"THE RETURN OF NEHEMIAH"
chapter 13
DEAR PRECIOUS BELIEVER; THIS MORNING TOGETHER WE WILL GLEAN FROM A TRUTH SO OFTEN IGNORED, BUT HIDDEN FROM THOSE CALLED TO LEAD IN CHRIST. IN THE STORY OF NEHEMIAH WE ALL WITNESSED, A CUP BEARER RECEIVED FAVOR FROM THE KING OF PERSIA, WHICH OPENED EVERY DOOR TO REBUILD THE CITY OF DAVID, THE CITY OF JERUSALEM. THE VERY CITY THAT GOD HIMSELF SET HIS NAME UPON WITH A SEAL. THE SEAL OF PROMISE, THAT HE WOULD HAVE HIS PEOPLE RESTORED TO THE PLACE, THEY ABANDONED GOD IN THEIR REBELLION, AND SINS. THE PLACE WHERE THE DECLARATION OF THE WORD OF GOD WAS COMPROMISED FOR IDOLS AND THE TRADITIONS OF UNBELIEVERS.
ALL THE CONTACTS FOR NEHEMIAH WERE ORDAINED, NEVER DID NEHEMIAH FOLLOW THOSE GOD FAVORED HIM WITH, BUT SEEING THE FAVOR OF GOD UPON NEHEMIAH, THEN FOLLOWED HIM.
"AND THESE SIGNS SHALL FOLLOW THEM."
SINGERS,GATEKEEPERS AND PRIEST BECAME THE SOUL OF THE MISSION. GOD WAS RESTORING, A PEOPLE WHO WOULD LOVE HIM AND SERVE HIM. WORSHIP AND THE PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD, ONCE AGAIN WOULD TAKE CENTER STAGE IN THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD.
THE COMPLETION OF THE EXTERNAL PROJECT,
THE THE WALLS OF THE CITY. THE PEOPLE WERE ONCE AGAIN SHUT IN WITH THE HOLY GOD OF ISRAEL. WEEPING OVER THE READING OF THE WORD OF GOD, AND WORSHIP WAS HEARD AMONG THE PEOPLE,
A ROMANCE RESTORED, A RETURN TO THE LOVER OF THEIR SOULS. INTIMACY EMBRACED, AND DISTRACTIONS CRUCIFIED . GOD REIGNS IN THE STORY OF HIS PEOPLE ONCE AGAIN! THE DECLARATION OF WHICH THE HOLY SPIRIT
SURGICALLY REMOVES THE SELF-CONFIDENCE OF THE SURROUNDING NATIONS.
THE HIGH PRIEST RETURNS TO THE ALTAR, AND ALL FAMILIES WITHIN THE WALLS OF FELLOWSHIP REJOICE. COMPLETE RESTORATION OF FELLOWSHIP WITH THE LIVING GOD!
"THE SHULAMITE BRIDE HAS ONCE AGAIN FALLEN INTO THE STRONG ARMS OF HER LOVER BRIDEGROOM". THE ONLY LOVER WHO NEVER FAILED HER, NEVER LEFT HER IN HIS HEART AND SOUL.
"HIS BRIDE!"
THE LOVE STORY INTERRUPTED
Nehemiah’s Final Reforms
TOBIAH AND ELIASHIB THROWN OUT!
4 Before this, Eliashib the priest had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God. He was closely associated with Tobiah, 5 and he had provided him with a large room formerly used to store the grain offerings and incense and temple articles, and also the tithes of grain, new wine and olive oil prescribed for the Levites, musicians and gatekeepers, as well as the contributions for the priests.
6 But while all this was going on, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Some time later I asked his permission 7 and came back to Jerusalem. Here I learned about the evil thing Eliashib had done in providing Tobiah a room in the courts of the house of God. 8 I was greatly displeased and threw all Tobiah’s household goods out of the room. 9 I gave orders to purify the rooms, and then I put back into them the equipment of the house of God, with the grain offerings and the incense.
10 I also learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them, and that all the Levites and musicians responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields. 11 So I rebuked the officials and asked them, “Why is the house of God neglected?” Then I called them together and stationed them at their posts
DEAR BROTHERS; WHEN UNBELIEVERS ENTER THE WALLS OF THE BRIDE, HE IS A VIRGIN WITHOUT OIL IN HIS LAMP. COUNTED AMONG US, BUT NOT OF US. THE RETURN OF THE KING NOT A CONCERN TO THEM, ONLY VAIN IMAGINATIONS, PRIDE OF LIFE, LOVERS OF THE CREATURE, RATHER THEN THE CREATOR. WHICH ULTIMATELY LEADS TO A GREAT FALL, AND SEPARATION FROM THE CONSECRATION OF THE WORD AND WORSHIP. THE UNWELCOME QUEST BRINGS UNREST,
In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, together with wine, grapes, figs and all other kinds of loads. And they were bringing all this into Jerusalem on the Sabbath. Therefore I warned them against selling food on that day. 16 People from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them in Jerusalem on the Sabbath to the people of Judah. 17 I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this wicked thing you are doing—desecrating the Sabbath day? 18 Didn’t your ancestors do the same things, so that our God brought all this calamity on us and on this city? Now you are stirring up more wrath against Israel by desecrating the Sabbath.”
19 When evening shadows fell on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered the doors to be shut and not opened until the Sabbath was over. I stationed some of my own men at the gates so that no load could be brought in on the Sabbath day. 20 Once or twice the merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside Jerusalem. 21 But I warned them and said, “Why do you spend the night by the wall? If you do this again, I will arrest you.” From that time on they no longer came on the Sabbath. 22 Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and go and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy.
Remember me for this also, my God, and show mercy to me according to your great love.
A Sabbath-Rest for the People of God
Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2 For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed. Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,
“So I declared on oath in my anger,
‘They shall never enter my rest."
And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world. 4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “On the seventh day God rested from all his works.” And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.”
Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience, 7 God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted:
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts.”
BROTHERS; THE KING IS COMING! WHAT CONDITION WILL HE FIND HIS HOUSE? IT WILL DEPEND ON WHAT THE BRIDE AND THE TRUE PRIEST OF GOD DO WITH THE TOBIAHS, AND ELIASHIBS. WHO HAVE COME INTO THE CHURCH.
THEY SET UP FOR THEMSELVES THE COMFORTS OF PRIDE, AND REMOVE THE REST AND THE GLORY THAT WAS ORDAINED BY GOD HIMSELF. TOBIAH IN THIS STORY, FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE RESTORATION WAS A ENEMY. NOW THE ENEMY RESTS IN THE HOUSE HE ONCE DESIRED TO DESTROY. WHY? BECAUSE THE REST WAS TAKEN, FAITH WAS REPLACED WITH FEAR AND DOUBT. THE SINGERS,GATEKEEPERS AND PRIEST FLED TO THIER OWN FIELDS.
LIKE NEHEMIAH; WE MUST THROW THEM OUT, AND PURIFY OURSELVES ONCE AGAIN.
I was greatly displeased and threw all Tobiah’s household goods out of the room.
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’
9 “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
11 “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’
12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’
13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
Luke 18:8
I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
BROTHERS; MAY WEEPING AT THE ALTAR RETURN WITH THE ROYAL PRIESTHOOD , WHO HAVE HAD THIER ROBES WASHED IN THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST. LET US RESTORE THE PLACES OF TRUE FELLOWSHIP, WHERE REST RETURNS IN THE LIVES OF WOUNDED WARRIORS, WHERE CAPTIVITY IS HELD CAPTIVE BY THE WEAPONS OF THE LIVING WORD OF GOD. LET US ONCE AGAIN BECOME THE GATEKEEPERS OF THE SHULAMITE BRIDE, AND REMAIN AT OUR POST! "THE KING IS COMING!"
LET US SAY WITH NEHEMIAH; So I purified the priests and the Levites of everything foreign, and assigned them duties, each to his own task. 31 I also made provision for contributions of wood at designated times, and for the firstfruits.
Remember me with favor, my God.
OME persons have
the foolish notion that the only way in which they can live for God is by
becoming ministers, missionaries, or Bible women. Alas! how many would be shut
out from any opportunity of magnifying the Most High if this were the case.
Beloved, it is not office, it is earnestness; it is not position, it is grace
which will enable us to glorify God. God is most surely glorified in that
cobbler's stall, where the godly worker, as he plies the awl, sings of the
Saviour's love, ay, glorified far more than in many a prebendal stall where
official religiousness performs its scanty duties. The name of Jesus is
glorified by the poor unlearned carter as he drives his horse, and blesses his
God, or speaks to his fellow labourer by the roadside, as much as by the popular
divine who, throughout the country, like Boanerges, is thundering out the
gospel. God is glorified by our serving Him in our proper vocations. Take care,
dear reader, that you do not forsake the path of duty by leaving your
occupation, and take care you do not dishonour your profession while in it.
Think little of yourselves, but do not think too little of your callings. Every
lawful trade may be sanctified by the gospel to noblest ends. Turn to the Bible,
and you will find the most menial forms of labour connected either with most
daring deeds of faith, or with persons whose lives have been illustrious for
holiness. Therefore be not discontented with your calling. Whatever God has made
your position, or your work, abide in that, unless you are quite sure that he
calls you to something else. Let your first care be to glorify God to the utmost
of your power where you are. Fill your present sphere to His praise, and if He
needs you in another He will show it you. This evening lay aside vexatious
ambition, and embrace peaceful content.
