Today’s Bible Translation
Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 10 NCV, Ch. 11-12 ERV, Ch. 13 NET
Podcast Introduction
It’s History Tuesday. Our reading today will complete the book of Nehemiah with chapters 10-13. I’m calling this episode “Striving for Faithfulness.“
Summary
In Nehemiah 13, we find that Nehemiah, despite his clear conscience, is disappointed that the people couldn’t keep their promises to serve faithfully. This situation reminds us that human nature hasn’t changed over time; we still struggle with living a sinless life. As the saying goes, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Commentator David Guzik reminds us that if we could be saved by our own promises and commitment to Jesus, His sacrifice on the cross would have been unnecessary. Our salvation doesn’t come from our vows or efforts but from trusting in Jesus and His work to save us.
Listen to the episode for more!
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The Team
Lifespring Family Berean, Sister Denise: Transcript Correction
Michael Haner: Podcasting 2.0 Chapters
Lifespring Family Berean, Brother Scott Snider: Show Art
Jason Paschall: Show Art
Lifespring Family Berean, Sister Brittaney: Newsletter Publisher
Transcript
Transcript corrected by Sister Denise
Steve Webb 0:00
Truer words were ever said.
Steve Webb 0:03
This is the Lifespring! One Year Bible coming to you from Riverside, California. Podcasting since 2004, my name is Steve Webb. I’m your OG Godcaster. It’s History Tuesday and our reading today will complete the book of Nehemiah with chapters 10 through 13. And by the way, this episode was pre-recorded this past Saturday, September 9, 2023, since the surgery I mentioned a few days ago is scheduled for tomorrow. The next two episodes will also be pre-recorded since I’m not sure if I’ll be able to record right away after the surgery. It’ll be a laparoscopic procedure, so less invasive than a traditional surgery with an incision, but they have prescribed some pretty heavy painkillers for me, so I’m not really sure what to expect. Thus, the extra pre-recorded episodes. And tomorrow is Wednesday which is normally a praise and prayer request day, but under the circumstances, our next prayer request day will be this coming Sunday. And that’s enough of that. The website is lifespringmedia.com and I’ll have contact information at the end of today’s show. Before we read, let’s pray. Our heavenly Father, we love you and we thank you for our time together today. I pray that you would bless this time and that you would teach us. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen. Okay, let’s begin.
Steve Webb 1:17
Nehemiah, chapter 10. These are the men who sealed the agreement: Nehemiah the governor, son of Hacaliah. Zedekiah, Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, Pashhur, Amariah, Malkijah, Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah. These are the priests. These are the Levites who sealed it: Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel, and their fellow Levites: Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu. These are the leaders of the people who sealed the agreement: Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub, Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, Ahiah, Hanan, Anan, Malluch, Harim, and Baanah. The rest of the people took an oath. They were the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, Temple servants, all those who separated themselves from foreigners to keep the Teachings of God, and also their wives and their sons and daughters who could understand. They joined their fellow Israelites and their leading men in taking an oath, which was tied to a curse in case they broke the oath. They promised to follow the Teachings of God, which they had been given through Moses the servant of God, and to obey all the commands, rules, and laws of the Lord our God. They said: We promise not to let our daughters marry foreigners nor to let our sons marry their daughters. Foreigners may bring goods or grain to sell on the Sabbath, but we will not buy on the Sabbath or any holy day. Every seventh year we will not plant, and that year we will forget all that people owe us. We will be responsible for the commands to pay for the service of the Temple of our God. We will give an eighth of an ounce of silver each year. It is for the bread that is set out on the table; the regular grain offerings and burnt offerings; the offerings on the Sabbaths, New Moon festivals, and special feasts; the holy offerings; the offerings to remove the sins of the Israelites so they will belong to God; and for the work of the Temple of our God. We, the priests, the Levites, and the people, have thrown lots to decide at what time of year each family must bring wood to the Temple. The wood is for burning on the altar of the Lord our God, and we will do this as it is written in the Teachings. We also will bring the first fruits from our crops and the first fruits of every tree to the Temple each year. We will bring to the Temple our firstborn sons and cattle and the firstborn of our herds and flocks, as it is written in the Teachings. We will bring them to the priests who are serving in the Temple. We will bring to the priests at the storerooms of the Temple the first of our ground meal, our offerings, the fruit from all our trees, and our new wine and oil. And we will bring a tenth of our crops to the Levites, who will collect these things in all the towns where we work. A priest of Aaron’s family must be with the Levites when they receive the tenth of the people’s crops. The Levites must bring a tenth of all they receive to the Temple of our God to put in the storerooms of the treasury. The people of Israel and the Levites are to bring to the storerooms the gifts of grain, new wine, and oil. That is where the utensils for the Temple are kept and where the priests who are serving, the gatekeepers, and singers stay. We will not ignore the Temple of our God.
Steve Webb 5:39
Nehemiah, chapter 11. Now the leaders of the Israelites moved into the city of Jerusalem. The rest of the people used lots to decide who else should move there with the leaders. They chose a tenth of the people to live in Jerusalem, the holy city. The rest of the people stayed in their own towns. The people who stayed asked God to bless those who were willing to move to Jerusalem. Some of the Israelites, priests, Levites, servants, and descendants of Solomon’s servants lived in the various towns throughout Judah. These all lived on property they owned in these towns. But the area leaders lived in Jerusalem. And other people from the families of Judah and Benjamin lived in Jerusalem. These are the descendants of Judah who moved to Jerusalem: Athaiah son of Uzziah (the son of Zechariah, who was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Shephatiah, who was the son of Mahalalel, who was a descendant of Perez) and Maaseiah son of Baruch (the son of Col-Hozeh, who was the son of Hazaiah, who was the son of Adaiah, who was the son of Joiarib, who was the son of Zechariah, who was a descendant of Shelah). The number of Perez’s descendants living in Jerusalem was 468. All of them were brave men. These are the descendants of Benjamin who moved into Jerusalem: Sallu son of Meshullam (the son of Joed, who was the son of Pedaiah, who was the son of Kolaiah, who was the son of Maaseiah, who was the son of Ithiel, who was the son of Jeshaiah), and those who followed Jeshaiah were Gabbai and Sallai. All together there were 928 men. Joel son of Zicri was in charge of them. And Judah son of Hassenuah was in charge of the Second District of the city of Jerusalem. These are the priests who moved into Jerusalem: Jedaiah son of Joiarib, Jakin, and Seraiah son of Hilkiah (the son of Meshullam, who was the son of Zadok, who was the son of Meraioth, who was the son of Ahitub), who was the supervisor in the Temple of God, and 822 men of their brothers that did the work for the Temple, and Adaiah son of Jeroham (the son of Pelaliah, who was the son of Amzi, who was the son of Zechariah, who was the son of Pashhur, who was the son of Malkijah), and 242 men who were Adaiah’s brothers (leaders of their families), Amashsai son of Azarel (the son of Ahzai, who was the son of Meshillemoth, who was the son of Immer), and 128 of Amashsai’s brothers. (These men were brave soldiers. The officer over them was Zabdiel son of Haggedolim.) These are the Levites who moved into Jerusalem: Shemaiah son of Hasshub (the son of Azrikam, who was the son of Hashabiah, who was the son of Bunni), Shabbethai and Jozabad (two of the leaders of the Levites in charge of the outside work of God’s Temple), Mattaniah (the son of Mica, who was the son of Zabdi, who was the son of Asaph), the director who led the people in singing songs of praise and prayer, Bakbukiah (the second in charge over his brothers), and Abda son of Shammua (the son of Galal, who was the son of Jeduthun). So there were 284 Levites who moved into Jerusalem, the holy city. These are the gatekeepers who moved into Jerusalem: Akkub, Talmon, and 172 of their brothers. They watched and guarded the gates of the city. The other Israelites, and the other priests and Levites, lived in all the towns of Judah. Everyone lived on the land that their ancestors had owned. The Temple servants lived on the hill of Ophel. Ziha and Gishpa were in charge of the Temple servants. The officer over the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi. Uzzi was the son of Bani (the son of Hashabiah, who was the son of Mattaniah, who was the son of Mica). Uzzi was a descendant of Asaph. Asaph’s descendants were the singers who were responsible for the service in God’s Temple. The singers obeyed orders from the king, which told them what to do from day to day. Pethahiah son of Meshezabel told the people what the king wanted done. (Meshezabel was one of the descendants of Zerah. Zerah was Judah’s son.) The people of Judah lived in these towns: In Kiriath Arba and the small towns around it, in Dibon and the small towns around it, in Jekabzeel and the small towns around it, and in Jeshua, in Moladah, in Beth Pelet, in Hazar Shual, in Beersheba and the small towns around it, and in Ziklag, in Meconah and the small towns around it, and in En Rimmon, in Zorah, in Jarmuth, and in Zanoah and Adullam and the small towns around them, in Lachish and the fields around it, and in Azekah and the small towns around it. So the people of Judah were living all the way from Beersheba to the Valley of Hinnom. The descendants of the family of Benjamin from Geba lived in Micmash, Aija, Bethel, and the small towns around it, in Anathoth, Nob, and Ananiah, in Hazor, Ramah, and Gittaim, in Hadid, Zeboim, and Neballat, in Lod and Ono, and in the Valley of the Craftsmen. Some of the groups from the family of Levi moved to the land of Benjamin.
Steve Webb 11:06
Nehemiah, chapter 12. These are the priests and Levites who came back to the land of Judah. They came back with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua. This is a list of their names: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah, Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah, Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These men were the leaders of the priests and their relatives in the days of Jeshua. The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and also Mattaniah. These men, with Mattaniah’s relatives, were in charge of the songs of praise to God. Bakbukiah and Unni were the relatives of those Levites. These two men stood across from them in the services. Jeshua was the father of Joiakim. Joiakim was the father of Eliashib. Eliashib was the father of Joiada. Joiada was the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan was the father of Jaddua. In the days of Joiakim, these men were the leaders of the families of priests: The leader of Seraiah’s family was Meraiah. The leader of Jeremiah’s family was Hananiah. The leader of Ezra’s family was Meshullam. The leader of Amariah’s family was Jehohanan. The leader of Malluch’s family was Jonathan. The leader of Shecaniah’s family was Joseph. The leader of Harim’s family was Adna. The leader of Meremoth’s family was Helkai. The leader of Iddo’s family was Zechariah. The leader of Ginnethon’s family was Meshullam. The leader of Abijah’s family was Zicri. The leader of Miniamin and Maadiah’s families was Piltai. The leader of Bilgah’s family was Shammua. The leader of Shemaiah’s family was Jehonathan. The leader of Joiarib’s family was Mattenai. The leader of Jedaiah’s family was Uzzi. The leader of Sallu’s family was Kallai. The leader of Amok’s family was Eber. The leader of Hilkiah’s family was Hashabiah. The leader of Jedaiah’s family was Nethanel. The names of the leaders of the families of the Levites and the priests in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua were written down during the rule of Darius the Persian king. The family leaders among the descendants of the Levites and up to the time of Johanan son of Eliashib were written in the history book. And these were the leaders of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, and their brothers. Their brothers stood across from them to sing praise and honor to God. One group answered the other group. That is what was commanded by David the man of God. The gatekeepers who guarded the storerooms next to the gates were Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub. They served in the days of Joiakim. Joiakim was the son of Jeshua, who was the son of Jozadak. And the gatekeepers also served in the days of Nehemiah the governor and in the days of Ezra the priest and teacher. The people dedicated the wall of Jerusalem. They brought all the Levites to Jerusalem. The Levites came from the towns they lived in. They came to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem. They came to sing songs of praise and thanks to God. They played their cymbals, harps, and lyres. And all the singers also came to Jerusalem. They came from the towns all around Jerusalem. They came from the town of Netophah, from Beth Gilgal, Geba, and Azmaveth. The singers had built small towns for themselves in the area around Jerusalem. So the priests and Levites made themselves pure in a ceremony. Then they also made the people, the gates, and the wall of Jerusalem pure in a ceremony. I told the leaders of Judah to go up and stand on top of the wall. I also chose two large singing groups to give thanks to God. One group was to start going up on top of the wall on the right side, toward the Ash Pile Gate. Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah followed the singers. Also following them were Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah. And some of the priests with trumpets also followed them up to the wall. Zechariah also followed them. (Zechariah was the son of Jonathan, who was the son of Shemaiah, who was the son of Mattaniah, who was the son of Micaiah, who was the son of Zaccur, who was the son of Asaph.) There were also Asaph’s brothers, who were Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani. They had the musical instruments that David, the man of God, had made. Ezra the teacher led the group of people who were there to dedicate the wall. They went to the Fountain Gate and walked up the stairs all the way to the City of David. They were on top of the city wall. They walked over the house of David and went toward the Water Gate. The second group of singers started out in the other direction, to the left. I followed them as they went up to the top of the wall. Half of the people also followed them. They went past the Tower of Ovens to the Broad Wall. Then they went over these gates: the Gate of Ephraim, the Old Gate, and the Fish Gate. And they went over the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred. They went as far as the Sheep Gate and stopped at the Guard Gate. Then the two singing groups went to their places in God’s Temple. And I stood in my place. And half the officials stood in their places in the Temple. Then these priests stood in their places: Eliakim, Maaseiah, Mijamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah. These priests had their trumpets with them. Then these priests stood in their places in the Temple: Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam, and Ezer. Then two singing groups began singing with Jezrahiah leading them. So on that special day, the priests offered many sacrifices. Everyone was very happy because God had made them happy. Even the women and children were excited and happy. People far away could hear the happy sounds coming from Jerusalem. Men were chosen to be in charge of the storerooms on that day. People brought the first part of the harvest and a tenth of their crops. So the men in charge put these things in the storerooms. The Jewish people were very happy about the priests and Levites on duty. So they brought many things to be put in the storerooms. The priests and Levites did their work for their God. They did the ceremonies that made people pure, and the singers and gatekeepers did their part. They did everything that David and Solomon had commanded. (Long ago, in the days of David, Asaph had been the director. And he had many songs of praise and thanks to God.) So in the days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, all the Israelites gave every day to support the singers and gatekeepers. The people also set aside money for the other Levites. And the Levites set aside the money for the descendants of Aaron.
Steve Webb 18:44
Nehemiah, chapter 13. On that day the book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people. They found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite may ever enter the assembly of God, for they had not met the Israelites with food and water, but instead had hired Balaam to curse them. (Our God, however, turned the curse into blessing.) When they heard the law, they removed from Israel all who were of mixed ancestry. But prior to this time, Eliashib the priest, a relative of Tobiah, had been appointed over the storerooms of the temple of our God. He made for himself a large storeroom where previously they had been keeping the grain offering, the incense, and the vessels, along with the tithes of the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil as commanded for the Levites, the singers, the gate keepers, and the offering for the priests. During all this time I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes of Babylon, I had gone back to the king. After some time I had requested leave of the king, and I returned to Jerusalem. Then I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah by supplying him with a storeroom in the courts of the temple of God. I was very upset, and I threw all of Tobiah’s household possessions out of the storeroom. Then I gave instructions that the storerooms should be purified, and I brought back the equipment of the temple of God, along with the grain offering and the incense. I also discovered that the grain offerings for the Levites had not been provided, and that as a result the Levites and the singers who performed this work had all gone off to their fields. So I registered a complaint with the leaders, asking “Why is the temple of God neglected?” Then I gathered them and reassigned them to their positions. Then all of Judah brought the tithe of the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil to the storerooms. I gave instructions that Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and a certain Levite named Pedaiah be put in charge of the storerooms, and that Hanan son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, be their assistant for they were regarded as trustworthy. It was then their responsibility to oversee the distribution to their colleagues. Please remember me for this, O my God, and do not wipe out the kindness that I have done for the temple of my God and for its services! In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath, bringing in heaps of grain and loading them onto donkeys, along with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, and bringing them to Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I warned them on the day that they sold these provisions. The people from Tyre who lived there were bringing fish and all kinds of merchandise and were selling it on the Sabbath to the people of Judah – and in Jerusalem, of all places! So I registered a complaint with the nobles of Judah, saying to them, “What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day? Isn’t this the way your ancestors acted, causing our God to bring on them and on this city all this misfortune? And now you are causing even more wrath on Israel, profaning the Sabbath like this!” When the evening shadows began to fall on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered the doors to be closed. I further directed that they were not to be opened until after the Sabbath. I positioned some of my young men at the gates so that no load could enter on the Sabbath day. The traders and sellers of all kinds of merchandise spent the night outside Jerusalem once or twice. But I warned them and said, “Why do you spend the night by the wall? If you repeat this, I will forcibly remove you!” From that time on they did not show up on the Sabbath. Then I directed the Levites to purify themselves and come and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy. For this please remember me, O my God, and have pity on me in keeping with your great love. Also in those days I saw the men of Judah who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod (or the language of one of the other peoples mentioned) and were unable to speak the language of Judah. So I entered a complaint with them. I called down a curse on them, and I struck some of the men and pulled out their hair. I had them swear by God saying, “You will not marry off your daughters to their sons, and you will not take any of their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves! Was it not because of things like these that King Solomon of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no king like him. He was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. But the foreign wives made even him sin! Should we then in your case hear that you do all this great evil, thereby being unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign wives?” Now one of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest was a son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite. So I banished him from my sight. Please remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, the covenant of the priesthood, and the Levites. So I purified them of everything foreign, and I assigned specific duties to the priests and the Levites. I also provided for the wood offering at the appointed times and also for the first fruits. Please remember me for good, O my God.
Steve Webb 24:05
Well, Beloved, at the end of it all, Nehemiah’s conscience is clear, but he’s disappointed that the people could not fulfill their vows to serve faithfully. And once again, we see that there’s nothing new under the sun. And, Beloved, let’s face it, we’re no better than they were at living a sin-free life. Despite our best intentions, we fail. Truer words were never said: “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Commentator David Guzik wrote, “If we could be saved by our own promises, by our own commitment to Jesus, then His death would have been noble, but unnecessary. We aren’t saved by some vow we make, or some leaf we turn over, but by trusting in who Jesus is, and what He has done to save us.” Beloved, how thankful we are and how blessed we are to have a Savior whose sacrifice on the Cross paid the price for our weakness. If we could live a sinless life, his sacrifice would not have been necessary, but since we can’t, his sacrifice was necessary. And in making that sacrifice he made eternity with God a possibility for all who believe. Thank you, Jesus. Hallelujah.
Hallelujah, indeed. You have thoughts or questions? let me hear from you. Send a boostagram or call the Lifespring Family Hotline or go to the comments page or write an email. Tomorrow will be Psalms Wednesday and our reading will be chapters 143 through 145.
Steve Webb 25:35
As always, I invite your comments and your questions. Send a boostagram using a modern podcast app from podcastapps.com. Or call the Lifespring Family Hotline at +1-951-732-8511. If you have a prayer request or a praise report for next Sunday’s prayer segment, go to prayer.lifespringmedia.com. If you have a comment or a question for me, go to comment.lifespringmedia.com or send an email to st***@li*************.com.
Steve Webb 26:12
Thanks to the team: Sister Denise, Michael Haner, Scott Snider, Jason Paschall, and Sister Brittaney for their generous donation of time and talent. Jason Paschall was today’s show art artist. Thank you for inviting me to be a part of your day today. I’m looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. Until then, may God bless you richly. I’m Steve Webb. Bye.
Announcer 26:34
The Lifespring! Media family of programs are made possible by the generous support of listeners like you. Thank you.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
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