The rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten of them to live in Jerusalem

Nehemiah 11:1-36

Now the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem. The rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten of them to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the remaining nine were to stay in their own towns. The people commended all who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.

These are the provincial leaders who settled in Jerusalem (now some Israelites, priests, Levites, temple servants and descendants of Solomon’s servants lived in the towns of Judah, each on their own property in the various towns, while other people from both Judah and Benjamin lived in Jerusalem).

From the descendants of Judah:  The descendants of Perez who lived in Jerusalem totaled 468 men of standing.

From the descendants of Benjamin: 928 men.

From the priests: Jedaiah; the son of Joiarib; Jakin; Seraiah son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the official in charge of the house of God, and their associates, who carried on work for the temple—822 men; Adaiah son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malkijah, and his associates, who were heads of families—242 men; Amashsai son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer, and his associates, who were men of standing—128. Their chief officer was Zabdiel son of Haggedolim.

 From the Levites: The Levites in the holy city totaled 284.

The gatekeepers: Akkub, Talmon and their associates, who kept watch at the gates—172 men.

Why?

At that time there were few people living in Jerusalem, and moving to Jerusalem everything had to start from the beginning, and there were many obligations to obey, So the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten of them to live in Jerusalem.

There are record written down of who stay in Jerusalem and how many people. Actually, it is a few people.

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移到耶路撒冷住的名單。可以從這些名單中看出一點說明，有些一樣。v4 記載一個家譜，亞他雅……先祖是誰，神也記念他們及其先祖，有盛大的榮耀，追到三、四代，猶太人已經流離失所，象徵性血統純正，血統沒有受外邦人影響，即沒有被世俗化。持守純正的信仰。

為何記載移居到耶路撒冷的名單?當時居住的人口少。顯然耶路撒冷城不是大家願意居住，治安不好，長年荒涼：生活機能不好，宗教與政治中心：是祭司與官員辦公的地方，不是大多人的家鄉。  移入居住為了守護這聖城。教會的事工、服事人員等也要為教會守望禱告，當我們對他們認識更多禱告更清楚，這要付代價。首領、便雅閔支派、猶大支派，利未支派的祭司和利未人，守門的人也是利未人。神看重守門的人。十人抽一人可能是北國的人。神的愛出於神的主權與恩典，北國雖然背逆神，但是神仍然存留一些北國的人。我們不能因為做什麼或是不做什麼，讓神愛我們或是不愛我們，這是神的主權。

稱為耶路撒冷為聖城，在舊約少有。因為住在這裏要犧牲，放下世人所想要的安全舒適便利，但是後來的恩典要大過這些，放下自己的享受……神必永遠記念他們。

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How?

Changing our living style is uneasy unless we love the Lord more than love this world. May my heart more closer to the Lord.