Reading for August 7th

 Read Romans 4.1-15. In verses 1-8: The example of Abraham. In verse 3: Gen 15.6. In verses 14-15: Righteousness may be seen as an earned wage given to one who works or as a gift freely bestowed to the one who trusts in God who accepts sinners. In verses 7-8: Ps 32.1-2. In verses 9-12: When Abraham received God's blessing. The sequence of events in Genesis is critical to Paul's argument. Which was the more defining moment for Abraham? Faith (Gen 15.6) or circumcision (Gen 17.1-14)? Faith since it came first. Thus Abraham is better seen as the ancestor of all who believe (Jews and gentiles) rather than the ancestor of the circumcised (Jews only). In verses 13-15: God promise through faith, not Mosaic Law. In verse 13: The promise of many descendants through Isaac experienced through righteousness of faith is given in Genesis (15.1-6; 18.18; 22.15-18). It did not come through the law of Moses, which came much later. Since The promise is linked more closely to faith than it is to the law, it is best experienced not by adherents of the law but by those living in the faith. In verse 15: Without law, there is not sense of violation (Gal 3.19). Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 6th

 Read Romans 3.21-31. In verses 21-26: Experiencing God's righteousness through Christ. In verse 21: The righteousness of God: God's integrity and ability to set things right. Verses 22, 26: To have faith in Jesus Christ means Christ is the object of faith: Believers regard him as God's agent or redemption (v. 24). To have the faith of Jesus means Christ is the example of faith: His fidelity reveals God's integrity and displays the type of faith for which believers should strive (Gal 216, 20; 3.20). In verses 27-31: Faith and law. In verse 27: Boasting putting confidence inhuman achievement instead of divine power (1 Cor 1.29, 31). In verse 28: Those verses compactly summarizes Paul's position (Gal 2.16). In verses 28-30: Two waves of being religious, or relating to God, are contrasted: Through works of the law (of Moses) and the law (principle) of faith. Paul insists that Jews (the circumcised) of gentiles (uncircumcised) relate to God the same way: Through ... faith (v. 30). In verse 31: Overthrow the law probably expresses the view of Paul's critics. His claim to uphold the law is developed in ch. 4. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 5th

 Read Romans 3.1-20. In verses 1-8: Answering Jewish objections. In verse 2: Scripture contains the oracles of God, what God has spoken to Israel (Deut 4.7-8; Ps 147.15, 18-20). In verses 3-7: God's reliability is variously described as faithfulness, justice, truthfulness. In verse 4: One psalm finds humans unreliable (Ps 116.11), another regards God as an honest judge (Ps 51.4). In verse 8: This criticism is answered more fully in ch. 6. In verses 9-20: No one has the moral advantage. In verse 9: Jews and Greeks include everyone (1.16). In verses 10-18: Various biblical quotations are grouped together to show that all ... are under the power of sin. In verses 10-12: Eccl 7.20; Ps 14.1-3. In verse 13: Ps 5.9; 140.3. In verse 14: Ps 10.7. In verses 15-17: Isa 59.7-8: Prov 1.16. In verse 18: Ps 36.1. In verse 20: Ps 143.2; Gal 2.16. Comments or Questions.

Reading for August 4th

 Read Romans 3.17-29. In verses 17-24: Inconsistent behavior condemned. In verses 17-18: Jewish identity is closely linked to Torah observance. In verse 19: Isa 42.6-7. In verses 21-23: These rhetorical questions directly indict those who boast in the law yet flagrantly violate its teachings. Stealing and committing adultery as forbidden in the Decalogue (Ex 20.1-17; Deut 5.1-21). In verse 24: Them quotation is based on the Greek version of Isa 52.5. See Ezek 36.20. In verses 25-29: What really defines a person. In Gen 17.1-14 required male circumcision as a sign of God's covenant with Israel. It indicated willingness to observe Torah (Gal 5.3). Uncircumcised gentiles who fulfill the moral requirements of Torah are, in a spiritual sense, circumcised, and more commendable than Jews who violate Torah. Circumcision ... of the heart suggests an obedient spirit (Deut 10.16; 30.6). Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 3rd

 Read Romans 2.1-16. In verses 1-11: God's wrath against religious people. The language shifts to direct address, from they and them in 1.18-32 to you. Whoever you are (vv. 1, 3), literally, "O man!," is an open-ended charge against religious people who do the very things they condemn in others. Such people think God's kindness gives them slack rather than reason to change their lives (repentance, v. 4). Like those whom they condemn (1.18), they too will experience God's wrath and fury (v. 8; see 5.9; 12.19). Day of wrath , see Zeph 1.14-16; Rev 6.17. At the final judgment, God will render impartial judgement. V. 6 quotes Ps 62.12: see Prov 24.12. Good and evil cut across ethic lines (vv. 9-10). In verses 12-16: Doing what the law requires. In verse 12: Experiencing the harsh effects of sin and developing a sense of moral accountability before God do not derive exclusively from the law of Moses. This is something all people experience, both gentiles who live apart the law and Jew who live under the law. In verse 16: The day of judgment, 2 cor 1.14; Phil 1.6, 10. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 2nd

 Read Romans 1.18-32. In 1.18-8.39: God purpose and character revealed in Christ. In 18.18-32: God's wrath against sinful humanity. Gentiles are nor mentioned specifically in 1.18-32, but they appear to be in view (see 1.30; God-haters; 2.14; 3.9). Paul thinks humanity can know God through creation. Yet rather than honoring God properly as creator, people devised in appropriate forms of worship: images of humans and animals (v. 23). Such worship is misguided because it gives honor to mortal things rather than exclusive honor to the immortal God (v. 23). Worshiping creatures instead of the creator is here seen as the ultimate lie. Closely associated with idol worship were sexual practices regarded by Jews as impure and degrading to the body (vvv. 24-25). Failure to acknowledge God leads to debased thinking and immoral behavior that destroys meaningful relationships among friends and family, leading to chaos within society (1 Cor 6.10-11; Gal 5.19-21). Paul repeatedly emphasizes that God gave them up ... (vv. 24, 26, 28), suggesting God's disgust with such arrogant, socially destructive behavior. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 1st

 Read Romans 1.1-17. In 1.1-15: Greeting and prayer of thanksgiving. In 1-7: Greeting. The writer Paul identifies himself and his mission as they relate to Christ and God. Grace and peace combine standard forms of gentile and Jewish address. This greeting is longer than most because Paul is writing to a church he has not yet visited and he wants to align himself with early Christian belief (vv. 2-6). In 8-15: Prayer of thanksgiving. Opening thanksgivings in Pauline letters often set the mood for the rest of the letter and signal key themes. Paul's mission to the Gentiles reflects a central concern of the letter (v. 13). There is no hint that he will reach Rome as a prisoner, as in Acts depicts (Acts 28). In verses 16-17: Purpose. These verses, which actually concludes the prayer of thanksgiving, summarize the main themes of the letter. I am not ashamed means "I have confidence in." The gospel, the good news about Jesus Christ, tells a story about God's saving activity. It stems from God and expresses God's power to transform human lives. It also reveals the righteousness of God, either God's character as on who is reliable and trustworthy or what is given by God who sets things right. The proper response to God's action in Christ is faith, which is both the means (through faith) and the end (for faith) of life before God. The Older Testament quotation is a distinctive Pauline rendering based upon on Hab 2.4. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 31st

 Read Nehemiah 13.23-31. In verse 27: This great evil; Just as in Ezra, the intermarriage of the community with the surrounding peoples is portrayed in graphic terms a most serious violation of divine order. The discovery of intermarriage was contrary to the pledges of the community in 10.30. While in ch 10 the community voluntarily takes on an oath, here Nehemiah made them take an oath, with a strong public display of anger. In verse 28: One of the sons of Jehoiada: Just as Tobiah's relationship to certain priests presented a problem at the beginning of this section, now Sanballat's relationship to a member of the high priestly family presents another challenge. In verse 30: I cleansed them from everything foreign: The community, as a "house of God," has been cleansed of patterns that would pull them away from their strict observance of the law. Just as David and Solomon made specific provisions for the care of the Temple personnel, Nehemiah places himself in the same company for establishing the duties of the priests and Levites, each in his work. In verse 31: For good, that is, all the good that Nehemiah has accomplished on behalf of the community. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 30th

 THE POSTLOGUE

13.4-31: Having described the communal confession of sin, the entry into a solemn covenant, the dedication of the walls, and the redefinition of the community as the "house of God," it remains for the author to clarify what happened to Nehemiah. This postlogue offers a sort of conclusion to Nehemiah's mission, showing the reformer forcefully addressing a number of wrongs in the community. The section as a whole is based on the covenant contents of ch 10, but in reverse order. For example, where the covenant begins with a vow to end intermarriage (10.30), the present section ends with the same issue (vv. 23-27). Nehemiah's efforts are aimed at  trying to get the community to live up to its own promises.

Read Nehemiah 4-22. In verse 5: Prepare for Tobiah a large room in the Temple precinct: Tobiah was not only one of Nehemiah's primary adversaries, but was an Ammonite, a group to be excluded from the Temple (13.1-2). They had previously put grain offering suggests that the offerings are not coming in as they had been, allowing for the room to be put to other uses. In verse 6: I was not in Jerusalem: Nehemiah apparently was called back to the court for reasons not directly relating to his governance of the district. The thirty-second year of Artaxerxes would be 432 BCE. In verse 8: I was very angry: By making such a public show, Nehemiah may have been hoping to bring the priest Eliashib, an relative of Tobiah, under control. This entire incident is followed up to the actions of the community in 13.1-3. In verse 10: The portions of the Levites had been given to them: This contrary to the pledge made in 10.35-39 not to "neglect the house of God." It also specifically violates the pledges made in 12.44-47 to ensure the singers could remain at their posts. In verse 17: Profaning the sabbath day? This is contrary to the pledges made in 10.31 to keep the sabbath, even if foreign merchants come with goods to sell. In verse 19: I set some of my servants over the gates, apparently to ensure that Nehemiah's orders to shut the city gates at the beginning of the sabbath were fulfilled. Cordoning off the city on the sabbath makes the entire city a holy precinct on that day. In verse 22: This  explains why Nehemiah commands the Levites that they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates. With the entire community turned into a "house of God" the Levites should guard the entryways just as they had previously guarded the entrances in the the Temple precincts. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 29th

 Read Nehemiah 13.1-3. In 13.1-3: The separation of foreigners. Slipping back into a first-person form, this brief notice highlights again the now sacred character of the community as a whole. In verse 1: On that day is unclear, but in context it must mean on the day of the dedication of the walls. No Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God refers to Deut 23.3-6, where "the assembly of God" is the worshipping community appearing in the Temple. In verse 3: They separated from Israel all those of foreign descent, presumably including non-Ammonite and non-Moabite persons. The Deuteronomic law is being extended to the community as a whole, not just the worshipping body, and to all foreigners, not just Ammonites and Moabites. This marks a further redefinition of the community as a sacred body. Not that intermarriage is not raised here. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 28th

Read Nehemiah 12.44-47. In 12.44-47: The community ensures Temple service. Shifting back to a third-person narrative, this section recounts efforts the community made to ensure that the contributions to the Temple stores were properly accounted for. The focus is exclusively on the community and its support for the Temple personnel. In verse 44: Men were appointed: The appointment was by the consenus of the community, not not by an individual. Being over the stores included the inventorying and redistribution of offerings. Such care was taken because Judah rejoiced over the priests and the Levites who ministered. Taking care over the offerings that support these persons was an act of Thanksgiving for the joy worship provided to the community. In verse 47: The daily poritons:The offering that provided daily rations to the Temple personnel. Paralleling Zerubbabel, who rebuilt the Temple, and Nehemiah, who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, serves the same function as Ezra 1-6 served mixing  the two efforts together: The rebuilding of the walls and subsequent solemn covenant reformed the house of God just as the physical rebuilding of the building did. To speak of Nehemiah in this manner makes it sound like his term as governor is over. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 27th

 Read Nehemiah 12.27-43. In 12.27-43: The dedication of Jerusalem's walls. This section briefly returns to a first-person style, similar to the other sections of the "Nehemiah memoir." It recounts the elaborate dedication ceremony, with the community divided into two large portions processing along the walls until they meet by the Temple. The dedication is given a religious dimension with priests and Levites actively participating in the ceremony. In verse 27: They sought out the Levites in all their place: The Levites, who lived in common villages, were needed to ensure the full complement of music and praise. In verse 30: Purified themselves: A necessary preparatory step for a religious ceremony. Also necessary was the purification of the people, though purifying the gates and walls represents a new level of concern for correctness. Such an act extends the area of God's presence from the Temple to the entire walled city. In verse 36: And the scribe Ezra went in front in recognition of the importance of his contributions to the community. In verse 40; Both companies ... stood in the house of God. No formal entry into the Temple itself has preceded this point. This makes more sense if the entire walled city is being considered "house of God." In verse 43: The joy of Jerusalem was heard: This offers a conclusion to the rejoicing and jubilation the community had experienced. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 26th

 Read Nehemiah 12.1-26. In 12.1-26: Lists of priests and Levites. Though the list appears fairly well organized (priests and Levites from the time of the return, vv. 1-9; high priests and Levites from the generation after the return, vv. 12-25; and a chronological summary, v. 26), these is evidence the lists have been expanded over time. While the question of sources and historicity are highly debated, the list in its present position serves to emphasize the sacred character of the newly populated holy city. In verse 24: According to the commandment of David: See the account in 1 Chr 23.30, where David sets several families of Levites aside for this purpose. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 25th

 Read Nehemiah 11.25-36. In 11.25-36: A note about villages outside Jerusalem. This brief account touches on some of the settlements outside Jerusalem that constituted the territory of Judah. Several of the places on the list were not settled by Jews until the Hellenistic period, so this list may be an idealized fiction, approximating the settlements of Judah as described in the tribal allotments of the book of Joshua (Jos 15.1-12). In effect, this makes the same point as the notice of the Festival of Booths earlier (8.17). Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 24th

 11.1-24. In 11.1-24: The community repopulates Jerusalem. Further focusing on the community's dedication to the law, this section depicts the repopulation of Jerusalem, ending with another lengthy list of those who moved into Jerusalem. In verse 1; One out of ten: This applies the tithe (Deut 12.17) to the community's total population. This is the first time Jerusalem is called the holy city,  an extension of the temple precinct's sacredness to the entire city now that it is marked by the completed walls. In verse 2: The people blessed ... live in Jerusalem: The community's desire to undertake this task is emphasized. The listing that follows offers leaders (divided into those of Judah and Benjamin, priests, Leveites, and gatekeepers. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 23rd

Read Nehemiah 10.1-39. In 10.28-39: The terms of the covenant.  Having made an extensive confession before God, the community now offers a solemn covenant that covers a wide range of obligations. All of these will reform the community and bring it into accord with the law of God. In verse 28: The rest of the people, that is, other than the named signatories. In verse 30: We will not give our daughters ... take their daughters: The first major commitment is to oppose intermarriage and cease its practice. The dissolution of existing ethically mixed marriages is not called for. In verse 31: We  will not buy ... on the sabbath or on a holy day: This involves observing the sabbath with new rigor, since the law does not prohibit buying on the sabbath, though selling on the sabbath may have been customarily forbidden (Am 8.5). Forego the crops of the seventh year: Crop land is to receive a sabbath (Lev 25.1-7), combined with rules regarding the release of debts (Deut 15.1-18). These rules had not previously been linked. In verse 32: On-third of a shekel: This was the annual temple tax that continued into the Roman period (Mt 17.24-27). The Temple tax was instituted after the exile since there was no source of regular royal underwriting of temple functions. In verse 34: The community also commits to supply the wood offering to support the temple service. In verse 35: First fruits: While the fist cuttings pf grain are specified in the law (Deut 26.1-11), no provision is required for the produce of fruit trees. The remaining obligations commit the community to support of various aspects of Temple service, In verse 39: The main thrust of this covenant extends the coverage of the law, placing a larger sphere of life into the realm of the holy as part of service for the house of God. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 22nd

 Read Nehemiah 9.9-38. In verse 32: Keeping the covenant and steadfast love emphasizes God's enduring relationship with Israel. Do not treat lightly all the hardship that has come upon us is an appeal that God not add to the community's burden but accept the deep contrition being expressed. In verse 36: Here we are, slaves to this day: Though it is a bound condition under imperial constraints. In verse 38: We make firm agreement: The confession has noted the community's present predicament, which now calls for a response that takes the law very seriously, not repeating the sins of the past. To commit to the agreement in writing further affirms the serious intent here. The author has made this intent more apparent by listing the names of the community leadership affirming this covenant in 10.1-27. Surprisingly, Ezra is absent from this list. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 21st

 Read Nehemiah 9.1-8.  In 9.1-10.27: A day of community confession. This account explains a solemn covenant to which the community will bind itself. Most of the section is a lengthy prayer, possibly offered  by Ezra, which implores God to see the sufferings of the community in the present. The people hope that seeing how they have suffered, God will spare them any additional hardship in spite of their failure to observe the law. The account closes with the names of those who affirmed the covenant. Many have suggested that all or parts of the account fit best after the materials of Ezra 10. In 9.1: The twenty-four day of this month: Following the author's chronology, the Feast of Weeks, lasting eight days, would have ended on the tenth day of the month. The community had clearly prepared for the expression of grief by fasting and being dressed in sackcloth. In verse 2: Separated themselves: Possibly a reflection of the "sending away" of the foreign wives of Ezra 10, though the wording here clearly relates to foreign men as well. Since the confession is rooted in the particular experiences of Israel, the wording may simply mean that only those who have continuity with pre-exilic Israel continued with the confession, while converts to Judaism did not participate. In verse 6: Ezra said: This reading follows the Greek translation of Nehemiah. The Hebrew text implies the prayer is offered by the congregation as a whole. The prayer goes on the recount God's special kindness to Israel and the coming into the land of Israel. The prayer also notes the problem of idolatry that led to judgment, though characterizing these transgressions by the more general casting of the "law behind their backs" (v. 26). Of particular note is the emphasis on God as a "gracious and merciful God" (v. 31). Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 20th

 Read Nehemiah 8.13-18. In 8.13-18: The community keeps the Festival of Booths. One of the specified holy times of the seventh month was the Festival of Booths (Lev 23.33-43), slated to be observed for a week beginning on the fifteenth day of the month. Along with the celebration of the deliverance from Egypt that is the prime focus of the festival, this account continues the reading, and presumably explanation, of the law. In verse 13: On the second day keeps the chronology of 8.2, even though it technically does not observe the festival specifications of the law. This may be an indication that the precise limits of the festival had not yet been set in the Persian period. In  place of the community as a whole, this gathering consists only of the leadership. In verse 17: All the assembly ... made booths: the whole community is involved. From the days of Jeshua is a reference to the period of conquest and Israel's inheritance of the land. The completion of the city walls and the reformation of the community are parallel to israel's beginnings. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 19th

 Read Nehemiah 7.18b-8.12. In 73b-8.12: The community gathers to hear the law. This section brings back into the narrative the figure Ezra, of whom nothing has been said since the close of the book of Ezra. This sudden reemergence of Ezra and the focus on the importance of the law has led many scholars to conclude that this narrative was originally part of the account of Ezra and was moved to its present position by the editor who has brought Ezra-Nehemiah into its present form. The focus, however, remains on the community's request for the reading of the law, and the way the section is placed makes it clear that the goal is to reform itself into a more obedient community on the eve of the dedication of the city's walls. This ceremony also forms the backdrop to the conclusion of this larger section in 13.1-13. In 73b: When the seventh month came: The walls were completed in the month of Elul (6.15), the sixth month of the year. A rough chronological sequence is maintained by the placement, though there is some question if enough time is allowed for the people to return to be settled in their town before reassembling in Jerusalem. The seventh month was traditionally the time of the Day of Atonement (on the tenth day) and the Feast of Tabernacles (for a week starting on the fifteenth day). Several scholars have noted that this was also the month specified in Deut 31.10-13 for an assembly of the people to hear a reading of the law every seven years. This is apparently the model on which the account is structured. In 8.1: They told the scribe Ezra to bring the book: The way Ezra is portrayed as  subservient to the wishes of the "assembly,"rather  than the forceful leader of the community as in the book of Ezra tends to weigh against the idea that this narrative was originally part of the book of Ezra. In the account of this gathering, Ezra is variously termed the scribe (vv. 1, 4), the priest (v. 2), and the priest and scribe (vv. 9), both being roles attributed to him in the book of Ezra. In verse 7: The levites helped the people to understand: One of the traditional roles of the levites was to teach the meaning of the law to Israel (Deut 33.10), and this may have involved a brief exposition of the passage. The Levities may have moved about the crowd answering queries since the people remained in their paces. In verse 9: Nehemiah ... and Ezra: This on of only two places in the Hebrew text of Ezra-Nehemiah where the two reformers appear together. This day is holy: The day of the assembly is a specific sacred occasion. While the specified time of the reading of the law could be considered a holy day, the account may imply that the day is the Feast of Trumpets, set on the first day of the seventh month, which was sacred day (Lev 23.23-25), although no reading of the law is connected witht he Feast of Trumpets. Possibly recognizing how far they had strayed from the law, the people wept. In verse 10: Then he said to them: The he may be Ezra. The specified foods are typical of a festive meal celebrating a sacred occasion. The phrase the joy of the Lord is your strength uses an unusual term for joy, one that occurs here and 1 Chr 16.27, "where strength and joy are in his place." In verse 12: All the people went their way ... to make great rejoicing: Unlike 1 and 2 Chronicles, where the rejoicing takes place in great corporate scenes, this account portrays the people retiring to their homes to rejoice. Their ability to understand the law provides the opportunity to live in accord with the divine will (Ps 119.34-35). Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 18th

 FORMING THE HOUSE OF GOD

In 7.6-13.3: This section drops the first-person style of the "Nehemiah memoir" and the concern with opponents to the rebuilding efforts. Instead the focus is on the community's concerns and corporate commitments. These are presented by means of several large gatherings of the "assembly" of the people interspersed with lengthy lists of people involved. The culmination is an extended description of the dedication of the city walls and the separation of "Israel" from all those of "foreign descent ," Thus paralleling the physical separation of the city from the surrounding peoples. 

Read Nehemiah 7.6-73a. In 7.6-73a: The list of those who returned from Babylon. In verse 6: These are the people of the province: largely repeats the list found in Ezra 2.1-70. Variations between the two lists are minor, but often this list represents a slightly fuller version of the list in Ezra 2. The The focus is clearly on the people, and the reduplication of the lists  shows the author's concern to focus on the community's efforts. In verse 7: Nehemiah: Notice that this is in the third person, rather than the first person accounts of the "Nehemiah memoir." Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 17th

 Read Nehemiah 7.1-5. In verse 1: The gate keepers, the singers, and the Levites: The addition of the singers and Levites is unexpected, though since these groups were well organized they may have served as supplementary help to the gatekeepers, who would have to undertake their duties without prior experience. In verse 3: The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot, perhaps as an additional security measure. In verse 5: The book of the genealogy: There is no explanation for where or how the book was found. Those who were the first to come back: perhaps those who first returned from Exile, or those who first returned with one of the subsequent waves of exiled peoples who migrated to Jerusalem. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 16th

 Read Nehemiah 6.15- 19. In 6.15-7.5: The walls are completed. This section, which recounts the completion of the physical work of refortifying the city, ends with a note on the relatively few people in the city. The rebuilding of the walls is not the final completion of the formation of the "house of God." In 6.17: The nobles of Judah are an indefinite group, but presumably related to a traditional aristocracy. In verse 18: For many in Judah were bound by an oath to him: The reasons are not specified. presumably their support of Tobiah results not from opposition to Nehemiah as much as being bound by their oaths. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 15th

 Read Nehemiah 6.1-14. In 6.1-14: Nehemiah's life is threatened. While the account of ch. 4 deals with threats against the community, this section continues a focus on Nehemiah as an individual, revealing a series of plots by the "adversaries" to destroy him. Nehemiah's persistence in directing the rebuilding effort preserved him from being entrapped by their plots. In verse 2: The plain of Ono lay to the northwest of Jerusalem it may have been in a boundary area between Sanballat's district and Nehemiah's. They intended to do him harm: The account provides no reason for this conclusion. In verse 6: You and the Jews intent to rebel: In general, walled cities were not built in the Persian empire. The refortification of Jerusalem would provide an opportunity to defy the empire. Sanballat uses the threat of reporting this to the king (v. 7) to draw Nehemiah out. In verse 10: Shemaiah ... was confined to his house: Though the account is not clear on the timing, there seems to be sometime between Sanballat's efforts to get Nehemiah to meet with him, and this plot. It is not certain why Shemaiah was closed in his house, not why Nehemiah went to see him. Tonight they are coming to kill you: perhaps Shemaiah had sent word to Nehemiah that he had an important message to convey. His advice to meet in the Temple and close the doors because the adversaries were coming to kill Nehemiah would have made the governor look cowardly. In verse 13; He was hired for this purpose: It takes Nehemiah time to see through the plot, but Shemaiah may have been a reputable prophet, making the deception difficult to detect. In verse 14: Remember ... O my God: one of Nehemiah direct appeals to God to keep something before him. here Nehemiah wants his opponents be repaid according to their deeds, as well as the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who may have engaged in the same kinds of deceit as Shemaiah. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 14th

 Read Nehemiah 5.14-19. In 5.14-19: Nehemiah's refusal to collect the food tax.  Having highlighted his generosity in making his own wealth available to those struggling in the famine crisis, in this section Nehemiah shows his refusal to place additional burdens on the populace, despite his right to collect a "food allowance." In verse 14: From the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, or from 445 to 434 BCE. The food allowance was apparently the privilege of the local imperial officials to draw their living support from a taxation surcharge. In verse 15: Former governors suggests that Yehud (as the region around Jerusalem was known) had been politically independent for some time prior to Nehemiah. In verse 16: I ... acquired no land; Imperial privileges included the ability to amass land holdings. Nehemiah's single-mindedness excluded a concern to build wealth. In verse 17: There were at my table one hundred fifty people: Apparently they were all members of his entourage and lesser officials for whom the governor was expected to provide food rations, thereby showing that Nehemiah had every reasons to exact the food allowance. In verse 19: Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have have done for this people. This is the first of five separate appeals for God to bear in mind some particular action by, or against Nehemiah. These appeals make it difficult to assess the character of the so-called "Nehemiah memoir," since such pietistic asides would not be expected in an official report. They do, however, provide insight into the emotions and faith of Nehemiah. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 13th

 Read Nehemiah 5.1-13. In 5.1-13: Economic crisis and Nehemiah's solution. Told in a first person fashion, this section recounts a grave economic crisis made worse by the profiteering of some members of the community. Faced with a possible revolt, Nehemiah forcefully takes  dramatic steps to alleviate the crisis. In verse 1: Now there was a great outcry: The implication of the placement of this account is that the work of rebuilding was continuing when the crisis reached it potential breaking point. Three different issues are raised by the crowd, all the result of a periodic famine (v. 3). The first issue is the difficulty in getting grain or food (v. 2); the second, the use of fields as collateral to obtain loans for purchasing grain (v. 4) and most seriously, the use of the labor of children as collateral on borrowing money to pay the king's tax (v. 5). Normally, taxes were paid in grains in the Persian empire, but when grain was not available, taxes could be paid in the monetary equivalent (usually the weight, such as "so many mina of silver") of the amount of grain owed. In a famine, as the cost of grain escalated, so would the relative value of the taxes owed the empire. Also, famine was usually triggered by drought, making it difficult for farmers to raise the necessary crop yield to repay a debt. Brokers could loan grains or silver in return for receiving pledges on the future yields of the land or on the available labor in the family group. If the loan was not repaid in the time frame agreed to, the broker could seize all the yield of a given crop, or take members of the family into indentured servitude, often exacting interest on the remaining balance due until the whole loan plus accrued interest was repaid. Nehemiah attempts to address this situation by first calling a great assembly (v. 7), announcing the release of new resources into the markets (v. 10). He also requires that productive lands be returned tot he debtors so that they will have some means of raising capital to make the debt good (v. 11) the call to stop this taking of interest (v.10) is most likely reference to the additional interest on the loan when the original repayment schedule cannot be met. This seems to be what the brokers agree to in pledging they will demand nothing more from them (v. 12). In verse 13: May God shake out everyone from house and from property: Having forced the brokers to take a solemn oath before the priests (v. 12), Nehemiah engages in a symbolic action, placing a curse on all who violate the pledge. The brokers, being people of means, would take seriously the possibility of losing their wealth. The people did as they had promised suggests Nehemiah's solutions worked. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 12th

Read Nehemiah 4.10-23. In verse 10: But Judah said, "the strength of the burden bearers is failing": Facing not only external pressure to cease. Nehemiah now had to contend with wavering resolve among the builders. Judah is a metaphor for the whole community. The burden bearers hauled materials up to the points on the wall where they are needed. In verse 12: They said to us ten times is an idiom for "repeatedly." These informants want to be sure the community understands that rebuilding may provoke a general raid. In verse 13: So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places: Nehemiah's strategy was to place people where they would be ready to respond to an attack anywhere along the wall line.  The lowest parts may have been chosen to conceal the force from the attacker. In verse 14: Do not be afraid ... remember the Lord: In the biblical tradition of the holy war the armed force was promised that God will fight on their behalf. In verse 15: We all returned to the wall; The immediate threat of military challenge having passed, the community could now return to the task of rebuilding the wall. Nehemiah's subsequent orders are designed to maximize the work on the wall while demonstrating a preparedness for defense. In verse 16: All of my servants: Probably a chosen group of individuals under direct employ of Nehemiah and whose loyalty he could count on. With such careful provisions, the danger of general military action against the community was stymied. Comments or Questions

Reading for July 11th

 Read Nehemiah 4.1-9. In 4.1-23: Opposition and the community's response. Though written as a first person narrative, presumably from Nehemiah view, the focus is on the community. The account alternates between the scorn and plots of the adversaries of the rebuilding, and the community's determination to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. In verse 2: Will they restore things? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish it in a day? The taunt relates to restoring Jerusalem to its former glory, a task that would take a great deal of time. The community's enthusiasm may be strong at the moment, but as time passses, Sanballat believes they will give up the task. The issue of sacrifice relates to dedicating the walls at the completion of the project (see 12.43). In verse 6: All the wall was joined together to half its height: it is unclear if this was half it original height or half of its planned height (which may have been considerably less, given the restricted resources). In verse 8: All plotted together to come and fight, maybe not as an "official" military force, but perhaps in a series of raids designed to destabilize the building project. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 10th

 Read Nehemiah 3.15-32. No comments.

Reading for July 9th

 Read Nehemiah 3.1-14. In 3.1-32: The community organizes to rebuild the walls. This section marks the centerpoint combined work Ezra-Nehemiah and place the emphasis squarely on the community's efforts. While Ezra and Nehemiah are marked by having "the hand of God" on them, the heroes of the narrative are the community members, elaborated in various lists, who willingly undertake the formation of the "house of God." The historical value of this list has been under discussion, and many believe it reflects an authentic, if only partial, record of the organization of the rebuilding effort. In verse 1: Then the high priests ... with his fellow priests ... rebuilt the Sheep Gate: This gate was located in the northeast corner of the city adjacent to the Temple precinct and was the principal entry for animals brought for sacrifice. Perhaps because of this, the section of wall is consecrated or "made holy." Another possibility is that this section was most vulnerable to attack, and consecrating the wall in effect called on God to help defend it. In verse 5: Tekoites: Tekoa was on the fringe of the Judean desert to the south of Jerusalem. It was the traditional village of the prophet Amos (Am1.1). The common people's willingness to contrasted with nobles, whose reasons for opposing Nehemiah are not given. It is possible that Tekoa lay near the boundary between Yehud's administrative area and Gershem's, and the nobles may have feared their involvement would bring difficulties with Gershem. Their Lord is a probable reference to Nehemiah. In verse 7: Gibeon and of Mizpah ... under the jurisdiction of the governor or the province Beyond the River: the Hebrew phrasing is difficult, but it may be that Mizpah and the city of Gibeon which lies slightly south of it, were under some special status. Mizpah was not destroyed by the Babylonians, and it became the administrative center for their rule over the devastated Judean kingdom (Jer 40.7-10). It may have retained some special status as a provincial center as Jerusalem remerged as the regional capital. Comments or Questions..

Reading for July 8th

 Read Nehemiah 2.17-20. In 2.17-20: Nehemiah's decree to the people and opposition to the project. Just as the previous section introduced Nehemiah's determination to fulfill the commission given him, and introduced the main personalities who opposed him, this section brings the community into the picture by Nehemiah's leadership, yet notes the opposition. In verse 17: Then I said to them: The whole community, as defined in v. 16. Disgrace was a term often associated with the Exile as God's punishment of the community, in other words, the refortification of the city would finally put an end the negative results of God's punishment of the community. In verse18: They committed themselves to the common good; just like as Ezra had found a willingness to undertake the difficult task of separation from the surrounding peoples, Nehemiah finds the community ready to undertake rebuilding the walls. In verse 19: Geshem the Arab is a new figure among the opponents, thought to be the governor of a region in the Shephelah with an administrative center at Lachish. Are you rebelling against the king? would be the normal assumption about an effort to rebuild a city's fortifications since it would provide the means to defy imperial power. it is a hallow taunt since Nehemiah was directly commissioned by the imperial court. In verse 20: You have no share or claim or historic right in Jerusalem was a stinging rebuke to his opponents that essentially undercut their intrusion into Nehemiah's administrative affairs. The expression strongly parallels the rejection of help from "adversaries" in the rebuilding of the Temple (Ezra 4.3), joining the theme of resestabling the "house of God" to the rebuilding of the walls. Comments or Questions..