02 february 22, 2015, nehemiah 10;28-39 commit your way to the lord

Nehemiah 10: 28-39Commit Your Way to the LORD

February 22, 2015FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH

JACKSON, MISSISSIPPIUSA

Whats the number one thing?

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The Glory of God!

1 Corinthians 10:31 NKJV31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

SAVE THE DATE

Tuesday, March 24th,

6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

BOOMERS AND BITES

COVERED DISH NIGHT

IN 7 METRO JACKSON COMMUNITIES

LOCATIONS WILL BE

ANNOUNCED NEXT WEEK

A Great opportunity to connect with

people that live in your neighborhood!

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We have three challenges that the Education Department has placed before us in 2015:

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1.) Memorize the monthly memory verse and know each month we are hiding Gods Word in our heart.

February Memory Verse:Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

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2.) Share your faith with one person each month and build a relationship with them, so they will become a believer in 2015 as God uses you to plant seeds with that person.

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3). Ask two Sunday School class members to share how they have seen God at work during the week.

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Except through Me

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Next week:

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One Day at a Timeby William MacDonald

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The Bible Exposition Commentary (BE Series) - Old Testament

Warren Wiersbe

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Nehemiah knew that there was a desperate need for the people to come back to the Lord and turn away from their secret sins that were grieving Him.

There could have been no better time for Nehemiah to call the people together to honor the Word of God, confess their sins, and dedicatethemselves and their work to the Lord.


What began with concern (Neh. 1) led to construction (chaps. 2-3) and conflict (chaps. 4-7); and now it was time for consecration (chaps. 8-12).

It was now the seventh month (Oct.-Nov.), when Israel was expected to celebrate the fall feasts:the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:23-44).

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Colossians 2:16-17 NKJV16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.

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Things appear to be falling apart when in reality they are falling into place!

Luke 21:25-36 NKJVThe Coming of the Son of Man

25 And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring;

26 mens hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

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28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.

The Parable of the Fig Tree29 Then He spoke to them a parable: Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30 When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near.

31 So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.

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33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

The Importance of Watching34 But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.

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35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.

36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.

Luke 21:25-36 NKJV

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2 Timothy 4:7-8 NKJV7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.


The Crown of Righteousness We inherit this crown through the righteousness of Christ which is what gives us a right to it, and without which it cannot be obtained.

Because it is obtained and possessed in a righteous way, and not by force and deceit as earthly crowns sometimes are, it is an everlasting crown, promised to all who love the Lord and eagerly wait for His return.

Through our enduring the discouragements, persecutions, sufferings, or even death, we know assuredly our reward is with Christ in eternity (Philippians 3:20).

Philippians 3:20 NKJV20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

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This crown of righteousness is not for those who depend upon their own sense of righteousness or of their own works.

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Such an attitude breeds only arrogance and pride, not a longing, a fervent desire to be with the Lord.

To love His appearing means to live in the light of His coming, to behave as if He were coming today.

Thus, to love His appearing means to live in moral purity. (see 1 John 3)

1 John 3:2-3 NKJV2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

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To love His appearing means to stay disentangled from the things of this life. (see Colossians 3)

Colossians 3:1-2 NKJV1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

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To love His appearing means to serveGod's people, giving them "food in due season. (see Matthew 24)

Matthew 24:45-51 NKJVThe Faithful Servant and the Evil Servant

45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Master made ruler over His household, to give them food in due season?

46 Blessed is that servant whom his Master, when he comes, will find so doing. 47 Assuredly, I say to you that He will make him ruler over all his goods. 48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, My Master is delaying His coming,

49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, 50 the Master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for Him and at an hour that he is not aware of,

51 and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 24:45-51 NKJV

The Lord pronounces a special blessing on those who are serving His people when He comes.

It means that we won't do anything that we would not want to be found doing when He appears.

We would not go anywhere that would cause shame at His coming. We would not say anything that

would be offensive in His presence. If you knew Christ were coming in a

week, how would you spend the intervening days?

Does it mean you would give up your job, go to a mountaintop and spend all day reading the Bible and praying?

Does it mean you would go into "full-time Christian work," preaching and teaching day and night?

If we are really walking with the Lord today and living in the center of His will, it would mean carrying on as usual. If, however, we are living for self,

then it would require some revolutionary changes.

To love His appearing does not just mean to have kind thoughts about the Savior's return.

The crown of righteousness is reserved for those who love it enough to let the truth mold their lives.

It is not enough to hold the truth about His coming; the Truth must hold us.

What is going on in our world today and what does that have to do with Nehemiah 10?

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Psalm 83 War

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Ezekiel 38 War

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King Felipe VI and Queen Letzia

In June 2014, Felipe and Letizia became the first Spanish monarchs to invite LGBT organizations.

He also changed the protocol in order to allow people to take the oath of office without a crucifix or Bible.

Daniel 11:36-37 NKJV36 Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done.

37 He shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all.

Daniel 11:36-37 NKJV

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An extraordinary young man who at 6-5 is a handsome figure that towersabove most people he meets.

Some say he speaks ten languages and is the biggest intellectualmonarch of the last 100 years.

Felipe is 47 years old.

He is known as King Felipe VI (King Philip VI).

His namesake, King Felipe V, was the first Spanish king to claim the title King of Jerusalem in the 1700s.

Of the potential claimants today to the title, King of Jerusalem,on the basis of (disputed) inheritance of the title -Felipe VI, current king of Spain, is the leading candidate.

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Watch for Felipe VI to become increasingly involved in the peace process in the Middle East.

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Birds of prey will eat the dead flesh of the enemy armies that fall in battle against Israel (Ezekiel 39:4, 17; Revelation 19:17).

Israel is the bird migration capital of the world.

During the spring and fall migrations, billions of birds fly over Israel.

Many of these migratory birds are raptors carrion (dead flesh) eating birds of prey.

In fact, 34 species of raptors migrate over Israel.

God is miraculously rebuilding the flocks of birds of prey who feast primarily on carrion, the vulture being most common.

Ezekiel 39:17-20 NKJV17 And as for you, son of man, thus says the Lord GOD, Speak to every sort of bird and to every beast of the field:

Assemble yourselves and come;Gather together from all sides to My sacrificial meal Which I am sacrificing for you, A great sacrificial meal on the mountains of Israel,That you may eat flesh and drink blood.

18 You shall eat the flesh of the mighty,Drink the blood of the princes of the earth,Of rams and lambs,Of goats and bulls,All of them fatlings of Bashan.

19 You shall eat fat till you are full,And drink blood till you are drunk,At My sacrificial mealWhich I am sacrificing for you.

20 You shall be filled at My tableWith horses and riders,With mighty menAnd with all the men of war, says the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 39:17-20 NKJV

Luke 21:36 NKJV36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.

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Nehemiah 10:28-39 NKJVThe Covenant That Was Sealed28 Now the rest of the peoplethe priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Nethinim (Temple assistants), and all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, everyone who had knowledge and understanding

29 these joined with their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse and an oath to walk in Gods Law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes:

30 We would not give our daughters as wives to the peoples of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons;

31 if the peoples of the land brought wares or any grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we would not buy it from them on the Sabbath, or on a holy day; and we would forego the seventh years produce and the exacting of every debt. (Shemitah)

32 Also we made ordinances for ourselves, to exact from ourselves yearly one-third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God:

33 for the showbread, for the regular grain offering, for the regular burnt offering of the Sabbaths, the New Moons, and the set feasts; for the holy things, for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and all the work of the house of our God.

34 We cast lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, for bringing the wood offering into the house of our God, according to our fathers houses, at the appointed times year by year, to burn on the altar of the LORD our God as it is written in the Law.

35 And we made ordinances to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, to the house of the LORD;

36 to bring the firstborn of our sons and our cattle, as it is written in the Law, and the firstborn of our herds and our flocks, to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God;

37 to bring the firstfruits of our dough, our offerings, the fruit from all kinds of trees, the new wine and oil, to the priests, to the storerooms of the house of our God; and to bring the tithes of our land to the Levites, for the Levites should receive the tithes in all our farming communities.

38 And the priest, the descendant of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive tithes; and the Levites shall bring up a tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, to the rooms of the storehouse.

39 For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the grain, of the new wine and the oil, to the storerooms where the articles of the sanctuary are, where the priests who minister and the gatekeepers and the singers are; and we will not neglect the house of our God.

Nehemiah 10:28-39 NKJV

After We Say "Amen"In a certain church, there was a man who always ended his prayers with, "And, Lord, clean the cobwebs out of my life! Clean the cobwebs out of my life!"

One of the members of the church became weary of hearing this same insincere request week after week, because he saw no change in the petitioner's life.

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So, the next time he heard the man pray, "Lord, clean the cobwebs out of my life!" he interrupted with, "And while You're at it, Lord, kill the spider!"

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It's one thing to offer the Lord a passionate prayer of confession, such as we have in chapter 9, and quite something else to live an obedient life after we say "Amen."


But the people in the assembly were serious about their praying and were determined, by God's grace, to make a new beginning and live to please the Lord.

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The Lord is able to keep us from stumbling (Jude 24); but if we do stumble, He is able to lift us up and get us going again.

"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand" (Ps. 37:23-24 NKJV).

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 NKJV8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed

The nation had sinned, but now it was taking new steps of dedication and obedience.

But was their dedication real?

There are at least three evidences given in this chapter that these people really meant what they prayed.


These same evidences will be seen inour lives if our promises to the Lord are sincere.

1. Submission to the Word of God (Neh. 10:1-27, 29)

2. Separation as the people of God (Neh. 10:28, 30-31)

3. Support for the house of God (Neh. 10:32-39)

1. Submission to the Word of God (Neh. 10:1-27, 29)With Nehemiah's name heading the list, eighty-four persons put their seal on the covenant that they made with the Lord.

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This list included: priests (vv. 2-8), Levites (10:9-13), and the leaders of the people (vv. 14-27).

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All the people who had heard the Word of God read and explained were now committing themselves to obey what they had heard.

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Putting a seal on this document was a serious matter because it meant taking a solemn oath before the Lord (v. 29; see 5:13).

They had heard Ezra read this passage from Deuteronomy: "All of you stand today before the Lord your God: your leaders and your tribes and your elders and your officers, all the men of Israel, your little ones and your wives ...

that you may enter into covenant with the Lord your God, and into His oath, which the Lord your God makes with us today, that He may establish you today as a people for Himself, and that He may be God to you, just as He has spoken to you, and just as He has

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sworn to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" (Deut. 29:10-13).

The law governing vows and oaths is found in Numbers 30 and is introduced with these words: "When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said" (v. 2).

Since an oath involved the name and possible judgment of God, it was not to be taken lightly. Jesus warned against using empty

oaths (Matt. 5:33-37; 23:16-22), and Solomon gave a similar warning (Eccl. 5:1-7).

Should believers today bind themselves with oaths as they seek to walk with the Lord and serve Him? Probably not. Our relationship to the Lord is that of

children to a Father, and our Father wants our obedience to be based on love.

There are not any examples in the New Testament of believers taking oaths of obedience to the Lord.

Our obedience should be a joyful response to all that He has done for us in Christ (Colossians 3:1-2).

Colossians 3:1-2 NKJV1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.


We don't succeed as Christians because we make promises to God, but because we believe the promises of God and act upon them.

Oaths are often based on fear ("I had better do it or God will judge me!"), and fear is not the highest motivation for godly living, although it does play a part (2 Cor. 7:1).

2 Corinthians 7:1 NKJV1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Ephesians 5:25-27 NKJV25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,

26 that He might sanctify and cleanseher with the washing of water by the Word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:25-27 NKJV

2. Separation as the people of God (Neh. 10:28, 30-31)The Jewish remnant was surrounded by idolatrous Gentiles, who wanted the Jews to become a part of their social, religious, and business society.

But the Law of Moses prohibitedGod's people from living like the Gentiles, although it didn't stop the Jews from being good neighbors or even good customers (see 13:15-22).

It was the ministry of the priests to teach the people "the difference between the holy and the common and show them how to distinguishbetween the unclean and the clean" (Ezekiel 44:23).

Separation is simply total devotion to God, no matter what the cost.

When a man and woman get married, they separate themselves from all other possible mates and give themselves completely to each other.

It is total commitment motivated by love, and it is a balanced decision: We separate from others to the one who is to be our life's mate. The Jews separated from the peoples

around them and to the Lord and His Word (Nehemiah 10:28; 9:2).

Nehemiah 10:28 NKJVThe Covenant That Was Sealed28 Now the rest of the peoplethe priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Nethinim (Temple assistants), and all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, everyone who had knowledge and understanding

They also united with their brothers and sisters in promising to obey the Law of God (v. 29).

Nehemiah 10:29 NKJV29 these joined with their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse and an oath to walk in Gods Law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes:


Separation that ignores God and other believers is isolation and will eventually lead to sin.

Only the Holy Spirit can give us the kind of balance we need to live a godly life in this ungodly world. The legalist wants to live by rules,

but that style of life only keeps you immature and dependent on your spiritual leaders.

The only way to grow in a balanced life is to give yourself totally to God and follow Him by faith.

Two special areas of concern were mentioned: marriage and the Sabbath.

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The danger in mixed marriages was the loss of faith on the part of the Jewish mate (Exodus 34:10-17).

Like some believers today who marry unbelievers, these Jews may have argued that marriage would give them opportunity to convert their mate to the true faith, although it is usually the other way around.


God had a great purpose for Israel to fulfill, and the Jews' compromise with sin polluted the nation (Mal. 2:10-16).

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God wanted a "pure seed" so that through Israel He could send His Son into the world to be the Savior, and mixed marriages only brought confusion.

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"As long as we love each other, it will work out!" is the argument many pastors hear from Christians who want to marry unsaved people.

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Do not be unequally yoked!

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 NKJV14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?

15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

I will dwell in themAnd walk among them.I will be their God,And they shall be My people.

17 Therefore

Come out from among themAnd be separate, says the Lord.Do not touch what is unclean,And I will receive you.

18 I will be a Father to you,And you shall be My sons and daughters,Says the LORD Almighty.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 NKJV

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But the question is not, "Will this marriage work out?"

but, "Will this marriage enjoy God's best blessing and fulfill God's will?"

"Will this union bring glory to God?"

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The observance of the Sabbath was a distinctively Jewish practice (Neh. 9:14; Ex. 20:8-11; 30:12-18); the Gentiles around Jerusalem would treat the seventh day of the week like any other day and want to socialize and do business.

While the Jewish Sabbath was not to be a day of bondage and misery, it was a day devoted to rest and contemplation of things spiritual. Do you remember how wrong it felt

here in Jackson when we quit observing the blue laws?

Today?

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It was a weekly reminder to the nation that they were Jews and had a special calling in the world.

Some of the Jewish merchants would be especially interested in getting business from the Gentiles, and to close up business on a day when people were shopping seemed a waste.

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Moses didn't spell out specific rules for observing the Sabbath, but there was a precedent for not engaging in unnecessary work.

They were not to light any fires on the Sabbath (Ex. 35:1-3), and one man was stoned because he gathered wood on the Sabbath (Num. 15:32-36).

The prophets sternly rebuked the Jews for violating the Sabbath (Jer. 17:19-27; Amos 8:4-6; Isa. 56:1-2; 58:13-14), because their disobediencewas a symptom of a deeper spiritual problem: rebellion against the Lord.

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The solemn affirmation of faith reported in this chapter also included observing the Sabbatical Year (Lev. 25:1-7, 20-22; Deut. 15:1-11).

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Every seventh year, the Jews were to let the land lie idle so that it might restore itself, an excellent principle of ecology.

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Of course, the people would need a great deal of faith to trust God for food for two years; but God promised to care for them.

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After seven Sabbatical Years, they were to celebrate the fiftieth year as a "Year of Jubilee" (Lev. 25:8ff); and this meant trusting God for food for threeyears.

The evidence is that the nation had not faithfully celebrated these special Sabbatical observances. This was one reason why God sent

them into Captivity (2 Chron. 36:21), that He might give the land seventy years of rest (Jer. 29:10).

2 Chronicles 36:21 NKJV21 to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.

Jeremiah 29:10-14 NKJV10 For thus says the LORD: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place.

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.

13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.

Jeremiah 29:10-14 NKJV

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This would compensate for some 490 years of disobedience on the part of the nation (7 x 70), one year for each neglected Sabbatical Year or Year of Jubilee.

For the Jewish remnant to promise to commemorate the Sabbatical Year was a great step of faith, for many of the people were poor and the nation faced repeated agricultural and economic depression.

Not to have extra produce for a whole year would certainly affect their business with the Gentiles around them. The people's willingness to obey

this law is a beautiful illustration of Matthew 6:33.

Matthew 6:33 NKJV33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.


The phrase "house of our God" is used nine times in this section and refers to the restored temple.

The people were promising God that they would obey His laws and provide what was needed for the ministry at the temple.

"We will not forsake the house of our God" (v. 39).

British expositor G. Campbell Morgan said: "Whereas the house of God today is no longer material but spiritual, the material is still a very real symbol of the spiritual.

When the Church of God in any place in any locality is careless about the material place of assembly, the place of its worship and its work, it is a sign and evidence that its life is at a low ebb" (The Westminster Pulpit, vol. 8, p. 315).

Morgan is right.

To be sure, God doesn't live in the houses in which we assemble to worship Him (Isa. 60:1-2; Acts 7:48-50), but the way we care for those buildings indicates what we think of our God (see Haggai 1).

Haggai 1:3-5 NKJV3 Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins? 5 Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways!

The restored Jewish temple didn't have the magnificence of the temple Solomon built (Ezra 3:8-13; Hag. 2:1-9), but it was God's house just the same and deserved the support of God's people.

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Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6).

1 Corinthians 6:18-20 NKJV18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.

19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit Who is in you, Whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are Gods.

1 Corinthians 6:18-20 NKJV

Their promised support was specific and involved four different areas of ministry:1) The temple tax (Neh. 10:32-33). 2) The wood offering (Neh. 10:34).3) The firstfruits (Neh. 10:35-37a). 4) The tithes (Neh. 10:37b-39).

The temple tax (Neh. 10:32-33).

The annual census of the people twenty years of age and older was accompanied by the collecting of a half-shekel tax to be used to support the ministry of the house of God (Exodus 30:11-16).

The tax was a reminder to the people that God had redeemed them and paid a price to set them free, and that they should behave like people who belonged to God.

The original tax was used to make silver sockets and hooks for the tabernacle (38:25-28), but in subsequent years it helped pay the expenses of the ministry.

Times were hard, so the leaders decided to adjust the tax and give a third of a shekel instead of a half.

(By the time our Lord was ministering on earth, the tax was back to half a shekel; Matthew 17:24-27.)

This temporary change didn't alter the meaning of the tradition or lessen the devotion of the people.

God's people must use their common sense as they seek to obey the Lord.

We must not put on ourselves burdens that God never expected us to carry (Acts 15:10), but neither should we look for the easiest and least demanding way to serve the Lord.

Nehemiah 10:33 describes how the money would be spent: to provide what was needed for the regular and special ministries at the temple, all of which were part of the "work of the house of our God."

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If the nation was to be in a right relationship with the Lord, the priests had to carry on their ministryfaithfully.

1 Peter 2:4-10 NKJV4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,

Behold, I lay in ZionA chief cornerstone, elect, precious,And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.

7 Therefore, to you who believe, He isprecious; but to those who are disobedient,

The stone which the builders rejectedHas become the chief cornerstone,

8 and

A stone of stumblingAnd a rock of offense.

They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.

9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

10 who once were not a people but arenow the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

1 Peter 2:4-10 NKJV

We today don't have to provide animals, grain, and other materials in order for the church to worship the Lord; but we do have to help maintain the work of the ministry.

This means paying salaries (Luke 10:7), sharing with the needy (1 Cor. 16:1-3), and being good stewards of all that God gives us (2 Cor. 8-9), so that the Gospel may be sent to the whole world.

"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matthew 6:21).

If we are walking with the Lord, we will want to do our part in supporting the ministry of the church where God has put us.

Their promised support was specific and involved four different areas of ministry.1) The temple tax (Neh. 10:32-33). 2) The wood offering (Neh. 10:34).3) The firstfruits (Neh. 10:35-37a). 4) The tithes (Neh. 10:37b-39).

The wood offering (Neh. 10:34).

Since the fire on the brazen altar was to be kept burning constantly (Lev. 6:12-13), it required a steady supply of wood; and wood was a precious commodity.

The leaders drew lots and assigned the various clans the times when they were to bring wood for the altar. That such a humble thing as wood

was important to God's service and could be sanctified for His glory is an encouragement.


Not everybody in Israel could be a priest or Levite, or donate lambs or oxen for sacrifices, but everybody could bring some wood and help keep the fire burning.

There are no special directions in the Law concerning this offering, but tradition says that certain days of the year were set aside for the people to bring wood to the sanctuary.

When God doesn't give us specific instructions, and we know there is a need to be met, we must figure out how to do the job.

Since the priests needed wood for the altar, and the people could provide it, an equitable system was worked out.

The firstfruits (Neh. 10:35-37a).

The Jews were taught to give God the first and the best, and this is a good example for us to follow today.

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Proverbs 3:9 NKJV9 Honor the LORD with your possessions,

And with the firstfruits of all your increase;

Because God saved the firstborn Jews from death in the land of Egypt, the firstborn of man and beast belongedto the Lord (Ex. 14:1-16; Lev. 27:26-27).

The pidyon haben or redemption of the first-born son is a mitzvah in Judaism whereby a Jewish firstborn son is "redeemed" by use of silver coins.

The redemption is attained by giving five silver coins to a Kohen (a descendant of the priestly family of Aaron).

The redemption price was set at 5 shekels (Numbers 3):

Numbers 3:46-48 NKJV46 And for the redemption of the firstborn of the children of Israel, 47 you shall take five shekels for each one individually; you shall take them in the currency of the shekel of the sanctuary, the shekel of twenty gerahs.

48 And you shall give the money, with which the excess number of them is redeemed, to Aaron and his sons.

Numbers 3:46-48 NKJV

The redemption has been seen as part of the natural shift from animal sacrifice to a money substitute.

Exodus 13:13b-16 NKJV13 And all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. 14 So it shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, What is this? that you shall say to him, By strength of hand the LORDbrought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

15 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all males that open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.

16 It shall be as a sign on your hand and as frontlets between your eyes, for by strength of hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt.

Exodus 13:13b 16 NKJV

Luke 2:22-24 NKJV22 Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord

23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the LORD), 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.

Luke 2:22-24 NKJV

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NKJV19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit Who is in you, Whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are Gods.

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The firstborn son had to be redeemedby a sacrifice (Ex. 34:19-20; Luke 2:22-24) because that child belonged to God.

Nowhere does Scripture tell us how much of the firstfruits the people were to bring to the temple (Ex. 23:19; 34:26), but the offering was to be brought before the people did anything else with their harvests.

These were stored for the use of the temple servants (Nehemiah 12:44).

No doubt the offering was to be measured by the blessing God had given to His people, as well as their devotion to Him.

The tithes (Neh. 10:37b-39).

The word tithe means "a tenth."

The Jews were to bring a tenth of their produce to the Lord each year for the support of the Levites (Lev. 27:30-34).

The Levites then gave a "tithe of the tithe" to the priests (Num. 18:25-32).

The Jews were also to tithe the 90 percent that was left and take it to the temple for the annual feasts (Deut. 26:1-11).

To these two tithes was added a third tithe, received every third year for the poor (vv. 12-15; 14:28-29).

When the spiritual life in Israel was at low ebb, there was little brought to the temple to support the ministry; and many of the Levites had to find other means of support.

In times of spiritual quickening, the people would bring their offerings, and there would be plenty(2 Chron. 31:1-12; Mal. 3:8-11).

While there is no express command in the New Testament that God's people should tithe today, proportionate giving is certainly commended (1 Cor. 16:1-3).

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We are stewards of God's wealth and must make wise use of what He shares with us (4:1-2).

If people under Old Testament Law could bring three tithes, how much more ought we to give today who live under the New Covenant of God's abundant grace?

2 Corinthians 9:8 NKJV8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, alwayshaving all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

Tithing can be a great blessing, but those who tithe must avoid at least three dangers: (1) giving with the wrong motive, out

of a sense of duty, fear, or greed ("If I tithe, God must prosper me!");

(2) thinking that they can do what they please with the 90 percent that remains;

(3) giving only the tithe and failing to give love offerings to the Lord.

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In light of all that God has done for us, how can we rob Him of the offerings that rightly belong to Him (Mal 3)?

Malachi 3:8-10 NKJV8 Will a man rob God?

Yet you have robbed Me!But you say,In what way have we robbedYou?In tithes and offerings.

9 You are cursed with a curse,For you have robbed Me,Even this whole nation.

10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,That there may be food in My house,And try Me now in this,Says the LORD of hosts,If I will not open for you the windows of heavenAnd pour out for you such blessingThat there will not be room enough to receive it. Malachi 3:8-10 NKJV

God didn't forsake His people when they were in need (Neh. 9:31), and they promised not to forsake the house of God (10:39).

Years before, the Prophet Haggai had rebuked the people because they were so busy taking care of their own houses they had neglected the house of God (Hag. 1:4); and this warning needs to be heralded today.

Where there is true spiritual revival, it will reveal itself in the way we supportGod's work, beginning in our own local church. It isn't enough to pray or even

commit ourselves to "faith promises" or pledges.

We must so love the Lord that generous giving will be a normal and joyful part of our lives.

Sir Winston Churchill said, "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."

Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matthew 6:21).

"We will not forsake the house of our God!" (Nehemiah 10:39)

Hebrews 11:6 NKJV6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

When we stand before the Lord, we will have to give an accounting of our lives before we can receive our rewards (Romans 14:7-12); and we want to be able to give a good account.

Romans 14:12 NKJV12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

1 John 2:18 NKJVDeceptions of the Last Hour

18 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.

1 John 2:28-29 NKJV28 And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. 29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.

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As we serve the Lord, we must always do our best; but without His help and blessing, even our best work will never last.

Psalm 127:1 NKJV1 Unless the Lord builds the house,

They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain.

John Wesley was right when he said that God buries His workers but continues His work.

We must not be discouraged! God has you here exactly when and

where He wants you.

Ephesians 3:14-15 NKJV14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,15 from Whom the whole family in Heaven and Earth is named,

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Finally, and most important, we must all be sure that we know we are in the family of God.

You enter God's family by receiving Jesus Christ as your own Savior, and this alone guarantees your entrance into Heaven (John 1:11-12; 3:16; 14:6).

1 John 5:11-13 NKJV11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

1 John 5:11-13 NKJV

No matter how much they argued or protested, the priests without legitimate genealogies (family) could not enter the temple precincts and minister at the altar.


God is not impressed with our first birth; what He wants is that we experience a second birth and become His children.

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If you are not certain of your spiritual genealogy, read John 3:1-18 and 1 John 5:9-13 and make sure that your name is written down in Heaven (Luke 10:20).

Luke 10:20 NKJV20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in Heaven.

The Plan of Hope & Salvation

John 3:16 NKJV16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 14:6 NKJV6 Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Romans 3:23 NKJV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 6:23a NKJV23a For the wages of sin is death,

Death in this life (the first death) is 100%. Even Jesus, the only one who doesnt deserve death, died

in this life to pay the penalty for our sins. The death referred to in Romans 6:23a is the second

death explained in Revelation 21:8.

Revelation 21:8 NKJV8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

Romans 6:23b NKJV23b but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5:8 NKJV8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Revelation 21:7 NKJV7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.

Romans 10:9-10 explains to us how to accept Jesus as our Savior.

Romans 10:9-10 NKJV9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Romans 10:13 NKJV13 For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.

If you have questions or would like to know more, Please, contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-979-1900 or http://firstbaptistjackson.org/contact/

02 february 22, 2015, nehemiah 10;28-39 commit your way to the lord

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