Old Testament reading: Nehemiah 3-4
[Today marks the halfway point through the Old Testament and second reading of the entire New Testament! A word of caution – The English word “mediocre” is from Latin meaning “halfway up the mountain.” Now is no time to quit! Let’s press onward to the top!]
“Let us rise up and build” (Neh 2:18). Under Nehemiah’s careful planning, capable leadership, and faith in God, the Jews “set their hands” (ibid) to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. Almost without exception, they gave themselves to the work. That one exception was the Tekoite nobles, who are singled out as not putting their shoulders to the work of their Lord. Why this is so is not stated. As nobles, perhaps they thought themselves as being above getting the hands dirty. We are not told, but I think Nehemiah’s comment is made to place them in disrepute. Everyone else “had a mind to work” (4:6). Of note is Eliahshib the high priest (3:1) and the priests from the plain (3:22). I love preachers who aren’t afraid of hard work! Shallum, without sons, gave his best, as he and his daughters are given special mention (3:12). Baruch “carefully repaired” a section (v 20). “Carefully” is not a good rendering, as the Hebrew word means to glow with heat, blaze up, or be zealous. Others are noted as repairing more than one section, including the Tekoites (v 27), who may have been picking up the slack of their nobles.
New Testament reading: Revelation 19-22
“Don’t add to God’s word, and don’t take anything from it.” This was the very first thing I learned from the Book of Revelation (cf 22:18-19). Of course, this is not the first time we are warned not to tamper with God’s word. The same warning is found in Deuteronomy 4:2, and a similar admonition is seen in Proverbs 30:6. Some have even accused Eve of adding “nor shall you touch it” (Gen 3:3) to God’s command “you shall not eat” in Genesis 2:17. The totality of God’s word is truth (Psalm 119:160; John 17:17). We must be satisfied to hold to God’s word in its entirety and to it alone without mixture or alteration. To do otherwise is to violate the text itself and invite the wrath of God.
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