Category Archives: Nehemiah

A study of leadership

Nehemiah Chapter 13 – You Don’t Get What You Expect

April 8, 2014 Terry 1 Comment

Pills

*Sigh* #struglife. All I want is a simple REFILL!!!!!!! Can you hear me scream? What do I haft do to get a refill of a scrip I’ve been taking for 20 years?

The website sent me circles. I realize, even though I make a living sitting on technology’s saddle, I tend to overcomplicate things. But really, a scrip refill. Worth 1o bucks for 90 days.

I send emails, call the doctor’s office, call the the “new and improved” pharma site my company uses. I just about ran out last time. So I started a month and a half this time, but a week later, no the doctor’s admin hadn’t heard anything, and the pharma site, Caremark, still had the “we have received your request” notice.

Yes, it’s a tempest in a teapot, it’s a first world problem, but no it’s not not, it’s heart meds. So if I want them, I better go do something about it. You don’t get what you want, you get what you inspect (follow up on).

Trainwreck

As human nature has not changed in the 2,500 years since Nehemiah pulled his (and other people’s!) hair out about things that he thought were obvious, so must we. He returned from his year-long hiatus from Jerusalem to find the people had shrugged off their responsibilities to the Temple service, Sabbath rest, and mixed marriage.

Sometimes we need to enforce accountability, especially on ourselves.

Summary / Thoughts

Nehemiah 13:1-3	These verses probably belong in the previous chapter, but the verses and chapters are not Biblical, they were added later in the 13th and sixteenth century. (See the article by Don Stewart in the Blue Letter Bible for more.)They were reading Deut 23:3-5. (Read) There is a true paradox here, because the line of David includes a Moabite. Yes, Ruth. Her new husband, Boaz, was 11th from Abraham. Well before the curse made above. From Mat 1:1-6: Abraham Isaac Jacob Judah Perez and Zerah by Tamar Hezron Ram Amminadab Nahshon Salmon Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth Jesse David the king Jews were not to marry non-Israelites, including the priests. Exo 34:16 echoed at Deut 7:3, 4:1. Having the the Moabites and Ammonites expelled would, of course, make it difficult to find a one to wed…More to the point, the people were reading and heeding. This is a perfect example for us. And it was a controversial thing to do, yet they obeyed God at the peril of being PC and bowing to please people.
Nehemiah 13:4-9	Nehemiah returned to Artaxerxes after 12 years of service. Some believe his absence from Jerusalem was around a year.Rather than nicely inviting Tobiah to make other arrangements, Nehemiah busted his sorry hide, and the horse he rode in on out of the Temple. The (excuse me, A) spiritual parallel here is that Nehemiah treated Tobiah the same way we should treat sin. When there is sin in our Temple (1 Cor 6:19 ) toss it OUT! Questions!?
Nehemiah 13:10-14	It appears the people left in charge did not continue in their commitments with predictable results. You & I need this kind of accountability, men with men, women with women. Spending time and asking each other uncomfortable questions and being honest with each other.So reading this you might think that pledge drives are a great idea. On the other hand, many many pastors don’t speak at al about giving because they feel it will offend the “seekers.” But OT giving is more structured than NT. One of the reasons is that we have the Holy Spirit living in us and giving is more a matter of the heart 2 Cor 9:6-8. Yet, we still need the gentle reminding and encouragement as Paul did the Corinthians.
Nehemiah 13:15-22	Where do you think the Jews picked up these habits? Failure to read & heed (above), acting like the locals, mostly, drifting away in relationship with God. It takes a God-appointed leader to remind people of their responsibilities. Previously, the prophets had done this, sometimes the people would repent and turn back to God, but more often getting upset at the messenger often with dire consequences. Jeremiah 18:18 is an example of this and Moses Exo 17:4 This passage is a clear example of you get what you inspect.
Nehemiah 13:23-31	We are commanded not to be unequally yoked in marriage. 2 Cor 6:14.And Nehemiah was especially strident with this infraction, perhaps to make a point. And it is important. Try standing on a chair and pulling someone up to you. Now find out how easy it is to be pulled off the chair.

Bible Studies, Nehemiah

Nehemiah Chapter 11 & 12 – The God of This City

March 31, 2014 Terry Leave a comment

I don’t remember my first ride down the slide at the park. I imagine it was something like what I have observed since then, somebody on one end, maybe dad, pushing me up the steps, and mom down at the bottom, urging me to let go of the bars and sliding that first slide.

I do remember my first bike ride, though. I had waited a full year later than my oldest brother. I just didn’t want to risk falling off the thing. The training wheels were really cutting into my style though, so one afternoon, with my dad ready to run along side me, I got on it, (a hand-me-down Schwinn with a banana seat, and proceeded to go to the end of the block without falling over. I was ready.

Life is an adventure. It involves risk. Acceptable risk, but there is risk.

But I was risk averse. So much so, my dad tried to inspire me. One day, in my late teen years, he brought home a quotation from Theodore Roosevelt, in 1910:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

The thought haunted me. And I was that timid young man. I could see others succeeding, but me, seriously!?

The real problem was that I had no confidence; I did not know what I was capable of, only what I had not done up until then.

Some time later, I surrendered my life to Jesus. Over time I learned, no I came to KNOW, two very important things:

I am highly valued by and important to God Almighty, because He allowed His innocent Son to be slaughtered to redeem me. This means I have great worth.
Whatever I venture in faith in the will of God will succeed, despite any short-term (that means in this life) setbacks.

So the reward with risk is much higher than taking few or no risks. No risks for God really means you don’t take him at His Word.

Nehemiah lived his life this way. He knew the risks were a phantom, that his God had proven Himself faithful. All he needed now were a few more people to come live in Jerusalem, to defend, rejoice, and be honored BY NAME in the one book that really counts. Yes, greater things are yet to come:

We can rejoice in victory given to us in the city, or remain “safe” back on the farm. The true risk is not stepping out in faith.

Chapter 11

Nehemiah 11:1-2	The city rebuilt, it now needed people to live in it. These were volunteers, and those chosen by lot. It was (from a worldly standpoint, not advantageous to move to the city; it would be a target to potential invaders, and those coming from agrarian backgrounds would need to find a new way to make a living.It was considered patriotic to make the decision, some did so.
Nehemiah 11:3-9	Here were the folks from Judah and Benjamin, altogether 1,346 people.. (1,346 people they said together.)
Nehemiah 11:10-19	Now the priests, Levites, the guards, musicians and drummers :). Also the outside workers and gatekeepers. These were, all told 1,648 people involved in the operation of the Temple.
Nehemiah 11:20-36	The Temple servants were the descendants of the indentured Gibeonites, who were made servants, ad woodcutters by Joshua. (Joshua 9:10-21)V23 Artaxerxes had issued a command about 100 years previously to provide financial support from the provinces behind the Euphrates, and to allow the Temple priests and servants to live tax-free. (Ezra 7:20-24)Other Jews from Benjamin and Judah are listed, was many new Jerusalemites came from them.

Chapter 12

Nehemiah 12:1-21	This is an enumeration of the people who returned with Zerubabbel and Ezra, 100 years earlier. He was the grandson of King Jehoiachin (Mat 1:12) Jeshua is probably the same one mentioned in Zec 3:1-9 being approved by God for the purpose of restoring the Temple.
Nehemiah 12:22-26	Although the priests were Levites, they were only the descendants of Aaron. The other Levites assisted in the Temple duties, as has been shown. No Wranglers or others were in this group. 😉
Nehemiah 12:27-30	BC 445. The dedication was a time to bring out all the Levites from across the land, probably in a processional ceremony around the walls, and to ask God’s protection and provision for the city He wished rebuilt.
Nehemiah 12:31-47	A procession was led by two separate groups, one the east, the other on the west, and proceeded from south to mort in parade fashion. They met at the Temple were sacrifices and partying to take place.The same day, men were appointed to manage the collection and distribution of valuables given for the service of the Temple. The entire nation blessed the Temple service, and was blessed by the giving.

Memory Verse – “On that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced because God had given them great joy, even the women and children rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar.”
Nehemiah 12:43

Application – Go ahead and take what others think is a risk for God.

Bible Studies, Nehemiah

Nehemiah Chapter 10 – Excellence: What the Heck Are You Doing Here?

March 25, 2014 Terry Leave a comment

“If you don’t do it excellently, don’t do it at all. Because if it’s not excellent it won’t be profitable or fun, and if you’re not in business for fun or profit, what are you doing here?”
— Robert Townsend

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” — Romans 12:1-2

Be conformed into the image of Christ. It is His way to transform us into the image of His perfection, excellence.

Summary / Thoughts

Nehemiah 10:1-27	The document was sealed. We mentioned the significance of a sealed document in Nehemiah 6:5 where Sanballat carried an open letter to Nehemiah. The documents began with the leader, Nehemiah, followed by the priests, then the other Levites, their brothers, followed by the “leaders of the people.” They, in effect, “hung it out,” much like the signers of the United States Constitution. By having their names on the document, they committed themselves to it. What about the people who kept the contract, but were not mentioned? As we discussed last time, this puts the teeth into accountability. One person’s views are highlighted below.
Nehemiah 10:28-31	All the people who were servants or had official duties are now included by function. This group includes women, men, and children who understood what they were doing, and the Law the pledged to uphold. These were to include only Jews who were enrolled from the previous genealogies. Why then assemble and make this oath? any reasons could doubtless be cited, one perhaps that the people until then had neglected the we ones Nehemiah listed.
Nehemiah 10:32-33	Here the third shekel, (about 1/6 oz.) shows what it was used for. A bit of accountability for the priests and Levites, who had not always accounted for its use. See 2 Kings 22:4-7 for a practice where Josiah forced the doorkeepers to use the monies collected for their intended purpose.
Nehemiah 10:34-39	Yet more promises made. These were not trifling. It’s not as though the first fruits of all this agrarian economy were like a paycheck coming week to week. There was the possibility of drought, crop failure, disease, fire, or other calamities. The bringing of first fruits was a genuine step of faith.

The Components of Accountability Paraphrased from JP McLaughlin

1. Know what is to be done.	If the individual does not clearly understand what he is being asked to do, then his manager cannot in fairness expect him to do the job or be accountable for it. So, we must have complete understanding of each job to be performed by the individual who is to be held accountable for an acceptable requirement.
2. The person must have the capacity to do the job.	If his training is deficient, or if he doesn’t know here to get the help he needs, then he cannot be held accountable, even if that person has commitment and zeal to do the job expected.
3. Know what the acceptablestandard is.	The individual assigned a job must understand and agree with his manager’s standards for an acceptable piece of work. These could be quite different from his own ideas of excellence.
4. Have the needed authority to complete the job	If a person makes a commitment, or accepts responsibility for a certain result, he must not be restrained from completion of the job through inadequate authority.
5. There is agreement on how accountability will be demonstrated.	This can be a report, commitment meetings, or reviews.

Memory Verse – “We will not neglect the house of our God. Nehemiah 10:39c

Application – Commit whole heartedly to God; and avoid the expense of being double minded.

Bible Studies, Meekness, Nehemiah

Nehemiah Chapter 9 – Putting Up with Weird Uncle Harold

March 17, 2014 Terry Leave a comment

Black olives on fingers and up noses, check. Butter fights, check. Squirt cousin Mark with mom’s perfume, check. Twilight Zone marathon, check. Stick brother Chris with the little kids, check. Wait, what’s that sound? Uh oh, I hear the Voice, and it’s getting louder, closer. Prattling on about porridge and Donald, Queen Victoria, and all manner of boring insignificance. Oh no, here she comes. Right for the kids’ Thanksgiving Day card table. Rats!

I’m pretty sure you’re in Heaven, grandma, I just hope you’re busy and don’t read this; and sincere apologies to any real Uncle Harolds, living or dead….

Like most American families of an earlier time, we gathered each year to celebrate Thanksgiving and other holidays to see people we seldom saw at other times. Holidays are good for that.

Most holidays are a time to remember one thing or another. How often would we otherwise remind ourselves of our country’s founding? Or a man’s fight to win freedom and change attitudes based on the color of their skin? We need these reminders. We are, as humans, impulsive, and quick to forget the hard lessons we learned. Blood bought. If we do not, we must re-learn them, and that always is expensive.

Some lessons are painful. Did I say some? Most are. Our nation was divided over the question of whether one man could own another. Over whether we would be governed by a far away tyranny, over victory in securing liberty in Europe and Japan.

And not just remember the lessons, but passing the lesson along to our kids, so they could learn without the loss of treasure, freedom, and blood.

Ezra and Nehemiah understood this. So does God. They knew, and He knows, how important these remembrances are. They keep us from straying, of seeing ourselves as we really are, and honoring the valiant for their sacrifice, especially the most valiant, King Jesus, who set the captives, us, free from our sin.

Memorials impel us to action to keep us from falling into a trap of an enemy, be it a foreign invader, a war inside our own national borders, or the snare of sin.

The Jews needed a memorial to help them come back to God. Ezra read that reminder, the Bible, to them. And it has been said, over and over, “Those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it.” We do too. Just ask yourself: Would you rather fight in a far away country protect our freedom, or put up with Uncle Harold’s shaggy dog stories for a few hours over pumpkin pie and a reading about the first Thanksgiving?

Summary / Thoughts

Nehemiah 9:1-4

Fasting, sackcloth and dirt. These were used as signs of mourning throughout the Jews and also other nations round about them. The sackcloth was often black goat’s hair, and often worn close to the skin. Compare sack cloth with the robes of righteousness of Gen 3:21, Job 29:14, Romans 13:14, Rev 19:8 for insight to righteousness robed.

They separated partially during the time of Ezra, but needed to re-iterate this act, complete it. (Ezra 10:1-17)The church meetin’ was 3 hours of Bible, and 3 of worship and confession.

Nehemiah 9:5-8

After the worship was a call to praise. Worship is bowing low and humbling one self before God; acknowledging who we are compared to who God is. Praise is rejoicing for what He has done. Worship undoes us, we empty ourselves of ourselves. Here He is praised for His creation, its goodness, and the Abrahamic Covenant.

Giving the covenant – Recall this Covenant is an agreement between Abram and God, but only God bound Himself to requirements, not Abram. See Gen 12:1 ff

Nehemiah 9:9-15

Coming out of Egypt – God glorified Himself and was true to His Word about keeping the Abrahamic Covenant. His fame spread down through out the ages (Joshua 2;8-11) not to mention the others they met in the desert, records the testimony of Rahab about the fear the locals had concerning the God of the Hebrews. through the Bible.

Giving the Law or “Getting to know You.” – Throughout this time, the people had lost the personal picture of Yahweh Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob enjoyed. Thus, it was necessary to form a relationship with an entire people group, and establish order and a path to fellowship. This was accomplished through the giving of the Law.

Until the New Covenant, this is how God chose to reveal Himself.

Nehemiah 9:16-25

Stiff neck syndrome – Now the reasoning for memorials becomes apparent. But aren’t we just as knuckle-headed as they?

We have completely forgotten the good measure and favor granted us by God Almighty, who once honored and blessed us in days past, until we began our turn away from him in the late 1950’s and later.We need a return like what God brought in Nehemiah’s day.

The kindness and mercy of Yahweh compared to choke artist Israel

Nehemiah 9:26-31

“I can’t hear I can’t hear you, Killing the prophets ended that very uncomfortable never popular message of repentance.

Israel time out pt 1 – God had said that He would bless or curse the Jews based on an agreement He spoke through Moses in Deu 28:1-ft.

Sometimes called a suzerainty, it consisted of a preamble, an historical background, provisions, rewards and punishments, and so on. The people here are recalling how they had not measured up to the covenant, and had suffered the consequences.Sometimes, not following through on such a just and healthy agreement makes the one who has to administer correction the big meanie. The difficult but vital act that party must insist on is following up on consequences. God certainly did, pout of love. If He had not, and not righteously corrected His covenant people, they would have grown into even worse, spoilt, uncaring, and wicked people who thought that either God didn’t follow up on His promises, or was unable, or did not care.

If you love someone, this boundary setting is vital.

Nehemiah 9:32-38

Owning Their Sin – The people acknowledged that they had reaped what the sowed. That they were in a wretched place, and called on God.

Memory Verse – “You are just in all that has come upon us;
For You have dealt faithfully, but we have acted wickedly. Nehemiah 9:33

Application – Remember what God has done for you and rescued you from.

Bible Studies, Nehemiah

Nehemiah Chapter 7 & 8 – Returning to Truth

March 4, 2014 Terry Leave a comment

Both my kids would grab at it with chubby, semi coordinated moist little fingers. they stared, scowled, and when they were old enough, each asked (separately) what that gouge was in the middle of my forehead.

Well, I said, I got that one day when I decided to walk through the neighborhood and see everybody’s back yard. Yes. I was straddling the fence.

For the first 30 feet or so, it went well. I was a ten year old boy with, as I remember it, cat like reflexes and superb balance. So, like my older brother, who had put the idea in my head, and not without more than a little exaggeration as to how how far HE made it, I set out to see the world.

Until the fence changed.

About 30 feet into walking on the fence, the fence abruptly changed its construction from a series of 1×6 uprights topped with a dado joined 2×4, to just the uprights without the 2×4.

I didn’t see it until I ran out of 2×4 and had little time to do anything but bail out. I remember thinking I better jump over into the Stevens back yard, they were slow and old, and by the time the could do anything, I could have bailed over the fence back into my own back yard, and no one the wiser.

Except for the aloe vera plant, I would have pulled it off. Sailing by most of the large, old cactus, my forehead was gouged by a tip of one of the fronds, making a sizable dent in my forehead, which is still there, 40 odd years later.

You and I engage in fence straddling from time to time. Hesitation when asked about a religious question, maybe the occasional curse to impress someone that we too, are tough hombres. Lingered temptation on a web page, we all face them.

God knows this. He knows what’s best for us is to make a decision one way or another, without peer pressure, which for the Jews in Nehemiah’s day consisted chiefly to mixed marriages, which brought compromise.

And compromise always ends in being stung or poked or bleeding. Just ask any 10 year old fence straddler.

Summary / Thoughts

Nehemiah 7:1-7a

His appointment of his brother helped in a crucial area. Chapter Six recorded much treachery by outsiders, and deep disappointments. Nehemiah needed a faithful reliable person to guard the city. Are we that person?Why would God put it in the heart of Nehemiah to enroll the city ion a census? Perhaps to discern who was Jewish. This would be important because

God said it was important especially for the priesthood Lev 21:7 Heb 7:26
God wanted a called out people group to b His possession and set apart from the nations so He could demonstrate His glory through a small group of people. Exo 19:5-6, Deut 26:18, Psa 135:4
To illustrate to us that we as Christians are too a set apart people. Titus 2:14, 1 Pet 2:9
Marriages outside Jews had caused and continued to be a significant spiritual and security issue to Nehemiah. Eventually, he had to deal with the problem in a forceful way in chapter 11

Nehemiah 7:61-65

As discussed before, priests were not allowed to take Gentile wives or harlots. Lev 21:7, 14

Nehemiah 7:66-73

All in all, there were about 50,00 people including the help

Washed in the Word

Nehemiah 8:1-2	This is the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. the Feast of Trumpets. Later in the month, on the 10th, was Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, for the sin of the nation, and after this the feast of Booths, Tabernacles. The fulfillment of this is the return of Jesus, see Mat 24:31, 1 Th 4:16-17 and 1 Cor 15:51-52Gathered as one man. A sign of the work of the Holy Spirit drawing them together. Eph 4:3-6. The term here is used as all being united for a angle purpose, to honor God through attentive hearing of His Word.
Nehemiah 8:3-8	This is the first mention of the term podium or platform.Standing up, hands lifted, in order to praise God. Bowing down low to worship Him. The difference? Praise is exuberant, and can be given to anyone deserving it for righteous acts. Worship, is for God alone (Luke 4:8). It is the undoing and handing over in complete surrender and acknowledging His lordship over us. (Psalm 95:6) Translating it to give sense, many of the people did not know Hebrew, but rather Aramaic, and in some cases, the foreigners (wives of prioress, knew openly the language of the Philistines! Neh 13:24 This is also the purpose of the priest, to make application of the Word they heard, much like the purpose of the pastor/teacher of the church.
Nehemiah 8:9-12	The weeping was in response to convicted hearts by the reading of the Law. Mat 5:3-4, Romans 7:7. The Law has done its work in the people by bringing them to recognizing their sin.We tend to downplay this in our conversations, in the pulpit, in preaching the Gospel; it’s not an was topic to broach, but is is necessary, because if I speak to someone who I tell that Jesus can save them from their sin, they don’t think they have a problem. It takes the Law to show us that we are sinners, without the Law, the Gospel is a head scratcher to a non-believer. The right thing to do afterward is party! Deu 12:7, 12 commands this, we are free, we are cleaned, and this is the proper mode of living, celebrating, and sharing this with those less well off Deu 26:11-13
Nehemiah 8:13-18	The people had not only turned back to the words of the Law, but it’s plain meaning and were obedient to it. Shavout was celebrated since the time of Joshua, but not in a Booth prescribed by God.This kind of obedience results in joy, really interpreting and being liberated by God’s Word, understood as it was intended to be understood, plain interpretation where warranted.

Memory Verse – They read from the book, from the law of God, translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading. Nehemiah 8:8

Application – Repent and grieve your sin, but then rejoice, you are bought and paid for!

Bible Studies, Nehemiah

Nehemiah Chapter 6 – Boundaries!

February 25, 2014 Terry 1 Comment

Aside from the Bible, the most transforming book I have ever read is Boundaries, by Henry Cloud and John Townsend. You see, I was a nice guy. If you wanted something I knew was wrong or harmful, especially in my BC (before Christ) days. That behavior put me close to addiction, in jail, (overnight is still in jail) in the court system, broke, and a host of other idiotic things I still shudder over and avoid talking to my kids about.

But I couldn’t say no, it would hurt someone else (so I thought) and I really needed to be liked and accepted. I did not know what great harm those motivations caused me when exercised without wisdom or restraint. I didn’t know how to keep the bad things of my life out, and allow in the good things. In short, I had no boundaries.

Enter Cloud and Townsend. They had obviously studied me personally and intimately. They recognized the destructive patterns I had developed, and shone a light forward out of my no-boundary life, to one with healthy boundaries, allowing love and other good things to flow, while protecting myself (and others) from harmful things, manipulation, threats, physical harm, and so on. The few days needed to read and apply its Biblical principals have liberated me, and millions of others.

Walls are boundaries. But sometimes people misunderstand your intent when you build a boundary, and they feel shut out. They accuse you of building a separation between people. They accuse with charges of discrimination, elitism. Sometimes these folks are ignorant of walls, sometimes, like Sanballat, Tobiah, and their cadre, they seek to manipulate, control, abad even destroy.

But nothing could be further from the truth. Although implementing boundaries, as Nehemiah did in our study, was vastly unpopular, it was vital to maintain the integrity of the Jewish people, to allow the good in, and keep the harmful away, be that people, actions, culture, food, virtually anything.

Like the Jews, we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood 1 Peter 2:7, set apart, a good definition of holiness.

Yes, we are holy, with the help of boundaries.

An excellent commentary on this subject by Kevin L. Moore

Distract, Defame, Deceive

Nehemiah 6:1-9

Our enemies will pull us away from God, and doing God’s work. The enticement, like the ones Nehemiah received were sometimes sly, easy to say yes to, with the added power of threat and harm.

What are these enticements? There are three, given throughout the Book, in Genesis in the Garden of Eden, here in Nehemiah, and many places elsewhere. Even Jesus was tempted by Satan in the Gospels. John culminates and explains these threats in his first letter:

“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.” 1 John 2:16.

The open letter was not so much a public document like what we are used to, such as an open letter to a high official in a newspaper (remember them?). Letters sent to people of note were rolled in a scroll and sealed with wax or clay and imprinted with a distinctive seal, often a signet ring.

This was for privacy and respect. On the other hand, to send the same letter to the same person unsealed was an often sign of contempt. This was an occasion of the latter. Source: New Manners and Customs of the Bible Nehemiah 6:5.

The contents of the letter can be seen at biblestudytools.com

The inclusion of Gashmu was not a mere aside., no ordinary bloke. He is referred to even outside the Bible as an Arabian nobleman who, like other Arabians, had the ear of the Persian kings because of their alliance dating back to 520 BC. Geshem was, in fact, the king of Kedar! Curiously, his name means “rain maker”, someone who could make things happen. This is not someone you wanted on his bad side, unless God Himself would hold it back.

Obviously, the idea was to sabotage by threat and intimidation.

Nehemiah 6:10-14

Having been defeated in this feint, Sanballat and Tobiah, now he resorts to intimidation and deceit. Shemaiah, a priest compromised by Sanballat and Tobiah via the marriage of his oldest daughter to the son of the high priest member of the priesthood. (Neh 13:28)So what? Who cares? Had Nehemiah gone through with Shemaiah’s suggestion, Nehemiah would have violated the directive in Numbers 18:7 not to enter that part of the Temple, which was to be habited only by priests. His integrity would have been compromised in the eyes of the priests (a powerful political force) and the faithful followers of God, who took Him at His word.Noahdiah: A false prophetess. And only a false prhetess, but for hire to intimidate Nehemiah and stir up the people against him. The New Testament Book of Jude as well offers an apt description, comparing them to Baalam, the erroneous prophet! Their fate is eternal black darkness. Our response is to:“…Remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, ‘In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.’” Jude 17-18

Know your enemy: Does this prophet/prophecy in accordance with the Bible? Has it come to pass with 100% accuracy? A no answer to either question tells us to run, don’t walk for the exits.

Nehemiah 6:15-19

The wall was completed on Sep 21, 444 BC, 52 days after it’s beginning, a powerful testament that God rebuilt this wall.Nehemiah’s enemies, proxies for Satan, like Satan, fled when resisted. James 4:7. Tobiah’s wife and daughter-in-law had influence with the influential. Nehemiah had dissent even in his own ranks!Tobiah’s wife and daughter-in-law had influence with the influential. Nehemiah had dissent even in his own ranks!

Bible Studies, Nehemiah

Nehemiah Chapter 5 – Untaking Advantage of the Situation

February 18, 2014 Terry Leave a comment

During World War II, my mother and her sister became heroes by simply kicking a tire. You see, it was a time of sacrifice for the United States for the war effort, which required massive amounts of goods and labor to produce the staggering amount of planes, tanks, weapons, and all the components that went into making them.

Yes, even tin cans were pressed into recycling to win the War. Women would look with admiration to the point of jealousy over a pair of silk stockings, the silk rationed for parachutes. Sugar rationing was the norm, as was gas rationing; many found there way by foot, bus, bicycle or other public contrivance.

By the later stages of the war, almost all the rubber products, mostly tires, had been discovered and recycled for the war effort. Any new drive for rubber consisted mainly of the odd broken tire tube, or perhaps an old pair of sneakers with rubber soles. (Rubber production had been cut off by the Japanese, who had control of the main rubber producing areas of the world.)

So as my mother and her sister walked home from school one afternoon in Long Beach, California, she kicked what she thought was a large pile of leaves. To her delight, they uncovered a treasure trove of a large truck tire. She and Jeanne, my aunt, brought it to the school rubber drive, and were honored for their winning truck tire.

War brings famine. Consider the four horsemen of the Apocalypse of Revelation Chapter 5. The horsemen are, in order, the ant-christ, war, famine, and death. Make no mistake. What Nehemiah and the Jews experienced was war.

Now you may say there were no battles, no bloodshed. But there were battles, there was what we might call today psy-ops, or even cyber war. Testing of the minds, discouragement, and real poverty induced famine in order to rebuild a barricade between the very hostile forces surrounding them. The battles are even more vicious than a physical war; they are spiritual war. And you and I are in the midst of a great one today. Let us see what we can glean to aid us in the battle.

Summary / Thoughts

Nehemiah 5:1-5

The economic strain of rebuilding Jerusalem took a toll on the people of the land. On top of this, previous rulers had exacted heavy taxes to support their mode of living.

Renters were without food.
Landowners went into debt to eat.
The poor and those living hand-to-mouth had to borrow to pay Persia’s taxes to the extreme that they were putting their own children into slavery.

Leviticus 25:25-41 records the rules for Jews for borrowing and paying back. Compare that to present day practices. What advantages are there for the Jew over the Gentile? What kind of response does God desire from lenders?

Nehemiah 5:6-13

Nehemiah’s is the response of a good pastor: a shepherd leader. When Nehemiah says we, he is really saying he redeemed many of the enslaved Jews. He was howlin’ mad at those who were not only in a position to take advantage of the situation, including Nehemiah, but did take advantage of their countrymen, unlike Nehemiah.

The “hundreth part” is NOT that the lenders tok 1% interest per annum, it was 1 % per month, which, with compounding, works out to 12.68% per year. Compare that with a secured first Trust Deed and Note of today running under 5%!

Apparently the private appeal did not not work.

“He consulted himself.” Because his God-trained, God wizened mind revealed to him his course of action, not behind-closed-doors, but where public corruption belonged, in public!

He stated what was right (as quoted above in Leviticus), received a firm commitment in the form of an oath, made known the consequences of failing to meet that oath, and most importantly, saw to it the promise was kept.

Accountability says “You don’t get what you want, you get what you follow through on.”

Nehemiah 5:14-19

What if Nehemiah had not done the things that he demanded of the lenders? Would he be in a position to command the return of usury? No, but not only did he observe the Law, he surpassed it with his generosity to the poor, the people he liberated, the just taxes he did not collect, and the opportunity to acquire land and prosperity in deference to the building of the wall.

His record in the verses could well be not the boast, but the example.

Application – Your life as a leader is always public.

Bible Studies, Nehemiah

Nehemiah Chapter 3 & 4 – Discouraged, Not Defeated

January 28, 2014 Terry Leave a comment

Nehemiah - Called to Lead

Consider the life of Al. Born in the Kentucky hinterlands, he had a modest upbringing of illiterate parents, lost his mother to fever at age nine. Al lost his first business venture. So he ran for state office, he lost. OK, so Al starts another business which failed.

Two years later his wife dies, Al is devastated. In fact, of his 4 sons, only one lives to manhood. Indefatigable, Al gets up, brushes himself and makes another stab at public office. He loses again. Al develops a b lack depression which he sometimes referred to as “the hypo” or hypochondria, which would haunt him throughout his life, especially after the death of his first wife, Ann.

A third political defeat, a fourth, a fifth political defeat. But then..

Oh did I say Al? I meant to say AL, as in Abraham Lincoln, sixteenth President of the United States, presiding, conducting, and winning the Civil War, Emancipator of slaves, and heals of a nation, “with malice toward none” toward his captives.

In his early life, Lincoln had few books for education, chief among these were Pilgrim’s Progress by Paul Bunyan, and, of course, the Bible. Said Lincoln:

“I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good from The Savior of the world is communicated to us through this Book.”

A piece by the Lincoln Institute quotes Joshua F. Speed in an encounter:
“As I entered the room, near night, he was sitting near a window intently reading his Bible. Approaching him I said: “I am glad to see you so profitably engaged.’ ‘Yes,’ said he, “I am profitably engaged.’ ‘Well,’ said I, ‘if you have recovered from your skepticism, I am sorry to say that I have not.’ Looking me earnestly in the face and placing his hand on my shoulder, he said: ‘You are wrong, Speed. Take all of this book upon reason that you can and the balance on faith, and you will live and die a happier and better man.’”.

Source: The Lincoln Institute

Can their there be little doubt that Abraham Lincoln had learned the lessons of another great leader, Nehemiah, whose book Lincoln studied?

Summary / Thoughts
The Wallbuilders

Nehemiah 3:1	Although Chapter 3 is mostly an enumeration of the workers, several points bear closer scrutiny. The High Priest and his family arose to build the Sheep Gate, at the north end of the Old City, close to the Temple. This pattern of people rebuilding near their homes is repeated throughout the workforce.
Nehemiah 3:5, 27, 31-32	Although the people of Tekoa, a town about 8 miles southwest of Jerusalem engaged in the building, the town leaders did not, possibly due to Tobiah’s influence. It is possible to do the right thing even when the leaders do not. In fact the Tekoites, to their credit, completed two different sections of the wall.
Nehemiah 3:8-9	The well heeled joined in the work, a testament to Nehemiah’s leadership, and probably their own self-interest.

Hope is an interesting thing. Sir Francis Bacon remarked that “Hope is a good breakfast, but it is a bad supper.”

Hope in the salvation and return of Christ is a great thing. The hope of Hebrews 6:19 is the anchor of the soul.

But hope demands action. Psalm 9:10 God moves in response to those who put their trust in God.

Nehemiah understood this, and did not wait passively when confronted. As always, his hope, trust, and faith were in God Almighty, but based on that faith, he took action. Some would say outside of hope in its Heb 6:19 context, the opposite of (human, passive) hope is action.

The enemies of the Jews are, in essence, the same today as then:

Nehemiah’s Enemies were:

Sanballat

Tobiah the Ammonite

The Arabs

Discouragement & Defense

Nehemiah 4:1-3	Did you think that when you are engaged in God’s call for your life, it was going to proceed without hindrances? Jesus’ enemies and even the ignorant attempted to hamstring Him at every turn. Note that the audience here includes Sanballat’s power base, an doubling of the supposed power of his discouragement.
Nehemiah 4:4-5	Discouragement is perhaps the best weapon the Enemy has in his playbook. And to have 2 different people come at you from different sides, Nehemiah did the first best thing, he prayed.
Nehemiah 4:6-9	The people had a mind to work! Wow, would that we. What distracts you, how do you lose focus? Usually, you don’t really care, or are otherwise unmotivated. It isn’t important. Increase the importance, increase the will to work.
Nehemiah 4:10-14	Exo 14 ias an excellent parallel to this, Moses’ leadership fighting both Pharaoh and his own people, and the “mixed multitude” that departed with the Jews. Nehemiah took definite action and spoke bravely to the leaders and people
Nehemiah 4:15-23	God discourages our enemies. As hard as that is to keep that in mind during trials, it is, nonetheless true. See 2 Sam 17:14, Job 5:12The parallel for us is that we never proceed without our weapons, the full armor of God, to our life. As the Jews did in the work and life, so must we.I wonder how the civilians obtained weapons of war were probably brought in by the army, for the only other reliable manufacturer of weapons was the Philistines, (Ashdod was a Philistine city). They remained vigilant day and night. This too is a parallel for us. 1 Pet 5:8

Memory Verse – At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.. Nehemiah 4:20

Application – Take courage, God will fight the battle. Simply show up with the full armor of God.

Bible Studies, Nehemiah

Nehemiah Chapter 2 – Guided & Led to Lead

January 21, 2014 Terry Leave a comment

Anyone who loves the blues knows of guitar blues icon Joe Bonamassa. At age 11, he burst on the music scene playing backup to another blues legend, BB King, who seeing the spindly youth play his heart out on a Fender Strat, was so impressed he toured with BB in 1989. Quoted King:

“This kid’s potential is unbelievable. He hasn’t even begun to scratch the surface. He’s one of a kind.”

When asked his secret to success, Joe answered, “It was about 10% talent, and 90% hard work. You can’t succeed in this business without it. There’s no substitute for hard work.” Without a doubt Joe’s hard work has revived what was once considered a musical genre that had seen its apex.

But what the world didn’t see, was years and years of disciplined training, coaching, and encouraging by his father, a dealer of musical instruments. So immersed in blues was Joe, that success became the obvious result of preparation meeting opportunity. Certainly his work ethic is not in isolation.

Even a cursory reading of chapter one and two gives us insight into the previous life of the son of Hacaliah. What can we discern of the man? First off, we see deep patriotism. (Neh 1:2-4) Patriotism is not a natural sentiment, it is a deeply penetrating liniment applied to the soul; dressed, and repeated from the locker of family values.

Also from this heritage is his natural, deep, and rich prayer life. (Neh 1:5-10). So much so even to the present day, Nehemiah’s prayers are held up both both Christians and Jews for their passion, structure, and effectiveness. Again, this was not learned in isolation, but from parents who treasured God and His Word. Even the pattern imitates the “Lord’s Prayer” of Matthew 6 in its simple, logical fashion, honoring the person of the Father, acceptance of His will in our lives, and so on.

More? That Nehemiah had risen to the high position of cupbearer to the king was surely no accident of circumstance. The core purpose was to help ensure no poison touched the king’s lips by ambitious provocateurs. A deep level of trust was implicit between cupbearer and regent; most often that trust widened to one of trusted advisor. Only a man shown to be trustworthy under prolonged scrutiny could ever hope to be chosen for this important position.

Then what shall we say of the hand of God in Nehemiah’s life? The Holy Spirit has sovereignly elected him the distinction of authoring a book of the Bible, not a privilege available to most, but God’s decision alone. And there were doubtless many who possessed Nehemiah’s Godly heritage, self discipline, and drive. But only one was chosen by the king, or should we say, chosen by the King:

“The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes.” – Proverbs 21:1

We might not be tasting in the king’s service, but we are sons and heirs in the King’s court. Let’s sup with Him.

Summary / Thoughts
Nehemiah’s Prayer is Answered

Nehemiah 2:1-2	Four months have passed since Nehemiah’s prayer. Do our prayers seem unanswered? Why so sad? After all, four months have passed, life moves on, right? No. The angst he felt for his country and countrymen persisted. The cupbearer would approach the king with the cup, a long fringed and embroidered napkin for the king to wipe himself. The cupbearer poured the wine fem the cup in his right hand into his left palm, and drank it in the king’s presence. Pharaoh and Solomon also used cupbearers. Being a prominent courtier, the order of the courtiers was to be merriment at all times. Compare the encounter with Hadassah’s (Esther) Esther 4:4-5:4. Esther braces and tried to hide her concern over Haman with her beauty and adornment, but despite this, Artexerxes (via God, of course) showed favor anyway.
Nehemiah 2:3-5	Having this angst bottled up for so long, is now confronted by the king to bring his problem to the forefront. Sometimes God protects us from our natural tendency to deny real emotion and passion when He desires the healthy best choice of confronting issues, as Christ did. Most importantly, he prayed for an answer. First was the drawn out formal prayer of chapter one, now a simple “God, what do I say?!Can you think of times when Christ could have avoided confrontation but instead met it straight on?
Nehemiah 2:6-8	Once emboldened by the positive response, he now asks boldly for what he needs. Do you think he prepared this list in advance? Do you ask boldly of God?
Nehemiah 2:9-10	Sanballat, a man of compromise. He was a Samaritan. Good information on him is here: http://www.antiquities.org.il/article_Item_eng.asp?sec_id=36&subj_id=286His life was a compromise. He was connected to the building of the Samaritan Temple at Mt. Gerazim, and had great political interest in seeing the Jerusalem Temple be not built. He is mentioned in an ancient text, the Elephantine papyrus. The Elephanitnes were a Jewish colony in Upper Egypt who wrote, among other things, for material support. The crux of the controversy includes which Temple should the Jews worship at? Even as late as the time of Christ, the woman at the well of John 4:19-20 asks the question, or rather attempts to deflect Jesus’ point of her need for salvation. However at this time, the Temple God manifested Himself in was at Jerusalem, dedicated and paid for by David, and built and consecrated by Solomon (2 Chr 6 & 7)

Arrival in Jerusalem and Inspection of the Walls

Nehemiah 2:11-16	Guided by the Holy Spirit, he proceeds with his mission. There is a time for consensus, planning and vision casting (Pro 11:14, 12:15, 15:22 and elsewhere), and there times when it is best to act in discretion (Pro 12:23), so as not to allow enemies an advantage, and allies misunderstanding. Nehemiah is merely gathering intelligence that he will act on later.
Nehemiah 2:17-20	Nehemiah’s discretion pays dividends in the appeal to the people and the rebuke of his enemies. More on them next week!All in all, Nehemiah remains fully reliant on God.

Memory Verse – When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. Nehemiah 1:4

Application – I will pray with passion and purpose and without compromise.

Bible Studies, Nehemiah

Nehemiah – Called to Lead

January 14, 2014 Terry Leave a comment

Nehemiah - Called to Lead

What defines a leader? Are they made, or can anyone be a leader? What’s the difference between a leader and a manager, a coach, an officer, or political office holder?

Steven Covey called them by another name.. In his best selling self-help / business book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, he includes “Be proactive,” “Begin with the end in mind,” Think Win/Win” and so on.

Sports offers a different kind of model, “overcome adversity,” “Leaders aren’t born, they’re made” (Lombardi), Bobby Knight’s “either you’re in or you’re out,” and a personal favorite from Yogi Berra: “90% of this game is half mental.”

What does God say about leadership? He holds out many good examples, such as Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Daniel, and Nehemiah, whose book we will study.

A key point comes from the prophet Samuel:

When they entered, he looked at Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him.”
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” –1 Sam 16:6-8

God calls those ready, not ready (God had to wait 40 years before Moses was ready), those unwilling; again Moses, Gideon, and Jonah in Exodus 4, Judges 6:37-40 & Jonah 1.

God calls on those who communicate, with people as well s God. Again Moses was assisted by God communicating with people through his brother, and often spent spent up to 40 days in communion with the Almighty.

Nehemiah makes no less then 11 recorded prayers in the book, a testament to his reliance and close communion.

Nehemiah relies on, and acts on faith in God’s goodness and promises, having committed himself to God, he takes decisive action, often at personal risk, ridicule, and threat of personal harm.

Nehemiah had a deep passion for the problems he observed. This lead him to “constructive dissatisfaction.” He allowed the passion, under God’s control, to impel him to action guided to achieve God’s desire that His Temple be completed, and that the people of Israel take the 70 year lesson of captivity to heart and return to Him and thus be reformed.

Timeline:

The life and times of Nehemiah

In 538 BC Cyrus decreed the Jews could return to Jerusalem and rebuild a direct fulfillment of Daniel’s famous Seventy Weeks’ Prophecy recorded in Daniel 9:24-27

Zerubbabel began the return from exile nearly 100 years before Nehemiah began his journey there. A group of exiles had begun rebuilding the Temple, but and become discouraged after the locals plot to compromise the work was rejected by Zerubbabel and Jeshua, the governor and high priest, respectively.

After an interim period (during which the book of Hadassh, or as we know it, Esther, took place under Artexerxes.

After these things, the timeline of Nehemiah commences at 444 BC. Nehemiah remained as governor for 11 years after which he returned to his role as cupbearer for a brief time, and then returned to Jerusalem, overseeing it’s spiritual and national revival. He is recorded ceased his leadership role sometime before 400BC.

Book Outline:

Chapters 1 – 7	Rebuilding the Walls
Chapter 8	Returning to Truth
Chapters 11 – 12	Reforming a Nation
Chapter 13	Reviving a People

Summary / Thoughts

Neh 1:1-3	Chislev – Nov/Dec, 20th year. Of King Artexerxes. The style of writing appears to be from an excerpt of a personal record or diary. Josephus records that he overheard men speaking in Hebrew, and was thus attracted to the conversation, and his natural concern for people drove the conversation (Antiquities, Book 11 Chap 5 para 6)
Neh 1:4	He reacts as a Godly man will, deep passion, fasting and prayer. Note the structure of his prayer:
Neh 1:5	Acknowledging God’s attributes
Neh 1:6	Calls for attention – Luke 11:1 and persistence in prayer

Neh 1:7-8	A confession of his personal and national sin and its consequences
Neh 1:9-11	An appeal to His promise to Moses and to the Jews (and us!)

Memory Verse – When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. Nehemiah 1:4

Application – I will pray with passion and purpose.

.. humble themselves and pray and seek My Face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land. II Chron 7:14

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Chapter 11

Chapter 12

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.. humble themselves and pray and seek My Face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land. II Chron 7:14