Message 4
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Scripture Reading: Neh. 11; Neh. 12; Neh. 13
The books of Ezra and Nehemiah bear a strong intrinsic significance for the Lord’s recovery today. We should not think that the Old Testament is unrelated to us. The Bible is written in two sections — the Old Testament and the New Testament. The first section contains pictures, while the second section contains the fulfillment of what is signified by the pictures. Without an intrinsic understanding of the Old Testament types, it is not easy to understand the fulfillment of God’s economy in the New Testament.
In this message we will continue to consider the reconstitution of the nation of God’s elect.
The reconstitution of the nation of God’s elect involved many aspects. In Nehemiah 11 we see that it involved the arrangement of the dwelling place of the people and the appointment of the officers of the Levitical service and of the civil affairs.
The rulers of the people dwelt in Jerusalem, the holy city, and the rest of the people cast lots in order to bring one in ten to dwell in Jerusalem. The people blessed all the men who offered themselves willingly to dwell in Jerusalem (vv. 1-2).
At that time it was a real burden for anyone to dwell in Jerusalem. Because of the constant threat of foreign invasion, not many were willing to live in Jerusalem. Therefore, there was the need of some arrangement by casting lots. Otherwise, there would not have been a sufficient number of people living in Jerusalem. The ones whose lot was to live in Jerusalem were required to move there. However, some were willing to volunteer to dwell in Jerusalem, and all the people blessed them. Today those who voluntarily go full time will be blessed by all.
In verses 3 through 36 we have a detailed record of the arrangement and the appointments.
Nehemiah 12:1-26 is a record of the priests and Levites. The main serving ones in the worship of God, which is the main thing in God’s kingdom, were not the kings. The kings were not for worshipping God but for ruling the people. The main serving ones for the worshipping of God were the priests with the Levites, who were the servants of the priests.
In verses 1 through 21 we have a record of those faithful ones who went up from Babylon to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel and Joshua.
Verses 22 through 26 are a record of those who served in the days of Joiakim the priest, of Nehemiah the governor, and of Ezra the priest, the scribe. They all were living in Jerusalem.
The reconstitution also included the dedication of the rebuilt wall (vv. 27-43).
The people sought the Levites from all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem in order to hold the dedication with rejoicing, thanksgiving, and singing with cymbals, harps, and lyres (vv. 27-29). The main service of the Levites was to sing in praise to God. For us today, singing hymns in the meetings is a primary need. Singing opens the heavens and brings us to the heavens. We should spend time to sing in different ways whenever we meet.
During the dedication the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and they also purified the people, the gates, and the wall (v. 30). Everything was purified, for they would not dedicate to God anything that was not pure.
Nehemiah appointed two great companies to give thanks to God, to go in procession, and to stand in the house of God with him (vv. 31-42).
They offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced with their women and children, for God had caused them to rejoice greatly; and the joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar (v. 43). Today our neighbors should know that we are singing Christians, that we are the worshippers of God.
The reconstitution also included the appointment of the services of the priests and the Levites and the supply of their needs (vv. 44-47). Nehemiah not only brought the serving Levites and priests into function; he also supplied their daily necessities. Before that time, no one had taken care of this matter properly.
Nehemiah 13:1-30a describes the clearance exercised on Israel as God’s elect. There were many cleansings. This clearance was also part of the reconstitution of the nation of God’s elect.
First, all the mixed multitude were separated from Israel according to the law (vv. 1-3). When the people heard the law concerning Ammonites and Moabites not entering the assembly of God forever, they separated the mixed multitude from Israel.
In verses 4 through 9 Nehemiah purified the chambers of the house of God from the evil occupancy by a relative of the priest who had been appointed over the chambers of the house of God. Eliashib the priest prepared for his relative Tobiah the Ammonite (2:10; 4:3; 6:1) a large chamber in the courts of the house of God where they had previously put the meal offering, the frankincense, and the vessels (13:5, 7). When Nehemiah perceived the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, he was grieved and would not tolerate the situation. He cast all the household utensils of Tobiah out of the chamber and commanded that it be purified. Then Nehemiah returned to the chamber the vessels of the house of God, the meal offering, and the frankincense (vv. 8-9). In this matter there was a thorough clearance.
According to verses 10 through 13, Nehemiah went on to remove the negligence in taking care of the need of the Levites. He found out that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them and he contended with the rulers regarding this. Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, the new wine, and the oil to the storehouses. Thus Nehemiah took care of all the daily necessities of the Levites.
Nehemiah also got rid of the people’s profaning of the holy Sabbath (vv. 15-22a). The Tyrians had been bringing their merchandise into Jerusalem and selling it there on the Sabbath. Nehemiah caused this profaning of the Sabbath to cease. He commanded that the gates of Jerusalem be shut before the Sabbath and not opened until after the Sabbath (v. 19). Then he commanded the Levites to purify themselves and keep the gates in order to sanctify the Sabbath day (v. 22a).
In verses 23 through 30a the people and especially the priests were cleansed from the defilement of their marriages with the nations. Nehemiah required those who married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab to separate themselves from their foreign wives. In this matter he cleansed the people from everything foreign (v. 30a).
Lastly, Nehemiah appointed duties for the priests and the Levites, for the wood offering at the appointed times, and for the firstfruits (vv. 30b-31a). All these arrangements were a reconstituting. Before Nehemiah’s time the situation was a mess. The duties of the priests and the Levites were not clear, and there was not a proper arrangement for the wood offering and for the offering of the firstfruits of the produce of the land every year. There surely was the need for the reconstituting accomplished by Nehemiah.
In doing all these things Nehemiah asked God to remember him and spare him according to the greatness of His lovingkindness (13:14, 22b, 31b).
