Reading for December 29th

Read Nehemiah 13.19-30. In verse 19: i set some or 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 Levities that they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates. With the entire comunity turned into a "house of God," the Levities should guard the entryways just as they had previously guarded the entrances into the Temple precincts. In verse 27: This great evil: Just as in Ezra, the intermarriage of the community with the surrounding peoples is porttrayed in graphic terms as a most serious vilation 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 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 of the 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 ben 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 Levities, each in his work. In verse 31: For good, that is all the good that Nehemiah as accomplished on behalf of the community. Comments or Questions..