Bible In One Year Day 281 (Nehemiah 13, Malachi 1-4, Proverbs 21: 25-28)

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Day 281: Good and Evil 

Agape Bible Study 
Nehemiah 13 

Spiritual Restoration of the Covenant People (13:1-31)

Nehemiah 13:1-3 ~ The Law Concerning Ammonites and Moabites

While reading a portion of the Law during the dedication ceremony, it was discovered the prohibition against admitting Ammonites or Moabites to God’s assembly of His covenant people.  Deuteronomy 23:4-6 stated: No Ammonite or Moabite may be admitted to the assembly of Yahweh; not even his descendants to the tenth generation may be admitted to the assembly of Yahweh, and this is for all time; since they did not come to meet you with food and drink when you were on your way out of Egypt, and even hired Balaam son of Beor to oppose you by cursing you, from Pethor in Aram Naharaim.  But Yahweh your God refused to listen to Balaam, and Yahweh your God turned the curse on you into a blessing, because Yahweh your God loved you.   Never, as long as you live, must you seek their welfare or their prosperity.  The passage recalls the historical event before the conquest of Canaan when the Moabites refused to allow the Israelites to pass through their land and hired a prophet to curse the covenant people and then tempted Israel’s men to participate in a pagan ritual in an attempt to thwart God’s divine plan (Num 22-25).  Having heard the prohibition in the Law, the people again took the pledge to exclude all foreigners from liturgical worship and national assemblies as they had during Ezra’s governorship.

However, this prohibition had its exceptions.  Ruth was a Moabitess who married Boaz of Judah, and her great-grandson was King David who became the anointed of Yahweh and the ancestor of Jesus Christ (Ruth 4:18-22; Mt 1:1-6; Lk 3:31-33).

43 Having heard the Law, they excluded all foreigners from Israel.
This drastic measure went beyond the requirements of the Law which allowed foreigners to live in the land and even to attend festivals so long as they obeyed the Law (Ex 12:48-49; 23:9; Num 9:14). Perhaps they felt excluding all foreigners was necessary to end the temptation to make marriage alliances with pagans.

Nehemiah 13:4-9 ~ The Treachery of Eliashib and Nehemiah’s Second Mission

Question: Who were Eliashib and Tobiah and what was their relationship to Nehemiah?  See Neh 2:10, 19; 3:1 and 6:12-14, 17-19; Dt 23:3-4.
Answer: Eliashib was the anointed high priest during Nehemiah’s tenure as governor, and Tobiah was an Ammonite and the governor of the Persian Province of Ammon.  He was Nehemiah’s enemy who opposed the plans to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls, and with Sanballat, governor of Samaria, he plotted to destroy Nehemiah’s mission and possibly harm him.  He had close relations with some of the nobles of Judah including a marriage alliance, and he used his influence with Eliashib to install himself in a residence within the Temple, an act in violation of the Law of the covenant.    

Nehemiah returned to Susa and the court of King Artaxerxes in 433 BC after twelve years in Judah (in the thirty-second year of the reign of Artaxerxes I).  Sometime later, he returned to Judah for a second term as the Persian governor.
Question: When Nehemiah returned to Judah, what did he learn about a severe violation of the sanctity of the Temple that had taken place in his absence?  See 13:4-5.
Answer: While he was away, Eliashib used his influence as the high priest to provide Tobiah, an Ammonite pagan prohibited from entering the Temple, with living quarters within the Temple precincts.

Nehemiah 13:10-14 ~ Failures to Support the Clergy

Question: Upon his return to Judah, what second violation did Nehemiah learn had occurred in his absence?
Answer: The Levitical lesser ministers who served the Temple and Levitical members of the choir were no longer receiving allocations to support themselves and their families and left the city to go to their farms so they could earn a living.  The Temple had no music or Levites to support the daily worship services.

Nehemiah 13:15-22 ~ Nehemiah Discovers Failures to Observe the Sabbath Rest

When Nehemiah returned to Judah to resume a second term as the royal governor, he discovered the reoccurrence of violations against the covenant commands and prohibitions.  Nehemiah dealt with three serious violations:

1. A pagan Ammonite was living within the sacred Temple precincts that were limited to the priests and Levitical ministers (Neh 13:4-9).
2. The Levites were no longer receiving their allocations and to feed their families had returned to their farms, abandoning their Temple duties (Neh 13:10).
3. The citizens of Judah and Jerusalem were profaning the Sabbath day by buying and selling on the Sabbath (Neh 13:15-16).

In his reprimand, Nehemiah recalls for the people the words the Lord command the prophet Jeremiah to address to the people of Jerusalem who were profaning the Sabbath in Jeremiah 17:19-27.  The Lord promised them His protection as long as they faithfully kept the Sabbath commands.

Nehemiah 13:23-31 ~ The Renewed Sin of Pagan Marriages and Regulations for the Priests and Levites

After Nehemiah returned for his second term as governor of Judah, illicit marriages to foreigners had again become a problem.  The language of Judah was Hebrew, but after the return from exile, the younger generations could only speak Aramaic, and in the case of foreign marriages, their pagan wives were teaching their children their pagan customs and languages.  Even the grandson of High Priest Eliashib was married to a Samaritan woman, and to make the offense worse, the woman was the daughter of Nehemiah’s enemy Sanballat!

Nehemiah asks God three times in verses 14, 22, and 30 to remember the religious reforms he instituted in Jerusalem and to bring judgment against anyone who defiled the priesthood or married outside the covenant.  In his prayer, he asked God to give him credit:

1. for reinstating material support for the clergy
2. for enforcing the regulations concerning the Sabbath rest
3. for purifying the priesthood of illicit marriages to foreigners and for redefining the duties of the priests and Levites

Nehemiah acted out of zeal for Yahweh and not for his own advancement or glory, and he asks for these good works to be credited to his accomplishments in service to the Lord God.  However, he also asks God to remember those who defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priests and Levites in verse 29.

Agape Bible Study 
Malachi 1 - 4 

The Book of Malachi divides into two parts with one central theme and three minor themes.

1. Part I of the book divides into six oracles:
   1. Yahweh's love for His covenant people (1:1-5).
   2. Polluted offerings and the failures of the priesthood (1:6-14; 2:1-9).
   3. Mixed marriages and divorce (2:10-16).
   4. The coming of the "Day of Yahweh" in divine judgment (2:17-3:5).
   5. The people's failures in providing tithes to support the Temple (3:6-12).
   6. Yahweh's Book of Remembrance containing the names of the righteous (3:13-21/4:3).
2. Part II is the Epilogue:
   1. It summarizes the prophet's teaching and prophecy concerning the coming of the Redeemer-Messiah and His predecessor (3:22-24/4:4-6).

The central theme of the Book of Malachi is that the laws of the old Sinai Covenant is still in force. Unlike His people, God remains faithful to His word. There are also three sub-themes:

1. The deficiencies of the priests in carrying out their religious duties (Mal 1:6-2:9).
2. The failures of the covenant people to be obedient to their covenant promises (Mal 3:6-12).
3. The warning that these covenant failures will result in the "Day of Yahweh," a day of divine judgment. On that day, God Himself will come to purify the priesthood, consume the wicked, and secure justice for the righteous so that proper worship may be reestablished (Mal 3:1-5, 13-23/4:1-6).

Quotes from Malachi in other Bible books:

1. Sirach 48:10 quotes from Malachi 3:24/4:5 in referring to the ministry of the prophet Elijah,
   and verses from Malachi are quoted or alluded to several times in the New Testament:
2. 1. In Matthew 11:10, Jesus quotes Malachi 3:1 to identify John the Baptist as the prophetic messenger.
3. 2. St. Mark also quotes Malachi 3:1 in Mark 1:2 just before a verse from Isaiah 40:3 as prophecy foretelling Jesus the Messiah and the Son of God, whose coming was heralded by John the Baptist.
4. 3. In Luke 1:17, the angel Gabriel tells Zechariah that his son will serve God with the spirit and power of Elijah to "reconcile/turn the hearts of fathers to their children," quoting Malachi 3:24/4:6.
5. 4. In Zechariah's Benedictus, he alludes to "the rising Sun" of Malachi's "the Sun of justice" (Malachi 3:20), who has come from on high with healing to visit His people (Lk 1:78).
6. 5. St. Paul quotes from Malachi 1:2-3 in Romans 9:13 to make the point that God's call to a covenant relationship precedes any merit on a person or people's part.

Historical Background:

• In 587/6 BC, the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple and sent most of the surviving population into exile in Babylon.
• In 586 BC, a group of fugitives led by Ishmael, son of Nethaniah (a royal prince), assassinated Gedaliah and his Babylonian guards. Gedaliah was the Jewish governor appointed by the Babylonians to govern the people left in Judah. The surviving Judahites, fearing reprisals by the Babylonians, fled to Egypt, taking Jeremiah with them.
• Cyrus, King of Persia, conquered Babylon in the fall of 539 BC. In the first year of his reign over the conquered territories of the Babylonians, he issued an Edit of Return, allowing all the peoples conquered and displaced by the Babylonians to return to their ancestral lands. The first group of Jews returning to Judah began their journey that same year, led by Zerubabbel and the High Priest Joshua. They organized the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem and reestablished the religious rituals and sacrifices.
• The returning exiles rebuilt the Jerusalem Temple c. 515/517 BC.
• In the 7^th year of the reign of King Artaxerxes, Ezra, a Zadokite priest and scribal expert on the Law led the second group of Jews back to Judah (Ezra 7:7), probably in 458 BC.² Ezra reestablished the correct practice of religion by reinstituting the commands and prohibitions of Mosaic Law.
• In the 20^th year of Artaxerxes I's reign (445 BC), Nehemiah, the Jewish cup-bearer to the Persian king, was appointed governor of Judah and led the third wave of exiles back to their ancestral lands. Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, built up the city's population, and reestablished order and the rule of law.

Ezra and Nehemiah, along with Zerubbabel and Joshua the High Priest, were responsible for the restoration of Israel/Judah after the seventy years of the Babylonian Exile. Ezra and Nehemiah helped restore Judah's national and religious devotion. The Book of Malachi was probably written at least a generation after the missions of Ezra and Nehemiah.

Chapters 1:1-2:9

Malachi 1:1-5 ~ The Superscription and the First Oracle: the Love of Yahweh for His People

The book's title comes from the superscription in 1:1, The word of Yahweh to Israel through my messenger (literal translation, IBHE, vol. III, page ). "My messenger" in Hebrew is malachi. Verses 1-5 comprise Malachi's first oracle. In the Bible, an oracle is a message from God to His prophet, which the prophet delivers as God's agent. Prophets were commissioned directly by Yahweh and not appointed by rulers or priests. The prophet received divine communication through dreams, visions, and audible communication. The prophet, in turn, delivered God's messages by sermons, writings, parables, and oracles that recounted the exact words of God to the prophet.

God could call a prophet to service at any time in his life.These first five verses contain the essence of Malachi's message. To a people demonstrating a general apathy toward God, Malachi reminds them that God's love for them calls for an appropriate response.

The Second Oracle: Malachi 1:6-2:9
Malachi 1:6-14 ~ An Indictment of the Priests

Yahweh is a divine Father to Israel. Yet, His covenant people do not honor Him as a son should honor his father (1:6; cf. Deuteronomy 5:16), nor do they respect Him as a servant does a master. Through His prophet, Yahweh accuses the priests, who should be teaching the people about the quality of their relationship with Him, instead of despising God's name. In the Bible, one's name expresses the true essence of a person, in this case, the divine essence of God and everything He has taught them embodied in the Mosaic Law.

In verses 6-7, Malachi presents the priests as feigning ignorance concerning their abuses as they ask a series of questions relating to how they have despised His name.
Question: What abuses does Yahweh list against the priests in addition to their general lack of respect?
Answer:

1. They put ritually impure sacrifices on God's holy Temple altar, an action that says the Lord's altar-table deserves no respect.
2. They bring the Lord physically imperfect and sick animals for sacrifice.
3. They abuse the Court of the Priests, where the altar was to be kept continually burning by not shutting the door between that court and the open area that led into the inner court to keep the wind from extinguishing the altar fire.

2:1-9 ~ The Second Part of the First Oracle: Malachi's Indictment Against the Priests Continued

In the second part of the oracle, Malachi delivers an exhortation to the priests.
Question: What three failures does Malachi list in 2:1, 8, and 9. And when did he mention the first failure in the first oracle?
Answer:

1. 1. He reproached them again for failing to show honor to Yahweh (2:2; cf. 1:6).
2. 2. He accused them of causing many of the covenant people to stumble in their faith by how they instructed the people concerning the Law and the bad example they showed in their private lives (2:8).
3. 3. He accused them of showing partiality in their judgments when applying the Law, favoring some people over others (2:9).

Chapter 2:10-16

Malachi 2:10-16 ~ Oracle 3: Mixed Marriage and Divorce

This oracle divides into two parts concerning two issues that profane worship at God's Sanctuary by the offenders who take part in these practices:

1. The indictment against those who make marriages with pagans.
2. The indictment against men who divorce their legal wives.

Question: In the third oracle and its indictment, what three accusations does the prophet make against the citizens of Judah in verses 10-12?
Answer: The prophet accuses them of:

1. breaking Yahweh's covenant with their ancestors
2. profaning the Lord's Temple
3. marrying women who worshipped false gods

Malachi condemns the Jews for their failures linked to contracting marriages with pagans within the context of God's covenant.

Malachi 2:17-3:5 ~ The Fourth Oracle: The Day of Yahweh's Divine Judgment

The force of the fourth oracle and covenant lawsuit accusation lies not so much in the promise of divine judgment (verses 2-3:5) as in its announcement in verses 3:1-2. The description of the Day of Yahweh's Judgment recalls Ezekiel's description of the Lord God coming Himself to bring justice and retribution to His covenant people in Ezekiel Chapter 34. God tells Ezekiel: "Look, I am against the shepherds. I shall take my flock out of their charge and henceforth not allow them to feed my flock. And the shepherd will stop feeding themselves, because I shall rescue my sheep from their mouths to stop them from being food for them." For the Lord Yahweh says this: "Look, I myself shall take care of my flock and look after it" (Ez 34:10-11; also see Zeph 1:14; Joel 2:11 and Rev 6:17).

In verse 17, Malachi wrote that the people have "wearied Yahweh" by complaining, "what was the point of keeping the Law if those who break it and practice evil are the ones who seem to be successful in life?" It is a question raised by every generation in salvation history. The problem is that the question focuses on benefits and rewards in the present without considering what lies beyond earthly life. The prophet's response is to turn our attention to what extends beyond one's present life (cf. 2:17).

Question: What does Yahweh's prophet announce in answer to the question of the benefit of adhering to the Law of God? What will God do to make things "right?" See verses 3-5.
Answer: He announces Yahweh's Day of Divine Judgment when God will set everything right:

1. Yahweh's priests and their ritual practices will be purified (verses 3-4).
2. Evildoers will be punished for their sins (verse 5).
3. The oppressed will receive justice (verse 5).

The prophet describes a purifying fire that will cleanse the covenant people. St. Paul also wrote of God purifying His people with holy fire in 1 Corinthians 3:10-17. He wrote on "the Day that dawns in fire" that all bad works (hay and straw) would be destroyed in God's fiery love, and only the good deeds (silver and gold) would remain. Some undergoing this purification will suffer complete loss with no good deeds surviving; however, they will still be saved. Paul was not writing about the Hell of the damned from which there is no escape, but the purifying fire of what the Church calls Purgatory (see CCC 1030-32). However, Purgatory, as a place of purification for those destined for Heaven, would not exist until after Christ descended to Sheol/Hades, the abode of the dead, to preach the Gospel of salvation to all the souls there since the time of Adam and Eve and including those who perished in the Great Flood (Apostles' Creed, 1 Peter 3:18-20; 4:6).

Malachi is anticipating the reckoning at the end of the Age of the Messiah. Jesus spoke about when He would return in glory as humanity's Divine Judge in Matthew 25:31-46. He began His Last Judgment discourse by saying: "When the Son of man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory. All nations will be assembled before him, and he will separate people one from another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats."

Question: In His discourse, Jesus spoke of two different outcomes: one for those who were obedient to His Law of love of God and neighbor and another for those who ignored His commandments. What will happen to the righteous, and what will happen to those who failed in obedience?
Answer: The righteous "sheep" will be granted eternal life, and those "goats" who failed in covenant obedience will go away to eternal punishment.

3:1"Look, I shall send my messenger to clear a way before me. And suddenly the Lord whom you seek will come to his Temple; yes, the Angel [Mal'ak = messenger] of the Covenant, for whom you long, is on his way, says Yahweh Sabaoth.
In verse 3:1, Malachi appears to be speaking about three different personages:

1. God's messenger
2. the Lord Himself
3. the Messenger of the Covenant

The first is a messenger who will clear the way to prepare the people for the Lord's coming. In the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus will resolve the identity of God's messenger who prepares the way as St. John the Baptist who came in the spirit and power of Elijah (Mt 11:7-15; Mk 1:2; cf. Lk 7:24-20), making Jesus the Lord who came suddenly to His Temple. The Church has always interpreted this "messenger" as a prophecy of the mission of John the Baptist. God sent him to purify the covenant people in a baptism of repentance to prepare the way for God the Son and His mission of redemption and salvation. Jesus quoted Malachi 3:1 in Matthew 11:10, identifying "the messenger" as St. John the Baptist.

The second personage is the Lord Himself, who will come unannounced to His Jerusalem Temple. The Liturgy of the Mass reads Malachi 3:1-4 on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord because the Church sees Jesus as the Lord who first came to the Temple for His dedication ritual as Mary's firstborn son according to Mosaic Law (Ex 13:2; 13:1) and for Mary's purification 40 days after childbirth (Lev 12:2-4). During His ministry, God the Son will also come three other times, suddenly, to His Temple to cleanse it of impurity. He came to the Temple in John 2:13-22, at the beginning of his ministry, then a second time immediately after entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday (Mt 21:12-13), and a third time the next day (Mk 11:11, 15-19). Each time He cleansed His Father's House of profane practices and prepared the people for New Covenant worship. See the chart on three Temple cleansings in the handout section of the lesson.

Christians have always viewed the third person, the "Messenger of the Covenant," also as Jesus Christ, the God Himself of Ezekiel's prophecy in chapter 34, who came to establish the New and Eternal Covenant promised by the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 31:31-34; 32:40; and 50:5) and announced by Jesus at the Last Supper (Lk 22:20).

The Church has always seen "the Lord Himself" and the "Messenger of the Covenant" as a two-fold coming of the Lord: first in the flesh of His Incarnation and again when He returns in glory at the end of the Age. St. Cyril of Jerusalem (born 315, died 386) wrote: "We proclaim the coming of Christ: he comes not once, but twice, and the second coming will be more glorious than the first. The first was a time of suffering; in the second, however, he will wear the crown of divine kingship. Almost everything in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ has two meanings. He was born twice: once, of the Father, from all eternity; and then, of the Virgin, in the fullness of time. He comes twice, too: he came first in silence, like rain falling on wool; and he will come again in glory. First, he was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger, when he comes again, he will be robed in light. First, he shouldered the cross without fear of suffering; when he comes again, he will come in glory, surrounded by the hosts of angels. Let us consider not only the life of the Lord but also his future coming [...]. Because of his great mercy, he was made man to teach men and persuade them; when he comes again, all men, whether they want to or not, will be made subject to the power and authority of the King. The words of the prophet Malachi refer to both of these events" (St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catecheses ad Illuminandos, 15:1-2).

Question: How many sins are listed as deserving divine judgment, and who is the prosecution witness?
Answer: There are six faults listed in the covenant lawsuit against the covenant people, and God Himself will witness against these offenders at their trial:

1. sorcerers
2. adulterers
3. perjurers
4. oppressors of the poor
5. those who rob the foreigner of his rights
6. those who do not respect the Lord

Malachi 3:6-12 ~ The Fifth Oracle: The Failure to Provide Temple Tithes

In these verses, Yahweh reminds the covenant people that they are still His covenant children even though they have continually failed to uphold His Laws, the purpose of which is to bless and benefit them. Yahweh encourages them to return in obedience to Him, and He will return His blessings to them.

Malachi 3:13-21/4:3 ~ The Sixth Oracle: Yahweh's Book of Remembrance and the Triumph of the Upright on the Day of Yahweh

The accusation of covenant disloyalty in this passage is similar to the fourth Oracle's "dispute" in 2:17-3:5. Verses 14-15 ask why someone should obey God's commandments if things go well for the wicked or those who refuse to serve God?
Question: What is the reply, and how is it similar to Malachi 3:2? See verse 19.
Answer: The oracle announces a Day of Divine Judgment when the wicked and those who have no fear of the Lord will face judgment and destruction.

However, the answer is more in-depth than it was previously regarding the reward of the righteous and faithful. God is aware of the struggles and fears of those who fear offending Him. To calm their fears, He assures them that like a human king who records the progress of his kingdom (cf. Esther 6:1-3), He records the good deeds of the just (3:16). Therefore, for them, the day of Divine Judgment will be a day of splendor and joy, and in the meantime, they can expect God's special protection (3:17).

However, the fate of those who reject or neglect God will be far different because they will experience the destruction of God's fiery justice. St. Peter warned the faithful to persevere in their suffering: but if any one of you should suffer for being a Christian, then there must be no shame but thanksgiving to God for bearing this name. The time has come for the judgment to begin at the household of God, and if it begins with us, what will be the end for those who refuse to believe God's Gospel? If it is bad for the upright to be saved, what will happen to the wicked and to sinners? So even those whom God allows to suffer should commit themselves to a Creator who is trustworthy, and go on doing good (1 Pt 4:16-19). 

Malachi 3:22-24/4:6 ~ The Epilogue

The Hebrew word "herem/cherem" means either the curse of utter destruction or consecrated/dedicated completely to God. For the wicked who came under God's judgment, like the people of Jericho in the conquest of Canaan, their lives were forfeited in judgment. However, for the innocent, like the children, who died due to the actions of the wicked, their lives became a consecration to God. For examples of the two meanings of "herem," see Joshua 6:17-19, 21 and Ezekiel 44:29.

In the conclusion of His message, Yahweh reminds the covenant people through His prophet Malachi that they are still bound to Him by the Sinai Covenant and the Law He gave Moses, a central theme of the Book of Malachi. The Sinai Covenant was the first stage of revealed Law. It served as a tutor and a guide for the people of God, teaching them about sin and holiness and preparing them for the coming of the Redeemer-Messiah. And, in the meantime, it served as a path for life (CCC 1961-64).

+++

A Daily Defense 

DAY 281

Cafeteria Christianity

CHALLENGE: “Why can’t I, as a Christian, simply choose the beliefs I think are right? Why should anybody else tell me what I should believe?”

DEFENSE: This may be an attractive proposition in our individualistic age, but it wasn’t Jesus’ view.

If you’re going to be a Christian, that means listening to Jesus Christ, and he set up a Church, not a cafeteria. We aren’t allowed to pick and choose our beliefs like we pick and choose dishes in a serving line.

This is evident from the way Jesus teaches. In the Sermon on the Mount, he repeatedly takes on common interpretations of Jewish law and corrects them by his own authority, using the formula, “You have heard . . . but I say . . .” (Matt. 5:21–22, 27–28, 31–32, 33–34, 38–39, 43–44). The authority with which he taught was remarkable even in his own day: “The crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes” (Matt. 7:28–29; cf. Mark 1:22, Luke 4:32). 

Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God. His teaching is backed by divine authority—“My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me” (John 7:16)—and one is not a faithful Christian if one rejects what Christ taught. That has implications, because Christ did not keep this authority to himself.

He gave teaching authority to the ministers he put in charge of his Church, telling them: “He who hears you hears me, and he who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects me rejects him who sent me” (Luke 10:16).

He further promised them, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13), and he declared: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age” (Matt. 28:18–20).

Jesus thus invested his Church with the authority to teach until the end of the world, and if we want to be Jesus’ followers, we cannot simply pick and choose our own beliefs.

Jimmy Akin, A Daily Defense: 365 Days (Plus One) to Becoming a Better Apologist 

Bible In One Year Day 280 (Nehemiah 12, Esther 10-12, Proverbs 21: 21-24)

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Agape Bible Study 
Nehemiah 12 

The Register of the Priests and Levites and the Dedication of the Wall (12:1-47)

Nehemiah 12:1-10 ~ Priests and Levites Who Returned Under Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the Genealogical List of High Priests

The Ezra in verse 2 is the head of a priestly family who returned from the exile in the first group with Zerubbabel and Jeshua and then became the first high priest after the exile.

In 12:10-11, the inspired writer lists the high priests from 520 BC during the reign of Darius I to about 405 BC during the reign of Persian King Darius II.

1. Jeshua/Joshua* was the high priest during the time of the first return from exile when Sheshbazzar and Zerubbabel were governors (Ezra 5:2; Hag 1:1; Zech 6:11).
2. Joiakim son of Jeshua* was the high priest during the time of Ezra (Neh 12:10, 12, 26).
3. Eliashib son of Joiakim was the high priest during the time of Nehemiah (Neh 3:1, 20; 12:22, 23; 13:4, 7, 28).
4. Joiada succeeded his father Eliashib.
5. Johanan succeeded his father Joiada.
6. Jaddua succeeded his father Johanan.

*Jeshua in Hebrew is the same name as the Aramaic form of Joshua (see Hag 2:2, 4), and Joiakim is the shortened form of Jehoiakim.  Josephus recorded that both Ezra and Joiakim died before Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 12:12-26 ~ Priests and Levites in the Time of the High Priest Joiakim and Ezra

The list of chief priests and Levites in 12:12-26 is during the time of Ezra’s mission to Judah when Joiakim was the high priest.  Verse 13 names a priest called Ezra who was the head of a priestly family during the first return (Neh 12:1); he is not Ezra the priestly scribe who arrived to initiate religious reforms thirteen years before Nehemiah’s mission.  

Nehemiah 12:27-43 ~ The Dedication of the Wall of Jerusalem

After the national assembly of repentance and covenant renewal, it was time to dedicate the rebuilt wall of the city of Jerusalem.  Verse 27 describes the musical instruments used in the ceremony.  Musical instruments like cymbals were part of court life and religious ceremonies (1 Chron 16:42; 25:1; 2 Chron 5:12; 29:25) as were harps (1 Sam 10:5; Ps 105:3) and lyres (1 Chron 15:16; Dan 3:5).

Verses 31-43 describe Nehemiah’s first-person account of the ceremony.  The people observed two groups that started at the same place and processed along the walkway at the top of the wall in opposite directions.  Each procession had a delegation of lay leaders or priests, and a Levitical choir and musicians with the vocalists in front and the instruments in the rear.  Nehemiah was the leader of one group with the city’s administrative officials, and the High Priest, Eliashib (not Ezra), must have led the second group.  Notice that Ezra the scribe is not named in the procession in 12:33-35.

As mentioned earlier, before King David’s liturgical reforms, instrumental and vocal music were not part of the liturgy of worship.  David was not only a warrior and the King of a united Israel but also a poet (2 Sam 1:19-27; 3:33-34) who loved liturgy (2 Sam 6:5, 15-16) wrote many of the psalms (Pss 3-41 and 51-72) and a gifted musician (1 Sam 16:16-23; Amos 6:5).  He introduced music into the liturgy of worship with cantors, Levitical choirs under the direction of Asaph and his sons as choir directors, and introduced instrumental music (1 Chron 25:1-31).

The ceremony concluded at the Temple where the two groups came together at the end of their processions.  At the Temple, the people offered multiple sacrifices on Yahweh’s sacrificial altar (Neh 12:43) with the rejoicing of the men, women, and children of Jerusalem with such enthusiasm that their shouts of joy “could be heard from far away.”    

Nehemiah 12:44-47 ~ The Management of the Contributions for the Temple and its Clergy

Nehemiah appointed supervisors to collect the tithes of produce and animals awarded by the Law to support the clergy and provide for the communal sacrifices like the twice-daily sacrifice of two unblemished Tamid lambs (see Ex 29:38-42; Num 28:3-8 and the e-book, “Jesus and the Mystery of the Tamid Sacrifice” at Books at Agape Bible Study).

David established the reformed liturgy of worship for the House of Yahweh built by his son Solomon.  And it was David who appointed Asaph and his family as the leaders of the Levitical choirs that led the people in hymns of praise and thanksgiving during the twice-daily worship services, for the Sabbath services, and during the annual feasts.

Verse 47 testifies that from the time of the first returnees to the time of Nehemiah the people regularly provided what was needed to support the singers, gatekeepers and the clergy.  

The Church Fathers, an 11th-century Kievan Rus' miniature from Svyatoslav's Miscellany

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A Daily Defense 

DAY 280

The Role of the Church Fathers

CHALLENGE: “Why should I care about the Church Fathers? They aren’t inspired like the New Testament authors.”

DEFENSE: The Church Fathers were writers in the early centuries who were notable for their holiness and soundness of teaching. They are important for a number of reasons.

First, they were closer in time and in culture to the New Testament authors, and their writings provide context needed to understand aspects of the New Testament. The writings of the Church Fathers—together with ancient Jewish sources—are the two most important groups of writings for this purpose. Ancient Jewish sources shed light on the ideas that flowed into the writing of Scripture, and the Church Fathers shed light on the teachings that flowed from Christ and the apostles. Indeed, the earliest Fathers were taught directly by apostles and eyewitnesses of Christ’s ministry.

Second, from the perspective of faith, Jesus said he would be with his Church forever (Matt. 28:20). He promised to send his Church the Holy Spirit “to be with you forever,” to “teach you all things,” and to “guide you into all the truth” (John 14:16, 26, 16:13). The Holy Spirit’s ministry began in a special way on Pentecost (Acts 2) and has continued throughout the Church age. The New Testament indicates that the Church is “the pillar and bulwark of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15) and “the gates of hades shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18).

All this indicates providential care and guidance extending throughout the Christian age and including the age of the Church Fathers. Consequently, we would be foolish to ignore the writings of this period.

Third, the age of the Fathers was one in which supremely important questions were worked out, including the divinity of Christ and the doctrine of the Trinity.

Fourth, the Fathers were the bearers of the apostolic Tradition that allowed the canon of Scripture to be discerned (see Day 247). Without them, we wouldn’t even know the canon.

Although no one Father, individually, may be relied upon the way the inspired authors of the New Testament can be, the Fathers as a group represent an indispensable witness to the Christian faith.

Jimmy Akin, A Daily Defense: 365 Days (Plus One) to Becoming a Better Apologist 

Bible In One Year Day 279 (Nehemiah 11, Esther 9-11, Proverbs 21: 17-20)

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Day 279:  Blessings and Burdens 

Agape Bible Study 
Nehemiah 11 

The outline of chapters 11-13:

1. Obedience to the Covenant (11:1-13:31)
   1. Resettlement of the Citizens (11:1-36)
   2. Register of the Priests and Levites (12:1-26)
   3. Dedication of Jerusalem’s Wall (12:27-47)
   4. Spiritual Restoration of the Covenant People (13:1-31)

Resettlement of the Citizens of Judah (11:1-36)

Nehemiah 11:1-3 ~ Nehemiah’s Method of Repopulating Jerusalem
Nehemiah’s memoirs resume only to be interrupted again at 11:3 by several lists.  Nehemiah Chapter 11 has two different literary additions.  Verses 1-2, 20, 25a, and 36 are included by the Chronicler using the Memoires of Nehemiah, but a later editor has inserted the lists of verses 4-19 and 25b-35 that he must have discovered among the documents in the Jerusalem achieves.  He introduced them by the heading in verse 4 and added the notes of verses 21-24.

Despite its status as Yahweh’s “holy city” where His “name dwells” among His people, Jerusalem had not attracted re-settlement by the returned exiles because of the attacks and threats of destruction against the city by its Gentile neighbors (Neh 7:1-4).  However, now that its protective walls and gates are in place, it is time to repopulate the city.  Flavius Josephus wrote, “Nehemiah seeing that the city had a small population, urged the priests and Levites to leave the countryside and move to the city and remain there, for he had prepared houses for them at his own expense” (Antiquities of the Jews, 11.5.8).

Nehemiah accomplishes the re-settlement by a lot system.  A “tithe” of a tenth of the returned exiles will live in Jerusalem (verse 1).

Nehemiah 11:4-19 ~ The Jewish Population Resettled in Jerusalem

Jerusalem was on the border between the territories of Benjamin and Judah but belonged to the tribal lands of Benjamin (Josh 27-28), and this may be the reason for the large number of Benjaminites who settled in the city.  The list of names and occupations in 11:4-24 of those chosen to live in Jerusalem:

1. The leaders of the tribe of Judah from the clan of Perez were 468 men (verse 4, 6)
2. One Judahite man from the clan of Shelah (verses 5).
3. The leaders who claimed lineage from the tribe of Benjamin* from the clans of Sallu and his brothers were 928 men (verses 7-9).
4. Priests from the line of Zadok the descendant of Eleazar son of Aaron were 822 men (verses 10-12a).
5. Priests from the line of Aaron’s son Ithamar were 242 men (verse 12b-13a).
6. Priests who could not prove their lineage from Aaron and his sons numbered 128 men (verses 13b-14).
7. The Levitical leaders responsible for work outside the Temple (verses 15-16).
8. The Levites who led the praise and thanksgiving prayers in the liturgy of worship (verse 17), and the total number of Levites was 284 men (verse 18).
9. The gatekeepers were 172 men (verse 19).
10. Temple servants (verse 21)

Nehemiah 11:21-24 ~ Supplementary Notes

The Temple slaves/servants were the descendants of Gentiles David liberated from the fierce Amalekites (1 Sam 30:20).  The liberated Gentiles developed a relationship with David and his heirs, with the best of their fighting men serving as his bodyguard (2 Sam 8:18; 1 Kng 1:38; 1 Chron 18:17).  Since they, and other Gentiles who converted and entered David’s service, could not own land in Israel, David gave them and their descendants an occupation that could support their families as servants in his palace and the Temple.

The Ophel is the southeastern ridge of Jerusalem and the site of the original City of David.  Nehemiah repaired the walls of Ophel (Neh 3:26-27).  Ziha and Gishpa were the family leaders of the Temple servants.  Their families returned from the exile with Sheshbazzar and the first group of returnees (Ezra 2:43; Neh 7:46).

Uzzi was the official in charge of the Levitical choir and a descendant of Asaph, a Levite from the time of King David.  Like David, Asaph wrote many of the Psalms (cf., Psalm 50, 73-83).  David was not only a warrior-king but also a poet and musician.  Before David, there was no music to accompany the liturgy of worship.  David appointed Asaph to oversee the order of music in worship, the “royal orders” in verse 23 (1 Chron 6:39), and he (or his son) sang at the dedication of Solomon’s Temple (2 Chron 9:15).

The sons of Zerah were the descendants of Judah from Tamar’s son Zerah, the twin of Perez.  This verse suggests Nehemiah has returned to Persia and Petahiah was a Persian governor who served after Nehemiah. 

Nehemiah 11:20, 25-35 ~ The Jewish Population Outside Jerusalem

The towns resettled in Judah:

1. Verse 25: Kiriath-Abra, “city of the four” (also known as Hebron) was a city associated with Abraham (Gen 23:2; 35:27; Josh 14:15; 15:13, 54; 20:7; 21:11; Judg 1:10), and after the conquest became a Levitical city of refuge (Josh 20:7; 21:13) in the territory of Judah assigned to the Gentile convert and hero of the Conquest, Caleb (Josh 15:13-17).  The people of Hebron were strong supporters of David who ruled at Hebron for seven years before the other tribes urged him to become the king of a united Israel (1 Sam 30:26-31; 2 Sam 2:4, 11; 5:1-5; 1 Chron 11:1-3).  See the list of towns and lands allotted to the tribe of Judah in Joshua 15:1-63 and those assigned to the clans of Benjamin in Joshua 18:11-28.
2. Verse 26a: Dibon was an important town located on the trade route known as the King’s Highway (from Egypt running along the east side of the Jordan River into Mesopotamia), thirteen miles east of the Dead Sea and three miles north of the Arnon River whose water flows from the east into the Dead Sea. Jekabzeel was apparently a town in the southern part of Judah whose exact location is unknown.
3. Verses 26-27: Jeshua, Moladah, Beth-Pelet, Hazar-Shual, and Beersheba were towns in the northern Negev desert, in the territory once assigned to the tribe of Simeon (Josh 19:2) that had been absorbed by the larger tribe of Judah.  These cities were lost to the Edomites in the late seventh century BC but were temporarily regained during the governorship of Nehemiah.
4. Verse 28: Ziklag and Meconah were towns in the Negev west and south of the Dead Sea.  Ziklag was David’s military base for a time when he was an outlaw (1 Sam 27:5-12).
5. Verses 29-30: En-Rimmon, Zorah, Jarmuth, 30 Zanoah, Adullam and their villages were fifteen miles west of Jerusalem.
6. Verse 30b: Lachish and its lands, and Azekah and its dependencies were in the foothills of Judah.  Lachish was the second largest fortified city in Judah, located about twenty-five miles southwest of Jerusalem and fifteen miles west of Hebron.

Esther Denouncing Haman by Ernest Normand

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A Daily Defense 

DAY 279 Does Mary’s Perpetual Virginity Matter?

CHALLENGE; “What difference does it make if Mary remained a virgin? Couldn’t God have continued Jesus’ mission if she had other children?”

DEFENSE: God is omnipotent and can do anything he chooses, but this doesn’t mean his choices are arbitrary.

This objection is a subcase of a broader one: Why should Mary be a virgin in the first place? Couldn’t God’s Son be born of a woman who wasn’t a virgin? He could have. Being omnipotent, God could do that. He even could have had his Son born of a prostitute if he chose.

It isn’t intrinsically required that Mary be any special kind of woman to be Jesus’ mother—just that she be a woman. However, this doesn’t mean it wasn’t appropriate for God to give Mary certain qualities to make her a more fitting mother for his Son.

This applies, in the first place, to the virginal conception itself. The fact that Jesus was conceived without a human father is striking, arresting. It naturally raises the question: “What does this mean?”

One could say, “It makes a difference because God had prophesied in advance that his Son would be born of a virgin” (see Days 253 and 254). But this only raises the question: “Why did God prophecy that? What difference did it make that his Son be virgin-born?”

The answer is that, if Jesus doesn’t have a human father, his father must be looked for outside of the human realm. Jesus’ Father is not on earth but in heaven: His Father is God. This is the fundamental point underscored by the Virgin Birth.

It is also the fundamental reason for Mary’s perpetual virginity (see Day 188). Consider: If Joseph and Mary later had children, it would raise doubts about the Virgin Birth itself. Jesus was conceived when Mary was already legally married to Joseph, but before their time of cohabitation began (Matt. 1:18; Luke 1:26–34). If the two had gone on to have other children, it would have been all the easier to say, “Jesus wasn’t literally the Son of God. His parents just had sex sooner than they let on.”

The fact that Mary remained a virgin even after Jesus’ birth thus underscores the fact that he is God’s Son, the same way the Virgin Birth itself does.

Jimmy Akin, A Daily Defense: 365 Days (Plus One) to Becoming a Better Apologist 

Bible In One Year Day 278 (Nehemiah 10, Esther 8, 16, Proverbs 21: 13-16)

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Day 278:  Power in Weakness 

/center>Agape Bible Study 
Nehemiah 10 

Nehemiah 10:1-27 ~ A Record of the Names of The Men Who Made a Solemn Oath to Yahweh

Nehemiah 10:1/9:38-10:39 attaches their admission of past failures to their new pledges with the words, 1 In view of all this we make a firm agreement, in writing. Nehemiah's first-person singular account will not begin again until 12:3 and 13:6-31.

The priests' names in 10:2-8 are clan names rather than the names of individuals. Many of the laymen's names in 10:14-27 correspond to Ezra Chapter 2 and Nehemiah 7, suggesting that individuals signed as leaders of their families. The list of those who signed the document marked with Governor Nehemiah's seal included:

1. Nehemiah the Governor and Zedekiah (probably his secretary).
2. he names of twenty-one priests
3. The names of seventeen Levites
4. The names of forty-four leaders of the people

All these swore to refrain from marriages with pagans and gave their sworn oath to observe God's laws and statutes. Notice that Ezra's name is missing from the list which suggests, as Josephus testified, he had already died by this time.

Nehemiah 10:29-40c* ~ Articles of the Oath

In 10:29-40, the people pledge to keep not just the Law of the Pentateuch in general, but also the right interpretations of the Law according to the religious hierarchy. In verse 29, "the rest of the people" do not sign the covenant document that their leaders signed for them, but they do take the oath to keep the Law as interpreted by the religious authorities.

Question: What is the rule today for the right interpretation of Scripture? See Mt 16:18-19; 2 Pt 1:20-21 and CCC 84-85.
Answer: The Kingdom of the Church founded by Jesus Christ has the ultimate authority to interpret Scripture. Individuals may read and discern Scripture, but if their understanding differs from that of the teachings of the Church, they are in error.

Question: What promises did God make to those who kept His commandments and prohibitions? See Lev 26:3-13 and Dt 28:1-14.

Answer: If the Israelites lived according to His Laws and commandments, God promised agricultural prosperity, peace, and protection from enemies and wild animals, victory over foreign armies, many offspring, and a continuation of the Sinai covenant with God's presence dwelling among His people.

Queen Esther (1879) by Edwin Long

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A Daily Defense 

DAY 278 “Lest Any Man Should Boast”

CHALLENGE: “Doesn’t Paul’s statement that we are saved ‘not because of works, lest any man should boast’ (Eph. 2:9) show he teaches justification by ‘faith alone’?” 

DEFENSE: This misunderstands the kind of boasting in question.

Paul never uses the phrase “faith alone,” and we elsewhere cover how the context of this passage shows it’s about the Jewish-Gentile question found elsewhere in Paul’s writings, meaning the “works” are actions done to obey the Law of Moses (see Days 63, 136, and 204).

This is also indicated when, in the next verse, Paul praises “good works” as part of the Christian life, in contrast to the “works” he says don’t save us. It would be awkward to pivot from the non necessity of “works” to the importance of “good works” if they were the same thing. (Indeed, Paul stresses their importance greatly, saying we are “created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them”; Eph. 2:10.) It is more natural to take “works” and “good works” as different things, with “works” being works of the Mosaic Law, as elsewhere in Paul.

The reference to boasting doesn’t show the “works” belong to the moral sphere. The word translated “boast” (Greek, kauchaomai) also means “glory,” “rejoice,” and Paul frequently uses it to refer to things other than boasting about one’s own accomplishments.

Specifically: He speaks of both Jews and Christians “boasting” in an evangelistic sense before non-believers. Thus he speaks of Jews boasting “in God” (Rom. 2:17) and “in the Law” (Rom. 2:23). Using the same Greek word, he also speaks of Christians boasting “in our hope” (Rom. 5:2) and “in God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:11).

Non-Christian Jews thus aren’t boasting of their moral accomplishments, but telling pagan Gentiles of God and how they have a special relationship with him through the Law. Christians, similarly, aren’t boasting of their moral accomplishments, but telling unbelievers of God and how they have a special relationship with him through Christ. 

Read in context, Paul’s saying salvation is “not because of works, lest any man should boast” means neither Jew nor Gentile can boast of having a special, saving relationship with God in preference to the other: Both are saved through faith in Christ.

Jimmy Akin, A Daily Defense: 365 Days (Plus One) to Becoming a Better Apologist 

Bible In One Year Day 277 (Nehemiah 9, Esther 15, 6-7, Proverbs 21: 9-12)

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Day 277:  Such a Time as This 

Agape Bible Study 
Nehemiah 9 

Chapter 9: The Ceremony of Expiation and Review of the History Israel's Collective Sins in a Covenant Renewal Ceremony

Nehemiah 6:15 ~ The wall was finished within fifty-two days, on the twenty-fifth of Elul.
It was early in the month of Nisan (March) in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes in 2:1 when Nehemiah presented his petition to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the city's walls to Persian King Artaxerxes. His trip to probably took not more than three or four months since he traveled with a small group by horseback, which would mean he arrived in Jerusalem after the change of the Persian year in the twenty-first year of King Artaxerxes I (still 445 BC by our modern calendar). The Persian new year began on the spring equinox in March 20^th/21^st. The month of Elul when Nehemiah finished the wall is the sixth month in the liturgical calendar with the end of the month equating to our September. Therefore, it was in the early fall of the twenty-first year of King Artaxerxes's reign when Nehemiah's workers completed the wall four days before the end of the month (Elul had 29 days).

Nehemiah 9:1-5 ~ The Assembly of the People Confesses Their Sins

The question is, "which month"? Is it still the historical review and the last day of the national assembly on Tishri the 22^nd (Neh 8:18)? No; that is unlikely. It is more likely that the narrative has returned to Nehemiah's time. His workers completed the walls on the 25^th of Elul just four days before the end of the month of 29 days and the beginning of the seventh month of Tishri. Then, he had to direct his attention to the rebuilding of the city's gate systems that probably took at least three weeks, which brings us to the 24th of Tishri.

During the time of threats from their neighboring provinces, the people of Jerusalem were unable to celebrate the annual festivals without a wall and gates to protect them. At the time the walls were completed the gates were not in place soon enough to allow for the celebration of the festivals of Trumpets on the 1^st of Tishri, Atonement on the 10^th or Shelters on the 15^th to the twenty-first, with the sacred assembly on the 22^nd. Therefore, when the walls and gates finally made Jerusalem secure, Nehemiah was then able to bring the many necessary animal sacrifices into the city and to proclaim a national assembly for repentance, communal atonement, and covenant renewal on the 24^th of Tishri. His assembly of national repentance and covenant renewal recalls similar ceremonies held by Davidic kings Hezekiah and Josiah (2 Kng 23:1-3; 2 Chron 29:5-10; 34:29-33). Notice that there is no mention of Ezra in the narrative, affirming Josephus' account that he was dead by the time of Nehemiah's mission.

Mourning rituals were commonly held in association with penitence to express being like the dead (dead in their sins). Therefore, the people performed rituals of fasting from food, wearing sackcloth like the shrouds of the dead, and putting earth on their heads as if they were buried. The people did not fast during the joyous annual feasts like they did during penitential ceremonies (see Neh 8:10-12).

Separation from foreigners refers to divorcing pagan wives that took place in Ezra Chapters 9-10 to preserve the covenant peoples' religious identity. The exiles viewed their return to the Promised Land as a re-conquest of the land promised to Abraham and his descendants, and, as in the first conquest, it was necessary to drive out all pagan influence (Dt 7:1-6; Judg 3:5-6). Foreigners could not own the land, but they could live in it so long as they kept the Law (Num 15:15). Foreigners could even attend the religious festivals but could not worship within the inner courts of the Temple or eat the sacred meals unless they converted, and the males underwent the covenant ritual of circumcision (Ex 12:43-51; Dt 16:14).

Nehemiah 9:5b-15 ~ Confessing the Sins of the Exodus Generation

In verses 5-37, the Levites summon the people to "Stand up and bless Yahweh, your God" (9:5a). Therefore, it is necessary that the assembly's prayer begins by addressing God with "Blessed are you, Yahweh our God," as it does in verse 5b. The prayer has a dual dimension: gratitude to God for His blessings and a petition for forgiveness, which should always be present in our prayers on this side of salvation history.

The theme of the prayer is a historical review of Israel apostasy from their covenant with Yahweh throughout their generations. However, the prayer also recounts God's divine blessings (9:6-15) which continued despite the covenant people's repeated acts of disobedience to God's commandments (9:16-25), and rebellions despite divine intervention (9:26-31). The prayer concludes with an appeal for deliverance from the domination of foreigners, a reference to the Persians (9:32-37), with the plea, count as no small thing this misery which has befallen us, our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, and all your people from the times of the Assyrian kings to the present day (9:32).

The historical review in 9:7-15:

• Verse 9:7 recalls Abraham's divine call and Yahweh's promises to him (Gen 11:31-12:3).
• Verse 8 recounts God's covenant with Abraham and His promise concerning the land of Canaan (Gen Chapter 15).
• Verses 9-12 list the events of the Egyptian liberation and the exodus out of Egypt, including the ten plagues (Ex Chpt. 5-13), the parting of the Sea of Reeds and the destruction of Pharaoh's army (Ex Chpt. 14), and the visible presence of God in the pillar of cloud and fire (Ex 3:7; 13:21; 14:10, 21-23; Dt 4:34).
• Verses 13-14 recall the Theophany at Mt. Sinai, the giving of the Ten Commandments, and the other articles of the Law (Ex Chpts. 19-23).
• Verse 15 mentions the miracles of the manna and the water from a rock (Ex 16:4; 17:6; Num 20:6-13).

The historical review begins with a reminder God's call to Abram to come out of the city of Ur and into Canaan. 9:8 ~ Finding his heart was faithful to you, you made a covenant with him, to give the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, and the Girgashites to him and his descendants. The Abrahamic covenant included God's promise to give his descendants the land of Canaan.²

Nehemiah 9:16-21 ~ The Ancestors' Arrogance and Ingratitude

The Hebrew word hesed has the unique meaning of faithful, covenant love and appears twice in the confession of repentance (i.e., 9:17, 32).

Verses 16-21 contain a confession of the covenant people's sins during the Exodus journey and wilderness years. The prayer recounts a list of when they were persistent in resisting Yahweh's commands despite God's continuing acts of mercy:

• Verse 17a recalls the Israelites' ingratitude for God saving them from Egyptian slavery and vengeance. It also refers to the accusation they made that God took them out of Egypt to destroy them and their request to return to slavery where they had plenty to eat (Ex 16:1-3).
• Verses 17b-20 praise God for His mercy, forgiveness, and faithful covenant love [hesed] despite their sins; even when they made the image of the golden calf and worshipped it (Ex 32:4, 14).

In 18b-21, the prayer lists the ways God continued to care for the Israelites despite their sins:

1. He led them on their journey with a physical manifestation of His presence in the pillar of cloud and fire (Ex 13:21-22; 33:9-10; Num 12:5; 14:14; Dt 31:15).
2. He blessed Moses and the elders with His spirit to instruct them (Ex 33:9-11; Num 11:17).
3. Yahweh fed them with bread from Heaven that they called "manna" (Ex 16:4-36; Josh 5:12) and gave them water from a rock to quench their thirst (Ex 17:1-7; Num 20:1-13).
4. God saw to their physical and material needs for the forty years in the wilderness: their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen (Dt 2:7; 8:4).

Nehemiah 9:22-25 ~ The Continuing Review of Israel's History up to the Conquest of Canaan

Verse 22 recounts the territory God gave the Israelites in the conquest of Canaan, including the lands of the Ammonites on the east side of the Jordan River (Num 21:32-35; Dt 2:24-3:11).

Verse 23 acknowledges that God kept the promises from His covenant with Abraham for land and many descendants (Gen 12:1-3; 15:4-6, 18-21; 22:17), and verses 24-25 summarize Israel's successful conquest of Canaan in the Book of Joshua.

Nehemiah 9:26-37 ~ The Historical Review from the Assyrian and Babylonian Conquests to the Return from Exile

The historical review continues with the people's confession that after Yahweh kept His promise to give the Israelites a land of their own and His continued protection and blessings as long as they were obedient to His commands and prohibitions (Lev 26:1-13; Dt 28:1-14), the Israelites again became disobedient and rebellious. They murdered God's prophets and committed monstrous acts of impiety (verse 26). In response to their sins, Yahweh withdrew His blessings and protection, and they suffered at the hands of their enemies (verse 27a). When the people repented and turned back to their covenant relationship with God, He heard their pleas, took them back as His covenant people and rescued them from their enemies (verse 28b). These failures in obedience followed by judgment and repentance became a continuing cycle until the day of the covenant renewal in the time of Nehemiah (verses 29-31).

Queen Esther 

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A Daily Defense 

DAY 277 The Jewish People and the Old Testament Canon

CHALLENGE: “Scripture says that the Jews were ‘entrusted with the oracles of God’ (Rom. 3:2), so we should look to them for the Old Testament canon. They reject the deuterocanonicals, and so should we.”

DEFENSE: There are multiple problems with this argument.

First, not all Jewish people have the same canon. Falashas (Ethiopian Jews) have a canon including deuterocanonical books. It was rabbinic Jews that Protestants were familiar with in the 1500s, and their canon that the Reformers borrowed.

Second, as we cover elsewhere (see Day 255), there were multiple canonical traditions in the first century. The Pharisee tradition, which gave rise to the canon used by rabbinic Judaism, was only one tradition.

Third, first-century Christians did not use the Pharisee canonical tradition. They used the Septuagint tradition, which they passed on to the early Church (see Day 273).

Fourth, the Pharisee canonical tradition continued to be debated after the split with Christianity. According to now outdated scholarship, the Pharisee/rabbinical canon was settled around A.D. 90 at the “Council of Jamnia” (“Jabneh,” “Yavneh”). However, there was no such council. Christians held councils to settle issues; Jews did not. This “council” was actually a Jewish school set up in Yavneh after the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70, and it did not settle the canon of Scripture.

The so-called Council of Jamnia was more in the nature of a school or an academy that sat in Jamnia between the years 75 and 117. There is no evidence of a decision drawing up a list of books. It seems that the canon of the Jewish Scriptures was not definitively fixed before the end of the second century. Scholarly discussion on the status of certain books continued into the third century (Pontifical Biblical Commission, “The Jewish People and Their Sacred Scriptures,” fn. 33).

Although the Jewish people were “entrusted with the oracles of God,” they had not reached a conclusion in Jesus’ day on what books counted as Scripture, and Christians should look to the decision of the Church on this matter—not that of a particular Jewish school, whose canon only solidified later in the Christian age.

Jimmy Akin, A Daily Defense: 365 Days (Plus One) to Becoming a Better Apologist