WEBVTT 00:00:00.999 --> 00:00:03.700 Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're 00:00:03.700 --> 00:00:05.740 taking this journey together to read the Bible 00:00:05.740 --> 00:00:09.119 in a year. Today's reading is the last chapter 00:00:09.119 --> 00:00:11.960 of the book of Nehemiah, Nehemiah chapter 13, 00:00:12.140 --> 00:00:16.800 as well as Psalm 92. From the book of Nehemiah, 00:00:16.800 --> 00:00:20.530 chapter 13. On that day they read from the book 00:00:20.530 --> 00:00:23.050 of Moses in the hearing of the people, and in 00:00:23.050 --> 00:00:25.910 it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite 00:00:25.910 --> 00:00:28.850 should ever come into the assembly of God, because 00:00:28.850 --> 00:00:31.269 they had not met the children of Israel with 00:00:31.269 --> 00:00:34.429 bread and water, but hired Balaam against them 00:00:34.429 --> 00:00:37.670 to curse them. However, our God turned the curse 00:00:37.670 --> 00:00:40.549 into a blessing. So it was when they heard the 00:00:40.549 --> 00:00:43.049 law that they separated all the mixed multitude 00:00:43.049 --> 00:00:46.969 from Israel. Now before this, Eliashib the priest, 00:00:47.479 --> 00:00:50.020 having authority over the storerooms of the house 00:00:50.020 --> 00:00:53.899 of our God, was allied with Tobiah. And he had 00:00:53.899 --> 00:00:57.039 prepared for him a large room, where previously 00:00:57.039 --> 00:00:59.719 they had stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, 00:00:59.840 --> 00:01:02.899 the articles, the tithe of grain, the new wine 00:01:02.899 --> 00:01:05.239 and oil, which were commanded to be given to 00:01:05.239 --> 00:01:07.920 the Levites and singers and gatekeepers, and 00:01:07.920 --> 00:01:10.379 the offerings for the priests. But during all 00:01:10.379 --> 00:01:12.920 this I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty 00:01:12.920 --> 00:01:15.620 -second year of Artaxerxes, king of Babylon, 00:01:16.079 --> 00:01:18.540 I had returned to the king. Then after certain 00:01:18.540 --> 00:01:21.359 days I obtained leave from the king, and I came 00:01:21.359 --> 00:01:24.079 to Jerusalem and discovered the evil that Eliashib 00:01:24.079 --> 00:01:27.040 had done for Tobiah in preparing a room for him 00:01:27.040 --> 00:01:30.239 in the courts of the house of God. And he grieved 00:01:30.239 --> 00:01:32.799 me bitterly. Therefore I threw all the household 00:01:32.799 --> 00:01:35.819 goods of Tobiah out of the room. Then I commanded 00:01:35.819 --> 00:01:38.519 them to cleanse the rooms, and I brought back 00:01:38.519 --> 00:01:41.260 into them the articles of the house of God with 00:01:41.260 --> 00:01:44.069 the grain offering and the frankincense. I also 00:01:44.069 --> 00:01:46.689 realized that the portions for the Levites had 00:01:46.689 --> 00:01:49.250 not been given them, for each of the Levites 00:01:49.250 --> 00:01:52.109 and the singers who did the work had gone back 00:01:52.109 --> 00:01:54.689 to his field. So I contended with the rulers 00:01:54.689 --> 00:01:58.090 and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And 00:01:58.090 --> 00:02:00.049 I gathered them together and set them in their 00:02:00.049 --> 00:02:02.849 place. Then all Judah brought the tithe of the 00:02:02.849 --> 00:02:05.670 grain and the new wine and the oil to the storehouse, 00:02:05.829 --> 00:02:08.590 and I appointed as treasurers over the storehouse 00:02:08.590 --> 00:02:12.090 Shalamiah the priest and Zadok the scribe, And 00:02:12.090 --> 00:02:15.090 of the Levites, Pediah, and next to them was 00:02:15.090 --> 00:02:18.009 Hanan the son of Zakur, the son of Metaniah. 00:02:18.129 --> 00:02:20.550 For they were considered faithful, and their 00:02:20.550 --> 00:02:23.370 task was to distribute to their brethren. Remember 00:02:23.370 --> 00:02:26.129 me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe 00:02:26.129 --> 00:02:28.810 out my good deeds that I have done for the house 00:02:28.810 --> 00:02:32.210 of my God and for its services. In those days 00:02:32.210 --> 00:02:35.210 I saw people in Judah treading wine presses on 00:02:35.210 --> 00:02:37.860 the Sabbath. and bringing in sheaves, and loading 00:02:37.860 --> 00:02:40.759 donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds 00:02:40.759 --> 00:02:43.180 of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem 00:02:43.180 --> 00:02:46.080 on the Sabbath day. And I warned them about the 00:02:46.080 --> 00:02:48.560 day on which they were selling provisions. Men 00:02:48.560 --> 00:02:51.900 of Tyre dwelled there also, who brought in fish 00:02:51.900 --> 00:02:54.400 and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the 00:02:54.400 --> 00:02:57.020 Sabbath to the children of Judah and in Jerusalem. 00:02:57.379 --> 00:02:59.860 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah and 00:02:59.860 --> 00:03:02.300 said to them, What evil thing is this that you 00:03:02.300 --> 00:03:05.680 do, by which you profane the Sabbath day? Did 00:03:05.680 --> 00:03:08.439 not your fathers do thus, and did not our God 00:03:08.439 --> 00:03:11.439 bring all this disaster on us and on this city? 00:03:11.680 --> 00:03:15.180 Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning 00:03:15.180 --> 00:03:18.460 the Sabbath. So it was at the gates of Jerusalem, 00:03:18.659 --> 00:03:21.500 as it began to be dark before the Sabbath, that 00:03:21.500 --> 00:03:24.080 I commanded the gates to be shut and charged 00:03:24.080 --> 00:03:27.340 that they must not be opened till after the Sabbath. 00:03:27.520 --> 00:03:30.400 Then I posted some of my servants at the gates, 00:03:30.439 --> 00:03:33.500 so that no burdens would be brought in on the 00:03:33.500 --> 00:03:36.180 Sabbath day. Now the merchants and sellers of 00:03:36.180 --> 00:03:39.539 all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once 00:03:39.539 --> 00:03:42.180 or twice. Then I warned them and said to them, 00:03:42.319 --> 00:03:44.939 Why do you spend the night around the wall? If 00:03:44.939 --> 00:03:47.740 you do so again, I will lay hands on you. From 00:03:47.740 --> 00:03:50.139 that time on, they came no more on the Sabbath. 00:03:50.360 --> 00:03:52.719 And I commanded the Levites that they should 00:03:52.719 --> 00:03:55.400 cleanse themselves and that they should go and 00:03:55.400 --> 00:03:57.819 guard the gates to sanctify the Sabbath day. 00:03:58.219 --> 00:04:00.659 Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, 00:04:00.800 --> 00:04:03.259 and spare me according to the greatness of your 00:04:03.259 --> 00:04:06.740 mercy. In those days I also saw Jews who had 00:04:06.740 --> 00:04:10.460 married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab, and 00:04:10.460 --> 00:04:12.699 half of their children spoke the language of 00:04:12.699 --> 00:04:15.060 Ashdod and could not speak the language of Judah, 00:04:15.219 --> 00:04:17.819 but spoke according to the language of one or 00:04:17.819 --> 00:04:20.459 the other people. So I contended with them and 00:04:20.459 --> 00:04:23.079 cursed them. struck some of them and pulled out 00:04:23.079 --> 00:04:25.519 their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, 00:04:25.839 --> 00:04:28.120 You shall not give your daughters as wives to 00:04:28.120 --> 00:04:30.839 their sons, nor take their daughters for your 00:04:30.839 --> 00:04:34.100 sons or yourselves. Did not Solomon king of Israel 00:04:34.100 --> 00:04:38.000 sin by these things? Yet among many nations there 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:40.839 was no king like him, who was beloved of his 00:04:40.839 --> 00:04:44.240 God. And God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, 00:04:44.620 --> 00:04:48.379 pagan women caused even him to sin. Should we 00:04:48.379 --> 00:04:50.839 then hear of your doing all this great evil, 00:04:50.980 --> 00:04:54.300 transgressing against our God by marrying pagan 00:04:54.300 --> 00:04:57.439 women? And one of the sons of Joiada, the son 00:04:57.439 --> 00:04:59.959 of Eliashib the high priest, was a son -in -law 00:04:59.959 --> 00:05:03.180 of Sambalat the Horonite. Therefore I drove him 00:05:03.180 --> 00:05:05.959 from me. Remember them, O my God, because they 00:05:05.959 --> 00:05:08.100 have defiled the priesthood and the covenant 00:05:08.100 --> 00:05:11.300 of the priesthood and the Levites. Thus I cleansed 00:05:11.300 --> 00:05:14.360 them of everything pagan. I also assigned duties 00:05:14.360 --> 00:05:17.560 to the priests and the Levites, each to his service, 00:05:17.759 --> 00:05:20.540 and to bringing the wood offering and the firstfruits 00:05:20.540 --> 00:05:24.360 at appointed times. Remember me, O my God, for 00:05:24.360 --> 00:05:35.120 good. It is good to give thanks to the Lord, 00:05:35.300 --> 00:05:37.699 and to sing praises to your name almost high, 00:05:37.879 --> 00:05:40.160 to declare your lovingkindness in the morning, 00:05:40.259 --> 00:05:43.339 and your faithfulness every night, on an instrument 00:05:43.339 --> 00:05:46.180 of ten strings, on the lute, and on the harp, 00:05:46.339 --> 00:05:49.699 with harmonious sound. For you, Lord, have made 00:05:49.699 --> 00:05:52.639 me glad through your work. I will triumph in 00:05:52.639 --> 00:05:55.540 the works of your hands. O Lord, how great are 00:05:55.540 --> 00:05:58.879 your works! Your thoughts are very deep. A senseless 00:05:58.879 --> 00:06:01.360 man does not know, nor does a fool understand 00:06:01.360 --> 00:06:04.439 this. When the wicked spring up like grass, and 00:06:04.439 --> 00:06:06.959 when all the workers of iniquity flourish, it 00:06:06.959 --> 00:06:10.120 is that they may be destroyed forever. But you, 00:06:10.180 --> 00:06:13.199 Lord, are on high forevermore. For behold, your 00:06:13.199 --> 00:06:15.980 enemies, O Lord, for behold, your enemies shall 00:06:15.980 --> 00:06:19.000 perish. All the workers of iniquity shall be 00:06:19.000 --> 00:06:22.100 scattered. But my horn you have exalted like 00:06:22.100 --> 00:06:24.939 a wild ox. I have been anointed with fresh oil. 00:06:25.199 --> 00:06:28.529 My eye also has seen my desire on my enemies. 00:06:28.709 --> 00:06:31.889 My ears hear my desire on the wicked who rise 00:06:31.889 --> 00:06:35.089 up against me. The righteous shall flourish like 00:06:35.089 --> 00:06:38.250 a palm tree. He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 00:06:38.569 --> 00:06:40.850 Those who are planted in the house of the Lord 00:06:40.850 --> 00:06:43.769 shall flourish in the courts of our God. They 00:06:43.769 --> 00:06:46.790 shall still bear fruit in old age. They shall 00:06:46.790 --> 00:06:49.269 be fresh and flourishing. To declare that the 00:06:49.269 --> 00:06:52.170 Lord is upright, He is my rock, and there is 00:06:52.170 --> 00:07:00.220 no unrighteousness in Him. I hope you enjoyed 00:07:00.220 --> 00:07:02.800 today's reading as much as I did and I look forward 00:07:02.800 --> 00:07:04.860 to seeing you again tomorrow to continue on our 00:07:04.860 --> 00:07:06.959 journey. God bless you and have a great day.