Priests and Levites:in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest, the teacher of the Law

Nehemiah 12:1-26

These were the priests and Levites who returned with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and with Joshua:

These were the leaders of the priests and their associates in the days of Joshua.

The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and also Mattaniah, who, together with his associates, was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving. Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, stood opposite them in the services.

Joshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiakim the father of Eliashib, Eliashib the father of Joiada, Joiada the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan the father of Jaddua.

And the leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their associates, who stood opposite them to give praise and thanksgiving, one section responding to the other, as prescribed by David the man of God.

 Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon and Akkub were gatekeepers who guarded the storerooms at the gates. They served in the days of Joiakim son of Joshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest, the teacher of the Law.

Why?
The names of the priests and Levites were written in the Bible, for the Lord remembers these servants, even the gatekeeper, for to be a servant of the Lord there is no position high or low but the heart of serving the Lord.

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記載了祭司和利未人的名單，表示尼西米重視以色列人宗教信仰，是神與人之間的橋樑。城牆建好，屬靈的導師要先把正統信仰建造起來，才不致重蹈覆轍。

城牆落成後獻詞、獻祭，利未人之前先潔淨自己，也潔淨百姓！城牆與城門也要潔淨，因為是聖城，要分別出來，與世界不同。

繞城遊行，是一種慶祝，會經過自己建造的地方，可以回想當時建造的困難，看到工作成果，神的恩典超越了這些攔阻。繞城是紀念神的工作。我們回想過去，同樣可以想起過去困難，神的恩典帶領我們。

繞城分成兩隊在聖殿獻詩、獻祭。獻詩中有婦女和孩童也一同歌唱。守門的也很重要，當年可拉等人質疑，為何只有亞倫家族可以獻祭，而小看自己擔任守門的職份！

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How?

May my heart and my mind be with the Lord and walling on the way of the Lord! May the Holy Spirit open my heart to know the meaning of God's word in the Bible.