Experiencing God at Work

Insights for Victorious Christian Living - #5 of 5

From congregational readings in Nehemiah, Sept 7, 08 – bk@kluth.org

1. God works to give people great service

Neh 12:7,24,25,27,28 These were the leaders of the priests and their associates in the days of Jeshua…(many names listed)…The [three] leaders of the Levites…and their associates, who stood opposite them to give praise and thanksgiving…[Five men were listed as] were gatekeepers who guarded the storerooms at the gates….The Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres. The singers also were brought together from the region around Jerusalem-from the villages. Rev 1:5-6 To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father-to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

2. God works to give people great worship

Neh 12:40-43 The two choirs that were giving thanks then proceeded to the Temple of God, where they took their places. So did I, together with the group of leaders who were with me. We went together with the trumpet-playing priests…and the singers…They played and sang loudly and clearly under the direction of Jezrahiah the choir director… The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away.

Ps 100:2-3 Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

3. God works to give people great joy

Neh 12:43a On that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. John 15:10-12 (Jesus said) If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

1 Thess 5:16-18 Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

4. God works to give people great generosity

Neh 12:44, 47 At that time men were appointed to be in charge of the storerooms for the contributions, firstfruits and tithes…in the days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, all Israel contributed the daily portions for the singers and gatekeepers. They also set aside the portion for the other Levites, and the Levites set aside the portion for the descendants of Aaron.

Neh 13:10-12 (A number of years later Nehemiah discovered) that the Levites had not been given what was due them, so they and the singers who were to conduct the worship services had all returned to work their fields. I immediately confronted the leaders and demanded, "Why has the Temple of God been neglected?" Then I called all the Levites back again and restored them to their proper duties. And once more all the people of Judah began bringing their tithes of grain, new wine, and olive oil to the Temple storerooms.

5. God works to give people great faithfulness

Neh 13:23-27 (Nehemiah) realized that some of the men of Judah had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab…So I confronted them and called down curses on them. I beat some of them and pulled out their hair. I made them swear before God that they would not let their children intermarry with the pagan people of the land.

1 John 3:7-10 Do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous…The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.

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DAILY BIBLE READINGS: This week read Ps 69-75