NEH 9-13Mamma. In this chapter we find the children of Israel coming together to fast before the Lord and to confess their sins, and the rest of the day they spent reading the law of God. And they separated themselves from everything that they knew to be unholy. They did this of their own accord this time, and then like men with hearts and consciences set free from their own burdens, the Levites stood and called upon all the people to bless God's glorious name which was exalted above all blessing and praise. Then they prayed to the Lord, and told what wonderful things He had done for His people, ever since the time when God called Abram out of his own country, and father's house; and how bad and wicked they had been in spite of all God's care to keep them holy; God had been to them a gracious and merciful God. Now they were servants to the Gentiles because of their sins, and the kings of the Gentiles ruled over them, But they wished to make a covenant with the Lord, and all the princes, and Levites, and priests, put their seal to it.
S. What was the covenant they put their seals to?
M. It was a confession that they were separated from the heathen to the law of God; and they promised with an oath to walk in God's law, as it was given by Moses, to keep the Sabbath and all the ordinances, and that they would not forsake the house of their God,
S. I wonder they were not afraid to promise to keep the law when they had broken it so often before.
M. It is surprising. But then it had not been fully proved that there was no good in man; and so every one thought that he might do better if he tried.
S. When was it proved that there was no good in man?
M. At the cross. Divine perfection was seen by man day after day, and year after year, and it made man no better. Jesus abode alone. Men only hated His perfection, and ended by putting it as far away from them as they could. What do you think that proved about man?
S. That he did not love God, or like what was good.
M. It proved that there was no good in man, because at the bottom of his heart he hated God. And after that was proved, God never asked an unconverted man to do anything again. Since Jesus was crucified God has never asked man to keep the law or to do sacrifice. An unconverted man cannot do anything for God, nor come near God, except to stand and confess that he is a sinner. And when he knows that, as the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ shows it, he does not promise to keep laws because he knows he could not; but he asks God to enable him by His Spirit to live Christ, and then he does not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.
S. Was it right of Nehemiah and the rest to put their seals to that covenant?
M. Oh yes. They meant to do right, and it had the effect of separating off those who desired to be faithful to the Lord from the rest, because men, women, and children, all who were old enough to understand it, were reckoned among those who said they would not forsake the house of their God.
Now there were very few people living in Jerusalem, as they liked living on their own lands in the country better. So they cast lots to see who should live in Jerusalem, and one man out of every ten was chosen, and they blessed those who willingly offered themselves to dwell in the holy city; and to keep guard there against the enemy.
Then the Levites purified themselves, and the people, and the work that they had done, and singers were appointed to give thanks to God; and as they offered their sacrifices the wives and children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off. And on that day they read out the law to the people, and there they found what God had said about the Moabite and the Ammonite, who were never to be allowed into God's assembly; because the Ammonites would not give the children of Israel anything to eat or drink when they were going up to Canaan, and the king of Moab tried to get Balaam to curse God's people.
S. But God made him bless them every time. Did He not?
M. Yes; Nehemiah reminds the people of this, and he finds that there is still a mixed multitude among them from whom they must separate. This was terrible work, they had had to separate even from their wives and their children before, and there was still a number of Moabites and Ammonites among them. It is the old story of the children of God getting mixed up with the enemies of God, as I showed you, all through the book of Chronicles, it was the cause of all their sufferings. So here, even when Nehemiah went back to the king for a little is while, as he had promised, Tobiah (the enemy of God's people) actually got a room in the court of God's house, and he filled this room with his own things. When Nehemiah came back to Jerusalem and found this out, he was dreadfully grieved, and he turned out Tobiah and his heathen rubbish and commanded the place to be well cleansed; and then he brought in a meat-offering and frankincense.
S. Why did they let Tobiah into God's house?
M. Just because he was related to the priest who had charge of the chambers, and who ought to have been the very one to keep out whatever would defile the house of God.
Poor Nehemiah must have been nearly heart-broken to find these very people who had so lately sealed the covenant, and promised to be faithful and separate as the people of God should be, so soon falling into every kind of carelessness; neglecting the Levites, working on the sabbath days, and buying and selling from the Gentiles. Nehemiah put a stop to this by locking the gates on the sabbath day, so that the people who came to sell their goods on that day could not get in; and at last they ceased to come. The next thing that grieved Nehemiah was finding out that some of the children could not speak their own language, because their mothers were of Ammon or of Moab. He was very angry with the fathers of the children, and told them how even Solomon who was so great and wise, had been disgraced because he had married strange wives. Thus this man of God tried to set everything to rights, and he says, Remember me, O my God, for good.
S. After that did he go back to be cup-bearer again?
M. We are not told in God's word. Other books take up the outward history of the Jews. But here God's history ends.
S. How do you mean? We have not read half through the Bible yet?
M. True, but God's history of His people as connected with Himself ends with Nehemiah. He had brought them back to their own land, and allowed His city and temple to be rebuilt by order of the Gentile powers; and the faithful few who mourned over the desolation in Zion waited there with humbled hearts for the Messiah. Who was He?
S. The Lord Jesus Christ, who was to be called Son of David.
M. Yes; He was to come and save His people from their sins. The true-hearted remnant waited for Him to come to set things right; the rest went on in careless indifference about God.
S. But Jesus did not build up the temple or make a grand palace in Jerusalem.
M. No; because the Jews did not receive Him as their king. They rejected Him before He was two years old, when Herod ordered all the baby boys to be killed, with the foolish thought that the holy child Jesus could be thus destroyed. And they ended by saying, We have no king but Caesar!-that was the Gentile emperor of Rome. They preferred him to their own true Messiah.
S. But the disciples believed in Jesus.
M. Oh, yes; and many more besides. Simeon and Anna, and thousands more, knew He was their Messiah come from God. But the nation received Him not, and now all these eighteen hundred years the veil is upon their hearts—the veil that they asked Moses to put upon his face that they might not see God's glory. It was to be seen in the face of Jesus, but their hearts were blinded, and they saw no beauty in Him.
JESUS! cans't Thou receive
A feeble child like me?
My little heart can scarce believe
That I may come to Thee!
With children I can go
And all I think can say;
With those I've often seen, and know,
I do not fear to stay.
But, Lord of heaven art Thou,
And dwell'st far off on high;
Tho' at Thy name I'm taught to bow,
Can I to Thee draw nigh?
That name is far above
My thoughts, howe'er I try
How can I know Thou dost me love,
Nor fear before Thine eye!
J. N.D.
=============================
As Son of man it was,
Jesus the Lord!
Thou gav'st Thy life for us,
Jesus our Lord!
Great was indeed Thy love,
All other loves above,
Love Thou did'st dearly prove,
Jesus our Lord!
Kings of
JUDAH AND ISRAEL
1. Rehoboam. 1. Jeroboam.
2. Abijah. 2. Nadab.
3. Asa. 3. Baasha.
4. Jehoshaphat. 4. Elah.
5. Jehoram. 5. Zimri.
6. Ahaziah. 6. Omri.
7. Athaliah. 7. Ahab.
8. Joash. 8. Ahaziah.
9. Amaziah. 9. Joram.
10. Uzziah. 10. Jehu.
11. Jotham. 11. Jehoahaz.
12. Ahaz. 12. Jehoash.
13. Hezekiah. 13. Jeroboam II.
14. Manasseh. 14. Zachariah.
15. Amon. 15. Shallum.
16. Josiah. 16. Menahem.
17. Jehoahaz. 17. Pekahiah,
18. Jehoiachim. 18. Pekah.
19. Jehoiachin, 19. Hoshea,
20. Zedekiah.