Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
http://youtu.be/NK8VWcw8BOM “The Science is in!”
(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
Nehemiah 13:1–9, “On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever; Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing. Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude. And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah: And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests. But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem: for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon came I unto the king, and after certain days obtained I leave of the king: And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. And it grieved me sore: therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber. Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and thither brought I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meat offering and the frankincense.”
Even though Nehemiah came to Jerusalem and acted as the governor, he had another job, that of cup bearer to the king. The King respected Nehemiah and gave him a time limit on his leave of absence. Nehemiah had to go back to the king and do his other job as well. While Nehemiah was away, the people in Jerusalem did what they felt was best in the situation. However, they didn’t pay enough attention to the book of the Law. Israel was established to be a constitutional monarchy and, even though there wasn’t a king, in Israel, at that stage, the constitution was to be the final arbiter of rules, regulations and daily practice. Nehemiah came back from his service to the king and found out that one of the leading priests had ignored the constitution and set up an Ammonite in the Temple. The Ammonites were descendants of one of Lot’s daughters but, instead of treating Israel like close friends, they had treated Israel as enemies and tried to destroy them. Nehemiah found that the leading Ammonite in Jerusalem had been given quarters inside the Temple. He knew that this showed complete disregard to the Lord’s Law so he forced this man to leave the Temple area immediately
No comments:
Post a Comment