In the book of Nehemiah, Nehemiah told the people of Judah, “in what place therefore you hear the sound of the trumpet, resort you there unto us: our God shall fight for us. So we labored in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared”, and in chapter four and verse twenty-two of Nehemiah, Nehemiah said, “let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem”, where we read,
Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labor on the day.
The verse reads, “Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, ...” Nehemiah began with the words, “likewise at the same time” or “in the same manner and way during the equal period, experience and occasion” “said I unto the people” which means “uttered, declared and proclaimed I, Nehemiah, to the human beings from Judah”, “let every one” or “allow and permit each, the whole, all and everyone” “with his servant” which means “alongside and accompanying his, the people of Judah's, slaves, bondmen and men of servile condition” “lodge within Jerusalem” or “abide, remain and pass the night inside of Jerusalem whose name means teaching of peace and is the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split”. Nehemiah shared how he instructed the people during the selfsame occasion to allow each one of them along with their men of servile condition to remain within “Jerusalem” during the nighttime.
The verse goes on to say, “... that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labor on the day.” Nehemiah continued with the words, “that in the night” or “so within the nighttime hours” “they may be a guard to us” which means “they, the men of Judah, might exist as a watcher, observer and post toward us, Nehemiah and the people of Judah”, “and labor on the day” or “and occupy, do business and have workmanship within the daytime hours”. Nehemiah said within the nighttime hours the people of Judah who remained in Jerusalem would be like protective guards over them, and during the daytime, they would work on the barrier wall.
When we consider the words in this verse, we learn more about the wisdom of Nehemiah who instructed some of the people of Judah to remain in “Jerusalem” overnight so they could serve as protective guards over the other people, and then during the daytime they would work on the barrier wall. This work of God, like the gospel of Jesus Christ, was worthy of guarding and producing. God sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind, and He was raise from the dead three days later so everyone who believes and trusts in Him as their personal “Savior and Lord” may be forgiven of their sins, granted everlasting life and given the opportunity to work in His Kingdom. Eternal lives are at stake, and nothing is more important than protecting and laboring for these.
Next time Nehemiah says, “neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me … put off their clothes”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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