Nehemiah 12:27-13:31
This is our final day in Nehemiah. There are lots of lessons here.
Nehemiah 12:27-47
Vs. 27-43 This must have been a great sight. The two choirs began at the same place and went in opposite directions on top of the wall and met at the temple. The choirs were followed by the leaders. It is interesting that the dedication began at the valley gate. This was the same gate where Nehemiah began his midnight review of the walls when he first arrived in Jerusalem.
Vs. 44-47 Again, for the priests and Levites to lead the people, the leaders needed to insure the tithes were given and collected.
Notice the interesting remark of verse 47. No one knows all of what Nehemiah did in those twelve years he was governor. The wall took 52 days. There was a lot involved in making the nation healthy and spiritually viable.
Nehemiah 13
Nehemiah had left Jerusalem and we have no clue of how long that was. "On that day," refers to a day after Nehemiah's return, on which he began to correct what had gone wrong. During the time of his absence, maybe 2-5 years (who knows), Ezra must have died. When we see what happened, it could only have happened if Ezra wasn't there. This portion in Nehemiah is a reminder of the importance of raising up leaders, not just position holders. Beyond leadership, it is important to find people with a burning passion for God.
V. 1 Nehemiah must have returned for a period of time as governor. To me, it looks like he already knew before he arrived that there were problems. Verse 4 shows you that the time reference, "On that day," occurred after his return. Notice that Nehemiah began with the reading of the Word, just getting the Word out to the people. This is also a sign that Ezra wasn't there. In 1 Timothy, as Timothy is sent back to Ephesus to repair what had happened there, Paul tells him, 1 Timothy 4:13, "Till I come, attend to the public reading of scripture, to preaching, to teaching."
Vs. 1-3 They apparently had let "tolerance" go too far. The Word brought them back. As we'll see in a few verses, there is a reason that Ammonites and Moabites are mentioned.
Vs. 4-9 It's hard to understand how this could have happened. You can imagine that Nehemiah was entering one area of conflict after the next.
Vs. 10-13 The Levites had scattered because they could no longer be fed. This meant too, that the temple worship had diminished.
V. 14 This sounds like a man under stress, working desperately.
Vs. 15-22 So, what was the purpose of the Sabbath? The people lost this focus. It is amazing how we let our physical needs control us. That seems silly to say, because if we don't meet our physical needs, we die. But even though Jesus didn't tell His disciples to keep the Sabbath, He did tell them not to be anxious about their lives and to seek His kingdom first. Dependence on God is foreign to the body of death. Preoccupation with our needs destroys spiritual perception. These people were what Paul called, "men of the flesh."
V. 22 Another cry.
Vs. 23-28 This again. It's interesting to see what Nehemiah says about Solomon.
Vs. 29-31 Every generation needs leaders who are passionate in their love for God as they follow Christ in this lost world. Spiritual truth is just as real as gravity or the circulation of blood in the body. Violation of spiritual truth is just as deadly as jumping off a building or cutting an artery. There are many abilities and skills that can be taught and transferred, but passionate discipleship, loving Christ, risking all for His mission, perceiving life spiritually, is caught, not taught. This is why we are in the Word, in the harvest, making disciples who make disciples.
1 Corinthians 11:3-16
Welcome to some great theology and murky waters. This part of chapter 11 is one of those dark little closets in the letter (Bible) that people prefer to keep closed. You may as well read the first two verses along with these.
First, some introduction into this particular issue. This was a very Jewish church. The woman had never participated in synagogue worship. That was a man's club. The church was something different and women suddenly had a lot of liberty and privilege, in spite of what their husbands might have preferred. But you know, if God gives your wife a prophet's gift (like Philip's daughters in Acts 21:9), what were you going to do? Just like we've seen in some of the other issues in Corinth, when certain people came to the liberty of knowing Christ, they took it way too far. That will be the case here and also at the end of chapter 14 regarding the role of women in the church. Both of the issues raised in this chapter were things done in public worship.
V. 3 These roles are solid biblical teaching. Paul says this also in Eph. 5:22-23.
Vs. 4-5 Notice that the use of prophesy identifies this as being public. Paul talks about how prophets were supposed to take part in the public service in chapter 14.
What you can say definitely here is that a man was not to publicly pray or prophesy with his head covered, and a married woman was not to pray or prophesy with her head uncovered. Even though the Greek word for woman is used here, she is a wife because she would be dishonoring "her head" or husband. This means positively, that women were allowed to participate in the public service, as prophets, and it didn't violate what Paul teaches about women not teaching or having authority over men.
From here on it gets pretty indefinite.
Vs. 6-10 So, we have great teaching here and it is not oriented to culture, but to God's created order. Whatever Paul and the Spirit are saying here, it is still in force. We're just not sure what it all means.
Apparently, some Corinthian women who participated in worship over reacted to their freedom by showing a lack of respect and submission to their husbands. Put another way, they finally had the opportunity to show their stuff and that their husbands were not at their level. Whatever it was, it was obvious and it was wrong. The thinking is that in that culture, a married woman wore a head covering to show she was under the authority of her husband. When they became Christians, some of these women burned their head coverings. The Spirit is saying, that when women participate in worship in praying and prophesying, they still need to show that they are under the authority of their husbands. It could be that the veil was a symbol of submission in that culture and in another culture there might be another symbol. That is stretching it a little. The problem is that a man was not to cover his head and that seems universal.
Vs. 11-12 These verses do not "neutralize" what is going on here. They are saying that there is an equality and interdependence before God for both men and women. So, there is no arrogance to be shown by men or disrespect from women. The order of verse three still stands.
Vs. 13-15 Getting murkier. This is not an argument away from a veil or saying that long hair takes the place of a veil. This illustration actually intensifies the idea of a woman wearing a head covering. This is simply an example from Paul from nature that God knew would probably get certain people mad. Did you realize that God thinks that if men have long hair it is degrading to them? Was that just cultural for that time? I don't know. I do know that all the pictures we have of Jesus have long hair and Paul probably had seen Jesus and wouldn't have said this if Jesus had had long hair. And then, what about women with short hair? O Weh!
V. 16 This is not an escape clause. Paul meant that what he taught here is what he taught everywhere.
Right now, some people reading this probably need the spiritual version of the Heimlich maneuver.
So, if you're discussing this as a group, try to get some things in order. First, write down everything that is clear from this passage. Then write down your questions. It is worth thinking about what the Spirit says here about men and women. There is very good theology and teaching here. Men should concentrate on what it says about men. Women, about what it says about women. And, keep this all in the context that we have been saved to be disciples on earth during this time, and to live for Christ and to follow Him in the harvest. This life is not about us having rights or treasure on earth.
These verses and the simple meaning of them have led some theologians to ask their wives to wear a head covering during worship services. Yet, if a wife cannot participate publicly (and in most churches, for worship, only a few people do anything public) this is a mute point. Most worship services in the western world do not allow this kind of participation anyway. This might be more like a home group, but even there, there is nothing in most home Bible studies that looks like what Paul outlines in chapter 14. So really, culturally for us, it might be a total non-issue. For some people who choose to ignore thinking about these verses, knowing that most churches in the world do not have their women wear veils (and everything is fine) seems to get them off the hook. One thing still challenges me on these verses. The children of Israel never kept the sabbatical year and from Joshua to Nehemiah, they never kept the Feast of Booths. Why? Was it because these things were so impractical? I mean, what would the neighbors think? And besides, everything was fine. Right?
Psalm 35:1-16
When we read of David running from Saul all of those years, we don't have any sense for the lies and rumors that were spread throughout Israel about David. If we look at our media today we can get an idea. For ten years Saul and his government had to justify their hatred for the boy whom Samuel had anointed king and who had delivered Israel by killing Goliath.
As you read this notice all the "let"s.
Also, since there is a parallel between David's experience and the suffering of Jesus, you can see some of what Jesus must have felt in these verses. And you think of Paul too, "that I might share in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death…"
Notice the impact of verse nine. Is that "Christian?"
Proverbs 21:17-18
Verse 17 seems clear enough. For us as disciples, the challenge is to look at ourselves in terms of culture and what we expect as "normal" to our lives. I'm still challenged by what Jesus told his disciples about the seed cast among thorns. Luke 8:14 And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.
V. 18 A suggestion here is that the wicked and the traitor afflict the righteous and the upright, but when justice is finally passed on them, the righteous are set free or vindicated by that judgment. Notice the "release" of verse nine in Psalm 35 above.
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.
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