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AUGUST 17
Nehemiah 12:27-13:31
This is our final day in Nehemiah. Actually, the end of Nehemiah is
basically the end of the Old Testament. Some people think that Malachi wrote
while Nehemiah was trying to clean things up in Jerusalem. That could be,
although there is no mention of Malachi in Nehemiah; and Nehemiah was good
about referring to other leaders. My opinion is that Malachi wrote sometime
after this final reform of Nehemiah, when Nehemiah was no longer governor. This
makes Nehemiah the final historical book of the OT, and Malachi is the final
prophetic book in the Old Testament. At the end of Malachi the coming of the
Messiah is foretold and the people themselves make a covenant with God. In
Malachi God promised the forerunner of the Messiah, and then came 400 years of
silence until an angel appeared to Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist.
Nehemiah 12:27-47
Vs. 27-30 This is the general preparation for dedicating the wall. What
seems notable here is that the different branches of the priests and Levites
took the initiative and prepared themselves and the people. The singers found
places to live close to Jerusalem, and everyone purified themselves and then made
sure the people were purified.
Vs. 31-43 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 probably began at the Valley Gate (Bible Knowledge Commentary-OT,
p. 693). This was the same gate where Nehemiah began his midnight review of the
walls when he first arrived in Jerusalem.
Vs. 31-37 Even though this is the group that Ezra led, notice that it
was Nehemiah who brought up the leaders and appointed two choirs. Again, a
leader doesn't just lead organizationally, but also spiritually. This was
Ezra's point in 1 & 2 Chronicles, and both Ezra and Nehemiah were examples
of this leadership.
Vs. 38-43 It is interesting here that the priests and Levites led the
second choir. Nehemiah and the leaders hung back. Nehemiah didn't assume he had
the right to lead where only the priest and Levities could function.
I can't exactly visualize this, but both groups met at the temple; and
then the celebration and dedication took place with sacrifices, thanks, and a
lot of joy.
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 v. 47. During the days of Zerubbabel
and during the days Nehemiah was governor, everything was being obeyed. This
shows the devotion and courage of these men. It also shows how rare these men
were. Immediately after both of these men disappeared, everything began to
decay. No one knows all of what Nehemiah did in those twelve years he was
governor. The wall only took 52 days. There was a lot involved in making the
nation healthy and spiritually viable. These must have been good years. For God
to have supplied a man like Nehemiah was a sign of His grace and blessing on
His people.
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 was sent back to Ephesus to repair what had happened
there, Paul told him in 1 Timothy 4:13, Until I come, devote yourself to
the public reading of Scripture, to
exhortation, to teaching. Getting
the people in the Word is the beginning of drawing close to the Lord and
restoring order and peace.
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. The
chambers were built onto the temple and held the food and resources for
worship. They were also used to store the money and food used to pay the
priests and Levities.
Vs. 10-13 The Levites had scattered because they could no longer be
fed. This meant, too, that the temple worship had diminished. Notice that
Nehemiah held the political leaders accountable for letting this fall. If
devotion to God is not in the heart of the leadership, it will not be followed
by the people.
V. 14 This sounds like a man under stress, working desperately.
Vs. 15-22 So, what was the purpose of the Sabbath? It was to remember
the covenant God had made with Israel. It was to rest knowing that God would
take care of them. 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."
Notice that Nehemiah had to resort to force to make this work. The
reason for the force was that he feared God, knowing that if the people
disregarded the Sabbath, God would again remove them from their land.
V. 22 Another cry to the Lord.
Vs. 23-27 This again. You wonder what happened that this intermarrying
with pagan women wasn't stopped by the leaders. It's interesting to see what
Nehemiah says about Solomon. As with Solomon, these women didn't give up their
gods, they just added Yahweh to their list of gods to worship. They were still
worshiping idols.
V. 28 This is what destroyed the influence of the priests and infected
the people.
V. 29 Nehemiah was probably praying at all times, as he walked, while
he knelt, and as he was on his face crying out to God for his people.
Vs. 30-31 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. Nehemiah is a great
example of a disciple. Our job now with our amazing advantages (the Word and
the Spirit) is to make disciples, who will passionately make 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 (and 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 women had never participated in synagogue worship. It had
been 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 are 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. In fact,
public worship will be the stage for most of chapters 11-14.
V. 3 These roles are solid biblical teaching. Paul says this also in Ephesians
5:22-23.
Vs. 4-5 Notice that the use of prophecy 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 pray publicly
or prophesy with his head covered, and a married woman was not to pray or
prophesy publicly 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 taught elsewhere about women not teaching or having authority over men.
V. 6 This shame would not only have been on the wife, but also on the
husband, perhaps suggesting she had been punished for some crime like adultery.
Spiritually speaking, Paul is saying she's doing the same thing by not wearing
a veil; she is shaming her husband.
Vs. 7-10 So, we have some pretty great and mind-blowing 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 in terms of how it plays out visually in every culture, yet the
truth of this teaching is unshakable.
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. In a sense, that is
probably what Eve felt between the time her eyes were opened and Adam sinned.
She was superior to him and that is reflected in God's curse on her. Anyway,
whatever the cause, what the women were doing in Corinth 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 at all while praying
publicly 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 v. 3 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 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 show Him with long hair, and Paul probably had seen
Jesus and wouldn't have said this if Jesus really 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 about men
and women. There is very good theology and teaching in this section. Men should
concentrate on what it says about men. Women should focus on what it says about
women. All of this should be kept in the context that we have been saved to be
disciples on earth during this time, 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 moot point. Most worship services in the Western
world do not allow this kind of participation anyway. Ironically, the churches
in which women wear veils do not allow them to speak at all, taking away the
need for a veil.
It could be that this would be necessary in 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 appears 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, making
people live in little houses made of branches. Why? Was it because these things
were so impractical? I mean, what would the neighbors think? And besides,
everything was fine. Right? Wrong.
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 uses of let. 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 may… share His sufferings, becoming
like Him in His death. Paul was despised even by people in churches that he
planted, like the church in Corinth.
Vs. 1-3 This is David's cry for the Lord to come to his rescue. David
needed comfort and assurance.
Vs. 4-6 David didn't just want justice; he wanted it to be apparent to
all that the angel of the Lord was
contending for him.
Vs. 7-8 Notice that David is asking for them to be judged as they had
planned and sought to harm David.
Vs. 9-10 David already knew this to be true, but there is something
about seeing it happen that brings relief and confidence and resolution. Notice
the impact of v. 9. Is that "Christian?"
Vs. 11-14 When David lived in Saul's palace, married to his daughter,
David knew many people and thought they were his friends. Once Saul planned to
kill David, to stay in Saul's favor - you had to betray David.
Vs. 15-16 This is the depth of the betrayal David felt. We'll see
tomorrow as we finish this psalm, that Jesus felt that same kind of betrayal.
These two verses would have been true of Jesus as He hung on the cross.
Proverbs 21:17-18
V. 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 v. 9 in Psalm 35 above. When the wicked are punished,
the righteous feel the freedom.
Please Read
the Following Disclaimer
I'm writing the Reading Notes to and
for those who are following a One Year Bible and are 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, that is, 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 and important discipleship manual we have and it is the 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, or whom we are to be following. 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, as disciples, 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, 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 (BKC).
I read the BKC in doing background for the Reading Notes and refer to it quite
often. I also make reference to maps or charts in the BKC, though I will only
note where those resources can be found. Often you can do a search for these
and find them in Google books. Buying both volumes of the Bible Knowledge
Commentary would be a good idea.
I am not endorsing any particular
One Year Bible translation; in fact, I read something you probably don't, Die
Revidierte Lutherbibel, 1984. Unless noted, all Scripture quotes are from the
ESV Bible.
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. Often there is a breadth of opinion on certain events, both
historical and prophetic. Many of my views come from my church background,
theological training and my personal study.
I'm
doing this with discipleship in mind, meaning, I'm writing out thoughts that
will keep discipleship and our growth as disciples applied to what we are
reading. Remember, the real focus of the Reading Notes is to be a
supplement, a disciple’s commentary, giving motivation and insight so that we
will keep following our Lord in the harvest, reaching the lost and making
disciples, who make disciples. Being in
the Word every day, sitting at Jesus’ feet, learning directly from Him, is the
essential essence of being and making disciples.
May the Lord bless you as you follow Him in the
harvest, reaching the lost and making disciples, who make disciples. Dan
If you would like documents
containing an entire month of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
If you would like a full
presentation of discipleship read Simply
Disciples*Making Disciples.
Or if you are struggling with
insomnia and would like a long boring dissertation on disciple making, these
can both be found on https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
Reading Notes ©, Dan Kachikis
2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018
The One Year Bible © by
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton Illinois 60189
The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of
Good News Publishers.
All charts/graphics/outlines
from the Bible Knowledge Commentary are used with the permission of David C.
Cook.
© 1983, 2001 John F Walvoord and Roy B Zuck.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary is published by David C Cook.
All rights reserved. Publisher permission
required to reproduce.
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