August 12, Reading Notes

Nehemiah 3:15-5:13

Nehemiah 3:15-32

One major miracle here is how the people worked together. Who cares about moving mountains? This kind of unity makes it apparent that God is at work

Nehemiah 4

This chapter has to do with the threat from outside. Notice how engaged Nehemiah was in praying and encouraging the people. You have the sense that he was working right among them.

V. 6 The entire project took about eight weeks, so maybe this was 4 weeks into the building. These problems occurred when the people were well into the work and weary. Now it was about to get worse.

Vs. 7-14 This was the main threat.

V. 10-12 Word was spreading outside of Jerusalem into Judah that the people were weary. So the enemies thought this was a good time to attack, but the people in Judah got wind of this and warned Nehemiah and company 10 times.

V. 12 reads better in the RSV or NKJV. Nehemiah 4:12 When the Jews who lived by them came they said to us ten times, "From all the places where they live they will come up against us."

I’m impressed by Nehemiah’s journal of this. He was very close to the people, encouraging them, working with them, constant in prayer, working long days, sacrificing with the people. He is a great example of a disciple who makes disciples in the harvest.

Nehemiah 5:1-13

This chapter has to do with the threat from within. Some of this will spill into tomorrow because Nehemiah continues with a description of his mercy to the people and work to strengthen Israel.

Vs. 5:1-5 The situation was that the wealthy and leaders were taking advantage of the people in hard times and during this building. If the people were working in Jerusalem non-stop for two months, it means they were neglecting their livelihoods and farms. Instead of the wealthy and leaders opening up their barns and freely giving to these people for the good of Israel and the nation of God, they were shrewdly ruining the people. Now the people were losing heart.

Vs. 6-13 Nehemiah was mad. In 13:25 we’ll see that he had a bit of a temper. When you look at verse 10 and then the rest of chapter 5 we’ll read tomorrow, Nehemiah and those immediately under him were sacrificing to help the people and help the nation.

According to the law, the Jews were not allowed to exact interest from one another. Worse than this was the disregard of these people for the health and unity of the nation.

The miracle is in verses 12 and 13. The leaders obeyed and committed to a covenant.

1 Corinthians 7:25-40

Vs. 25-31 The distressful context of these verses help you understand what Paul is saying. The main idea is to live with your treasure in heaven not on earth and to live with your full devotion on Christ and not on anything else.

V. 29 Notice that for Paul, the “appointed time” was drawing close and in verse 31, the form of this world is passing away. He was not referring to the coming of Christ, but to the judgment on that generation of Jews. The Roman empire was caving in, Jerusalem was about to be destroyed, and Christians were about to be tested.

Vs. 30-35 Again, keep this in context. Paul is saying that if they are anxious in caring for one another as married couples, they might have a hard time taking risks and following Christ during that time of distress.

Vs. 36-38 This fits perfectly to the context. I often quote verse 36 and leave out “let them marry.” Then I wait for a second and correct myself. The group is usually relieved to see that marriage, not sex is the solution. So actually, this is saying that the proper context for sexuality is marriage, right?

Vs. 39-40 In Richard Wurmbrand’s book, Tortured for Christ, he tells of a Christian woman who was targeted by the Romanian police. They waited for her wedding day, crashed the wedding at just the right place and arrested her. I think this is sort of what Paul has in mind here.

Psalm 32

It is hard to say if this was written after David was confronted by Nathan for his sin against Uriah and Bathsheba.

Vs. 1-2 I wonder how Paul felt when he read this psalm after what he had been doing to Christians and then knew that he had been wrong. Paul quotes these two verses in Romans chapter 4, showing that God forgives sin by grace, not by works.  I’ll bet these verses helped Paul.

Vs. 3-4 This suggests that David went a long time without confessing.

V. 10 David’s hallmark, the steadfast love of the Lord.

Proverbs 21:5-7

It seems that verses 6 and 7 are examples of trying to get what you want with haste. The two favorite modes, it seems, are lying and violence.

More and more I see that following Christ in the harvest is bearing fruit with patience and diligence. Following God, being observant of what He is doing, and following at His pace, which is seldom a quick pace.

If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link Every Day in the Word. If that doesn't work, go to http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/ and click on “Every Day in the Word.” 

I'm writing these comments to and for those who are following a One Year Bible and interested in growing deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the harvest.

If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is, the commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.

I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible; in fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.

Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it.