Tag Archives: Accountability

Bible Studies, Nehemiah

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

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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.Pulling

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

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Up the Organization by Robert Townsend
Up the Organization by Robert Townsend

“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.