Nehemiah 7
Nehemiah leaves brothers to rule in Jerusalem verse 1- 3
Now it came to pass – when the wall was built and I had set up the doors
and the porters – and the singers – and Levites were appointed
that I gave my brother Hanani
and Hananiah the ruler of the palace
charge over Jerusalem
FOR he was a faithful man and feared God above many
And I said to them
Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot
and while they stand by – let them shut the doors
and bar them – and appoint watches of the
inhabitants of Jerusalem everyone in his watch
and every one to be over against his house
Nehemiah wanted houses rebuilt verse 4
Now the city was large and great
BUT the people were few therein
and the houses were not built
Nehemiah found a list of the leaders verse 5- 38
And my God put into mine heart to gather together the
nobles – rulers – people – that they might be reckoned
by genealogy
And I found a register of the genealogy of them which came up at the first
and found written therein – these are the children of the province
that went up out of the captivity
of those that had been carried away
whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon
had carried away – and came again
to Jerusalem and to Judah
every one unto his city
Who came with Zerubbabel – Jeshua – Nehemiah – Azariah – Raamiah
Nahamani – Mordecai – Bilshan – Mispereth – Bigvai
Nehum – Baanah
The number I say of these men of the people of Israel was this
the children of Parosh = two thousand an hundred seventy and two
the children of Shephatiah = three hundred seventy and two
the children of Arah = six hundred fifty and two
the children of Pahath-moab of the children of Jeshua and Joab
two thousand and eight hundred and eighteen
the children of Elam = a thousand two hundred fifty and four
the children of Zattu = eight hundred forty and five
the children of Zaccai = seven hundred and threescore
the children of Binnui = six hundred forty and eight
the children of Bebai = six hundred twenty and eight
the children of Azgad = two thousand three hundred twenty and two
the children of Adonikam = six hundred threescore and seven
the children of Bigvai = two thousand threescore and seven
the children of Adin = six hundred fifty and five
the children of Ater of Hezekiah = ninety and eight
the children of Hashum = three hundred twenty and eight
the children of Bezai = three hundred twenty and four
the children of Hariph = an hundred and twelve
the children of Gibeon = ninety and five
the men of Bethlehem and Netophah = an hundred fourscore and eight
the men of Anathoth = an hundred twenty and eight
the men of Beth-azmaveth = forty and two
the men of Kirjath-jearim – Chephirah – Beeroth
seven hundred forty and three
the men of Ramah – Gaba = six hundred twenty and one
the men of Michmas = and hundred and twenty and two
the men of Bethel – Ai = an hundred twenty and three
the men of the other Nebo = fifty and two
the children of the other Elam
a thousand two hundred and fifty and four
the children of Harim = three hundred and twenty
the children of Jericho = three hundred forty and five
the children of Lod – Hadid – Ono = seven hundred twenty and one
the children of Senaah = three thousand nine hundred and thirty
List of priest who returned to Jerusalem verse 39- 42
The priests the children of Jedaiah – of the house of Jeshua
nine hundred seventy and three
the children of Immer = a thousand fifty and two
the children of Pashur = a thousand forty and seven
the children of Harim = a thousand and seventeen
List of Levites who returned to Jerusalem verse 43- 45
The Levites – the children of Jeshua – Kadmiel – Hodevah = seventy and four
the singers [children of Asaph] = an hundred forty and eight
the porters the children of Shallum – Ater – Talmon – Akkub – Hatita
Shobai = an hundred thirty and eight
List of Nethinim verse 46- 56
The Nethinim – the children of Ziha – Hashupha –Tabbaoth – Keros
Sia – Padon – Lebana – Hagaba – Shalmai – Hanan – Giddel
Gahar – Reaiah Rezin – Nekoda – Gazzam – Uzza – Phaseah
Besai – Meunim Nephishesim – Bakbuk – Hakupha – Harhur
Bazlith – Mehida Harsha – Barkos – Sisera – Tamah
Neziah – Hatipha
List of children of Solomon’s servants verse 57- 60
The children of Solomon’s servants –the children of Sotai – Sophereth
Perida – Jaala – Darkon – Giddel – Shephatiah – Hattil
Pochereth – Zebaim – Amon
People who couldn’t prove their heritage verse 61- 65
All the Nethinim – and the children of Solomon’s servants were
three hundred ninety and two
And these were they which went up also from Tel-melah
Tel-haresha – Cherub – Addon – Immer – but they could not show
their father’s house – nor their seed – whether they were of Israel
the children of Delaiah – Tobiah – Nekoda
six hundred forty and two
And the priests – the children of Habaiah – Koz – Barzillai
which took one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite to wife
and was called after their name
These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy
but it was not found – therefore were they as polluted put from
the priesthood
And the Tirshatha [governor] said unto them
that they should not eat of the most holy things
till there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim
Total number of people and animals verse 66- 69
The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand
three hundred and threescore – besides their manservants
of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty
and seven – and they had two hundred forty and five
singing men and singing women
Their horses = seven hundred thirty and six
their mules = two hundred forty and five
their camels = four hundred thirty- five
six thousand seven hundred and twenty donkeys
Gifts given to the work verse 70- 72
And some of the chief of the fathers gave unto the work
The Tirshatha gave to the treasure a thousand drams of gold – fifty basins
five hundred and thirty priests’ garments
And some of the chief of the fathers gave to the treasure of the work
twenty thousand drams of gold
two thousand and two hundred pound of silver
And that which the rest of the people gave
was twenty thousand drams of gold
two thousand pounds of silver
threescore and seven priests’ garments
Some settled in Jerusalem verse 73
So the priests – Levites – porters – singers – some of the people – Nethinim
and all Israel – dwelt in their cities – and when the seventh month
came the children of Israel were in their cities
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 2 That I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem: for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many. (571 “faithful”[‘emeth] means firmness, truth, sureness, reliability, stability and continuance)
DEVOTION: Finished is a great word. Nehemiah had come to Jerusalem to build a wall around the city. He was the governor of the city. He led the people in the rebuilding of the wall. Now the job was complete. He had told the king how much time he wanted to build the wall. His job was DONE!!!
Now was the time to think about the rest of what needed to be done. He realized that the houses of the people had not been built. He realized that the population of the city was limited. He had to look for a solution to that problem but he had to return to serve the king.
Nehemiah had a brother who was capable of serving as governor of the city. He turned that position over to him. There was another man who was reliable that took charge of the palace. He described both men as being stable and ones that feared God above many.
There were other men who fit into this category but there were only a few to pick from in the community of Jerusalem. It was a sad but true fact. Most of the people still did not fear the LORD. They were not reliable. They were not consistent in their service to the LORD.
In this chapter Nehemiah takes a census to find out who is living in Jerusalem. He finds the list of those who returned from captivity. The list is long but important. It gave him a starting point for the re-population of the city of Jerusalem. It also told him those who could not show their heritage in Israel. The Israelites kept accurate records of genealogy. This can be found even in Israel today. This also gave him something to work with for the re-population of Jerusalem.
Once we accept a leadership responsibility for a specific task we need to follow through until it is complete. Once it is complete, we need to evaluate what comes next. Nehemiah was a detail oriented individual. He was looking at all his options. He had to return to the king but he wanted Jerusalem to last beyond his leadership.
When our tasks for the LORD are done, are we willing to move on? Are we training reliable men to take our place as leaders? Who would we pick to take our place when it is time to move on? We need to be thinking these thoughts.
One of the problems in the local church is that pastors and leaders are not training people to take their place. Sometimes we seem to think that we will live forever here on this earth. We think that we never get too old to be a leader who will have a vision for the future. The sad fact is that many people stay beyond their vision. The church loses vision and begins to die under their leadership. This should not happen if leaders are willing to train others and then move aside to let them lead. The leadership pool seems to be getting smaller in our local churches. We need men who are willing to lead with conviction in these troubling times.
Jesus trained twelve men to spread his message to the world. It worked!!! They did their job. Are we going to leave this world without training others to spread the message of the LORD? We should be either be willing to train or be willing to be trained.
CHALLENGE: Find out which type of individual you are and either train others or be trained yourself. Young leaders with proper training are needed today in the local church. Be a trainer or be trained – the future of your local church depends on it.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 3 And I said to them, Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot; and while they stand by, let them shut the doors, and bar them: and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, everyone in his watch, and everyone to be over against his house. (4931 “watches” [mishmereth] means guard, obligation, what is to be held in trust, service, duty, a person who keep watch over something or someone, custody, or observance)
DEVOTION: Nehemiah was concerned for security for the city of Jerusalem. He wanted them to practice safety in all their dealings with those who might try to enter the city of Jerusalem.
The gates were not to be opened during the hottest part of the day. The gates were to be barred when they were shut. There were to be guards made up of the residents of the city.
However, it was everyone’s duty to watch for those who might be enemies of the nation. So Nehemiah wanted to see everyone help keep the city safe from invasion or those who came to hurt the nation.
Each household had a responsibility to keep those in the city safe. Each home was to watch for anyone one who might not come in peace. This has to be true today as well.
There are many people who can come into our homes that do not honor the LORD and might cause members of our families to turn away from the LORD rather than toward HIM and serving HIM.
This can also be not only people coming into the home but also what video games we play in the home, what movies we watch in the home and even what television programs we allow to be watched in the home. We need to protect our homes from the influence of the enemy.
Our world can be dangerous if we are not watching what is happening around us at all times. We have to control what influences our families. It is not easy but it is needed to make sure our families learn to love the LORD with all their heart, soul and body.
The world doesn’t want this to happen but we should ask the LORD for help that the world is not in control of our homes.
CHALLENGE: Are you watching carefully what is happening in your home, town and church?
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: 5 And my God put into mine heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of them which came up at the first, and found written therein, (3187 “reckoned by genealogy” [yachas] means to have oneself enrolled in the genealogical list, enroll oneself, to cause one’s name to be recorded in genealogical tables, or be in a family register)
DEVOTION: Here we have Nehemiah practicing the presence of God in his life and once he had the presence of God he wanted to share what he was learning with the people. He wanted them to remember their roots. He wanted them to re-dedicate their lives to the LORD.
If they remembered their place in the kingdom of God it would help them take responsibility for what needed to be done in the area in which they lived. It would help them to understand who the enemy really was in their lives. The enemy didn’t want them to take personal responsibility for their actions in this rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem and their own homes.
We have a responsibility to make sure that we understand our responsibility to the LORD and to our families. We are building a home for our families. We want them to be homes that honor the LORD.
In understanding these fact we have to know that the enemy is real. He wants confusion in our lives while the LORD wants us to be focused on our responsibility to HIM and to each other as fellow followers of the LORD.
My goal and your goal is to see that we focus on reaching the goal of winning our family to make their homes something that honors the LORD throughout many generations. This takes work but the LORD knows if we are serious about our goals.
CHALLENGE: Turn your goals over to the LORD and make sure that HE can honor them and then realize that you have HIS help to reach them.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 65 And the Tirshatha said to them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim. (5975 “stood up” [‘amad] means to go up before, to stand in position, to stand respectfully before, to originate or come into being, or stop moving)
DEVOTION: The High Priest wore special garments in the service of the LORD. Part of the garment was the Urim and Thummim, which was consulted to find out what the LORD wanted done in a given situation. These were used to consult the LORD regarding HIS will regarding an issue.
Knowing the will of God in a given situation is always a challenge to those who genuinely want to serve the LORD today. We are not going to have the Urim and Thummim of the high priest of Israel to consult.
We have to go to the LORD in prayer and ask HIM to guide us regarding HIS will for our life. We can go to others to ask them what they think the LORD has gifted us to do in our service to HIM. We can try different ministries to see what the LORD would have us to do.
Ultimately it is our prayer life and the Holy Spirit opening and closing doors that allow us to know where the LORD wants us to serve HIM. Our goal is always to bring glory to HIM in whatever we do for HIM.
If you have a genuine desire to serve the LORD, HE will give you an answer. It might take HIM more time than we think HE should need to open the right door but we have to be patient in our time of prayer and waiting for HIS answer to our question of service.
CHALLENGE: Too often we can run ahead of God and really cause more problems than solutions to our area of service. Wait on the LORD.
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: 70 And some of the chief of the fathers gave unto the work. The Tirshatha gave to the treasure a thousand drams of gold, fifty basons, five hundred and thirty priests’ garments. (8660 “Tirshatha” [Tirshatha] means governor, Persian official title, honorable controller, or head of provincial government)
DEVOTION: Nehemiah had this title given to him by the king of Persia. He was the governor of the province of Judah. He was the one who had the power of the Persian government behind his decisions.
Now we find that he is about to leave Jerusalem to go back and report to the king of Persia. He is giving gifts to the treasury of the Temple. He is not one who is taking what he can get but giving as much as he can to continue the work needed to keep the nation serving the LORD.
There is a difference between those who are takers and those who are givers in our world today as well. There are some who want to be leaders to get as much as they can for their work. They are sometimes only interested in serving the LORD for a price.
Nehemiah served the LORD because he wanted to be a servant and giving is what a servant will do to cause the LORD’S work to advance. He didn’t take a salary. He didn’t lord it over the people of Jerusalem. He wanted to make sure that after he left there was enough to keep the city functioning in a way that would honor the LORD.
We need to make sure that our goal in service to the LORD is not the money but the ministry. If we are paid well or little it should not matter if we are faithful to the LORD. HE can provide through other means besides the ministry you are presently working in. Many times, we find that those outside the church or ministry give when they see the work honoring the LORD.
We have witnesses people leaving gifts in mailboxes or on the front porch at times. It is good to watch the LORD work to meet the needs of HIS faithful servants. Dependence on the LORD is not a bad thing. Too often we find individuals who set a price for their service and if the church or ministry doesn’t meet that price, they will look other places.
If someone is called of God to do a certain ministry the LORD will provide the needs of that individual as they remain faithful and not concerned about the financial concerns. HE is Jehovah-Jireh.
CHALLENGE: Enter every work God calls you to with the idea of being a giver and not a taker.
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Porters verse 1, 45
Singers verse 1, 44, 73
Levites verse 1, 43, 73
Priests verse 39- 42, 63,
70- 73
Nethinims verse 46, 60
Group put from the priesthood verse 64
Urim and Thummim verse 65
Gatekeepers verse 73
Temple servants verse 73
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign) verse 2, 5
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Nebuchadnezzar – king of BAbylon verse 6
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Appointed verse 1
Faithful verse 2
Fear God verse 2
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Nehemiah verse 1- 73
Setting of the doors
Faithful man
Feared God above many
Instructed brothers to make sure they
didn’t open the gates of city till
Sun was hot
Gathered all the people
Found register of genealogy
Tirshatha – told those who were not
Confirmed to not eat of holy things
Gave to the treasury
1,000 gold coins
50 gold basins
530 robes for the priests
Hanani and Hananiah – rulers of the palace verse 2
Brothers of Nehemiah
Jerusalem verse 2- 4, 6
City was large and great
Houses were not built
Appoint watches around their homes verse 3
Nobles -gathered verse 5
Rulers – gathered verse 5
People – gathered verse 5
Register of genealogy verse 5, 7- , 64
List of those who came again
to Jerusalem
Judah verse 6
People of Israel verse 7
Hezekiah verse 21
Solomon’s servants verse 57, 60
Whole congregation = 42,360 to Judah verse 66
Other leaders verse 71
Gave 20,000 gold coins
Gave 2,750 pounds of silver
for the work
Rest of the people gave
20,000 gold coins
2,500 pounds of silver
67 robes for the priests verse 72
Some people settled in Jerusalem while
Others to their own towns throughout
Israel verse 73
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
2548 תִּרְשָׁתָא (tiršātāʾ) Tirshatha. (ASV and RSV “governor”)
The word is attested five times in the ot (only in Ezr and Neh) and is always preceded by a definite article. It is a noun of Persian derivation meaning approximately “(His) Excellency, (His) Honor.” A comparison of Neh 8:9 with 12:26 demonstrates that it is the Persian functional equivalent of peḥâ “governor,” a noun of Akkadian derivation that appears in the latter verse. Nehemiah himself is the tiršātāʾ in Neh 8:9 and 10:1 [H 2]; an unnamed individual bears the title in Ezr 2:63 and Neh 7:65, 69. If the latter was a native Persian, it is noteworthy that he nevertheless concerned himself with religious as well as political matters among a people some of whom were unable to prove their Israelite ancestry. Nehemiah’s own role as governor likewise did not prevent him from taking an active part in the spiritual life of his people. To this day, he serves as a parade example of a dedicated political leader who, though bearing an alien title, acted uncompromisingly whenever and wherever spiritual issues were at stake. (Youngblood, R. F. (1999). 2548 תִּרְשָׁתָא. R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed., pp. 981–982). Chicago: Moody Press.)
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Exodus 28:30 Urim and the Thummim. The etymological source of these two terms, as well as the material nature of the objects represented by them, cannot be established with any degree of finality. Clearly two separate objects were inserted into the breastpiece and became thereby an essential part of the High-Priest’s official regalia. Aaron and his successors bore over their heart “the judgment of the sons of Israel,” i.e., “judgment” in the sense of giving a verdict or decision. The passages in which the terms appear (Lv 8:8; Nu 27:21; Dt 33:8; 1Sa 28:6; Ezr 2:63; Ne 7:65) and those which record inquiries of the Lord when a High-Priest with the ephod was present (Jos 9:14; Jdg 1:1, 2; 20:18; 1Sa 10:22; 23:2, 4, 10–12; 1Ch 10:14) allow for the following conclusions: 1) that these two objects represented the right of the High-Priest to request guidance for the acknowledged leader who could not approach God directly, as Moses had done, but had to come via the God-ordained priestly structure, and 2) that the revelation then received gave specific direction for an immediate problem or crisis, and went beyond what could be associated with some sort of sacred lots providing merely a wordless “yes” and “no” response. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Ex 28:30). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
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URIM AND THUMMIM Two untranslated Hebrew words that might mean “lights and perfections.” They refer to some kind of stones or tokens that the ancient high priests of Israel used for discovering the will of God (Nm 27:21). They were probably like dice or coins that had to land upright or upside down. According to Exodus 28:30, they were kept on or in the breastpiece of the high priest. They are not mentioned from the time of Saul (1 Sm 28:6) until the time of Ezra and Nehemiah (Ezr 2:63; Neh 7:65), when they were used for reaccrediting returned priests. In 1 Samuel 14:41 (rsv, niv mg, nlt mg), the Greek translation preserves what may have been lost from the Hebrew original, a mention of them in connection with Saul’s effort to determine guilt in his army. That they could give answers to true-false or yes-no questions is evident from this verse. Hence, the system was probably akin to casting lots.
None of the major spiritual leaders (e.g., Abraham, Moses, David, or the prophets) ever used them for determining the will of God, and there is no mention of them in the NT. The Urim and Thummim belonged to the nation Israel in its developing years, not when there were prophets and surely not once the Holy Spirit was available to believers. (Elwell, W. A., & Comfort, P. W. (2001). In Tyndale Bible dictionary (pp. 1281–1282). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.)
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FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
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THE NAME OF GOD
I have manifested thy name! John 17:6
In Scripture the name always stands for the character; it represents what a person really is. Let me remind you of some of the names that are used for God in the Scriptures. God is given the name Jehovah-nissi “the Lord Our Banner” in Exodus 17:15. That is the name He revealed to the children of Israel after a great victory, a victory won not by their own strength, nor by their own military prowess, but because God enabled them to obtain the victory the Lord Our Banner.
You and I have enemies to meet in this world sin and temptation. The world is full of these subtle enemies, and behind them all is the devil himself with all his power. Do you know what it is to be attacked by him? Do you know, for example, what it is to have blasphemous thoughts insinuated into your minds? The saints of God have had to experience that. The devil hurls fiery darts, says Paul, and who are we to meet such a foe? We are small and weak and helpless, but thank God, we know One whose name is Jehovah-nissi, the Lord Our Banner, who can help us smite every foe and rout and conquer every enemy.
But let me give you another: Jehovah-shalom, The Lord Is Peace. That was the name by which God revealed Himself to Gideon. Gideon was fearful and unhappy, but God told him that He was Jehovah-shalom (Judges 6:24), and this is one of the most precious promises. It does not matter what kind of turmoil you are in or how heart-sore you may be. If you are beside yourself and cannot understand why things are happening to you, go to Him. He has promised to give you peace. Remember that noble statement in Hebrews 13:20, “the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus.” Jehovah-shalom: The Lord Is Peace! He makes peace with His people.
A Thought to Ponder: We know One whose name is Jehovah-nissi, the Lord Our Banner. (From Safe in the World, pp. 46, 51-52, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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The Finger of God
“This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.” (John 8:6)
During His earthly ministry, Jesus never wrote a book or any other document, so far as we know, but it is recorded that He wrote with His own finger in the sand and that what He wrote turned away those who had sought to stone a woman caught breaking one of God’s Ten Commandments.
The woman was repentant, however, and Jesus forgave her, evidently indicating this by what He wrote with His finger on the ground. This He could do because He, as God, had written this very commandment Himself with His own finger long before. “And he gave unto Moses . . . two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God” (Exodus 31:18). Moses testified: “And the LORD delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of God; and on them was written according to all the words, which the LORD spoke with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly” (Deuteronomy 9:10).
There are only two other references to the “finger of God” in the Bible. When the Lord through Moses brought the great plagues upon Egypt, Pharaoh’s magicians were able to imitate Moses’ first few miracles, but soon their deceptive “magic” could no longer compare, and they had to confess, “This is the finger of God” (Exodus 8:19).
There is one final mention of God’s finger in the New Testament. When the Pharisees charged that His power to cast evil spirits out of demon-possessed people had been given to Him by Satan, He affirmed rather, “I with the finger of God cast out devils” (Luke 11:20). Jesus is able both to forgive sins and to defeat Satan because He is the Creator of the universe and all its laws. (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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This Is the Church
They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ACTS 2:42
I hope you’re already part of a church family—not as a spectator but as a committed, involved participant in a community of followers of Jesus Christ. But if you’re not, here are five things you should look for as you consider establishing yourself in a church. If you’re already an active member and any of these things are lacking in your congregation, consider what you can do and how you can be praying for these characteristics to blossom there:
1. Is it anchored in the Scriptures? Is the Bible clearly taught as the authoritative Word of God? Is the gospel of Jesus Christ the anchor, motivating you to live and proclaim the transforming grace of God in every area of
your life?
2. Does it have a sense of community? Is there a connectedness between people when the service is over on Sunday morning? Does there seem to be authenticity and honesty in the relationships?
3. Is it characterized by worship? Today’s culture is incredibly self-centered. You need an interruption in your week to jerk you out of that stream and say, “There’s something much bigger than me going on here. Life is not about me; it’s about who God is and what He’s doing.”
4. Is there opportunity for involvement? Is this a church where you’re encouraged to minister to others? One of the greatest joys of life is to be used by the Lord God Almighty in another human being’s life.
5. Does it build men? I’m not minimizing ministry to women and children, but a lot of the struggles in our families and culture could become points of victory if men were equipped with a vision for manhood and were living it out. (Moments with You Couples Devotional by Dennis and Barbara Rainey)
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Nathan Wagner writes (MI): It’s a gift to joyfully recognize and accept our own smallness and ordinariness. Then you are free with nothing to live up to, nothing to prove, and nothing to protect. Such freedom is my best description of Christian maturity, because once you know that your “I” is great and one with God, you can ironically be quite content with a small and ordinary “I.” No grandstanding is necessary. Any question of your own importance or dignity has already been resolved once and for all and forever.”
Rohr, Falling Upward
The Christian Story defines the source of our identity, worth, and purpose and as a result offers greater security, confidence, and empowerment than any other story out there.
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We do not think ourselves into new ways of living, we live ourselves into new ways of thinking.” Richard Rohr, Falling Upward
Direction is greater than intention
Pattern is greater than promise
Choices are greater than circumstances
Preparedness is greater than readiness
Movement is greater than motivation
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We now have a Facebook page for Small Church Ministries – please invite others to join us on Facebook. Thank you. Look for the logo from the devotionals.