Category: Nehemiah

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Verses 14,22,31 capture the reason for the season, as they say: Remember me, O my God! Hallelujah! He has remembered us.

SJA Notes

* Merciful God, Your word tells us that a virgin conceived and bore a son, and His Name was Immanuel – You with us! Our King Jesus! Thank You Lord!

“Remember me, O my God, for good.”

Today we remember that our God is with us – Immanuel!

Nehemiah was fierce in his devotion to the Lord, to keeping God’s people directed toward God and His word.

But Nehemiah couldn’t solve our big problem.

Isaiah had already prophesied (by the time of Nehemiah) of a virgin birth, the Lord giving His people a sign.

Our God with us!

In Jesus we see this clear and true, powerful and effective – God’s word become flesh, dwelling among us, the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world.

And it is only in Him that we can know God, that we can be saved.

Jesus solves our big problem.

We remember Him at this time, His birth that brought angel choirs resounding song through the hills!

We remember Him, our God, because He remembered us – He knows us, He is with us!

Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

* Dear Lord God,

Please help us to fix our eyes on You today.

As we remember Your birth, God become man – Thank You for remembering us!

Thank You for taking on human form, for bearing the weight and guilt of our sin – So that we might be free, so that we might have life.

Amen.

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Key words are: dedication, thanksgiving, celebrate joyfully. Nehemiah records that the celebration could be heard kilometres away. Two choirs were used for this occasion. Choir work has a long record of service in the Church.

SJA Notes

* Dear God, just as Sheol and Abaddon lie open before You, so to do our hearts.

“And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.”

What a wonderful word this is!

To read of God’s people, directed by the king (David the man of God, referenced a number of times in this passage), rejoicing with great joy!

This is a word for us today – One to fill our hearts, that we are the spiritual house being built ready for Jerusalem above, where our joy will resound!

This is a good word to be encouraged with today.

* Almighty God,

You are the one true God, holy and righteous – There is none like You!

May we bear Your Name well today as we go about what You have in store for us.

Please write Your word on our hearts today.

Amen.

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

The Scots Covenanters took their practice of public or group covenants from passages such as this in chapter 10. The believers covenant to reform their lives and behaviour in certain specific areas. The list of settlers confirms for them and us the great fact that God has kept His promise through the Prophet Jeremiah – Jeremiah 29:10.

SJA Notes

* Almighty God, Your eyes are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.

“… And enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s law that was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord and his rules and his statutes.”

Here is the culmination of much of what we read in Ezra and Nehemiah.

All of God’s people come together. The elders, the teachers and preachers, the church administrators, the heads of the local and tribal/state and national governments, and all the people.

Together in one accord.

They covenanted many things. To keep the Sabbath holy. To refuse intermarriage with unbelievers. To give back to the Lord from what He had given to them. To keep God’s house.

They bound themselves in obligation to the Lord, willingly.

This is an important event.

So what happened in the years that followed?

By the time of Jesus, what had happened to these covenants?

It is the truth we see throughout the old testament.

We ourselves cannot keep covenant with God!

A generation might remain faithful, but then a new generation rises up and rejects the Lord!

But.

Praise God that in Jesus, God the son become flesh (dwelling amongst us) – He keeps both sides of His covenant with us – We live in His righteous keeping of the covenant!

And in Jesus we are able to walk in obedience under God’s sovereign will, striving day by day to walk in His paths, striving in His strength, with His wisdom, His word written on our hearts.

Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

* God Above,

Thank You for Jesus – In whom we have life!

Thank You for Your word – That we see in flesh in our Saviour, God in the Person of the Son, King Jesus.

Please help us to walk in obedience today Lord God, to do what You tell us to.

Amen.