethel and its villages, 32 Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah, 33 Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim, 34 Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat, 35 Lod, and Ono, the valley of craftsmen. 36 And certain divisions of the Levites in Judah were assigned to Benjamin.

Footnotes

[1] 10:1 Ch 10:2 in Hebrew
[2] 10:1 Hebrew lacks the names of
[3] 10:32 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
[4] 11:1 Hebrew nine hands
[5] 11:8 Compare Septuagint; Hebrew Jeshaiah, and after him Gabbai, Sallai, 928
[6] 11:17 Compare Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew beginning
[7] 11:24 Hebrew hand

S2:233 Nehemiah 10-11

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Dive Deeper | Nehemiah 10-11

What is faithfulness? Faithfulness means being reliable, steadfast, unwavering, and trustworthy to a commitment or promise one has made.

God's faithfulness means He is trustworthy, keeps His promises and covenants, never lies, never fails, and never forgets. Because He is immutable, His promises are as certain as His character. Scripture contains thousands of God's promises for salvation, forgiveness, strength, instruction, provision, and more. Not one of them will fail. (Deuteronomy 7:9)

The story of Nehemiah is one of God's faithfulness to restore Judah upon repentance. After 70 years in exile, the Israelites returned to Jerusalem. The city is in ruins. Jews not taken into captivity have settled among non-Jews. They've intermarried, adopted pagan practices, and forgotten God's Law.

The returning leaders are men of faith and prayer. Their purpose is to restore the nation to God, reestablish covenant faithfulness, and repopulate Jerusalem. They rebuilt the temple, rebuilt and fortified the city's walls, and taught Judah God's law.

Once the city is secure, the leaders assemble the nation in fasting, confession, repentance, and covenant renewal. Recognizing their sin, they vow to separate themselves from foreigners. They ceased intermarriage, kept the Sabbath, supported the temple, gave their first fruits, and maintained God's house. Beginning with Nehemiah, all commit to entering this covenant and sign their names as a seal to walk in faithfulness. (Nehemiah 10:29)

God calls me to be faithful. But like Israel, I falter without fellowship with God, His Word, and His people. My focus becomes temporal rather than eternal without confession, repentance, and restoration. (Colossians 3:2) Faithfulness is both personal and relational. Daily, I must remind myself of God's faithfulness toward me. He is sovereign over my life. I must be faithful to God first and then to others (Luke 10:27). Take a moment and ask, "Am I prioritizing and honoring God? Am I putting others before myself? Are my actions trustworthy and dependable? Am I stewarding my talents, time, and treasure for His kingdom?"

As I live more intentionally, may others see in me a more devoted, trustworthy, steadfast, and faithful follower of Christ.

This month's memory verse

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

– 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Discussion Questions

1. For most of us, it is easier to trust someone we know well than someone we don't. In what areas of your life do you have difficulty trusting God? Why? Since the Bible tells us all we need to know about God, how well do you know Him? How can your trust in Him grow?

2. Have you ever doubted that God would fulfill one of His promises to you or for you? How can scriptural truths help build your faith?

3. How faithful are you to the Lord and others? What's hindering your growth in this area?

4. Are there areas in your life where you are unwilling to surrender to God? What are their strongholds over you? What promises in His Word could bring you assurance of His faithfulness?

 

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Hugh Stephenson

Good morning, Elia! What a blessing it is for all of us to have you and Pat serving the church body. I have been privileged to serve alongside Pat in Betterman and to sit with him in the WM Lay Institute. Both of you are a joy and a delight to all of us. THANK YOU!!! And thank you for this devo and your focus on faithfulness. I love your deep dive into all the aspects of God’s character that prove He is faithful. I am taught that we can regard God as faithful because we can see his “resume”. Thousands of years of His doing exactly what He promises. Not failing a single time. Ever. I don’t need to go back very far to see how much I need His faithfulness to counteract my sinful nature. Like 24 hours. Maybe. Q1. Where do I have difficulty trusting God? A big challenge for me is living out what God tells me is personal relationships in differentiating my role versus His role. Specifically, I see this in discipleship relationships and in parenting. My sinful nature tells me that I know just what that person needs. So I tell them. More recently, I want to tell them but the Spirit “taps me on the shoulder” telling me to get out of His way. The hardest times are when I hear my unsaved adult kids make statements about faith or belief that I know are wrong. God always gently reminds me that He is in charge of their lives, not me. My calling is to pray to see them as He does and to love them as He does. Q2. Doubted God’s promises? BC - Yes. For a long time. Mainly because I didn’t know Him. AD - Never. Not once. That doesn’t mean I always like His timing or His results. Yet, I have been able to embrace the truth that my ways are not His ways, (Isaiah 55:8-11). Q3. Faithfulness to God and others? One of my major failings is to fail to do what I say I will do. It has been at the root of many unnecessary problems in marriage, parenting, and work. I was well into my career when I finally internalized this had to change. It took many more years before I understood that my faithfulness to the Creator of the Universe was even more important. #slowlearneer Q4. Where am I unwilling to surrender? I make the analogue that I am totally fine with having God be in the driver’s seat while I sit in the back seat. The struggle is when I just know for sure that He needs to turn up ahead. Or speed up. Or slow down. I’m just trying to help, right? I have some good ideas and he should listen to me. Sometimes. … … …
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Hugh Stephenson

What I learned about faithfulness in parenting- I can sum it up in one sentence: Say what you mean, mean what you say, do what you say you’ll do. This came from a great book called “Kids Are Worth It” by Barbara Coloroso. In parenting, Amy and I discovered pretty quickly that on our own, we were lost. We needed guiding and equipping. We were in a box-checking church but there were good classes and groups that helped give us knowledge. Barbara’s book was a foundational piece for us. Right behind it is the book we discovered much later- Boundaries by Cloud and Townsend. ----------------------------------------------------------------- How important is God’s Law? Here is a potentially combative premise- the closest human analogue we have is the US Constitution. Can you imagine what chaos we would have without it? Just read the news and you’ll get a sense. Had I been better focused in my college years I would have taken all the courses on it. As it was, I was more interested in drinking beer and playing poker. Eventually, my interest got piqued and I went into a deep dive on it. I would submit that as a founding document it guides, defines, and directs us in ways that very few other documents from other countries do. But to be silly, only the Bible claims to be the Word of God, (2 Timothy 3:16 and many other verses). Where would we be without it? Again, just look at the daily news feed of murderous insanity in countries that have neither a Judeo-Christian foundation nor a Constitution. Some great pieces from GQs on faithfulness- https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-faithfulness.html https://www.gotquestions.org/faithfulness-of-God.html https://www.gotquestions.org/fruit-Holy-Spirit-faithfulness.html https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-verses-about-faithfulness.html
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Hugh Stephenson

Really good summaries from the ESV SB- Neh. 8:1–10:39 The Reading of the Law and Covenant Renewal. In this long section, the Book of the Law is solemnly read, the Feast of Booths is kept, and a great act of covenant renewal is performed. For the first time in this book, Ezra enters the narrative. This section shows the unity of his and Nehemiah’s projects. With the walls securely in place, the centrality of the Mosaic law is once again made prominent, since it is not security alone that is essential to the life of the community, nor even the temple, but trust in God and obedience to God’s Word as revealed through Moses. The whole passage has Leviticus 23 especially in mind. Neh. 10:1–39 Signatories and Specific Commitments. Many of the people agree to the covenant, and they accept the responsibility of funding the temple’s activities. And from Dr Constable- II. THE RESTORATION OF THE JEWS CHS. 8—13 One writer viewed chapters 8—13 (really 7:73—13:37) as the third part of the tripartite structure of Ezra-Nehemiah. Ezra 1:1-4 deals with "potentiality," the decree to the community to build God's house. Ezra 1:5—Nehemiah 7:72 records the process of "actualization." The community builds God's house in response to the decree. Nehemiah 7:73—13:31 documents "success." The community celebrates the completion of God's house according to the Torah.[149] "What began with concern (Neh. 1) led to construction (chaps. 2—3) and conflict (chaps. 4—7); and now it was time for consecration (chaps. 8—12).” A. The Renewed Commitment to the Mosaic Covenant chs. 8—10 "The reading of Scripture (Neh 8) and the act of prayer (Neh 9) followed by community commitment (Neh 10) is a model for worshiping communities." 3. The renewed commitment of the people ch. 10 Nehemiah explained the agreement, which he previously referred to in 9:38, in this chapter. Conviction of sin (ch. 8) led to confession of sin (ch. 9) and resulted in a covenant with God (ch. 10). "Nehemiah 10, despite its forbidding portal of 27 verses of proper names, is in reality a small treasure house of post-exilic interpretations of earlier Israelite law." Neh. 11:1–12:43 The Population of Jerusalem and the Villages; Priests and Levites. These chapters depict the people’s efforts to populate Jerusalem. Neh. 11:1–36 Those Who Lived in Jerusalem and the Villages of Judah. This chapter addresses the need to maintain a proportion of the population in Jerusalem, and records the names of leaders who lived there. Populated villages of Judah are also named. And from Dr. Constable- B. The Residents of the Land 11:1—12:26 When the exiles returned to the Promised Land, living in Jerusalem was not an attractive option because the city lay in ruins. However, with the rebuilding of the temple and the walls, the capital had become a more desirable place to live. Nehemiah, as governor, saw the wisdom of populating Jerusalem with pureblooded Jews, so he set about to encourage the people to live within the city walls. Most of this section of the book (11:3—12:26) is a parenthetical interjection into the chronological progression of the narrative. 1. The residents of Jerusalem 11:1-24 Some leaders had already chosen to live in Jerusalem (v. 1). Nehemiah initiated a plan to determine which one family out of ten, of those not living in the city, would move into it (v. 1). Additional immigrants volunteered to live there (v. 2). There was a cross section of leaders, therefore, who lived in Jerusalem, while other leaders lived in the other towns of Judah (v. 3). "The city wall was built, and now a new measure to safeguard the city was instituted, namely, to repopulate it." "Never underestimate the importance of simply being physically present in the place where God wants you. You may not be asked to perform some dramatic ministry, but simply being there is a ministry. The men, women, and children who helped to populate the city of Jerusalem were serving God, their nation, and future generations by their step of faith." The residents of Jerusalem included Jews from the tribes of Judah (vv. 4-6) and Benjamin (vv. 7-9). There were twice as many from Benjamin as from Judah. There were priests (vv. 10-14), Levites (vv. 15-18), and gatekeepers (v. 19). The rest of the Israelites lived in the outlying towns (v. 20), except for the temple servants (v. 21). The Ophel was apparently a leveled mini-valley (or perhaps a low hill) between the City of David and the temple area. In a time when self-centeredness seems to dominate Western life-styles, the Word of God calls us to work and live together as a community, to be dependent upon one another, and to help one another in achieving the task God has set before us." "It's from this unpronounceable passage of Scripture that we can draw three encouraging principles. First: Your gift makes you valuable, if not necessarily popular. ... Second: Every labor done in love is remembered by God, never forgotten. ... Third: Our final rewards will be determined on the basis of personal faithfulness, not public applause." https://www.planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/html/ot/nehemiah/nehemiah.htm
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Greg Jones

Good morning Elia. A good friend’s daughter and son in law went through reengage Watermark, they have a great story. A great testimony to the ministry that happens there at Watermark. At this point in Nehemiah reading with 20/20 hindsight I see a Israel reforming into something that isn’t going to work out well. That is they are separating themselves from the world with their identity and becoming unreliable. Middle chapters of Isaiah I hear the word saying to Israel maintain your identity in a way that is relatable to the world. Zechariah prophesying at this time touches on it Zechariah 8:22-23. Great Questions. 1. For most of us, it is easier to trust someone we know well than someone we don't. In what areas of your life do you have difficulty trusting God? (A) Why? (B) Since the Bible tells us all we need to know about God, how well do you know Him? (C) How can your trust in Him grow? (D) A. I don’t know if I have an answer to differentiating trust in areas of my life. At a pretty young age, 11 or 12, after pondering it a few to a couple of years I reasoned that if I died that day I didn’t know if I could convince God I loved him or his son in order to get into heaven. I knew the right answers I knew I was supposed to but I wasn’t sure I did. This was God I had to convince, the ultimate lie detector. I could honestly say to myself and to God that I could trust him. Sometimes I can honestly say I don’t like God in a moment. I can’t really say sometimes I don’t trust God. Sometimes the trust is the source of the dislike. B. Why I don’t sometimes like God-sometimes I reap things I didn’t sow. I don’t like that. Why I wouldn’t trust God in some areas-I say I pretty much trust God in all areas of my life but I don’t necessarily sow equally in all areas of my life. C. I differ here. I feel I know the Bible pretty well. But I don’t relate to the experiences of the people or times that the Bible comes out of. That said I can relate to the efforts to grow in a new understanding of God in changing times. The Israelites always struggle with that. I struggle with that likewise. D. Wow. Short answer that’s a soul searching experience. Short explanation, sometimes faith is as right and easy as I believe in what I’m hoping for. When you’re in a hole looking up and feeling the weight of the world you need that kind of hope and faith. Trust can be as hard as living through what you are hoping against. Often you can be on top of the world with not much control over something your hoping against. 2. Have you ever doubted that God would fulfill one of His promises to you or for you? (A) How can scriptural truths help build your faith? (B) A. You will reap what you sow. There is no promise on what the yield will be. Not too much. B. This might be off point a little but it’s in Hebrews 11 and I consider that scripture even if Luther didn’t. If Jephthah can make the hall of fame of faith then faith doesn’t have anything to do with brains. He’s vows to sacrifice the first thing out his house when he returns home. He doesn’t vow the first out his barn which would make way more sense. When his daughter is first out he’s sad, makes you wonder who he thought would be first out. So great brains doesn’t equal great faith. 3. How faithful are you to the Lord and others? (A) What's hindering your growth in this area? (B) A. I’m not as faithful to the Lord as Jephthah. And I’m not as faithful to others as his daughter was to him when she come back home. I do trust, that the Lord gave me a Godly earthly father who has a different view of God and his requirements than Jephthah. And all in all he would say that I’m faithful to others, as would my mother my wife my children and friends. Not perfect but faithful. B. Great question. I’m first inclined to think a lack of guilt and shame. But if guilt and shame can’t do things like cure addiction or change sexual attractions how can it be a good motivation for faithfulness? So I would say that when there are hindrances it’s what I would call band width issues. It’s needing to have your hope stretched. 4. Are there areas in your life where you are unwilling to surrender to God? (A) What are their strongholds over you? (B) What promises in His Word could bring you assurance of His faithfulness? (C) A. There are areas where I could sow more for sure. B. Usually comfort. C. Galatians 5:13-26, 6:7-9, reaping sowing-needing more band width to be faithful and the disciples lack of it at this point-the Samaritan woman at the well John 4:1-42 Great devotional thanks.
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Sue Bohlin

Thanks so much, Elia. I am struck by the beauty and power of the post-exile people's resolution to obey God's commands and decrees. If God's love language is obedience, this must have sounded like love to Him. Well, these were the people's INTENTIONS . . . whether they followed through in actually obeying remains to be seen. I heard a re:generation leader say that the Repentance Plan of Step 6 ("We become entirely ready to turn away from our patterns of sin and turn to God") is one of the "sweet spots" of the program; it's the hinge where ungodly, destructive behavior turns and starts going in a good, God-honoring, constructive direction. The document people signed, led out by Nehemiah, was Israel's repentance plan. And it was beautiful. It was specific, and it was doable.
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Amy Lowther

1. Zero, because I have read the Bible, listened to sermons, and served for the church. These opportunities help me learn about God and apply what I learn in daily life which increases my value for Him. 2. Yes, I have had doubt. But scriptural truths as in Psalm 147:5, “Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure,” have helped me increase my confidence. 3. My faith is good. Sharing faith for me always runs into the factors of me wondering if I said enough and if I said the right things. 4. No, because as it says in Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”