Nehemiah 7 & 8: A Faithful Man
Verse of the Day: (7:2) That I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem: for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many.
1. Faithful (7:1-4)
And I said unto them, Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot; and while they stand by, let them shut the doors, and bar them: and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every one in his watch, and every one to be over against his house. (7:3)
After the completion of the rebuilding project, Nehemiah delegated the works of overseeing Jerusalem to Hanani, his brother, and Hananiah, the ruler of the palace, as both were faithful men who feared God. He then appointed guards at all the gates as he knew that their enemies, the Samaritans, would seek to destroy what they had rebuilt. Indeed, let us be faithful to God, and fear Him, and be sober and vigilant, as Satan, God’s enemy, is always seeking to destroy us, and our works for Him. (1 Corinthians 4:1-2)
2. First (7:5-73)
And my God put into mine heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of them which came up at the first, and found written therein. (7:5)
God then put into Nehemiah’s heart to find the register of the genealogy of the Jews who first returned to Jerusalem after being released from the Babylonian captivity. The reason was because Jesus, God’s only begotten Son, shall be from the Jews, and Satan would do everything to hinder His birth such that man can never be reconciled with God but be eternally condemned in hell like him because of sin. However, Jesus, the First and the Last, always win over Satan, as He came into this world, and lived and ministered, and died and shed His blood at the cross for the sins of the world. Whoever therefore believes in Jesus shall never perish, but have eternal life with Him in heaven. (Revelation 1:1-11)
3. Fat (8:1-18)
Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength. (8:10)
Amid opposition, the people gathered as one people to hear Ezra, the priest, reading God’s Word, and some wept as this was the first time they heard it, as they never hear it during their 70 long years of captivity in Babylon. Nehemiah then led them in great celebration with the fat and sweet drinks of the land, and they also shared the blessings with the poor. It was indeed a holy day, as they knew that the joy of the Lord was their strength. Let us thus trust in God, and He shall bless us now and forever. (Proverbs 28:25)
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to be faithful, and to always fear You now and forever.
