Nehemiah 8 and 9

 

 

Nehemiah 8:1 - "And all the people gathered themselves 

                            together as one man into the street"

 

There were certain sins prevalent at the time and were

addressed :

 

            * oppression of rich men - ch. 4

            * prevalence of mixed marriages -  chps. 6, 10, 12

            * desecration of the sabbath - chps. 10, 13

            * negligence of tithes and offerings - ch. 10

 

For us today in America it they are:

           

            * abortion on demand/convenience

            * homosexuality

            * pornography

            * Hollywood mind set/fantasy/non-reality

            * materialism

            * lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God

            *lying-misrepresentation-deception - John 8:44

 

But there seems to be no greater provocation today

that the forty million plus abortions in 33 years in

America unless it be homosexuality pushed to the

forefront as if it were some "prima donna" sin.

 

 

These are two reasons for a fearful looking for of

JUDGMENT!

 

These sins seem to permeate society - secular -

religious - to the point of entering the pulpit or the

priesthood - (denominational issues)

 

Our pastor, Bro. Purcell mentioned something that

I trust was not wasted on me when he referred to

the magnanimity of Abraham in the matter of Lot -

great change was taking place as here - I only wish

that sometime he will teach what the self-will of

Lot, and others like scriptural references, led to -

they also desired change.

 

I can only say with Lot - "brethren do not so

wickedly" - words of advice in an homosexual

setting - those brethren are among the ashes (the

biblical term is "consumed") of Sodom and

Gomorrah - arkdiscovery.com.

 

The public library used to promote "what if everyone

read the same book"?  They did once upon a time and

it also permeated society - it was the Bible.

 

Kentucky Explorer magazine - how widespread the

culture - those days can never be recovered - nostalgia -

(a wistful or excessively sentimental sometimes

abnormal yearning for return to or of some past

period or irrecoverable condition  - to put in a

biblical setting - "the world that then was" - II Peter 3:6)

the same could and can be experienced if our hearts

were right and America really was unified - THE

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA -

 

It is not the times - it is "the spirit of the times"

which we covet.

 

It is not the change in progress - making life better -

that I am talking about - it is the change in people

and their behavior that I mention.

 

The times can never be recovered - the spirit can!

 

We have the means through technology for all the

people upon the face of the earth to do this - in the

streets - outside our homes - satellites could pick it

all up and broadcast it simultaneously - we just

don't have the desire or will - tax dollars or the

damning philosophy that is extra-constitutional -

"separation of church state" would forbid BUT

 

There will come a time when we would gladly do

it but it will be after it is too late!

 

For example - the rich man in Luke 16

 

But "today, if ye will hear His voice, harden not

your hearts as in the provocation" - Heb 3

 

It can be done!

 

 

Nehemiah 8:1-4 - contrast those who stand with

           

Zerubbabel - the governor (concerned with first exiles

            Joshua - the priest             return and rebuilding the city)

 

            Zerubbabel here with those who opposed him -

           

            Ezra 4:1 - adversaries

                        2 - let us help

                        4 - weakened their hands

                        5 - hired lobbyists

                        6 - journalists - lies

                     7-9 - their companions

                        12 - lies - propaganda - spin doctoring

                        21 - legislate

                        23 - censorship - cease and desist

 

Eighty years later - Nehemiah the governor - Ezra the

priest (concerned with rebuilding the wall and repentance

            towards God)

 

Ezra 5:1 - work of Haggai and Zechariah

                        3, 6 - adversaries companions (actual people)

                        5, 11 -

 

                       

 

            (NATIONAL LIFE)

 

            Neh. 8:1-4       (v. 2 - first day)

                        7-8       vs. 4 and 7 (actual people)

                        9-12 - (significance of)

                        13   (second day)

                        18 - (day by day for a week)

For seven days, from early morning until midday, Ezra

and his helpers, "opened the Book of the Law, and read

in the Law of God, distinctly, and gave the sense, so that

the people understood the reading".  This public reading

and exposition of God's Book brought a great wave of

repentance among the people, a "great revival" and a

solemn covenant to keep the Law as in chapters 9 & 10

 

 

      (INDIVIDUAL LIFE)       

 

Neh. 9:1- "with sackclothes, and earth upon them"

                        (think how hard that would be in this day of                                     obsession with designer clothing)

 

Isaiah 3:16-24 -

            16 - "walk with stretched forth necks & wanton eyes"

                     (a desire to attract men's attention, shamelessly

                       and immodestly)

            17 - "the Lord will discover their secret parts) - (tattoos                         with arrows pointing in all directions and making                                 unnecessary statements)

            18 - "in that day the Lord will take away the bravery of

                     their ornaments" - bravery - gall????

            19 - "chains...bracelets"

            20 - "headbands....earrings"

            21 - "rings...nose jewels"

            22 - "changeable suits of apparel" - clothes make the man -

                     designer clothing - I Peter 3:3-4

            23 - "hoods... vails" -  (turbans and scarfs) gang symbols??

            24 - "stomacher" -

 

May God help me not to come on offensively here -

 

The SYMBOLISM     - yesterday I watched over RFD TV

a show taped July 2, 2006 at Jerusalem  Ridge in Ohio Co.,

Ky - Bill Monroe connection - Bill Monroe is not the only

thing to come out of Ohio County - the best I remember the

earring in school controversy started there in the late 60's

or early 70's -

 

Order is essential to learning.

 

Perhaps obsession with self is detrimental to learning either

in public schools (PRIVATE SCHOOLS RISE) or respect towards one's Maker

 

Can you see Americans following the example of those in

the days of Ezra and Nehemiah today??

 

Tossing earrings, change of dress (sack cloth) like Job sitting on a heap and scrapping tattoos off - etc.

 

Standing for hours at a time???

Well, next Sunday perhaps, you know the Super Bowl is a

special occasion!  I see people standing at the State Tournament

every year - I guess it is where the heart is - a "State of the

Heart" address, perhaps.

           

 Neh. 9:2 - "the seed of Israel separated themselves"

             3 - "stood in their place"

                   "read in the book of the Law of the Lord their

                     God one fourth part of the day and another

                     fourth part they confessed and worshipped the

                     Lord their God"

            4

            5-6

            13

            16-17

            20

            23

            25

            26-30

            34-35

            36-37 (N/A????)

 

Romans 9:28-29

 

Rev. 11:18

 

           Neh. 10:28-29, 35 (notice not the body - Micah 6:6-8)

                          39 - "we will not forsake the house of our God"

 

 

Whose side are  you on??? -

            The adversaries??

            The Lord God of heaven and earth