9/22- Credentials and Giving-n Neh 7:61-73

61 The following came up from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer, but they could not show that their families were descended from Israel:

62 the descendants ofDelaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda 642

63 And from among the priests: 

the descendants of

Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai (a man who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that name).

64 These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. 65 The governor, therefore, ordered them not to eat any of the most sacred food until there should be a priest ministering with the Urim and Thummim.

66 The whole company numbered 42,360, 67 besides their 7,337 male and female slaves; and they also had 245 male and female singers. 68 There were 736 horses, 245 mules,69 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.

70 Some of the heads of the families contributed to the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics of gold, 50 bowls and 530 garments for priests. 71 Some of the heads of the families gave to the treasury for the work 20,000 darics of gold and 2,200 minas of silver. 72 The total given by the rest of the people was 20,000 darics of gold, 2,000 minas of silver and 67 garments for priests.

73 The priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the musicians and the temple servants, along with certain of the people and the rest of the Israelites, settled in their own towns.

Thoughts: Credentials are important to prove legitimacy.  The priests had a huge responsibility for worship, and their families got free food and shelter.  While they may have been legitimate priests, 42,000+ were excluded from this because of some doubts.  There was no rebellion about this, but it was an important decision.
     This also lists how much people gave to the work.  The governor gave 1%, the wealthy gave about half, and the regular people gave about half.  In our day professional fundraisers say that the top 20% will give 80% of the gifts in a capital campaign- and in this recession it could be closer to 90%.  What this means is that the wealthy didn't have a whole lot more than the regular people in Nehemiah's day, but it also means everyone was plugged into the project.  

    After the wall was completed, the people settled outside the wall.  They may still commute into Jerusalem to work (it probably was more sanitary for day to day living to live outside the gates).  But the wall was there in case of invading enemies and shelter for even people outside the gates.
   So what can we learn from this?  It is not wrong to have credentials for ministers- to make an effort that the best are doing the Lord's work.  We also can learn that leaders and the wealthy can give more than a per capita share to do the Lord's work, but it is important that everyone take part as much as possible.  It also is nice if people from outside the community take part and they should be allowed to do so.  

Prayer:  Lord, You make me legitimate more than any genealogy or education. Help me to have a heart to take part in the calling you put before me- whatever that may be- to build up your kingdom here.  

9/21- Levites Guarding the City

26 the men of Bethlehem and Netophah	188
27 of Anathoth	128
28 of Beth Azmaveth	42
29 of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah and Beeroth	743
30 of Ramah and Geba	621
31 of Mikmash	122
32 of Bethel and Ai	123
33 of the other Nebo	52
34 of the other Elam	1,254
35 of Harim	320
36 of Jericho	345
37 of Lod, Hadid and Ono	721
38 of Senaah	3,930

39 The priests:

the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family of Jeshua)	973
40 of Immer	1,052
41 of Pashhur	1,247
42 of Harim	1,017

43 The Levites:

the descendants of Jeshua (through Kadmiel through the line of Hodaviah)

74

44 The musicians:

the descendants of Asaph

148

45 The gatekeepers:

the descendants of
Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita and Shobai	138

46 The temple servants:

the descendants of

Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,

47 Keros, Sia, Padon,

48 Lebana, Hagaba, Shalmai,

49 Hanan, Giddel, Gahar,

50 Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda,

51 Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah,

52 Besai, Meunim, Nephusim,

53 Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,

54 Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha,

55 Barkos, Sisera, Temah,

56 Neziah and Hatipha

57 The descendants of the servants of Solomon:

the descendants of

Sotai, Sophereth, Perida,

58 Jaala, Darkon, Giddel,

59 Shephatiah, Hattil,

Pokereth-Hazzebaim and Amon

60 The temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomon Thoughts: Gatekeepers, singers, and Levites- The porters (gatekeepers) and singers (musicians) were also Levites.  Levites were given the job of guarding the gates.  1 Chronicles 26 speaks of these three as guarding the Temple, and now these special people were called to guard the whole city.  Nearly half the population was from the family of the Levites (Nehemiah 11).  The religious families played a key role in the building and guarding of Jerusalem.  The religious leaders of our day do not need to simply make pronouncements and take credit.  But lead by example, piety, and effort. The people trusted their leadership, that they would keep them safe.  They were entrusted with guarding the most vulnerable points and people trusted them.  Religious leaders need to be faithful to God and trustworthy. Prayer: Help me to be trustworthy, Lord, and true to your Word.

392

9/20/13- Nehemiah and Genealogies

6 These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town, 7 in company with Zerubbabel, Joshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum and Baanah):(Nehemiah 7:6-25)

The list of the men of Israel: 

8 the descendants of Parosh	2,172
9 of Shephatiah	372
10 of Arah	652
11 of Pahath-Moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab)	2,818
12 of Elam	1,254
13 of Zattu	845
14 of Zakkai	760
15 of Binnui	648
16 of Bebai	628
17 of Azgad	2,322
18 of Adonikam	667
19 of Bigvai	2,067
20 of Adin	655
21 of Ater (through Hezekiah)	98
22 of Hashum	328
23 of Bezai	324
24 of Hariph	112
25 of Gibeon	95

These are the men of various towns in Israel.  It is the same as the list in Ezra 2.  Genealogy is important in the time of the exile to establish the claim of the people of Judah to the land.  They were essentially saying, "My great-grandfather was here- and we are coming back to his land."  It was kind of like a title search claim (as my real estate friend Robby says).  In a similar way today- there are some who doubt the claim of the Jews to Palestine (so the former president of Iran doubts the Holocaust and the claims of the Jews to the land).  The writer of the Pastoral Epistles (Paul) says to avoid endless genealogies arguments about the law (1 Ti. 1:4; Titus 3:9). We are not saved by our grandparents' faith or our bloodline.  We are saved by grace through faith.

Prayer: Lord, help me to know my claim to you by faith.  Bless me as I seek to lay claim to my place in the City of God.

9/19/13- Organizing the people

4 Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt. 5 So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families. (Nehemiah 7:4,5)

Thoughts: The city was too large with not enough people.  Nehemiah wanted to organize the people in some way so that the city would be covered and protected properly.  So he organized the people by families, using the same basic genealogy that Ezra had used.  Tribes and clans were important to the people of Israel in the past, and Nehemiah wanted them to continue to be important in his day.  One of the great sales philosophies today has as its motto that you are either a member of a tribe or an immigrant.  Nehemiah wanted to use the affiliation of people to fill the city and organize it.  To him it was as much a part of city planning as designing and labeling the streets.  

Prayer: Lord, let me use my mind to fulfill your purpose for me, whatever that may be.  

9/18/13- Securing the Gates

After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers, the musicians and the Levites were appointed. 2 I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani,along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most people do. 3 I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut the doors and bar them. Also appoint residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some near their own houses.” (Nehemiah 7:1-3) 

Thoughts: The wall had been built, the gates were secured, but it meant nothing if it were not put to good use.  There were still threats and the possibility of war.  So Nehemiah set up the keepers of the gate, the musicians (especially those with trumpets for warning) and the Levites who were like the marines of the people of Jerusalem- the most trustworthy and loyal to the Temple and the people of God.  Nehemiah put his brother who had helped him, and to Hananiah who had proven his worth in integrity and in the fear of God.  He did not want someone who could be bought with a bribe as some of the other people and nobles had.  It is important to know who you can trust in life.  It is important to put in leadership those who will not turn on you, or ruin the work after it is done.  
The gates were not to be opened when it is dark, or when the gatekeepers could not see well.  He set a procedure in place for security- so that the gates were shut when there were enough people there to secure them.
He also knew he could trust the people to protect their own houses and families- so they helped guard at the watchtowers and on top of the wall near their own houses.  Nehemiah knew how to get people to put their own self interest to work.  There are great leadership lessons to learn here.  But one important one is that when someone has integrity and fears God that this is a great quality that is to be trusted no mistrusted.  

Prayer: Help me, O Lord, to know who to trust.  Help me to be a person who has integrity and fears you.