Nov 26, 2022
NEHEMIAH 10-11:
The
returned exiles showed how sincere they were in following the Lord!
They gathered together for the express purpose of hearing the Law.
By this time their language had changed so much that they needed 13
Levites to explain what was said in the readings. The people wept
because they realized how far they were from obeying the Law of
Moses, and also for joy in hearing it. One month later, the leaders
gathered to explore the Law in more detail, and they found that
Israel had always neglected celebrating the Festival of Shelters.
They did that for the prescribed week with great joy. Ezra read the
Law to the people every day. Then afterward, there was a meeting
for confessing their sins including the long prayer in chapter 9.
This seems to have been an extra event, about one week after the
Festival of Shelters was over. After that prayer,
Neh. 9:38 NLT The people responded, “In view of all this, we are making a solemn promise and putting it in writing. On this sealed document are the names of our leaders and Levites and priests.”
ISAIAH 39:
After the prophet Isaiah told Hezekiah that he
would die, in 2nd King’s 20 we are told that Isaiah only managed to
get to the middle courtyard when the Lord’s message came answering
Hezekiah’s prayer. Fifteen years were added to Hezekiah’s life, and
he received the promise that the Assyrian king would not conquer
Jerusalem. In his poem of thanks, Hezekiah said:
Is.
38:15 NLT But what could I say?
For [God/he] himself sent this
sickness.
Now I will walk
humbly throughout my years
because of this anguish I have felt.
COLOSSIANS 3:
Note
the distinction about old Jewish religious laws that Paul made in
chapter 2, comparing them with the right standing true believers
obtain by union with Christ. We’re not in a religion anymore, we’re
in a new relationship with God through Christ. Those old religious
regulations had no ability to help one conquer our persistent evil
desires. Following the teachings in the New Testament does indeed
allow us to be freed from bondage to evil desires. One important
way this deliverance happens when we understand, believe, and
meditate upon spiritual realities such as those found in 2:13-15,
and 20-23. We read other keys recently in Philippians 3-4. And if
you are interested in more on this topic, I encourage you to follow
the reading plan I posted in Youversion/Bible.com called Buckling
the Belt of Truth.
GNT Translation
notes:
Neh. 10:1 [I,
Nehemiah son of Hacaliah, was the first to sign,//The first to sign
was the governor, Nehemiah son of Hacaliah,] and then Zedekiah
signed. The following also signed:
====
Col. 3:18 Wives, submit yourselves to your
husbands, for that is what [is appropriate for you who live in
union with Christ.//you should do as
Christians.]
20
Children, [0//it is your Christian duty to] obey your parents [in
everything they tell you//always], for that is what pleases [the
Lord//God].