The Promise Nehemiah 10

Nehemiah 10:39 "For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the corn, of the new wine, and 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."

The first 27 verses of this chapter are those who signed/sealed the promises made. Nehemiah is at the top of the list. There are other well known names, Daniel for one. I do not know if it is the same Daniel we all know. Maybe we will learn that later. The Levite Jeshua is there, we have seen his name before.

The balance of the chapter tells of the various promises made. I find that they are those included in the law and that in the past the children of Israel said they would do. Nevertheless, it is not bad to renew vows so long as they are kept. Here are some highlights:

v32 "...to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God"

v34 "...cast the lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, for the wood offering..."

v35 "...bring the firstfruits..."

v36 "Also the firstborn of our sons, and of our cattle..."

v37 "And that we should bring the firstfruits of our dough..."

v38 "...Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes..."

Then we go back to the verse at the first where they promise to never forsake the house of God.

We can see in our day and read about them in the New Testament how priests and ministers have worked up rules and regulations outside the Bible attempting to explain what is already written and sometimes changing the instructions. With all the writing, I think, sometimes the original meaning is totally changed. We should always go back to the source document.

Psalm 122:1 "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD."

The promise to do right by the house of the LORD.

Ezra's Authority Ezra 7

v6 "This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him."

Artaxerxes, king of Persia, gave Ezra the authority to take anyone who wanted to go with him, to Jerusalem. He also had legal authority to exact judgment on anyone who hindered or did not obey his commands in building the house of the LORD. He also had authority over the treasures to be taken to Jerusalem. It was a monumental task and the LORD had put in the heart of the king to give him the monumental power to fulfill the task. Ezra traced his roots all the way back to Aaron. He also studied to know the law.

v10 "For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments."

We must remember that it has been 70 years. Many of those carried away have died and their children were raised in a foreign land. They probably were not all taught the law.

Here is the blank check given to Ezra

v18 "And whatsoever shall seem good to thee and to thy brethren, to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do after the will of your God."

v23 "Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven; for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?

Ezra does not take credit for getting all this accomplished.

v27 "Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem. v28 And hath extended mercy unto me..."

Ezra was a scribe, although I have had trouble figuring out the sequence of events and kings, it seems to me that the first part of Ezra is Ezra's description of what happened, then in this chapter he starts to tell the story from a personal point-of-view. I am not sure about that though.

Zechariah 6:15 "And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the LORD, and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts, hath sent me unto you. And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God."

Ezra's authority to build the temple.