In the book of Nehemiah, Nehemiah said, “we made ordinances for us, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God. For the showbread, and for the continual meat offering, and for the continual burnt offering, of the sabbaths, of the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy things, and for the sin offerings to make an atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God”, and in chapter ten and verse thirty-four of Nehemiah, Nehemiah said, “we cast the lots” where we read,
And we cast the lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, after the houses of our fathers, at times appointed year by year, to burn upon the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the law:
The verse reads, “And we cast the lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, ...” Nehemiah began with the words, “and we cast the lots” which means “and we, the people of Israel, dropped, flung and threw the pebbles used for systematically making decisions” “among the priests” or “in the midst and middle of the spiritual spokesmen and leaders”, “the Levites” which means “and the descendants of Levi whose name means joined to and were specially set aside by God for His service”, “and the people” or “and the human beings”, “for the wood offering” which means “on behalf of the sacrifice made of timber, stock and trees”, “to bring it”or “to carry and bring forth the wood offering” “into the house of our God” which means “into the habitation, abode and dwelling place belonging to our, the people of Israel's, Supreme Deity”. Nehemiah shared how he and the people of Israel threw the decision making pebbles within the midst of the spiritual leaders, the servants in the temple known as the Levites and the people of Israel to determine who was to carry the timber sacrifices for the offerings into Jehovah God's dwelling place.
The verse continues, “... after the houses of our fathers, at times appointed year by year, to burn upon the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the law:” Nehemiah added the words, “after the houses” or “in keeping with the habitations, abodes and dwelling places” “of our fathers” which means “belonging to our, the people of Israel's, male progenitors and ancestors”, “at times appointed year by year” or “at the annual fixed and elected periods of time and seasons”, “to burn upon the altar of the LORD” which means “to consume, kindle and begin burning upon the place of slaughter belonging to Jehovah who is the existing One and the proper name for the One True God” “our God” or “the people of Israel's Supreme Deity”, “as it is written in the law” which means “like the words are inscribed and engraved within the direction, instruction, custom, manner, precept and statute”. Nehemiah shared how the people of Israel followed their families or ancestors assignment of their male progenitors during the periods of time established annually to bring wood for the smoking sacrifices upon the place of slaughter belonging to Jehovah God who was Israel's Supreme Deity even like it was inscribed within Jehovah God's statutes and precepts.
When we think through the words in this verse, we discover through Nehemiah how he and the people of Israel relied upon the “casting of the lots” in the midst of the spiritual leaders, the “Levites” and the other people to determine who would bear the service of the bringing forth of the “wood” for the sacrifices used within the sacred temple. The spiritual leaders were to offer “burnt” offerings regularly because God's “law” commanded them to do so, and they were obedient to God and His ways by bringing the timber for the sacrifices after suffering great consequences for being disobedient to Him. God wants to prevent us from great suffering, and He allowed His Son Jesus to come into the world to suffer the consequences for sin on our behalf. He resurrected Jesus from the dead three days later so when we yield our lives to Him as our personal “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put His Holy Spirit within us so that we desire to keep that for which He has empowered us to do even if it is bringing forth implements of offerings.
Next time Nehemiah says, “to bring the firstfruits”, 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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