Job said, though He slay me yet will I trust Him. Esther said, if I perish, I perish, but I am going to see the king. David sought God carefully with tears. Peter said, who else has the words of life. For 400 years, God didn’t speak to the Israelites, from Nehemiah to Jesus. And if you look at their history, they sought the Lord. Then when the time was right, God sent angels to speak the Israelites. The Israelites were looking for the messiah. And John the Baptist came preaching repentance for the remission of sin. There Jesus came preaching that the kingdom of God was at hand. And yet so many didn’t believe. They saw the truth and what it would do to themselves. The pain of the truth was too great. Even though God would have brought them thought it all. God will fulfill His word to everyone. Even to those who don’t believe. Because God is not willing that any should perish but that all would come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Crain Blanchard.

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The book of Nehemiah was the last one written in the old testament. There was no prophets in Israel who could bring the word of God for 400 years. The next prophet in Israel was Jesus. John the Baptist was the last levitical priest recorded in the bible. Jesus was a priest after the order of Melchizedek, not the sons of Aaron. Life went on in Israel, but the Ark of the Covenant wasn’t in the temple. Jeremiah hide the treasures of the temple when Nebuchadnezzar invading Israel. The Ark is still not in the Israel. It will not until the last days of earth. Right before Jesus returns the temple will be rebuilt and the Ark found. Sin is a hard thing and will separate us from God. And you will not hear from God until you repent of your sins. God will be silent, hopefully not for 400 years.

Crain Blanchard.

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Nehemiah had finished his work in Jerusalem. He told the king, he would stay for so long. So he had to make sure everything was going like it supposed to. Nehemiah was reading the word of God and saw where God commanded that Israel wasn’t to make a covenant or have anything to do with Moab or Ammon. Several priests had wives from there. Nehemiah called the Israelites together. He read the word of God to them. Then said the Israel had to separate themselves from strange wives. It was a process, but it was done. Nehemiah said why do you provoke God with sin. Didn’t our fathers go into captivity because of sin. Even the smallest sin will separate you from God. The smallest fox spoils the vine. God says he that knows to do good and doesn’t, to him it is sin.

Crain Blanchard.

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After the day of atonement, Nehemiah, ch.11,12, gathered the priests, levites, princes, rulers and all the people who returned from captivity together. The temple and the walls were completed. Everyone had been assigned and the journey had begun. It was time to begin living and working in the kingdom. Nehemiah had the singer’s to lead the people in worship and praise. There were people in front of the temple and on the walls around the city. And all began to sing with thanksgiving and praise. The sound of praise could be heard at a great distance. Once our temple has been set in order, we need to begin singing in our hearts with thanksgiving and praise. This is the only way to enter into God’s courts and stand before Him. Make a joyful noise so that everyone can hear, especially God. And there was joy in Jerusalem, the city of our great God and Father.

Crain Blanchard.

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In Nehemiah ch.10, after the temple and walls were rebuilt, they read the word of God. In it they saw that they hadn’t kept His commandments for a long time. They wept and repented before the Lord. The Israelites began keeping the feast before the Lord. Then Nehemiah saw that the temple needed to be put in order. He began with the priests and levites. Then he gathered all the supplies for the temple and sheep, cattle and wood. All according as God had directed in His word. We are the temple of God. As such, we had to sweep and clean our temple as God directs us. We gather our supplies and store them in our temple. We do this against that day when someone asks us why we believe. Getting our house in order is a lifetime’s worth of work.

Crain Blanchard.

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In Nehemiah ch.9, the Israelites had finished building the temple and the walls. They the word of God to the whole congregation and found and ordnance to keep the feast of Tabernacles. The feast was to prepare their hearts to repent of their sins. And on the day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, the whole congregation was to approach God and repent. They gathered at the temple and the levites and priests led them in worship and praise to enter in the presence of God. They began to repent of their sins. The priests began to count their sins from Abraham until then. The Law is the knowledge of sin and repentance. And John the Baptist came preaching repentance for the remission of sin. Jesus came and died for us to recieve grace after we repented of our sins. So that we can enter into the kingdom of God. This is God’s plan for everyone. And all you have to do is turn to God and repent and believe Jesus.

Crain Blanchard.

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In Nehemiah ch.8, Nehemiah had the entire congregation gather at the water gate on the first day of the 7th month, Jewish New Year. Ezra opened the word of God and began to read. For many people, this was the first time they heard the word of God. They all began to wept before the Lord. The levites and priests taught the people what it meant. Nehemiah sent everyone home and told them to stop crying. He said this a day to rejoice. Go home and cook food and share with your neighbors. For the joy of the Lord is our strength. Then the celebrated the feast of tabernacles. There are 3 feast that Israel must celebrate every year. Those feast are Tabernacles, Passover and Pentecost. Jesus’s life revolved around those 3 feast. When He was 12 years old, He went with His parents to Jerusalem for the feast of Tabernacles. He was crucified on Passover. And rose into heaven on Pentecost. That the word of God be fulfilled.

Crain Blanchard.

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In Nehemiah 7, the Israelites had finished the wall and the temple. But they hadn’t finished their homes. Nehemiah told them to keep the gates shut until the sun was high in the sky. There wasn’t a lot of people who had returned. Safety was still a concern. Then, Nehemiah began to record the people by families to prove they were Israeli. Some 42,000 people had returned with Nehemiah. Some were removed as priest because they couldn’t prove their lineage. In Judaism, your mother must be Jewish, to be a Jew. For the priesthood, your mother must be of the sons of Aaron. The sanctification of the people must begin to make oneself presentable to God. God is holy and we must cleanse hearts before God. The process takes a lifetime. It isn’t a onetime thing. We must be holy to enter into the presence of God. God called the Israelites home after their captivity. It wasn’t easy and it still isn’t. But it is always simple.

Crain Blanchard.

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In Nehemiah 4, the Israelites heard what the people of the land were going to do. They prepared to fight against the Israelites to stop them from building the temple and the walls. Nehemiah gathered all to the temple and prayed that God would stop the attack on them and put it on the people of the land. Nehemiah had everyone carry his sword as he built the walls. He divided them by night and day and by those building and those guarding the wall. If the trumpet sounded everyone would run to the call of the trumpet. This is our life. Jesus said if they hated me, how much more will they hate you. We are watchmen on the wall. We are to defend ourselves with the gospel. We are to carry our swords with us wherever we go and pray for God’s mercy and grace. Our swords are meant for use in the kingdom and in love. Remember, our swords are two-edged, dividing even soul and spirit. This is why we are to use them in love only. Be the watchman and live in God’s grace.

Crain Blanchard

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Nehemiah had returned to Jerusalem and the work had stopped. He had letters from the king for supplies and permission to rebuild the temple. He looked at the entire city and saw what was necessary. The people of the land didn’t want them to rebuild Jerusalem and despite the letters from the king, they were going to stopped them. Nehemiah had everyone carry their sword and divided the work among the labourers. At any given time, they were ready for battle. But continued the work of rebuilding. Although we have been given permission from our king, Jesus, there are people who don’t want us to rebuild our temple. God has given us letters which we are to read and study, which in turn will defend us. It’s called the sword of the Spirit, the bible. We are to rebuild our temple and defend the ground we stand on and rebuild our temple on the way home.

Crain Blanchard.

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