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

  You may subscribe yourself at the Ascension site here and receive notifications in your email, or just follow along on my blog.  Bible in One Year Readings Index 

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

+++

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