02 February 22, 2015, Nehemiah 10;28-39 Commit Your Way To The Lord

Nehemiah 10: 28-39
Commit Your Way to the LORD
February 22, 2015
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI
USA

What’s the number one thing?

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The Glory of God!

1 Corinthians 10:31 NKJV
31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink,
or whatever you do, do all to the glory
of God.

SAVE THE DATE
Tuesday, March 24th,
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
BOOMERS AND BITES
COVERED DISH NIGHT
IN 7 METRO JACKSON
COMMUNITIES

LOCATIONS WILL BE
ANNOUNCED NEXT WEEK
A Great opportunity to connect with
people that live in your
neighborhood!

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We have three challenges that the
Education
Department has
placed before
us in 2015:

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1.) Memorize the monthly memory
verse and
know each
month we
are hiding
God’sWord
in our heart.

February MemoryVerse:
Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV
8 For by grace you have been saved
through faith, and that not of
yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not
of works, lest anyone should boast.

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2.) Share your faith with one person
each month and build a relationship
with them, so they will become a
believer in 2015
as God uses you
to plant seeds
with that person.

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3). Ask two Sunday School class
members to share how they have
seen God at work during the week.

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Except through Me

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Next week:

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One Day at aTime
byWilliam MacDonald

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The Bible Exposition Commentary
(BE Series) - OldTestament
WarrenWiersbe

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Nehemiah knew that there was a
desperate need for the people to
come back to the Lord and turn away
from their secret sins that were
grieving Him.

There could have been no better time
for Nehemiah to call the people
together to honor theWord of God,
confess their sins, and dedicate
themselves and their work to the
Lord.

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).

It was now the seventh month
(Oct.-Nov.), when Israel was expected
to celebrate the fall feasts:
the Feast ofTrumpets,
the Day of Atonement, and
the Feast ofTabernacles
(Leviticus 23:23-44).

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Colossians 2:16-17 NKJV
16 So let no one judge you in food or in
drink, or regarding a festival or a new
moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a
shadow of things to come, but the
substance is of Christ.

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Things appear to be falling apart
when in reality they are falling into
place!

Luke 21:25-36 NKJV
The Coming of the Son of Man
25 “And there will be signs in the sun, in the
moon, and in the stars; and on the earth
distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea
and the waves roaring;

26 men’s hearts failing them from fear
and the expectation of those things
which are coming on the earth, for the
powers of the heavens will be shaken.
27Then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with power and
great glory.

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28 Now when these things begin to
happen, look up and lift up your
heads, because your redemption
draws near.”

The Parable of the FigTree
29Then He spoke to them a parable:
“Look at the fig tree, and all the trees.
30When they are already budding, you
see and know for yourselves that
summer is now near.

31 So you also, when you see these
things happening, know that the
kingdom of God is near. 32Assuredly, I
say to you, this generation will by no
means pass away till all things take
place.

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33 Heaven and earth will pass away,
but My words will by no means pass
away.

The Importance of Watching
34 “But take heed to yourselves, lest
your hearts be weighed down with
carousing, drunkenness, and cares of
this life, and that Day come on you
unexpectedly.

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35 For it will come as a snare on all
those who dwell on the face of the
whole earth.

36Watch therefore, and pray always
that you may be counted worthy to
escape all these things that will come
to pass, and to stand before the Son
of Man.”
Luke 21:25-36 NKJV

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2Timothy 4:7-8 NKJV
7 I have fought the good fight, I have
finished the race, I have kept the faith.
8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown
of righteousness, which the Lord, the
righteous Judge, will give to me on that
Day, and not to me only but also to all who
have loved His appearing.

The Crown of Righteousness
We inherit this crown through the
righteousness of Christ which is what
gives us a right to
it, and without
which it cannot
be obtained.

Because it is obtained and possessed
in a righteous way, and not by force
and deceit as earthly crowns
sometimes are, it is an everlasting
crown, promised to all who love the
Lord and eagerly wait for His return.

Through our enduring the
discouragements, persecutions,
sufferings, or even death, we know
assuredly our reward is with Christ in
eternity (Philippians 3:20).

Philippians 3:20 NKJV
20 For our citizenship is in heaven,
from which we also eagerly wait for
the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

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This crown of righteousness is not for
those who depend upon their own
sense of righteousness or of their own
works.

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Such an attitude breeds only
arrogance and pride, not a longing, a
fervent desire to be with the Lord.

To love His appearing means to live
in the light of His coming, to behave
as if He were coming today.
Thus, to love His appearing means to
live in moral purity. (see 1 John 3)

1 John 3:2-3 NKJV
2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and
it has not yet been revealed what we shall
be, but we know that when He is revealed,
we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him
as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope
in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

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To love His appearing means to stay
disentangled from the things of this
life. (see Colossians 3)

Colossians 3:1-2 NKJV
1 If then you were raised with Christ,
seek those things which are above,
where Christ is, sitting at the right
hand of God. 2 Set your mind on
things above, not on things on the
earth.

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To love His appearing means to serve
God's people, giving them "food in
due season“. (see Matthew 24)

Matthew 24:45-51 NKJV
The Faithful Servant and the Evil Servant
45 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant,
whom his Master made ruler over His
household, to give them food in due
season?

46 Blessed is that servant whom his
Master, when he comes, will find so
doing. 47 Assuredly, I say to you that
He will make him ruler over all his
goods. 48 But if that evil servant says
in his heart, ‘My Master is delaying His
coming,’

49 and begins to beat his fellow
servants, and to eat and drink with
the drunkards, 50 the Master of that
servant will come on a day when he is
not looking for Him and at an hour
that he is not aware of,

51 and will cut him in two and appoint
him his portion with the hypocrites.
There shall be weeping and gnashing
of teeth.
Matthew 24:45-51 NKJV

The Lord pronounces a special
blessing on those who are serving His
people when He comes.
It means that we won't do anything
that we would not want to be found
doing when He appears.

We would not go anywhere that
would cause shame at His coming.
• We would not say anything that
would be offensive in His presence.
• If you knew Christ were coming in a
week, how would you spend the
intervening days?

Does it mean you would give up your
job, go to a mountaintop and spend
all day reading the Bible and praying?
Does it mean you would go into "full-
time Christian work," preaching and
teaching day and night?

If we are really walking with the Lord
today and living in the center of His
will, it would mean carrying on as
usual.
• If, however, we are living for self,
then it would require some
revolutionary changes.

To love His appearing does not just
mean to have kind thoughts about the
Savior's return.
The crown of righteousness is
reserved for those who love it enough
to let the truth mold their lives.

It is not enough to hold the truth
about His coming; theTruth must hold
us.
What is going on in our world today
and what does that have to do with
Nehemiah 10?

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Psalm 83 War

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Ezekiel 38 War

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King FelipeVI and Queen Letízia

In June 2014, Felipe and Letizia
became the first Spanish monarchs to
invite LGBT organizations.
He also changed the protocol in order
to allow people to take the oath of
office without a crucifix or Bible.

Daniel 11:36-37 NKJV
36 “Then the king shall do according to his
own will: he shall exalt and magnify
himself above every god, shall speak
blasphemies against the God of gods, and
shall prosper till the wrath has been
accomplished; for what has been
determined shall be done.

37 He shall regard neither the God of
his fathers nor the desire of women,
nor regard any god; for he shall exalt
himself above them all.
Daniel 11:36-37 NKJV

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An extraordinary young man who at
6’-5” is a handsome figure that towers
above most people he meets.
Some say he speaks ten languages
and is the biggest intellectual
monarch of the last 100 years.

Felipe is 47 years old.
He is known as King FelipeVI (King Philip
VI).
His namesake, King FelipeV, was the first
Spanish king to claim the title “King of
Jerusalem” in the 1700’s.

Of the potential claimants today to
the title, King of Jerusalem,
on the basis of (disputed) inheritance
of the title -
FelipeVI, current king of Spain,
is the leading candidate.

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Watch for FelipeVI to become
increasingly involved in the peace
process in the Middle East.

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Birds of prey will eat the dead flesh of
the enemy armies that fall in battle
against Israel
(Ezekiel 39:4, 17;
Revelation 19:17).

Israel is the bird migration capital of the
world.
During the spring and fall migrations,
billions of birds fly over Israel.
Many of these migratory birds are raptors
– carrion (dead flesh) eating birds of prey.

In fact, 34 species of raptors migrate
over Israel.
God is miraculously rebuilding the
flocks of birds of prey who feast
primarily on carrion, the vulture being
most common.

Ezekiel 39:17-20 NKJV
17 “And as for you, son of man, thus
says the Lord GOD, ‘Speak to every
sort of bird and to every beast of the
field:

“Assemble yourselves and come;
Gather together from all sides to My
sacrificial meal
Which I am sacrificing for you,
A great sacrificial meal on the
mountains of Israel,
That you may eat flesh and drink
blood.

18 You shall eat the flesh of the mighty,
Drink the blood of the princes of the
earth,
Of rams and lambs,
Of goats and bulls,
All of them fatlings of Bashan.

19 You shall eat fat till you are full,
And drink blood till you are drunk,
At My sacrificial meal
Which I am sacrificing for you.

20 You shall be filled at My table
With horses and riders,
With mighty men
And with all the men of war,” says the
Lord GOD.
Ezekiel 39:17-20 NKJV

Luke 21:36 NKJV
36Watch therefore, and pray always
that you may be counted worthy to
escape all these things that will come
to pass, and to stand before the Son
of Man.

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Nehemiah 10:28-39 NKJV
The CovenantThat Was Sealed
28 Now the rest of the people—the priests, the
Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the
Nethinim (Temple assistants), and all those who
had separated themselves from the peoples of
the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their
sons, and their daughters, everyone who had
knowledge and understanding—

29 these joined with their brethren,
their nobles, and entered into a curse
and an oath to walk in God’s Law,
which was given by Moses the servant
of God, and to observe and do all the
commandments of the LORD our Lord,
and His ordinances and His statutes:

30We would not give our daughters as
wives to the peoples of the land, nor
take their daughters for our sons;

31 if the peoples of the land brought
wares or any grain to sell on the
Sabbath day, we would not buy it
from them on the Sabbath, or on a
holy day; and we would forego the
seventh year’s produce and the
exacting of every debt. (Shemitah)

32 Also we made ordinances for
ourselves, to exact from ourselves
yearly one-third of a shekel for the
service of the house of our God:

33 for the showbread, for the regular
grain offering, for the regular burnt
offering of the Sabbaths, the New
Moons, and the set feasts; for the holy
things, for the sin offerings to make
atonement for Israel, and all the work
of the house of our God.

34 We cast lots among the priests, the
Levites, and the people, for bringing
the wood offering into the house of our
God, according to our fathers’ houses,
at the appointed times year by year, to
burn on the altar of the LORD our God
as it is written in the Law.

35 And we made ordinances to bring
the firstfruits of our ground and the
firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year
by year, to the house of the LORD;

36 to bring the firstborn of our sons
and our cattle, as it is written in the
Law, and the firstborn of our herds
and our flocks, to the house of our
God, to the priests who minister in the
house of our God;

37 to bring the firstfruits of our dough, our
offerings, the fruit from all kinds of trees,
the new wine and oil, to the priests, to
the storerooms of the house of our God;
and to bring the tithes of our land to the
Levites, for the Levites should receive
the tithes in all our farming communities.

38 And the priest, the descendant of
Aaron, shall be with the Levites when
the Levites receive tithes; and the
Levites shall bring up a tenth of the
tithes to the house of our God, to the
rooms of the storehouse.

39 For the children of Israel and the children of
Levi shall bring the offering of the grain, of the
new wine and the oil, to the storerooms where
the articles of the sanctuary are, where the
priests who minister and the gatekeepers and
the singers are; and we will not neglect the
house of our God.
Nehemiah 10:28-39 NKJV

After We Say "Amen"
In a certain church, there was a man
who always ended his prayers with,
"And, Lord, clean the cobwebs out of
my life! Clean the cobwebs out of my
life!"

One of the members of the church
became weary of hearing this same
insincere request week after week,
because he saw no change in the
petitioner's life.

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So, the next time he heard the man
pray, "Lord, clean the cobwebs out of
my life!" he
interrupted with,
"And whileYou're
at it, Lord, kill the
spider!"

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It's one thing to offer the Lord a
passionate prayer of confession, such
as we have in chapter 9, and quite
something else to live an obedient life
after we say "Amen."

But the people in the assembly were
serious about their praying and were
determined, by
God's grace, to
make a new
beginning and live
to please the Lord.

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The Lord is able to keep us from
stumbling (Jude 24); but if we do
stumble, He is able
to lift us up and get
us going again.

"The steps of a good man are ordered
by the Lord, and He delights in his
way.Though he fall, he shall not be
utterly cast down; for the Lord
upholds him with His hand"
(Ps. 37:23-24 NKJV).

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 NKJV
8 We are hard-pressed on every side,
yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but
not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not
forsaken; struck down, but not
destroyed—

The nation had sinned, but now it was taking
new steps of dedication and obedience.
But was their dedication real?
There are at least three evidences given in this
chapter that these people really meant what
they prayed.

These same evidences will be seen in
our lives if
our promises
to the Lord
are sincere.

1. Submission to the Word of God
(Neh. 10:1-27, 29)
2. Separation as the people of God
(Neh. 10:28, 30-31)
3. Support for the house of God
(Neh. 10:32-39)

1. Submission to the Word of God
(Neh. 10:1-27, 29)
With Nehemiah's name heading the
list, eighty-four persons put their seal
on the covenant that they made with
the Lord.

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This list included:
priests (vv. 2-8),
Levites (10:9-13),
and the leaders
of the people
(vv. 14-27).

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All the people who had heard the
Word of God read and explained were
now committing themselves to obey
what they had heard.

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Putting a seal on this document was
a serious matter because it meant
taking a solemn
oath before the
Lord
(v. 29; see 5:13).

They had heard Ezra read this passage
from Deuteronomy:
"All of you stand today before the
Lord your God: your leaders and your
tribes and your elders and your
officers, all the men of Israel, your
little ones and your wives ...

that you may enter into covenant with
the Lord your God, and into His oath,
which the Lord your God makes with
us today, that He may establish you
today as a people for Himself, and
that He may be God to you, just as He
has spoken to you, and just as He has

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sworn to your fathers,
to Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob"
(Deut. 29:10-13).

The law governing vows and oaths is
found in Numbers 30 and is
introduced with these words: "When a
man makes a vow to the Lord or takes
an oath to obligate himself by a
pledge, he must not break his word
but must do everything he said" (v. 2).

Since an oath involved the name and
possible judgment of God, it was not
to be taken lightly.
• Jesus warned against using empty
oaths (Matt. 5:33-37; 23:16-22), and
Solomon gave a similar warning
(Eccl. 5:1-7).

Should believers today bind themselves
with oaths as they seek to walk with the
Lord and serve Him?
• Probably not.
• Our relationship to the Lord is that of
children to a Father, and our Father
wants our obedience to be based on
love.

There are not any examples in the
NewTestament of believers taking
oaths of obedience to the Lord.
Our obedience should be a joyful
response to all that He has done for us
in Christ (Colossians 3:1-2).

We don't succeed as Christians
because we make promises to God,
but because we
believe the
promises of God
and act upon
them.

Oaths are often based on fear
("I had better do it or God will judge
me!"), and fear is not the highest
motivation for godly living, although
it does play a part (2 Cor. 7:1).

1Therefore, having these promises,
beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from
all filthiness of the flesh and spirit,
perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as
Christ also loved the church and gave
Himself for her,

26 that He might sanctify and cleanse
her with the washing of water by the
Word, 27 that He might present her to
Himself a glorious church, not having
spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but
that she should be holy and without
blemish. Ephesians 5:25-27 NKJV

2. Separation as the people of God
(Neh. 10:28, 30-31)
The Jewish remnant was surrounded
by idolatrous Gentiles, who wanted
the Jews to become a part of their
social, religious, and business society.

But the Law of Moses prohibited
God's people from living like the
Gentiles, although it didn't stop the
Jews from being good neighbors or
even good customers (see 13:15-22).

It was the ministry of the priests to
teach the people "the difference
between the holy and the common
and show them how to distinguish
between the unclean and the clean"
(Ezekiel 44:23).

Separation is simply total devotion to
God, no matter what the cost.
When a man and woman get married,
they separate themselves from all
other possible mates and give
themselves completely to each other.

It is total commitment motivated by love,
and it is a balanced decision:
We separate from others to the one who is
to be our life's mate.
• The Jews separated from the peoples
around them and to the Lord and His
Word (Nehemiah 10:28; 9:2).

Nehemiah 10:28 NKJV
The CovenantThat Was Sealed
28 Now the rest of the people—the priests, the
Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the
Nethinim (Temple assistants), and all those who
had separated themselves from the peoples of
the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their
sons, and their daughters, everyone who had
knowledge and understanding—

They also united with their brothers
and sisters in promising to obey the
Law of God (v. 29).

Nehemiah 10:29 NKJV
29 these joined with their brethren, their
nobles, and entered into a curse and an
oath to walk in God’s Law, which was
given by Moses the servant of God, and to
observe and do all the commandments of
the LORD our Lord, and His ordinances and
His statutes:

Separation that ignores God and
other believers is isolation and will
eventually lead to sin.

Only the Holy Spirit can give us the
kind of balance we need to live a
godly life in this ungodly world.
• The legalist wants to live by rules,
but that style of life only keeps you
immature and dependent on your
spiritual leaders.

The only way to grow in a balanced
life is to give yourself totally to God
and follow Him by faith.
Two special areas of concern were
mentioned: marriage and the
Sabbath.

http://listdose.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/no-faith.jpg
The danger in mixed marriages was
the loss of faith on the part of the
Jewish mate (Exodus 34:10-17).

Like some believers today who marry
unbelievers, these Jews may have
argued that marriage would give
them opportunity to convert their
mate to the true faith, although it is
usually the other way around.

God had a great purpose for Israel to
fulfill, and the Jews' compromise with
sin polluted the nation (Mal. 2:10-16).

http://www.casamentoenoivas.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/aliancas-tradicionais.jpg
God wanted a "pure seed" so that
through Israel He could send His Son
into the world to
be the Savior, and
mixed marriages
only brought
confusion.

http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/de/7e/32/de7e329440d66e3ceae94a088b1f4fef.jpg
"As long as we love each other, it will
work out!" is the argument many
pastors hear from Christians who
want to marry unsaved people.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o5Fjt5D2mVQ/S_qmdxDhkoI/AAAAAAAAAGM/SEQ-tQd5ZrM/s1600/yoked+5.bmp
Do not be unequally yoked!

14 Do not be unequally yoked together
with unbelievers. For what fellowship
has righteousness with lawlessness?
And what communion has light with
darkness?

15 And what accord has Christ with
Belial? Or what part has a believer
with an unbeliever? 16 And what
agreement has the temple of God
with idols? For you are the temple of
the living God. As God has said:

“I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.”
17Therefore

“Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you.”
18 “I will be a Father to you,
And you shall be My sons and daughters,
Says the LORD Almighty.”

http://eternallyhopeful.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/unequally-yoked.jpg

But the question is not,
"Will this marriage work out?"
but,
"Will this marriage enjoy God's best
blessing and fulfillGod's will?"
"Will this union bring glory to God?"

http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=HN.608017767292538096&w=285&h=175&c=7&rs=1&qlt=90&o=4&pid=1.7

The observance of the Sabbath was a
distinctively Jewish practice (Neh.
9:14; Ex. 20:8-11; 30:12-18);
the Gentiles around Jerusalem would
treat the seventh day of the week like
any other day and want to socialize
and do business.

While the Jewish Sabbath was not to be a
day of bondage and misery, it was a day
devoted to rest and contemplation of
things spiritual.
• Do you remember how wrong it felt
here in Jackson when we quit observing
the blue laws?
• Today?

http://www.jewishlifeseries.com/israel/israel.jpg
It was a weekly reminder to the nation
that they were Jews and had a special
calling in the world.

Some of the Jewish merchants would
be especially interested in getting
business from the Gentiles, and to
close up business on a day when
people were shopping seemed a
waste.

http://cog-ff.com/images/keep%20sabbath%20holy.jpg
Moses didn't spell out specific rules
for observing the Sabbath, but there
was a precedent for not engaging in
unnecessary work.

They were not to light any fires on the
Sabbath (Ex. 35:1-3), and one man
was stoned because he gathered
wood on the Sabbath
(Num. 15:32-36).

The prophets sternly rebuked the
Jews for violating the Sabbath
(Jer. 17:19-27; Amos 8:4-6; Isa. 56:1-2;
58:13-14), because their disobedience
was a symptom of a deeper spiritual
problem: rebellion against the Lord.

http://www.pgm-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/The-Mystery-Of-The-Shemitah-520x245.jpg
The solemn affirmation of faith
reported in this chapter also included
observing the SabbaticalYear
(Lev. 25:1-7, 20-22; Deut. 15:1-11).

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g6p1-LoCc6g/VJG5eID-nEI/AAAAAAAAAoA/r95wxdB-W-4/s1600/L1.png
Every seventh year, the Jews were to
let the land lie idle so that it might
restore
itself, an
excellent
principle
of ecology.

http://sermonseedbed.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/trust-in-god.jpg
Of course, the people would need a
great deal of faith to trust God for
food for two years;
but God promised
to care for them.

http://unbrokenpath.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/the-year-of-jubilee.gif
After seven SabbaticalYears, they
were to celebrate the fiftieth year as a
"Year of Jubilee" (Lev. 25:8ff); and this
meant trusting God for food for three
years.

The evidence is that the nation had
not faithfully celebrated these special
Sabbatical observances.
• This was one reason why God sent
them into Captivity (2 Chron.
36:21), that He might give the land
seventy years of rest (Jer. 29:10).

2 Chronicles 36:21 NKJV
21 to fulfill the word of the LORD by the
mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had
enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she
lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to
fulfill seventy years.

Jeremiah 29:10-14 NKJV
10 For thus says the LORD: After
seventy years are completed at
Babylon, I will visit you and perform
My good word toward you, and cause
you to return to this place.

11 For I know the thoughts that I think
toward you, says the LORD, thoughts
of peace and not of evil, to give you a
future and a hope. 12Then you will call
upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I
will listen to you.

13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you
search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be
found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you
back from your captivity; I will gather you from
all the nations and from all the places where I
have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring
you to the place from which I cause you to be
carried away captive.
Jeremiah 29:10-14 NKJV

http://victoryoutreachwhittier.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/2015-a-year-of-jubilee.jpg
This would compensate for some 490
years of disobedience on the part of
the nation (7 x 70), one year for each
neglected SabbaticalYear orYear of
Jubilee.

For the Jewish remnant to promise to
commemorate the SabbaticalYear
was a great step of faith, for many of
the people were poor and the nation
faced repeated agricultural and
economic depression.

Not to have extra produce for a whole
year would certainly affect their
business with the Gentiles around
them.
• The people's willingness to obey
this law is a beautiful illustration of
Matthew 6:33.

Matthew 6:33 NKJV
33 But seek first the kingdom of God
and His righteousness, and all these
things shall be added to you.

3. Support for the house of God
(Neh. 10:32-39)
The phrase "house of our God" is used
nine times in this section and refers to
the restored temple.

The people were promising God that
they would obey His laws and provide
what was needed for the ministry at
the temple.
"We will not forsake the house of our
God" (v. 39).

British expositor G. Campbell Morgan
said: "Whereas the house of God
today is no longer material but
spiritual, the material is still a very real
symbol of the spiritual.

When the Church of God in any place
in any locality is careless about the
material place of assembly, the place
of its worship and its work, it is a sign
and evidence that its life is at a low
ebb" (TheWestminster Pulpit, vol. 8, p.
315).

Morgan is right.
To be sure, God doesn't live in the houses
in which we assemble to worship Him
(Isa. 60:1-2; Acts 7:48-50), but the way
we care for those buildings indicates
what we think of our God (see Haggai 1).

Haggai 1:3-5 NKJV
3Then the word of the LORD came by
Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 “Is it time for
you yourselves to dwell in your paneled
houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?”
5 Now therefore, thus says the LORD of
hosts: “Consider your ways!

The restored Jewish temple didn't
have the magnificence of the temple
Solomon built (Ezra 3:8-13; Hag. 2:1-
9), but it was God's house just the
same and deserved the support of
God's people.

http://knowing-jesus-pullzone.knowingjesus.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/Your-Body-Is-A-Temple-of-the-Holy-Spirit-black-copy.jpg
Your body is the temple of the Holy
Spirit (1 Corinthians 6).

18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin
that a man does is outside the body,
but he who commits sexual
immorality sins against his own body.

19 Or do you not know that your body is
the temple of the Holy Spirit Who is in you,
Whom you have from God, and you are
not your own? 20 For you were bought at a
price; therefore glorify God in your body
and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Their promised support was specific
and involved four different areas of
ministry:
1) The temple tax (Neh. 10:32-33).
2) The wood offering (Neh. 10:34).
3) The firstfruits (Neh. 10:35-37a).
4) The tithes (Neh. 10:37b-39).

The temple tax (Neh. 10:32-33).
The annual census of the people twenty
years of age and older was accompanied
by the collecting of a half-shekel tax to be
used to support the ministry of the house
of God (Exodus 30:11-16).

The tax was a reminder to the people
that God had redeemed them and
paid a price to set them free, and that
they should behave like people who
belonged to God.

The original tax was used to make
silver sockets and hooks for the
tabernacle (38:25-28), but in
subsequent years it helped pay the
expenses of the ministry.

Times were hard, so the leaders
decided to adjust the tax and give a
third of a shekel instead of a half.
(By the time our Lord was ministering
on earth, the tax was back to half a
shekel; Matthew 17:24-27.)

This temporary change didn't alter
the meaning of the tradition or lessen
the devotion of the people.
God's people must use their common
sense as they seek to obey the Lord.

We must not put on ourselves burdens
that God never expected us to carry
(Acts 15:10), but neither should we
look for the easiest and least
demanding way to serve the Lord.

Nehemiah 10:33 describes how the
money would be spent: to provide
what was needed for the regular and
special ministries at the temple, all of
which were part of the "work of the
house of our God."

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fClkyKLZOv0/UbI_PORKbWI/AAAAAAAAI4A/RE9GFd1lXyA/s1600/God+wants+relationship.jpg
If the nation was to be in a right
relationship with the Lord, the priests
had to carry
on their
ministry
faithfully.

1 Peter 2:4-10 NKJV
4 Coming to Him as to a living stone,
rejected indeed by men, but chosen by
God and precious, 5 you also, as living
stones, are being built up a spiritual house,
a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual
sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus
Christ.

6Therefore it is also contained in the
Scripture,
“Behold, I lay in Zion
A chief cornerstone, elect, precious,
And he who believes on Him will by no
means be put to shame.”

7Therefore, to you who believe, He is
precious; but to those who are
disobedient,
“The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone,”

8 and
“A stone of stumbling
And a rock of offense.”
They stumble, being disobedient to the
word, to which they also were appointed.

9 But you are a chosen generation, a
royal priesthood, a holy nation, His
own special people, that you may
proclaim the praises of HimWho
called you out of darkness into His
marvelous light;

10 who once were not a people but are
now the people of God, who had not
obtained mercy but now have
obtained mercy.
1 Peter 2:4-10 NKJV

We today don't have to provide
animals, grain, and other materials in
order for the church to worship the
Lord; but we do have to help maintain
the work of the ministry.

This means paying salaries (Luke
10:7), sharing with the needy (1 Cor.
16:1-3), and being good stewards of
all that God gives us (2 Cor. 8-9), so
that the Gospel may be sent to the
whole world.

"For where your treasure is, there will
your heart be also" (Matthew 6:21).
If we are walking with the Lord, we
will want to do our part in supporting
the ministry of the church where God
has put us.

Their promised support was specific
and involved four different areas of
ministry.
1) The temple tax (Neh. 10:32-33).
2) The wood offering (Neh. 10:34).
3) The firstfruits (Neh. 10:35-37a).
4) The tithes (Neh. 10:37b-39).

The wood offering (Neh. 10:34).
Since the fire on the brazen altar was
to be kept burning constantly (Lev.
6:12-13), it required a steady supply of
wood; and wood was a precious
commodity.

The leaders drew lots and assigned
the various clans the times when they
were to bring wood for the altar.
• That such a humble thing as wood
was important to God's service and
could be sanctified for His glory is
an encouragement.

Not everybody in Israel could be a
priest or Levite, or donate lambs or
oxen for sacrifices, but everybody
could bring some
wood and help
keep the fire
burning.

There are no special directions in the
Law concerning this offering, but
tradition says that certain days of the
year were set aside for the people to
bring wood to the sanctuary.

When God doesn't give us specific
instructions, and we know there is a need
to be met, we must figure out how to do
the job.
Since the priests needed wood for the
altar, and the people could provide it, an
equitable system was worked out.

The firstfruits (Neh. 10:35-37a).
The Jews were taught to give God the
first and the best, and this is a good
example for us to follow today.

https://secure.surveymonkey.com/_resources/9042/44589042/41ab0989-47dd-4e9e-b015-4bf7008dc2ca.png
Proverbs 3:9 NKJV
9 Honor the LORD with your possessions,
And with the firstfruits of all your
increase;

Because God saved the firstborn Jews
from death in the land of Egypt, the
firstborn of man and beast belonged
to the Lord (Ex. 14:1-16; Lev. 27:26-
27).

The pidyon haben or redemption of
the first-born son is a mitzvah in
Judaism whereby a Jewish firstborn
son is "redeemed" by use of silver
coins.

The redemption is attained by giving
five silver coins to a Kohen (a
descendant of the priestly family of
Aaron).
The redemption price was set at 5
shekels (Numbers 3):

Numbers 3:46-48 NKJV
46 And for the redemption of the
firstborn of the children of Israel, 47 you
shall take five shekels for each one
individually; you shall take them in the
currency of the shekel of the sanctuary,
the shekel of twenty gerahs.

48 And you shall give the money, with
which the excess number of them is
redeemed, to Aaron and his sons.”
Numbers 3:46-48 NKJV

The redemption has been seen as part
of the “natural shift from animal
sacrifice to a money substitute”.

Exodus 13:13b-16 NKJV
13 And all the firstborn of man among your
sons you shall redeem. 14 So it shall be,
when your son asks you in time to come,
saying, ‘What is this?’ that you shall say to
him, ‘By strength of hand the LORD
brought us out of Egypt, out of the house
of bondage.

15 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh was
stubborn about letting us go, that the
LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of
Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the
firstborn of beast.Therefore I sacrifice to
the LORD all males that open the womb,
but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’

16 It shall be as a sign on your hand and
as frontlets between your eyes, for by
strength of hand the LORD brought us
out of Egypt.”
Exodus 13:13b – 16 NKJV

Luke 2:22-24 NKJV
22 Now when the days of her
purification according to the law of
Moses were completed, they brought
Him to Jerusalem to present Him to
the Lord

23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord,
“Every male who opens the womb shall be
called holy to the LORD”), 24 and to offer a
sacrifice according to what is said in the
law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or
two young pigeons.”
Luke 2:22-24 NKJV

19 Or do you not know that your body is
the temple of the Holy Spirit Who is in you,
Whom you have from God, and you are
not your own? 20 For you were bought at a
price; therefore glorify God in your body
and in your spirit, which are God’s.

http://hedua.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/0314.Blog_.Redeemed.png
The firstborn son had to be redeemed
by a sacrifice (Ex. 34:19-20; Luke 2:22-
24) because that child belonged to
God.

Nowhere does Scripture tell us how
much of the firstfruits the people
were to bring to the temple (Ex. 23:19;
34:26), but the offering was to be
brought before the people did
anything else with their harvests.

These were stored for the use of the
temple servants (Nehemiah 12:44).
No doubt the offering was to be
measured by the blessing God had
given to His people, as well as their
devotion to Him.

The tithes (Neh. 10:37b-39).
The word tithe means "a tenth."
The Jews were to bring a tenth of their
produce to the Lord each year for the
support of the Levites (Lev. 27:30-34).

The Levites then gave a "tithe of the
tithe" to the priests (Num. 18:25-32).
The Jews were also to tithe the 90
percent that was left and take it to the
temple for the annual feasts
(Deut. 26:1-11).

To these two tithes was added a third
tithe, received every third year for the
poor (vv. 12-15; 14:28-29).

When the spiritual life in Israel was at
low ebb, there was little brought to
the temple to support the ministry;
and many of the Levites had to find
other means of support.

In times of spiritual quickening, the
people would bring their offerings,
and there would be plenty
(2 Chron. 31:1-12; Mal. 3:8-11).

While there is no express command in
the NewTestament that God's people
should tithe today, proportionate
giving is certainly commended
(1 Cor. 16:1-3).

http://cdn1.sportngin.com/attachments/text_block/2206/4123/stewards_of_God_s_abundance_large.jpg
We are stewards of God's wealth and
must make wise
use of what He
shares with us
(4:1-2).

If people under OldTestament Law
could bring three tithes, how much
more ought we to give today who
live under the New Covenant of
God's abundant grace?

8 And God is able to make all grace
abound toward you, that you, always
having all sufficiency in all things, may
have an abundance for every good
work.

Tithing can be a great blessing, but
those who tithe must avoid at least
three dangers:
(1) giving with the wrong motive, out
of a sense of duty, fear, or greed
("If I tithe, God must prosper
me!");

(2) thinking that they can do what
they please with the 90 percent
that remains;
(3) giving only the tithe and failing to
give love offerings to the Lord.

http://sethsoasis.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/robbing-god.jpg?w=500
In light of all that God has done for us,
how can we rob Him of the offerings
that rightly belong to Him (Mal 3)?

Malachi 3:8-10 NKJV
8 “Will a man rob God?
Yet you have robbed Me!
But you say,
‘In what way have we robbedYou?’
In tithes and offerings.

9 You are cursed with a curse,
For you have robbed Me,
Even this whole nation.

10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,”
Says the LORD of hosts,
“If I will not open for you the windows of
heaven
And pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to
receive it. Malachi 3:8-10 NKJV

God didn't forsake His people when
they were in need (Neh. 9:31), and
they promised not to forsake the
house of God (10:39).

Years before, the Prophet Haggai had
rebuked the people because they
were so busy taking care of their own
houses they had neglected the house
of God (Hag. 1:4); and this warning
needs to be heralded today.

Where there is true spiritual revival, it
will reveal itself in the way we support
God's work, beginning in our own local
church.
• It isn't enough to pray or even
commit ourselves to "faith
promises" or pledges.

We must so love the Lord that
generous giving will be a normal and
joyful part of our lives.
SirWinston Churchill said, "We make a
living by what we get, but we make a
life by what we give."

Jesus said, "Where your treasure is,
there will your heart be also"
(Matthew 6:21).
"We will not forsake the house of our
God!" (Nehemiah 10:39)

Hebrews 11:6 NKJV
6 But without faith it is impossible to
please Him, for he who comes to God
must believe that He is, and that He is
a rewarder of those who diligently
seek Him.

When we stand before the Lord,
we will have to give an accounting of
our lives before we can receive our
rewards (Romans 14:7-12);
and we want to be able to give a
good account.

Romans 14:12 NKJV
12 So then each of us shall give
account of himself to God.

1 John 2:18 NKJV
Deceptions of the Last Hour
18 Little children, it is the last hour; and as
you have heard that the Antichrist is
coming, even now many antichrists have
come, by which we know that it is the last
hour.

1 John 2:28-29 NKJV
28 And now, little children, abide in Him,
that when He appears, we may have
confidence and not be ashamed before
Him at His coming. 29 If you know that He
is righteous, you know that everyone who
practices righteousness is born of Him.

http://praylivecreate.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/this-weeks-dose-of-hope-feb-14-2013.jpg
As we serve the Lord, we must always
do our best; but without His help and
blessing, even
our best work
will never last.

Psalm 127:1 NKJV
1 Unless the Lord builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the Lord guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain.

JohnWesley was right when he said
that God buries His workers but
continues His work.
We must not be discouraged!
• God has you here exactly when and
where He wants you.

14 For this reason I bow my knees to
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 fromWhom the whole family in
Heaven and Earth is named,

http://adrianpursglove.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/gods-family.png
Finally, and most important, we must
all be sure that we know we are in the
family of God.

You enter God's family by receiving
Jesus Christ as your own Savior, and
this alone guarantees your entrance
into Heaven (John 1:11-12; 3:16; 14:6).

1 John 5:11-13 NKJV
11 And this is the testimony: that God
has given us eternal life, and this life is
in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has
life; he who does not have the Son of
God does not have life.

13These things I have written to you
who believe in the name of the Son of
God, that you may know that you
have eternal life, and that you may
continue to believe in the name of the
Son of God.
1 John 5:11-13 NKJV

No matter how much they argued or
protested, the priests without
legitimate genealogies (family) could
not enter the temple precincts and
minister at the altar.

God is not impressed with our first
birth; what He wants is that we
experience a
second birth
and become
His children.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Iz67cd7Vmfo/UHYzsa5M11I/AAAAAAAAHsc/PuZPnvgkILU/s1600/book_of_life111111.jpg
If you are not certain of your spiritual
genealogy, read John 3:1-18 and
1 John 5:9-13 and
make sure that your
name is written
down in Heaven
(Luke 10:20).

Luke 10:20 NKJV
20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this,
that the spirits are subject to you, but
rather rejoice because your names are
written in Heaven.”

The Plan of Hope & Salvation
John 3:16 NKJV
16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should
not perish but have everlasting life.”
John 14:6 NKJV
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the
life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Romans 3:23 NKJV
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23a NKJV
23a For the wages of sin is death,
• Death in this life (the first death) is 100%.
• Even Jesus, the only one who doesn’t deserve death, died
in this life to pay the penalty for our sins.
• The death referred to in Romans 6:23a is the second
death explained in Revelation 21:8.

Revelation 21:8 NKJV
8 “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable,
murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and
all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns
with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
Romans 6:23b NKJV
23b but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
Lord.

Romans 5:8 NKJV
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in
that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Revelation 21:7 NKJV
7 “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will
be his God and he shall be My son.”
•Romans 10:9-10 explains to us how to accept Jesus
as our Savior.

Romans 10:9-10 NKJV
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus
and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from
the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one
believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:13 NKJV
13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be
saved.”

If you have questions or would like to know more,
Please, contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-
979-1900 or http://firstbaptistjackson.org/contact/

02 February 22, 2015, Nehemiah 10;28-39 Commit Your Way To The Lord

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02 February 22, 2015, Nehemiah 10;28-39 Commit Your Way To The Lord