Participants: Kelly Mowrer
Series Code: HWAL
Program Code: HWAL000583
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00:15 Hello, and welcome to His Words are Life.
00:17 I'm Kelly Mowrer, and thank you for joining with me today 00:20 to read the word of God. Let's pray together before we start. 00:24 Our dear heavenly Father, thank you that we can come again and 00:28 sit quietly and hear the word that you have brought to us 00:33 down through the centuries, that will give meaning and strength 00:38 and faith, and wisdom, and council to each of us 00:42 in whatever we're facing. Please send your Holy Spirit 00:45 to open our hearts today and learn the lesson that you have 00:47 here for us. Thank you so much for loving us and for hearing 00:51 our prayer. We ask in your son's name. Amen. 00:54 We're reading in the book of Nehemiah, chapter 5, 00:58 and we're picking up as he's giving an account of some people 01:02 who have come to register a complaint with him, against 01:05 their brethren, the Jews. Starting in verse 4, 01:08 this is the King James Version. There were also that said, we 01:12 have borrowed money for the king's tribute, and that upon 01:16 our lands and vineyards. Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our 01:20 brethren, our children as their brethren: and, lo, we bring 01:23 into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, 01:26 and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already: 01:30 neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men 01:34 have our lands and vineyards. And I was very angry when I 01:38 heard their cry and these words. Then I consulted with myself, 01:42 and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, 01:46 Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great 01:52 assembly against them. And I said unto them, We after our 01:57 ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were 02:00 sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren? 02:05 or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, 02:10 and found nothing to answer. Also I said, It is not good 02:16 that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because 02:21 of the reproach of the heathen our enemies? I likewise, and my 02:26 brethren and my servants, might exact of them money and corn: 02:29 I pray you, let us leave off this usury. Restore, I pray you, 02:35 to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, 02:39 their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth part 02:43 of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye 02:46 exact of them. Then said they, We will restore them, and will 02:51 require nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest. 02:55 Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, 02:58 that they should do according to this promise. Also I shook 03:01 my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house, 03:05 and from his labor, that performeth not this promise, 03:08 even thus be he shaken out, and emptied. 03:11 And all the congregation said, Amen, and praised the Lord. 03:16 And the people did according to this promise. Moreover from the 03:21 time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of 03:24 Judah, from the 20th year even unto the two and thirtieth year 03:29 of Artaxerxes the king, that is twelve years, I and my brethren 03:34 have not eaten the bread of the governor. 03:36 But the former governors that had been before me 03:40 were chargeable unto the people and had taken of them bread and 03:43 wine, beside 40 shekels of silver; yea, even their servants 03:48 bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of the 03:53 fear of God. Yea, also I continued in the work 03:58 of this wall, neither bought we any land: and all my servants 04:03 were gathered thither unto the work. Moreover there were at my 04:08 table an hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers, 04:11 beside those that came unto us from among the heathen that are 04:15 about us. Now that which was prepared for me daily 04:19 was one ox and six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, 04:25 and once in ten days store of all sorts of wine: 04:29 Yet for all this required not I the bread of the governor, 04:33 because the bondage was heavy upon this people. 04:36 Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have 04:42 done for this people. - We're continuing Nehemiah's story 04:47 in chapter 6, and this is the King James Version. 04:50 Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah and Geshem 04:55 the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had 04:59 builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; 05:03 though at that time I had not set up the doors 05:06 upon the gates; that Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, 05:10 Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages 05:15 in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief. 05:19 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, 05:24 so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I 05:29 leave it and come down to you? Yet they sent unto me 4 times 05:33 after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner. 05:36 Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the 5th 05:41 time with an open letter in his hand; wherein was written, 05:45 It is reported among the heathen and Gashmu saith it, that thou 05:51 and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the 05:55 wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words. 05:59 And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at 06:03 Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah: and now shall 06:07 it be reported to the king according to these words. 06:10 Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together. 06:14 Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done 06:20 as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own 06:24 heart. For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands 06:27 shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. 06:30 Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands. Afterward I came unto 06:37 the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, 06:42 who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the 06:46 house of God, within the temple and let us shut the doors of the 06:50 temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night 06:53 will they come to slay thee. And I said, Should such a man as I 06:59 flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the 07:04 temple to save his life? I will not go in. And, lo, I perceived 07:09 that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy 07:14 against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 07:18 Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, 07:23 and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, 07:27 that they might reproach me. My God, think thou upon Tobiah and 07:33 Sanballat according to these their works, 07:35 and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, 07:39 that would have put me in fear. So the wall was finished 07:44 in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in 52 days. 07:48 And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, 07:52 and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, 07:55 they were much cast down in their own eyes: 07:59 for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God. 08:04 Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many 08:09 letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto 08:11 them. For there were many in Judah sworn unto him, because 08:14 he was the son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; 08:18 and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam 08:22 the son of Berechiah. Also they reported his good deeds before 08:27 me and uttered my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put 08:32 me in fear. - Continuing with Nehemiah's story in chapter 7. 08:37 And this is the King James Version. 08:38 Now it came to pass, when the wall was built, and I had set up 08:44 the doors, and the porters and the singers and the Levites were 08:47 appointed, that I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah 08:52 the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem: for he was a 08:55 faithful man, and feared God above many. 08:58 And I said unto them, Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened 09:02 until the sun be hot; and while they stand by, let them shut the 09:07 doors, and bar them: and appoint watches 09:09 of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every one in his watch, 09:13 and every one to be over against his house. 09:15 Now the city was large and great but the people were few therein, 09:20 and the houses were not builded. And my God put into mine heart 09:25 to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, 09:29 that they might be reckoned by genealogy. 09:33 And I found a register of the genealogy of them which came up 09:37 at the first, and found written therein, These are the children 09:41 of the province, that went up out of the captivity, 09:44 and of those that had been carried away whom Nebuchadnezzar 09:48 the king of Babylon had carried away, and came again to 09:52 Jerusalem and to Judah, every one unto his city; 09:57 And again as we do with the genealogies, we'll skip over 10:01 those listing of names - that listing of names to verse 64. 10:05 Nehemiah, chapter 7, picking up in verse 64. 10:09 These sought their register among those that were reckoned 10:14 by genealogy, but it was not found: therefore were they, 10:18 as polluted, put from the priesthood. 10:20 And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat 10:24 of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with 10:26 Urim and Thummim. The whole congregation together was 10:30 forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore, 10:32 Beside their manservants and their maidservants, 10:35 of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty 10:38 and seven: and they had two hundred forty and five singing 10:41 men and singing women. Their horses, seven hundred thirty 10:45 and six: their mules two hundred forty and five: 10:48 Their camels, four hundred thirty and five: 10:51 six thousand seven hundred and twenty asses. 10:54 And some of the chief of the fathers gave unto the work. 10:59 The Tirshatha gave to the treasure a thousand drams 11:02 of gold, fifty basins, five hundred and thirty priests' 11:05 garments. And some of the chief of the fathers gave to the 11:10 treasure of the work 20,000 drams of gold, 11:13 and 2,200 pounds of silver. And that which the rest of the 11:18 People gave was 20,000 drams of gold, and 2,000 pound of silver, 11:22 and threescore and seven priest's garments. 11:25 So the priests and the Levites and the porters, and the singers 11:29 and some of the people, and the Nethinims, and all Israel, dwelt 11:34 in their cities; and when the 7th month came, the children 11:38 of Israel were in their cities. We're continuing with Nehemiah, 11:42 chapter 8. This is the King James Version. 11:44 And all the people gathered themselves together as one man 11:50 into the street that was before the water gate; 11:53 and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the 11:57 law of Moses which the Lord had commanded to Israel. 12:01 And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation 12:05 both of men and women, and all that could hear with 12:10 understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month. 12:12 And he read therein before the street that was before the water 12:16 gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the 12:20 women, and those that could understand; 12:23 and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of 12:27 the law. And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, 12:32 which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood 12:36 Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, 12:42 and Maaseiah, on his right hand and on his left hand, Pedaiah, 12:46 and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, 12:52 Zechariah, and Meshullam. And Ezra opened the book 12:57 in the sight of all the people; for he was above all the people; 13:00 and when he opened it, all the people stood up: 13:03 And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people 13:08 answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: 13:12 and they bowed their heads and worshipped the Lord with their 13:16 faces to the ground. Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, 13:22 Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiajah, Maaseiah, Kelita, 13:28 Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan... Pelaiah, and the Levites, 13:33 caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood 13:38 in their place. So they read in the book in the law of God 13:43 distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand 13:48 the reading. And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the 13:54 priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, 13:56 said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the Lord 14:02 your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, 14:06 when they heard the words of the law. 14:08 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink 14:12 the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing 14:15 is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: 14:18 neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength. 14:23 So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace 14:28 for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved. 14:32 Thank you for joining with me today. Until we come together 14:35 again, may the joy of the Lord be our strength, too. Goodbye. |
Revised 2014-12-17