Friday, June 1, 2018

Remember me with favor, my God

Nehemiah 13:1-31
They were made responsible for distributing the supplies to their fellow Levites.
Remember me for this, my God, and do not blot out what I have so faithfully done for the house of my God and its services.
I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and go and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy.
Remember me for this also, my God, and show mercy to me according to your great love.
Must we hear now that you too are doing all this terrible wickedness and are being unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women?
Remember them, my God, because they defiled the priestly office and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.
I purified the priests and the Levites of everything foreign, and assigned them duties, each to his own task.
Remember me with favor, my God.
After 12 years as governor, Nehemiah goes back to the court of King Artaxerxes. He is there some time. On his return he finds abuses that threaten the law of God, the nation's identity and the priesthood. The people have already gone back on many of the promises so recently made to God.
The high priest of all people, has given Nehemiah's old enemy, Tobiah, quarters in rooms attached to the Temple, The income for the Levites has not been forthcoming. Sabbath laws are being flagrantly broken. And yet again the Israelites have contracted marriages with foreign women. Nehemiah utters scalding words and roars into action to clean up these situations.
The achievements of Ezra and Nehemiah in the crucial years following the return of their decimated nation from exile are notable. Without the teaching of the law, without the invincible faith and fearless action of these tow leaders, it is doubtful if a distinctive Jewish religions and community - with all that means for the wider world - could have survived. To this end their strong line on mixed marriage was essential. The objection to foreign women was not on the grounds of race, but because of their debased religions. History has taught them that the admixture of paganism,with its easy standards and its appeal to the lowest in human nature, could quickly bring the Jewish faith to the brink of extinction.
Why?
People because of human nature are easy forget their teaching and oath, so Nehemiah came back 12 years later, he purify the Levites, priests, the tithes to the servant of the Lord,.
Marriage with foreign women may caused Israelite distinguish, so it is notable event in history of Israel.
No only make great things but keep good behavior and always check it is running on the right track is very important.
How?
Keep working on the way of the Lord is an essential task to every Christian.


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