Somebody Loves You

Raul Ries: Notice the importance of worship in the house of the Lord. The importance of singing to the Lord, learning new songs. The Levites, the musicians, leading the congregation, preparing for the priest to come out, Ezra, to teach the word of God as our hearts are being prepared to receive the word of God.

And now we're going to chapter 11, the people now dwelling in Jerusalem. Notice Nehemiah now, in this chapter, returns again to repopulate the capital of Jerusalem because when they came back, 55,000 returned, remember, from Babylon. And now what he's trying to do is repopulate the capital city of Jerusalem in order to decrease its vulnerability to the enemy. He wants to make sure we got enough people in the city just in case we're attacked, we can defend the city. As he puts his trust in the Lord, he's not only a wise builder, but he is a wise captain in setting up the city with enough people to defend the city.

Chapter 11, verse 1. Here are the actual leaders and volunteers. He says, and now the leaders of the people dwelt at Jerusalem. The rest of the people cast lots to bring notice, 5,000 out of 50,000 out to dwell in Jerusalem. So what they had done is they had said okay, most of the people didn't really want to live in the city because the city was not rebuilt totally, fully, so they lived outside in the outskirts of Jerusalem. You see, 5,000 out of 50,000. Notice what he says, one out of ten to dwell in Jerusalem. We need 5,000 in Jerusalem out of 50,000 in order to defend the city.

Verse 2, and the people blessed all the men who were willing to offer themselves to dwell in Jerusalem. Notice it wasn't something that was forced upon them. Do we have any volunteers here, he says, that want to stay here to defend the city of Jerusalem? The rest can go. And they volunteered willingly. Anything we do for the Lord should be willingly volunteering. We should never have to be forced to do it because otherwise God is not pleased. You won't be happy and He won't be happy.

Verse 3, now the urban population in verses 3 to 24. These are the heads of the province who dwell in Jerusalem, but in the cities of Judah everyone dwelt in his own possession of his cities: Israelites, priests, Levites, Nethinim, these are the Gibeonites, the descendants of Solomon's servants. So here we see number one, the tribes of Judah and Benjamin in chapter 11 verses 3 through 9. We're not going to read it, jumping over.

Number two, in verse 10 through 14, the priests, notice all the names there. And then in chapter 11 verse 15 to 24, we have all of the Levites' names given to us, those that took care of the outside of God's house. And then all the way down to verse 21, he talks about the temple servants now in chapter 11 verse 21. He says, but Nethinim dwelt in Ophel, and Ziha and Gishpa were over the Nethinim.

And then we have in verse 22, and also the overseers of the Levites at Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, and the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micha, the son of Asaph, the singers in charge of the service of the house of the Lord. These were the choir, the ones that led the worship. Notice that. Those that led the worship in the actual house of the Lord, not to entertain, but to lead people into worship right before the teaching and the preaching of the word of God.

For it was the king's command concerning them that a certain portion should be for the singers, a quota day by day. And then all these other people in verse 24. And then in verse 25 through 36, we have the rural community now and all the names of them. And then in chapter 12 verses 1 to 26, we have more names here. He says, now these are the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra.

So we see here that the first seven verses here are 22 family names of the priests who are Levites, returning now after 90 years earlier in 537 BC. We see them that these are the ones that came back from Babylon and they came back into the land and these are now their families. And he gives us all these names of those that are the worshippers.

And notice that in verse 8, moreover the Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, and Kadmiel, and Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who led the thanksgiving psalms, he and his brethren. Notice how beautiful this is. And the next two verses it records the Levitical families at the time of the return from exile. So we have those in verses 8 and 9.

And then in verse 10 to 21, we have the table of the priests in the next generation coming up. As we can see that and then verse 22, we have the fourth and final register that are given by the family of the heads of the Levite. And we'll read verse 22: during the reign of Darius the Persian king, a record also was kept of the Levite priests who had been the heads of their father's houses in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua.

And the sons of Levi, the heads of the father's houses into the days of Johanan, the son of Eliashib, were written in the book of the chronicles. And the heads of the Levites were Hashabiah and Sherebiah, then Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, and their brothers across from them to praise and to give thanks group alternating with group according to the command of David the man of God. Notice that. And Mattaniah and all these other names which I'm not going to read.

And then in chapter 12 verse 27 to 43, we have now the celebration of praise, the singing, the Jews now going out and march on top of the walls around the city, sounding their instruments. They were really just joyful now that the walls were built, some of the gates were built already, but the full city wasn't really done. 52 days they got it accomplished, but it wasn't completely done. And so now it's a time of celebration and praise.

He says now at verse 27: at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they sought out the Levites in all their places to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgiving and singing, and with cymbals and stringed instruments and harps. Notice the importance of worship in the house of the Lord. The importance of singing to the Lord, learning new songs. The Levites, the musicians, leading the congregation, preparing for the priest to come out, Ezra, to teach the word of God as our hearts are being prepared to receive the word of God.

And then he says this in 28: and the sons of the singers gathered together from the country side around Jerusalem, from the villages and the Nethophathites, from the house of Gilgal, from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers built themselves villages all around Jerusalem. And the priests and the Levites purified themselves and they purified the people, the gates, and the walls.

And so I brought the leaders of Judah up on the wall and appointed two large thanksgiving choirs. One went to the right hand and the wall and the other one to the refuge. Can you imagine what it must have sounded like as the choir was singing on the walls? So beautiful, so beautiful as they're singing unto the Lord as we see this great time of worship to the Lord.

Verse 43: and also that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy, and the women and the children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off. They could hear it everywhere. What is a noise in Jerusalem? Can you imagine their enemies saying, man what is a noise going on in Jerusalem? As they were worshipping the Lord. I love it.

Now the provision is given. Nehemiah now turns the minds of all the readers from the praise of God now to the provision of food for the priests. Now they were worshipping, Nehemiah says now don't forget the provision for the priesthood. He says and at the same time some were appointed over the rooms of the storehouse for the offerings, so he's appointing priests to make sure they take care of all the offerings of the Lord so nobody can steal them. The firstfruits, the tithes, to gather into them from the fields and the cities the portion specified by the law for the priests and the Levites. For Judah rejoiced over the priests and the Levites who ministered.

Both singers and gatekeepers kept charge of their God and the charge of the purification according to the command of David and Solomon his son. For in the days of David and Asaph of old, there were chiefs and singers in song of praise and thanksgiving to God. And in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah all Israel gave the portions for the singers and the gatekeepers, a portion for each day, and they also consecrated holy things for the Levites and the Levites consecrated them for the children of Aaron. Everything was consecrated to the Lord. You see, they were just rejoicing and glad.

Now here is something that happens. In chapter 13, we don't know how long but Nehemiah left for I don't know how long. But he left to go back to Persia because remember he was given 12 years by the King Artaxerxes. He went back to check in and then he came back again as the governor of Judah. And when he comes back, after the study of God's word, after the being people of God in prayer and signing a covenant with God and being given to God and doing everything that's right with God, all of a sudden the people began to backslide. How sad.

And on that day, they read from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people, and it was found written that no Ammonite, no Moabite, should ever come into the assembly of God. In the book of Genesis 19, when Lot disobeyed God and Lot was drunk and his daughters came in and they had sexual contact with their father, the sin of incest for the first time in the Bible, and through that Ammon and the Moabites were born and they were cursed by God. And yet we read in the book of Ruth later on that Ruth was a Moabitess and she became the grandmother of David in the house of Jesse. It's God's grace and love and mercy is given.

But here is something that's amazing to me here. They continue to study God's word. They're reading God's word. Notice that. Verse 2: because they had not met the children of Israel with bread and water, but they hired Balaam against them to curse them. Remember Balaam was hired to curse the children of Israel by King Balak. And however, our God turned their curses into a blessing. God turned the tables around and instead of cursing the people of God, He cursed notice them and not the people of God.

And so it was when they had heard the law that they separated all mixed multitude from Israel, the Moabites and the Ammonites. And now before this, Eliashib here, how sad this is, because he has become a friend of Tobiah, remember the priest? And what's interesting here now, Nehemiah now has gone to Persia but is returning back and this is what he finds when he comes back.

He had prepared for him a large room where previously they had stored the grain offerings and frankincense and articles and tithes in grain, new wine and oil which were commanded to be given to the Levites, the singers, and the gatekeepers and the offerings for the priests.

Verse 6: he says but during all this, I Nehemiah was not in Jerusalem, for in the 32nd year of Artaxerxes King of Babylon I had returned to the king of Persia. That after a certain days I obtained leave from the king and when I came back to Jerusalem I discovered the evil of Eliashib had done for Tobiah in preparing a room for him in the courts of the house of God. Here Nehemiah has been gone for a while, he comes back and he finds that they're returning back to their old lives, allowing the enemy to be in the camp.

Verse 7: and I came to Jerusalem discovered the evil of Eliashib who had done for Tobiah in the preparing of a room for him in the courts of the house of God. And check this out: and it grieved me bitterly, therefore I threw all of his household goods Tobiah out. He went inside and he took everything and just threw it all out outside. He didn't mess around. What does he do? He cleanses the house of the Lord.

And I commanded them to cleanse the rooms and I brought back into them the articles of the house of the Lord with the grain offering and the frankincense. Can you believe that? He took the things of the Lord out of the house of God and he brought the enemy into the house of the Lord. How many times Christians do that? When God tells us to be a separate people, separate, and this is the temple of God, our bodies. We need to be careful because the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

And then again notice verse 10: and I also realized that the portions of the Levites had not been given them, for each of the Levites and the singers who did the work had gone back to his own fields. They neglected in taking care of those that were supposed to be what, supported by the ministry. Notice that.

11: and so I contended with the rulers. Notice he rebukes them. And said why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together and I set them in their place. That's what a leader does. You know I feel responsible for this whole church. God's put me as a leader over this whole church. And then God has given me men under me to be able to help me with the work of the ministry and many of you that are here are part of the work of God. One person can't do it all, you see. That's why God gives us gifts and talents and we see that in the Old Testament too, the way God aligned everything. Look what he says.

And so I appointed as treasurer over the storehouse, Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe, the Levite and Pedaiah next to them to Hanan the son of Zaccur, and the son of Mattaniah, for they were considered faithful and their task was distributed to their brethren. Isn't that interesting? They chose people who were faithful to their task was given and distributed to their brethren.

And then he said remember me, oh my God, concerning this and do not wipe out all my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God for its services. He's telling God don't forget what I've done. And then notice, and in those days I saw the people in Judah trading wine presses on the Sabbath day, bringing in sheathes and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens which they brought into the Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. Remember what they signed? They were not going to work on the Sabbath day, we're going to do what God's word says. Here they're right back doing what God said not to do, just in a matter of time. Look at that.

And I warned them about the day on which they were notice selling provisions. Don't do it. The requirement of the Sabbath day. Men of Tyre dwelt there also who brought in the fish and all kinds of goods and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Judah and Jerusalem. So they had all these heathens that would come in on the Sabbath day and they would set up shop on the Sabbath day when everything's supposed to close. When you go to Jerusalem now and you're there on Friday, everything will close down in Jerusalem and all Israel will close down at six o'clock in the evening. Nothing is open at sundown. That's the Sabbath. And it goes to the next day six o'clock in the afternoon and then it starts a brand new day. And yet at the same time here they're breaking what God said as they're allowing people to do what God says should not happen.

Verse 17: and then I contended with the nobles of Judah and said to them, now he goes to the leaders. He said what evil thing is this that you're doing by which you profane the Sabbath day? Did not your father do thus and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath day. What do you mean? Remember why they went to Babylon, because for 490 years they broke the Sabbath day. For 70 years they had to make it up by going to Babylon. For every year you took from me, you're going to make it up. 490 years. He's reminding them, don't you learn from your great-grandparents' history? You're doing the same thing again. You're going to bring wrath upon us again.

Verse 19: and so it was at the gates of Jerusalem as I began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut down and I charged that they must not be opened at all until the next Sabbath. You see, 6 o'clock to 6 o'clock. And then I posted some of my servants at the gates so that no burdens would be brought into the Sabbath day. And now the merchants and the sellers of all kinds of wares they lodge outside of Jerusalem once or twice and then they never came back again because I warned them and I said to them, why do you spend the night around the wall? If you do it again, I'm going to lay hands on you. I like Nehemiah. I'm going to sock you if you do it again. He says from that time on they never came again of the Sabbath.

And then I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves and that they should go and guard the gates to sanctify the Sabbath day. And then again remember me, oh my God, concerning this also and spare me according to the greatness of your mercy. Second time he prays to the Lord.