Today’s thought “Joining with their brothers” (November 22)

Real Christians should separate themselves from the world like God’s Chosen People also separated itself. The Hebrew people in the time of Ezra separated itself from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, their daughters, all who had knowledge and understanding, and joined with their brothers, their nobles, to 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 Most High Lord God Host of hosts and his rules and his statutes. {Nehemiah 10:28-29}

In how far do Christians want to go to serve their master teacher Jesus Christ and in serving Jehovah God?

As lovers of the Only One True God we should abandon any thought of multiple gods and worship of saints. In the World of God there is no place for other gods than Him.

“ I am Jehovah thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of {1 } bondage. {1) Heb bondmen } Thou shalt have no other gods {1 } before me. {1) Or besides me } (De 5:6-7 ASV)

Having only One God, as Jews, only worship That One God of Israel, we as followers of Christ should also keep to that God of Israel or God of Abraham, Who is the Unseen eternal Spirit Being God.

In yesterday’s reading we could read that all the officials, Levites, and priests made a “firm agreement in writing”. In today’s chapter we find a list of the names of those who signed. In chapter 12 we shall find the clan leaders of the priests who served under the High Priest Joiakim {Nehemiah 12:12-21}. We can find a lot of names of men who were willing to act as a servant of God. The people around those servants were fully aware of the serious matter to listen and to keep to the writings in the scrolls. For all of them (not just men as usual, but the women and children too) it was a serious covenant that they took “a curse and an oath to walk in God’s law”. They vowed to do all the commandments of Jehovah God and His ordinances and statutes.

From this chapter we also learn how they were aware that they had to fulfil duties and should be joining with each other to form units to read the Bible together and to discuss the writings. As lovers of God and lovers of Christ we too have to think seriously how we can contribute to the religious community. Remembering there is more than just us in this world, we should be willing to come up for and help others. That help shall have to be in different ways, first by helping to build up the spirit, by sharing the word of God, further contributing for all the needs there might be in the community of believers.

For those of us who believe, it is our responsibility to share the gifts from God and to share the gospel with those who are hungry and thirsty. From the Book of Nehemiah we can see how people were aware and took up their duties to be an acceptable servant of God. Just as the people in Nehemiah worshipped with great reverence as Ezra read from the Law of Moses we should join hands and joyfully come together for Bible reading and for praising our Most High God.

The sacrificial system established through Moses was an intricate, even burdensome, system of sacrifices that required a large population’s offerings to keep it moving as laid out. Their legal contract was signed and sealed. It is obvious that Nehemiah felt it important to make the people’s obedience to the sacrificial system legally binding. The sacrificial system had been in place for roughly a thousand years. Time and time again it fell apart and became given over to various forms of religious and political corruption. That was part of Nehemiah’s “recounting” in yesterday’s chapter. So, Governor Nehemiah decided to try a legally binding agreement to try and keep people in line. But from the other books in the Bible we can see that this failed too.

Being people who can fail we only can try to do our best, and that is what we should go for. We also can try to have others come to see that Jesus is the way to God, but it is up to them to believe it or not. We also should know that we all have to make our own personal choice. There has to be ‘conviction of sin’ (ch. 8) that leads to ‘confession of sin’ (ch. 9) and results in a (renewed) covenant with God (ch. 10). There has to be submission to the curse that God promised would come on those who did not keep His Word (Ne 10: 29; Deut. 28:15-68).

Whatever might have happened, the people promised never to neglect the House of God, and that duty is also what we should not forget for ourselves.

“ For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the heave-offering of the grain, of {1 } the new wine, and of the oil, unto the chambers, where are the vessels of the sanctuary, and the priests that minister, and the porters, and the singers: and we will not forsake the house of our God. {1) Or the vintage } (Ne 10:39 ASV)

This time we should try to have our commitment to God not so short-lived as that of our predecessors. We may never forget that the authenticity of obedience is found in the heart. And that heart should be engulfed in love for God’s Word and Guidance.

Preceding

Today’s thought “All the people were attentive” (November 20)

Today’s thought “Reading clearly” (November 20)

Today’s thought “Great the mystery of godliness” (November 21)

Today’s thought “Word of the Only One God – To be read and listened at” (November 21)

Today’s thought “The Only One God Who is the great, the mighty, and the awesome God” (November 21)

Today’s thought “Nourished in the words of the faith not falling away from the faith” (November 22)

Thought for those who think it is not necessary to do any works any more