More names of the people who served in Jerusalem were listed. The names of the priests, Levites, family heads, and gatekeepers were also listed.
The wall was dedicated with great celebration. Nehemiah had the leaders get on top of the wall along with two choirs. They went along the wall all the way to the temple. Great sacrifices were offered to God giving Him thanks for all He had given them. Everyone participating performed the ceremonies in the way of David and Solomon.
Nehemiah made some final changes that day. They read aloud from the Book of Moses and found out that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be admitted into the assembly of God because they refused to help when the Israelites roamed in the wilderness. (Numbers 22:3-11, Deut 23:5-6) So they did as they had been commanded.
Also, Tobiah (that bad guy) had been given accomodations inside the temple in the store rooms above. When Nehemiah discovered that Eliashib had allowed the house of God to be dishonored in this way, he evicted Tobiah immediately, and had the rooms purified.
He discovered that the Levites had not been given their portions from those they served, Nehemiah rebuked the officials and the people brought their tithes into the storehouses. He put priests in charge of making sure these things were distributed to their brothers.
Nehemiah observed the practices of some of the people who were not keeping the Sabbath day holy by continuing to work their fields or in the marketplace. He told them if they did it again he would use force to stop them. So they stopped.
Nehemiah repeatedly asked God to remember him and show mercy to him according to His great love.
Tomorrow finish Nehemiah, read Esther 1-4
No comments:
Post a Comment