Nehemiah Pt. 15: Kingdom Relocation

Nehemiah 11

The book of Nehemiah [the combined work of Ezra & Nehemiah] gives us an inside view of how God reconstituted HIS people, the nation of Israel. When God exiled them HE promised HE would bring them back…

How does God rebuild HIS people [Israel] & HIS place [Jerusalem]????

1st He has leaders HE relocated rebuild the temple as well as the walls and gates of HIS city [Structural]

2nd He has leaders that HE relocated lead HIS people to rebuild their relationship with HIM…through Repentance, Scripture, Remembrance and Worship. [Spiritual]

In today’s passage God is going to relocate some people to govern and serve this newly reformed nation. They have no government. They need officials to serve in Jerusalem, the capital of the province. Kingdom Building takes leadership…sometimes those leaders are relocated

The Book of Nehemiah not only tells us of Nehemiah’s leadership but the leadership of others. And in all the information we have about people stepping up to lead God’s people there is a thread that runs throughout…they all sacrificed to to be kingdom builders. There is a lot of of sacrifice that involves relocating. Being a part of leading God’s people is a sacrifice, a surrender of your life in general, and in specific God-led ways… such as where you live. God calls leaders to go places, for seasons and sometimes permanently.

God relocated Ezra who read the Law of Moses and the levites and priests who led this reforming nation of Israel in the reading of scripture, prayer, song and praise. He relocated he guys Nehemiah left in charge while he went back to Persia: Hanani & Hananiah. Not to mention all the others who led the 1st return from exile to Jerusalem and rebuilt the temple. [Neh. 7:7]

And of course our hero, Nehemiah…God moves people to relocate, for HIS glory!

Nehemiah 11

1 The leaders of the people were living in Jerusalem, the holy city. A tenth of the people from the other towns of Judah and Benjamin were chosen by sacred lots to live there too, while the rest stayed where they were. 2 And the people commended everyone who volunteered to resettle in Jerusalem.

  • The ‘reconstituted nation’ would be governed from the Holy City: Jerusalem
  • They tithed people to be part of the central government in the city [giving idea]
  • Going without being picked [perhaps replacing someone who needed to stay]

3 Here is a list of the names of the provincial officials who came to live in Jerusalem. (Most of the people, Priests, Levites, Temple Servants, and descendants of Solomon’s servants continued to live in their own homes in the various towns of Judah, 4 but some of the people from Judah and Benjamin resettled in Jerusalem.)

  • Listed are leaders who came to be part of the new government in Jerusalem
  • Beyond the ‘Tithe’ of people and the leaders to be mentioned, others came too

V. 4a-6: From the tribe of Judah: Athaiah son of Uzziah, son of Zechariah, son of Amariah, son of Shephatiah, son of Mahalalel, of the family of Perez. Also Maaseiah son of Baruch, son of Col-hozeh, son of Hazaiah, son of Adaiah, son of Joiarib, son of Zechariah, of the family of Shelah. There were 468 descendants of Perez who lived in Jerusalem—all outstanding men.

  • Only leaders from Judah & Benjamin listed by name [Southern Kingdom]
  • The newly formed nation would be led by the tribes of Judah, Benjamin & Levi

V. 7-9: From the tribe of Benjamin: Sallu son of Meshullam, son of Joed, son of Pedaiah, son of Kolaiah, son of Maaseiah, son of Ithiel, son of Jeshaiah, After him were Gabbai and Sallai and a total of 928 relatives. Their chief officer was Joel son of Zicri, who was assisted by Judah son of Hassenuah, second-in-command over the city.

  • Joel from the tribe of Benjamin was an established leader
  • These people, from Judah & Benjamin had land they gave up to serve

V. 10-14: From the priests: Jedaiah son of Joiarib; Jakin; and Seraiah son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, the supervisor of the Temple of God. Also 822 of their associates, who worked at the Temple. Also Adaiah son of Jeroham, son of Pelaliah, son of Amzi, son of Zechariah, son of Pashhur, son of Malkijah, along with 242 of his associates, who were heads of their families. Also Amashsai son of Azarel, son of Ahzai, son of Meshillemoth, son of Immer, and 128 of his outstanding associates. Their chief officer was Zabdiel son of Haggedolim.

  • The priests were all of the tribe of Levi but they were descendants of Aaron
  • Zabdiel was the leader of the priests who moved permanently to the city
  • Priestly families lived all over and traveled to the temple to serve [Zacheriah]
  • As Priests they had a lot of local comfort they gave up to move to the city
  • Big Sacrifice for them to move…

V. 15-18: From the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, son of Bunni. Also Shabbethai and Jozabad, who were in charge of the work outside the Temple of God. Also Mattaniah son of Mica, son of Zabdi, a descendant of Asaph, who led in thanksgiving and prayer. Also Bakbukiah, who was Mattaniah’s assistant, and Abda son of Shammua, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun. In all, there were 284 Levites in the holy city.

  • Lots of Levites… but only a quarter as many as the priests who came
  • Levites did not have property, they lived in specified towns and were supported
  • This is the list of ‘Non-Specific’ Levites…

V. 19-2: From the gatekeepers: Akkub, Talmon, and 172 of their associates, who guarded the gates. The other priests, Levites, and the rest of the Israelites lived wherever their family inheritance was located in any of the towns of Judah. The Temple servants, however, whose leaders were Ziha and Gishpa, all lived on the hill of Ophel.

  • Gatekeepers were a special group of levites as well: [1 Chronicles 9:26]
  • Temple Servants were another special group of levites
  • The hill of Ophel was inside the city adjacent to the temple [lived near the work]

22 The chief officer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani, son of Hashabiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Mica, a descendant of Asaph, whose family served as singers at God’s Temple. 23 Their daily responsibilities were carried out according to the terms of a royal command. 24 Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, a descendant of Zerah son of Judah, was the royal adviser in all matters of public administration.

  • ‘Lead Levite’: Uzzi, descendant of Asaph [musical service 1st Chronicles 25:1]
  • Another descendant of Asaph: The Sons of Asaph were a musical / poetic guild
  • Pethahiah was connected to the King of Persia
  • It is not a government of their own, the Persians were giving Judah some autonomy

25 As for the surrounding villages with their open fields, some of the people of Judah lived in Kiriath-arba with its settlements, Dibon with its settlements, and Jekabzeel with its villages. 26 They also lived in Jeshua, Moladah, Beth-pelet, 27 Hazar-shual, Beersheba with its settlements, 28 Ziklag, and Meconah with its settlements.

  • Towns around Jerusalem

29 They also lived in En-rimmon, Zorah, Jarmuth, 30 Zanoah, and Adullam with their surrounding villages. They also lived in Lachish with its nearby fields and Azekah with its surrounding villages. So the people of Judah were living all the way from Beersheba in the south to the valley of Hinnom.

  • Province of Judah, part of the Persian Empire

31 Some of the people of Benjamin lived at Geba, Micmash, Aija, and Bethel with its settlements. 32 They also lived in Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah, 33 Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim, 34 Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat, 35 Lod, Ono, and the Valley of Craftsmen. 36 Some of the Levites who lived in Judah were sent to live with the tribe of Benjamin.

  • They evened out the levite distribution, sending them from Judah to Benjamin
  • There is always a need for servants of God among his people
  • God constantly calls HIS people to Go! Starting with Abram…

BIBLICAL PRINCIPALS 4 U TO APPLY!
God constantly calls HIS people to relocate for HIS purposes.
Biblical churches partner with God to send HIS people to places for HIS purposes.
Serving a people or a church is training that may be for another place. [Will Wang]
God calls some to go and some to stay but ALL to lead & serve.
God blesses the leaders & servants who relocate when HE calls them to.
Now matter where God’s people live, the center of their life is the worship of God.

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” ~ Jesus @ Matthew 28:18-20

Province of Judea mapDownload
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Nehemiah Pt. 14: The House of Our God

Nehemiah 10 (ESV)

Because of all this we make a firm covenant in writing…on the seals are the names of Nehemiah the governor….the priests….the Levites….the chiefs of the people….and the rest of the people….all who have separated themselves….(v.9:38-10:28a)

….all who have separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, their daughters, all who have knowledge and understanding, join with their brothers, their nobles, and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law that was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord and his rules and statutes. (v.28b-29)

We will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons. (v.30)

And if the peoples of the land bring in goods or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on a holy day. And we will forego the crops of the seventh year and the exaction of every debt. (v.31)

We will also take on ourselves the obligation to give yearly a third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God: for the showbread, the regular grain offering, the regular burnt offering, the Sabbaths, the new moons, the appointed feasts, the holy things, and the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God. (v.32-33)

We obligate ourselves to bring the firstfruits of our ground….to the house of the LORD….the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, as it is written in the Law, and the first of our dough, and our contributions, and to bring the Levites the tithes from our ground….We will not neglect the house of our God. (v.34-39)

Summary Points

-We will pursue honest, right, God-honoring relationships.

-We will honor God in all our business dealings. Put God first.

-Our identity as God’s people is vital. We will not neglect the house of our God.

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Nehemiah Pt. 13: The Many Themes of Praise

Nehemiah 9:22-38 (ESV)

22 “And you [God] gave [Israel] kingdoms and peoples and allotted to them every corner. So they took possession of the land of Sihon king of Heshbon and the land of Og king of Bashan. 23 You multiplied their children as the stars of heaven, and you brought them into the land that you had told their fathers to enter and possess. 

Genesis 13:14 The LORD said to Abram…, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. 15 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. 

24 So the descendants went in and possessed the land, and you subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gave them into their hand, with their kings and the peoples of the land, that they might do with them as they would. 25 And they captured fortified cities and a rich land, and took possession of houses full of all good things, cisterns already hewn, vineyards, olive orchards and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in your great goodness.

26 “Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies. 

27 Therefore you gave them into the hand of their enemies, who made them suffer. 

Dueuteronomy 28:15-36 (paraphrase)

“if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God… the Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies… and you shall be only oppressed and robbed continually… a nation that you have not known shall eat up the fruit of your ground and of all your labors”

27b And in the time of their suffering they cried out to you and you heard them from heaven, and according to your great mercies you gave them saviors who saved them from the hand of their enemies. 

28 But after they had rest they did evil again before you, and you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies, so that they had dominion over them. Yet when they turned and cried to you, you heard from heaven, and many times you delivered them according to your mercies. 

29 And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your rules, which if a person does them, he shall live by them, and they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not obey. 

Acts 7:51 “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute?

30 Many years you bore with them and warned them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet they would not give ear. Therefore you gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands. 31 Nevertheless, in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.

32 “Now, therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love, let not all the hardship seem little to you that has come upon us, upon our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria until this day. 33 Yet you have been righteous in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly. 34 Our kings, our princes, our priests, and our fathers have not kept your law or paid attention to your commandments and your warnings that you gave them. 

35 Even in their own kingdom, and amid your great goodness that you gave them, and in the large and rich land that you set before them, they did not serve you or turn from their wicked works. 36 Behold, we are slaves this day; in the land that you gave to our fathers to enjoy its fruit and its good gifts, behold, we are slaves. 37 And its rich yield goes to the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins. They rule over our bodies and over our livestock as they please, and we are in great distress.

38 “Because of all this we make a firm covenant in writing; on the sealed document are the names of our princes, our Levites, and our priests.

Takeaways:

Set up reminders of the things God is doing and has done

We have a God worth praising. Find these characteristics of God in scripture:

• He is faithful. 

• He is merciful. 

• He is caring. 

• His love is steadfast. 

• He is just. 

• He keeps his promises, to our earthly benefit and detriment (his discipline).

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Nehemiah Pt. 12: Saturated In Scripture

What God Builds With His Word

When God’s people are constantly exposed to Scripture and Spirit Led Instruction & Interpretation… amazing things happen! The principals found in Scripture guide us: Truths about God & US. The story God tells in His Word brings a response by His Spirit. The response is important but don’t miss exactly what the story tells us about God.

STORY & RESPONSE…They had been soaking in God’s Word [Torah / Pentateuch]

THEY GATHER AND FORM A COMMUNAL BOND AROUND GOD’S WORD…God’s Word – Repentance / Confession – Praise – Sacrifice…They form / reform Community Based on His Name…BY HIS WORD !

This is the end of The Festival of Tabernacles / Booths / Sukkot

shelters was to commemorate the time the people of Israel lived in the wilderness for 40 years sustained by God alone.

Last Week…

And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in the booths… And there was very great rejoicing. And day by day, from the first day to the last day, he [Ezra] read from the Book of the Law of God. They kept the feast seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the rule. ~ Neh. 8:17-18 [Lev. 23:33-36 & 39-43]

Nehemiah 9:1-21 [ESV]

1 Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Israel were assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth on their heads. 2 And the Israelites separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.

  • Time for the feasting to end and the full impact of God’s Word to have it’s effect
  • Everyone participated [Important factor]
  • They fasted [self denial to create dependance on God]
  • Sack cloth & dirt on the head [show of contrition and humility]
  • They separated themselves from all foreigners [set apart = Holy]
  • They confessed their own SIN… AND the community / nation’s SIN

They Got real with God’s Word! It prepared them for this solemn assembly…

3 And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped the Lord their God. 4 On the stairs of the Levites stood Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani; and they cried with a loud voice to the Lord their God.

  • 3 Hours: Sanding and listening to the Book of The Law: The Pentateuch [1st 5]
  • 3 Hours Confession & Worship
  • The Levites led the prayers of confession & worship [Emotional & Active]

5 Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said,

  • Levites = Ministers / Worship Leaders….in both list who comes 1st?
  • Here is how the rest of the day is going to go…
  • THIS WEEK PREVIEW:
    • 2nd: Declaring What He Has Done
    • 3rd: How His People Have Failed Him
    • 4th: Recognition of God’s Grace, Mercy and Forgiveness
  • NEXT WEEK PREVIEW
    • 5th: People Fail Pt. 2
    • 6th: God’s Grace, Mercy, Forgiveness AND Judgement / Exile
    • 7th: Repentance / Ownership & ‘Re-Covenanting’

Here is what is declared by the ‘Leading Levites’

“Stand up and bless the Lord your God from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise. 6 You are the Lord, You alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and You preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships You.”

  • Posture of Honoring…’Standing Up’ for something [Wholehearted / Whole Bodied]
  • 1st statement about God: Self-Existent / Eternal [both ways]
  • Based on Who God IS, HIS Name, is to be blessed, glorified, exalted, praised…
  • 2nd statement about God: The TRIUNE God alone created & preserves ALL!
  • Because THEY know the fullness of YOUR creation, all heaven worships YOU

They Declared Foundational Truth about God [From HIS Word]…Now His Story of God’s personal relationship with His people

7 “You are the Lord, the God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham. 8 You found his heart faithful before You, and made with him the covenant to give to his offspring the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite. And you have kept Your promise, for You are righteous.”

  • Abraham was: Chosen / Brought / Faithful / Blessed [Covenant & Promise]

9 “And You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt and heard their cry at the Red Sea, 10 and performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants and all the people of his land, for You knew that they acted arrogantly against our fathers.

  • Quick synopsis of the ‘Egypt Years’… the ten plagues up to Passover
  • ‘Our fathers’ was Moses & Aaron and they were representing Yahweh

You made a Name for Yourself, as it is to this day.

  • Yahweh distinguished Himself as the one and only God of the universe
  • The Name God made for Himself among people of the world: Omnipotent

11 You divided the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on dry land, and You cast their pursuers into the depths, as a stone into mighty waters.”

  • No one could have even imagined the idea of what God did [Creative]
  • There was one group of people God protected and another HE destroyed
  • The archeological evidence has been found, it happened

12 “By a pillar of cloud You led them in the day, and by a pillar of fire in the night to light for them the way in which they should go.”

  • Once the Egyptians were no longer a problem there was the natural world
  • Every day the pillar of cloud protected them from the sun & heat
  • Every night the pillar of fire kept them warm & safe
  • These are no shabby miracles…they demonstrate God’s care for His people

13 “You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven and gave them right rules and true laws, good statutes and commandments, 14 and You made known to them Your holy Sabbath and commanded them commandments and statutes and a law by Moses Your servant.”

  • The coming down…condescending to the level of His people for RELATIONSHIP
  • God’s Ways, Will & Rules are the best possible thing for us: Right, True & Good!
  • They mention only one of all the commandments Sabbath [balance]
  • They place great importance on the Law of Moses [synopsis is ok but…]

15 “You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger and brought water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and You told them to go in to possess the land that You had sworn to give them.”

  • God supernaturally fed them and produced water…
  • God proves He takes care of His chosen people that walk with Him in relationship
  • God says: Go take this great land, I have promised it to your ancestors…

16 “But they and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not obey Your commandments. 17 They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that You performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt.”

  • Instead of dealing with the truth about God they presumed wrong things of Him
  • They forgot what God had done
  • They wanted to go back to slavery in Egypt…How about you?

“But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them. 18 Even when they had made for themselves a golden calf and said, ‘This is your god who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and had committed great blasphemies,”

  • God people declare God’s character!
  • He kept his part of the covenant relationship with them… even when they did not
  • Worst possible open rebellion!

19 “You in Your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud to lead them in the way did not depart from them by day, nor the pillar of fire by night to light for them the way by which they should go. 20 You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them and did not withhold Your manna from their mouth and gave them water for their thirst. 21 Forty years You sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.”

  • Even after ALL the evil things they did, God STILL continued to care for them!!!
  • The generation that rebelled did not enter but their children did

PRINCIPAL & APPLICATION

Constant exposure to God’s Word releases great joyousness & solemness. A Biblical relationship with Christ as His disciple is a balanced life of both.

Model Christ’s balance and share the joy & seriousness of life. [Jn. 1:14 & Rom.12:15]

PRINCIPAL & APPLICATION

Constant exposure to God’s Word in community will leads to humility before God that brings confession & worship. Scripture should lead us in our approach God.

Develop a habit of Word based Confession & Worship. [Ps. 139:23-24 & Hosea 14:1-2]

PRINCIPAL & APPLICATION

Constant exposure to God’s Word shows us how personally and supernaturally God protects and cares for His people in relationship. God promises to care for those He calls to be His people.

Trust God to provide rather than your planing and resources. [Philippians 4:12-13]

PRINCIPAL & APPLICATION

Constant exposure to God’s Word reminds us of our stubborn disobedience to God’s revealed expectations. Our need for ‘SELF’ is proven to be destructive.

Honestly hold Yourself to God’s standard not the world’s. [Romans 12:1-3]

PRINCIPAL & APPLICATION

Constant exposure to God’s Word shows us over and over again what a graceful, merciful, forgiving and loving God He is. He is bigger than our sin, just as He has always been!

Develop a habit of thanksgiving for God’s Grace in Christ. [1 Thess. 5:16-18]

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Nehemiah Pt. 11: The Water Gate Revival

Nehemiah 8:1-18 (ESV)

And when the seventh month had come, the people of Israel were in their towns. And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly (both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood <6 men> on his right hand, and <7 men> on his left hand. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood. And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. Also <13 men>, the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places. They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.

And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.

On the second day the heads of fathers’ houses of all the people, with the priests and the Levites, came together to Ezra the scribe in order to study the words of the Law. And they found it written in the Law that the Lord had commanded by Moses that the people of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month and that they should proclaim it and publish it in all their towns and in Jerusalem, “Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written.” So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate and in the square at the Gate of Ephraim. And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in the booths, for from the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day the people of Israel had not done so. And there was very great rejoicing. And day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God. They kept the feast seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the rule.

Summary Points:

– The church is the body of Christ. Not “my”, “your”, or “our” church. We belong to Him. He paid for us. He demands we submit to His authority as revealed in His Word.

– Obedience is practiced and learned. When you hear from God, obey promptly.

– There are many things the church should not attempt to do or to be, but one thing we must excel is this……read the Word, preach it, teach it, explain the text and the context, and exhort one another to live in its truth.

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