Nehemiah 7: Enrolled By Geneology

Intro:

Maybe you saw the title of this sermon last week and decided to stay home to watch today

But out culture today is very concerned with this very thing, they call it Critical Race Theory. Enthicity is a really hot topic these days.

“The theory rests on the premise that racial bias - intentional or not - is baked into U.S. laws and institutions.” - https://www.investing.com/news/world-news/explainerwhat-critical-race-theory-means-and-why-its-igniting-debate-2622380?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=14712539659&utm_content=546922691742&utm_term=dsa-42114402488_&GL_Ad_ID=546922691742&GL_Campaign_ID=14712539659&gclid=CjwKCAiAm7OMBhAQEiwArvGi3IROTvKIrfgp_7EXZpvkEo1HLkyvPKKVZyx2vEbKnmib4y-qafTKeBoCRR0QAvD_BwE

“Critical race theory is a framework of analysis and an academic movement of civil-rights scholars and activists who seek to examine the intersection of race and law in the United States and to challenge mainstream American liberal approaches to racial justice. Wikipedia”

You might be thinking, I thought the wall was built? Why is there another chapter?

Now we move from a focus on rebuilding the wall to restoration of the people

This chapter is very similar to Ezra 2

Outline:

Leadership: “Appointed Leaders” (vs. 1-4)

Legacy: “Enrolled by Geneaology” (vs. 5-65)

Life: “The Whole Assemby” (vs. 66-73)

Summary: Leadership, legacy, and life. None of them are without sin and none of them should be without Jesus.

Prayer:

Leadership: “Appointed Leaders” (vs. 1-4)

Integrity (vs. 1-2)

Now when the wall had been built

I had set up the doors

and the gatekeepers

The singers

And the Levites had been appointed

I gave my brother

Hanani- the one reported the state of Jerusalem to Nehemiah

and Hananiah the governor of the castle

Charge over Jerusalem

For he was a more faithful

and God-fearing man than many- Integrity is impportant when picking leadership

Instruction (vs. 3-4)

I said to them

Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot

While they are still standing guard- reference to either seista or that the gates should be opened late and closed early

Let them shut and bar the doors

Appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusaelm

some at their guard posts

some in front of their own homes

The city was wide and large

But the people within it were few- it will be populated with those of pure Jewish decent

No houses had been rebuilt

Application/Implications:

Heads up, we are looking for leaders to help us with the ministry here, as a member, committee leader, or deacon. We are looking for faithful men and women that are God-fearing. Not perfect.

We are also looking for men and women that are willing to take instruction

Leadership in your home should be no different. Dad, mom, we had a baby dedication today for this young couple. Where are you in parenting faithfully by fearing God more than many? Mabye you need to thank God for His conviction, repent and ask His forgiveness in areas you have sinned, and choose to live differently starting today.

When you look at the life of Jesus you can see integrity and instruction

Transitional phrase: Belonging to a certain family does not mean that you will live the same way, whether for good or evil. God wants you to lead where you are with integrity willing to receive instruction.

Legacy: “Enrolled by Genealogy” (vs. 5-65)

Desire to Read (v. 5)

Then my God put it into my heart- He is getting things in order for what will happen in chapters 8-10.

To assembel the nobles

and the officials

and the people

to be enrolled by genealogy- “In Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah, genealogies serve to connect the tribes and clans of the postexilic period to those of the preexilic period to establish both national and religious continuity”.

Shields, M. A. (2016). Genealogy. In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, … W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

I found the book of the genealogy- Ezra’s copy (chapter 2)- just as a heads up, there are some differences in the lists if you look closely. I found this helpful this week, “Since nehemiah was reading from a copy of an older list (either the list in Ezra or an official list that both of them consulted), the list may have been updated and corrected to allow for a number of births and deaths that occureed shortly after the exiles returned, and perhaps in some cases people were counted or grouped differently or in different categories. Either or both lists may also have been corrected and supplemented by a number of relativew who had been delayed on the journey by illness or for other reasons, and wer added later. Sof of the difference may also be due to copying errors” ESV.

of those who came up at the first

and I foun d written in it

Decision to Return (vs. 6-7)

These were the people of the province

Who came up out of the captivity of those exiles

Whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon

Had carried into exile

They returned to Jerusalem and Judah

each to his own town

They came with (Ezra 2:2)

Zerubbabel- grandson of Jehoiachin and ancestor of Jesus

Jeshua

Nehemiah

Azariah

Raamiah

Nahamani

Mordecai

Bilshan

Mispereth

Bigvai

Nehum

Baanah-

Distinction of Rights (vs. 8-65)

The number of the men of the people of Israel (vs. 8-38)

The Priests (vs. 39-42)

The Levites (vs. 43-45)

The temple servants (vs. 46-56)

The sons of Solomon’s servants (vs. 57-60)- look at this list, it is specifically used to show the legitimacy of Jewish descent

Those who came up…but could not prove their fathers’ house nor their descent (vs. 61-65)

So they were excluded from the prieshood as unclean

The governor told them that they were not to partake of the most holy food until a priest with Urim and Thummim should arise

The could not claim a legacy or right that was not theirs

Urim and Thummin were used to discern the will of God on a specific matter.

Application/Implications

Why is this important? What is so important about legacy? Well, if they were not perticular in keeping the legacy they would not get to the coming Messiah. If the heritage was lost so was the promises of God!

The people of Israel, under the leaderhship of Nehemiah are making a practical step in obedience to God’s command by excluding people from the priesthood that could not prove their father’s house or descent. As you sit here listening to this, are you a part of God’s house? The Gospel of Jesus is for everyone regardless of their descent, but you have to receive it by faith in order to be added to the family

When you are faced with a difficult decision, what is your “Urim or Thummin”? What are the objects that you use to discern the will of God in a specific manner? We do this all the time, if the radiator cap is red this is the car, if this person calls, foturne cookies, if the weather is good, “Wishbone” turkey, heads or tails, etc. Your was of decision making should never preceed what we see in the Word of God.

Transitional Phrase: Leaving a Legacy begins with the desire to do so. But it doesn’t end there. Decision have to be made and distinctions in life have to be lived.

Life : “The Whole Assembly” (vs. 66-73)

Gathering (vs. 66-70)

The whole assembly together was 42,360

besides their male and female servants

of whom there were 7,337

Singers 245

Horses 736

Mules 245

Camels 435

Donkeys 6, 720- there is about one donkey available for every 7 people

Giving (vs. 71-72)

Now some of the heads of fathers’s houses gave to the work

The governor gave to the treasury

1,000 darics of gold

50 basins

30 preists’ garments

500 minas of silver

Some of the heads of fathers houses gave into the treasury of the work

20,000 darics of gold

2,200 minas of silver

And what the rest of the people gave was

20,000 darics of gold

2,000 minas of silver

67 priests’garments

Go (v. 73)

So the

priests

Levites

gatekeepers

Singers

some of the people

the temple servants

all Israel

lived in their towns

When the 7th month had come- Sep/Oct, a festival month inlcuding the Day of Atonement

the people of Israel were in their towns

Application/Implication

What days do you choose to celebrate in your life? These days we have seemed to be doing a lot of remembering in our past. Not all of it is good. But there is always hope, Jesus can change our ways of leadership, our legacy and the lives we live from here on out.

When it comes to our history: leadership, legacy, or life, our culture is desparately trying deconstruct what has happened. Maybe you have heard of Critical Race Theory and its effect on our cancel culture. Is there sin in our past families, yes. Is there sin in past leadership, yes. Is there sin in every legacy, yes. So how does Jesus fit into that for you? The gospel presents great hope for people of every ethnicity. We all have a bias to sin, to breaking God’s law and in stead of cancelling us, God sent His son Jesus to take the heat, bear the guilt, carry the shame of my bias to sin and rebellion. He is the one that we need to be asking for fogivness from first and foremost.

Summary: Leadership, legacy, and life. None of them are without sin and none of them should be without Jesus.

Communion

Discussion questions

Worship- Renew the Mind (Scripture)

1. What passage of Scripture did we look at? Summarize it in your own words.

2. Who did Nehemiah put in charge of Jerusalem? How is he described in verse 2?

3. What happened to those that could not prove their “Father’s House” (vs. 61-65)?

4. How is the whole assembly described in verse 66-73? what do they do?

Grow- Engage the Heart (Conversation)

1. Take a minute and think about your family. What was the character of the leaders in your family history like? When did Jesus show up in your family history?

2. When you are faced with a difficult decision, what is your “Urim or Thummin”? What are the objects that you use to discern the will of God in a specific manner?

3. When it comes to our history: leadership, legacy, or life, our culture is desparately trying to deconstruct what has happened. Maybe you have heard of Critical Race Theory and its effect on our cancel culture. Is there sin in our past families, yes. Is there sin in past leadership, yes. Is there sin in every legacy, yes. So how does Jesus fit into that for you?

Serve- Enlist the Body (Action)

What “day” or “decision” do you need to start celebrating more this year?

What is one way that you will choose to show integrity in your life this week?

What are 2 things you can be thankful for in your family history? Come prepared to share them with the group.