When They Had Heard the Law - Nehemiah 13:3

In the book of Nehemiah, Nehemiah said, “On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever. Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing”, and in chapter thirteen and verse three of Nehemiah, Nehemiah shared what happened, “when they had heard the law” where we read,

Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, 

that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.

The verse reads, “Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, ...” Nehemiah began with the words, “now it came to pass” which means “at that time it happened and occurred”, “when they had heard” or “at the time and moment they, the people of Israel, were given the faculty for hearing, perceiving and understanding” “the law” which means “the direction, instruction and codes of conduct” the following occurred. Nehemiah shared how it happened that at the time the people of Israel were given the faculty for hearing the direction of Jehovah God, they responded in the following manner. 

The verse continues, “... that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.” Nehemiah added the words, “that they separated from Israel” or “that they, the people of Israel, set apart from the people of Israel whose name means God prevails and was the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob” “all the mixed multitude”which means “each, every, the whole and everyone who was interwoven and knitted among them”. Nehemiah shared how the people of Israel set themselves apart from the people of other nations who were interwoven among them. 

When we think through the words in this verse, we learn through Nehemiah how the people of Israel obeyed Jehovah God's law of being separate from the foreign nations. The people of Israel had intermarried among the foreign people, and because God told them to be set apart, they complied with His instruction. In the same manner God wants us to be set apart from the world and it's influences, (See James 1:27) and when we yield our lives to His Son Jesus who died on the cross from the sins of all mankind and was raised from the dead three days later, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and cause us to be separated from the sinful practices within the world. 

Next time Nehemiah shares how, “Eliashib … was allied unto Tobiah”, 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".