Latest / Journey Elgin / Journey Through Scripture- Nehemiah 8-10 & Ps 1, 91, 119
Transcript
- Phillip Thomas: Hey, welcome to our journey through scripture. My name is Philip Thomas, Pastor of Journey here in Elgin, Texas. Good to see you today. We continue our ⁓ walk through the Bible in a chronological order. Today we are in Nehemiah chapters eight, nine, and ten. ⁓ and then we'll also look at three different psalms: Psalm 1, Psalm 19, or excuse me, Psalm 91, and Psalm 119. So Psalm 1, Psalm 91, and Psalm 119. That's kind of i i interesting connection there. ⁓ so we we get to Nehemiah chapter eight, and it if if if you're reading through Nehemiah, especially after reading ⁓ the ⁓ first seven chapters last w ⁓ Tuesday, ⁓ what we see here is this this changes where Nehemiah has been writing this, kind of narrating what what all went on, and he talked about the the battles that he had to to fight and the challenges that he had to overcome. in rebuilding the wall and the and the gates around Jerusalem. ⁓ now the people are moving back into Jerusalem. ⁓ it kind of switches to now this is not Nehemiah writing this. ⁓ it's it's talking more about when Ezra is reading the law. And ⁓ and so we will see there's also the book of Ezra that that connects these two. So Ezra and Nehemiah are contemporaries. Ezra is a priest, Nehemiah is the governor ⁓ and so it it is kind of interesting how it shifts here ⁓ in Nehemiah chapter eight. So we don't know did Nehemiah not write this? Was this added later? We we don't we don't know for sure, but ⁓ but what this is revealing is what how the people responded after the walls were rebuilt. And so they come together to celebrate that time and Ezra reads the book of the law. So chapter eight. Talks about how they gather in front of ⁓ the water gate. ⁓ in ⁓ verse three it says, Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the water gate from morning till midday before the men and women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law. So they're listening to to Ezra. ⁓ this is a a big deal kind of consecrating ⁓ not only the wall, but but Remembering why they got to this point. ⁓ and so as you continue to read there in chapter eight, ⁓ it says verse nine, and Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people, ⁓ said to all the people, This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn nor weep, for all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. So they are realizing, again, as they hear the words of the law, they recognize, ⁓ man, we have really messed up. We've deserved all of this. So they're weeping and mourning. ⁓ but Ezra and Nehemiah are telling them, No, this is not the time for that. It's time to celebrate. There will be the time for the mourning and the repentance. We have to have both of those things. ⁓ and so so now it's a time to to celebrate ⁓ the law. You have ⁓ they celebrate the feast of the tab tabernacles, ⁓ verse seventeen, so the whole assembly of all the who'd return to the ⁓ who had returned from the captivity made booze and set under the booze, for since the days of Joshua the son of none, until the day of the children of Israel had not done so. And there was very great gladness also day by day, from the first day to the last, he read from the book of the law of God. And so it's remembering the wilderness, how they had to stay in tents. that's a reminder. ⁓ and now they are back in the city, ⁓ back in Jerusalem. So it's this this constant reminder of where they have been of how God has been with them. Then in chapter nine, ⁓ we get to the importance of confessing. in verse two, it says, Then those of the Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners, and they stood and confessed their sins and their iniquities to their fathers. They stood up in their place and read from the book of the law and the Lord their God for one fourth of the day, and for another fourth they confessed and worshipped the Lord their God. So They were reading from the law and then they were confessing how they had fallen short of the law ⁓ and then worshiping God. ⁓ and then it goes right into kind of their confession and worshiping ⁓ of God. It says ⁓ verse five, stand up, bless the Lord your God forever and ever. Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above the blessings and praise. You alone are Lord. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, and the and with all their hosts, the earth and everything on it. ⁓ know, this is this is common worshipful language, r recognizing who God is. ⁓ verse sixteen of chapter nine says, But they our fathers acted proudly, hardened their necks, did not heed your commandments, they refused to obey. They were not mindful of your wonders that they did among that you did among them, that but they hardened their necks, and in their rebellion they appointed a leader to return to their bondage. But you were God, ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in kindness, and did not forsake them. So this is walking through the whole process of the people ⁓ of God being called out of Egypt, ⁓ going through the wilderness, ⁓ forsaking God with the golden calf, the just the the pattern repeating itself over and over and over. But they are taking the time to remember all that 'cause they are reading the book of the law. ⁓ It's ⁓ verse twenty-eight, but after they had rest, they again did evil before you. Therefore you left them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had dominion over them. ⁓ when and yet when they returned and cried out to you, you heard from heaven, and many times you delivered them according to your mercies. ⁓ they're they're remembering all of these things. ⁓ it says verse twenty-nine, yet they acted proudly. ⁓ and did not heed your commandments, but sinned against your judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them. Right? And they shrugged their shoulders, stiffened their necks, and would not hear. Right. So if we choose to shrug God's ⁓ commandments, ⁓ we will live by those judgments, right? It's it's our choice as to to to how we're going to live. ⁓ we can l either live following him, ⁓ or we can live in the consequences of that. It's It's really it's up to us. ⁓ it continues on ⁓ this and then we see chapter ten where it talks about sealing that covenant and and what that means is that the people are going to support the temple, support the ⁓ the priest, the sacrifices that they are going to give back, ⁓ that they are going to ⁓ to strive not to forget again. ⁓ and ⁓ so I encourage you to read ⁓ through chapter ten. ⁓ but the people are are making that commitment ⁓ to living according to the law, not not just going through the motions, ⁓ but actually living and following ⁓ through with all of this. ⁓ then ⁓ we want to read Psalm one ninety-one and one nineteen. Again, these are hard to get in a chronological, so sometimes it kind of goes more with themes. ⁓ these are are kind of wisdom psalms. They talk a lot about ⁓ the righteous and the wicked. ⁓ and and how it's important to choose to live according to the law. So it kind of fits with what the people are doing here, where they're reading the law, recognizing where they have fallen short and how th they have been wicked in their rebellion against the law, ⁓ and choosing to go back to God. ⁓ so I I definitely encourage you to read Psalm one ninety-one and one nineteen. ⁓ Psalm one starts off. Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the paths of sinners, nor sits at the seed of the scornful, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law he meditates day and night. Right? It is it's important that we know the law, that we recognize there is a way that we should be living. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in season, whose leaves also shall not wither, and whatever he does shall prosper. The ungodly are not so, but are like the sha chaff which the wind drives away. ⁓ right, that there is a difference. do we want to have strong roots ⁓ to be able to weather the storms of life, or are we going to be like shaft that gets blown away because we have no foundation? ⁓ and that foundation is found in and actually following the law, not just believing in God, but actually living out what He has called us to do. ⁓ Psalm ninety one says ⁓ He who dwells in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in him I will trust. Where are we going to put our trust? Are we going to put our trust in things of God or in things of the world? Encourage again, read Psalm ninety one, talks about being in the presence of God and and and how he is present with us. And how he rescues us and he sees us through ⁓ the difficult times of life. Psalm one nineteen is interesting. It's broken up into the alphabet. ⁓ so this is the Hebrew alphabet. So you'll see these little ⁓ subtitles, ⁓ Aleph Bet Gimel Dalith, ⁓ continues on. I I actually once knew that, ⁓ remembered it for a test, and then you know, as most of that it leaves your head, right? But ⁓ but but those are Those are the letters to the Hebrew alphabet. And ⁓ and so this is ⁓ poetry, it it's very repetitive, ⁓ but it is talking about the importance of the word of God, importance of of being righteous, following the righteousness of God, not ⁓ wickedness. ⁓ it says blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart. They also do know iniquity. They walk in his his ways. You have commanded us to keep your precepts diligently. ⁓ you know that God God i expects something of us. He expects us to live ⁓ according to his ways. ⁓ verse nine, how can a young man cleanse his way? By taking ke heed according to your word, with my whole heart I have sought you, ⁓ let me not wander from your commandments, your word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you. Right? The that God's word matters. We need to we need to know it. We need to pay attention to it. ⁓ go down to ⁓ ver verse twenty eight ⁓ twenty eight. My soul melts from heaviness, strengthen me according to your word, re remove from me the way of lying, and grant me your law graciously. I have chosen the way of truth. Your judgments I have laid before me. I cling to your testimonies, O Lord, do not put me to shame. I will run the course of your commandments, for you shall enlarge my heart. This is the one of the first times here we see truth ⁓ mentioned, but you see truth ⁓ riddled throughout this psalm, ⁓ the importance of truth, and that truth is found only in God and his word. ⁓ and and so we need to to always ⁓ test, if you will, the truth that is being proclaimed supposedly. From the world around us, tested against the truth found in the Word of God. ⁓ verse sixty-three says, Because of your righteousness, ⁓ righteous judgments, I am a companion of all who fear you, and of those who keep your precepts. The earth, O Lord, is full of your mercy. Teach me your statutes. Sixty five, you have dealt well with your servant, O Lord, according to your word. Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe your commandments. And then it just continues on and on in this vein. ⁓ you get to verse one fifty one You are near, O Lord, and your commandments are truth. Concerning your testimonies I have known of old that you have founded them forever. Ver one sixty, the entirety of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous judgments endures forever. Psalm one hundred sixty one princes persecute me without cause. Right, so the the worldly leaders persecute me without cause, but my heart stands in awe of your word. I rejoice at your word as one who finds great treasure. I hate and abore lying, but I love your law. And then ⁓ the it concludes in one hundred seventy three, let your hand become my help, for I have chosen your precepts. I long for your salvation, O Lord, and your law is my delight. Let my soul live and it shall praise you, and let your judgments help me. I have gone astray like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments. So it it that is just so important for us to understand that that God does desire for us to live according to his word. ⁓ that we need to apply that in the way that we live our life. ⁓ and many times that flies in the face. ⁓ of what our ⁓ our secular ⁓ religion ⁓ says is true. ⁓ and so it can be difficult and and I I just encourage you to make sure that you are seeing truth through the lens of scripture, ⁓ through the Bible, ⁓ and testing everything that we are told, everything that we hear ⁓ through that lens. and make sure that we are accountable to God above any other. All right. Well, next ⁓ we will continue. ⁓ we will ⁓ finish out ⁓ Nehemiah. So Nehemiah eleven ⁓ and twelve. In fact just go all the way through the the rest of Nehemiah. ⁓ and then ⁓ well we'll probably stop there because there's a lot of psalms that will will hit But let's let's finish out Nehemiah on a ⁓ on all right, we'll see you then.