[Ohio-Communities-of-Faith] DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR TUESDAY MAY 17

[Donnie Parrett]

DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR TUESDAY MAY 17

WORD OF WISDOM

Words that soak into your ears are whispered, not yelled.

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DAILY DEVOTION

The Ignored Warning


But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the
ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall
also the coming of the Son of man be.
Matthew 24:37-39

The people of Noah's day had no excuse for not knowing that the flood was
coming. For decades, Noah worked on the ark, but he was not just a builder.
For all of those years, Noah was warning people about God's coming judgment.
Peter tells us, "And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth
person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of
the ungodly" (2 Peter 2:5). If the people had believed Noah's admonition,
they would not have been surprised when the rains began and the water
started to rise. By the time they did believe, it was too late.
The daily activities of life, meals, and marriages, are not wrong. But if we
are not careful, they will fill up our time and hold our attention so
strongly that we will miss what God is saying. Charles Spurgeon said, "These
things engrossed all their thoughts. And yet, friends, and yet, what was the
use of eating and drinking when they were to be drowned the next day? And
what was the use of being married, when they were to be drowned on the
morrow? If they had looked at these things in the light of faith, they would
have despised them; but they only used the blear eye of sense, and thus they
set great store upon these present things of mirth." God does not hide the
truth from us. It is plainly given in His Word. But it is our responsibility
to heed His warnings and admonitions and live as He directs.
We must keep our hearts and minds tuned to hear what God is saying amid the
busyness of life.

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DAILY BIBLE READING

Nehemiah 10-13 New King James Version
The People Who Sealed the Covenant
10 Now those who placed their seal on the document were:

Nehemiah the [a]governor, the son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah, 2 Seraiah,
Azariah, Jeremiah, 3 Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah, 4 Hattush, Shebaniah,
Malluch, 5 Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, 6 Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, 7
Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, 8 Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah. These were the
priests.

9 The Levites: Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, and
Kadmiel.

10 Their brethren: Shebaniah, Hodijah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, 11 Micha,
Rehob, Hashabiah, 12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, 13 Hodijah, Bani, and
Beninu.

14 The leaders of the people: Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, 15
Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, 16 Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, 17 Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, 18
Hodijah, Hashum, Bezai, 19 Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, 20 Magpiash, Meshullam,
Hezir, 21 Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, 22 Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, 23 Hoshea,
Hananiah, Hasshub, 24 Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, 25 Rehum, Hashabnah,
Maaseiah, 26 Ahijah, Hanan, Anan, 27 Malluch, Harim, and Baanah.

The Covenant That Was Sealed
28 Now the rest of the people-the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the
singers, the Nethinim, and all those who had separated themselves from the
peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, and their
daughters, everyone who had knowledge and understanding- 29 these joined
with their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse and an oath to
walk in God's Law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to
observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord, and His ordinances
and His statutes: 30 We would not give our daughters as wives to the peoples
of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons; 31 if the peoples of the
land brought [b]wares or any grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we would not
buy it from them on the Sabbath, or on a holy day; and we would forego the
seventh year's produce and the exacting[c] of every debt.

32 Also we made ordinances for ourselves, to exact from ourselves yearly
one-third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God: 33 for the
showbread, for the regular grain offering, for the regular burnt offering of
the Sabbaths, the New Moons, and the set feasts; for the holy things, for
the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and all the work of the
house of our God. 34 We cast lots among the priests, the Levites, and the
people, for bringing the wood offering into the house of our God, according
to our fathers' houses, at the appointed times year by year, to burn on the
altar of the Lord our God as it is written in the Law.

35 And we made ordinances to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the
firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, to the house of the
Lord; 36 to bring the firstborn of our sons and our cattle, as it is written
in the Law, and the firstborn of our herds and our flocks, to the house of
our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God; 37 to bring
the firstfruits of our dough, our offerings, the fruit from all kinds of
trees, the new wine and oil, to the priests, to the storerooms of the
[d]house of our God; and to bring the tithes of our land to the Levites, for
the Levites should receive the tithes in all our farming communities. 38 And
the priest, the descendant of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the
Levites receive tithes; and the Levites shall bring up a tenth of the tithes
to the house of our God, to the rooms of the storehouse.

39 For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the
offering of the grain, of the new wine and the oil, to the storerooms where
the articles of the sanctuary are, where the priests who minister and the
gatekeepers and the singers are; and we will not neglect the house of our
God.

The People Dwelling in Jerusalem
11 Now the leaders of the people dwelt at Jerusalem; the rest of the people
cast lots to bring one out of ten to dwell in Jerusalem, the holy city, and
nine-tenths were to dwell in other cities. 2 And the people blessed all the
men who willingly offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem.

3 These are the heads of the province who dwelt in Jerusalem. (But in the
cities of Judah everyone dwelt in his own possession in their
cities-Israelites, priests, Levites, Nethinim, and descendants of Solomon's
servants.) 4 Also in Jerusalem dwelt some of the children of Judah and of
the children of Benjamin.

The children of Judah: Athaiah the son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the
son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, of the children
of Perez; 5 and Maaseiah the son of Baruch, the son of Col-Hozeh, the son of
Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the
son of Shiloni. 6 All the sons of Perez who dwelt at Jerusalem were four
hundred and sixty-eight valiant men.

7 And these are the sons of Benjamin: Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of
Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son
of Ithiel, the son of Jeshaiah; 8 and after him Gabbai and Sallai, nine
hundred and twenty-eight. 9 Joel the son of Zichri was their overseer, and
Judah the son of [e]Senuah was second over the city.

10 Of the priests: Jedaiah the son of Joiarib, and Jachin; 11 Seraiah the
son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth,
the son of Ahitub, was the leader of the house of God. 12 Their brethren who
did the work of the house were eight hundred and twenty-two; and Adaiah the
son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah,
the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah, 13 and his brethren, heads of the
fathers' houses, were two hundred and forty-two; and Amashai the son of
Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer, 14 and
their brethren, mighty men of valor, were one hundred and twenty-eight.
Their overseer was Zabdiel [f]the son of one of the great men.

15 Also of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the
son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni; 16 Shabbethai and Jozabad, of the heads
of the Levites, had the oversight of the business outside of the [g]house of
God; 17 Mattaniah the son of [h]Micha, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph,
the leader who began the thanksgiving with prayer; Bakbukiah, the second
among his brethren; and Abda the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son
of Jeduthun. 18 All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred and
eighty-four.

19 Moreover the gatekeepers, Akkub, Talmon, and their brethren who kept the
gates, were one hundred and seventy-two.

20 And the rest of Israel, of the priests and Levites, were in all the
cities of Judah, everyone in his inheritance. 21 But the Nethinim dwelt in
Ophel. And Ziha and Gishpa were over the Nethinim.

22 Also the overseer of the Levites at Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani,
the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micha, of the sons of
Asaph, the singers in charge of the [i]service of the [j]house of God. 23
For it was the king's command concerning them that a [k]certain portion
should be for the singers, a quota day by day. 24 Pethahiah the son of
Meshezabel, of the children of Zerah the son of Judah, was the[l] king's
deputy in all matters concerning the people.

The People Dwelling Outside Jerusalem
25 And as for the villages with their fields, some of the children of Judah
dwelt in Kirjath Arba and its villages, Dibon and its villages, Jekabzeel
and its villages; 26 in Jeshua, Moladah, Beth Pelet, 27 Hazar Shual, and
Beersheba and its villages; 28 in Ziklag and Meconah and its villages; 29 in
En Rimmon, Zorah, Jarmuth, 30 Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages; in
Lachish and its fields; in Azekah and its villages. They dwelt from
Beersheba to the Valley of Hinnom.

31 Also the children of Benjamin from Geba dwelt in Michmash, Aija, and
Bethel, and their villages; 32 in Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah; 33 in Hazor,
Ramah, Gittaim; 34 in Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat; 35 in Lod, Ono, and the
Valley of Craftsmen. 36 Some of the Judean divisions of Levites were in
Benjamin.

The Priests and Levites
12 Now these are the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel the
son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, 2 Amariah,
[m]Malluch, Hattush, 3 [n]Shechaniah, [o]Rehum, [p]Meremoth, 4 Iddo,
[q]Ginnethoi, Abijah, 5 [r]Mijamin, [s]Maadiah, Bilgah, 6 Shemaiah, Joiarib,
Jedaiah, 7 [t]Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah.

These were the heads of the priests and their brethren in the days of
Jeshua.

8 Moreover the Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and
Mattaniah who led the thanksgiving psalms, he and his brethren. 9 Also
Bakbukiah and Unni, their brethren, stood across from them in their duties.

10 Jeshua begot Joiakim, Joiakim begot Eliashib, Eliashib begot Joiada, 11
Joiada begot Jonathan, and Jonathan begot Jaddua.

12 Now in the days of Joiakim, the priests, the heads of the fathers' houses
were: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah; 13 of Ezra, Meshullam; of
Amariah, Jehohanan; 14 of [u]Melichu, Jonathan; of [v]Shebaniah, Joseph; 15
of [w]Harim, Adna; of [x]Meraioth, Helkai; 16 of Iddo, Zechariah; of
Ginnethon, Meshullam; 17 of Abijah, Zichri; the son of [y]Minjamin; of
[z]Moadiah, Piltai; 18 of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan; 19 of
Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi; 20 of [aa]Sallai, Kallai; of Amok,
Eber; 21 of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; and of Jedaiah, Nethanel.

22 During the reign of Darius the Persian, a record was also kept of the
Levites and priests who had been heads of their fathers' houses in the days
of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua. 23 The sons of Levi, the heads of
the fathers' houses until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib, were
written in the book of the chronicles.

24 And the heads of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the
son of Kadmiel, with their brothers across from them, to praise and give
thanks, group[ab] alternating with group, according to the command of David
the man of God. 25 Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and
Akkub were gatekeepers keeping the watch at the storerooms of the gates. 26
These lived in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of
[ac]Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor, and of Ezra the
priest, the scribe.

Nehemiah Dedicates the Wall
27 Now at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the
Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the
dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings and singing, with cymbals
and stringed instruments and harps. 28 And the sons of the singers gathered
together from the countryside around Jerusalem, from the villages of the
Netophathites, 29 from the house of Gilgal, and from the fields of Geba and
Azmaveth; for the singers had built themselves villages all around
Jerusalem. 30 Then the priests and Levites purified themselves, and purified
the people, the gates, and the wall.

31 So I brought the leaders of Judah up on the wall, and appointed two large
thanksgiving choirs. One went to the right hand on the wall toward the
Refuse Gate. 32 After them went Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah,
33 and Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, 34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah, 35
and some of the priests' sons with trumpets-Zechariah the son of Jonathan,
the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Michaiah, the son of
Zaccur, the son of Asaph, 36 and his brethren, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai,
Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of
David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them. 37 By the
Fountain Gate, in front of them, they went up the stairs of the City of
David, on the stairway of the wall, beyond the house of David, as far as the
Water Gate eastward.

38 The other thanksgiving choir went the opposite way, and I was behind them
with half of the people on the wall, going past the Tower of the Ovens as
far as the Broad Wall, 39 and above the Gate of Ephraim, above the Old Gate,
above the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, the Tower of [ad]the Hundred, as
far as the Sheep Gate; and they stopped by the Gate of the Prison.

40 So the two thanksgiving choirs stood in the house of God, likewise I and
the half of the rulers with me; 41 and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah,
[ae]Minjamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets; 42
also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and
Ezer. The singers [af]sang loudly with Jezrahiah the director.

43 Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced, for God had
made them rejoice with great joy; the women and the children also rejoiced,
so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off.

Temple Responsibilities
44 And at the same time some were appointed over the rooms of the storehouse
for the offerings, the firstfruits, and the tithes, to gather into them from
the fields of the cities the portions specified by the Law for the priests
and Levites; for Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who
[ag]ministered. 45 Both the singers and the gatekeepers kept the charge of
their God and the charge of the purification, according to the command of
David and Solomon his son. 46 For in the days of David and Asaph of old
there were chiefs of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to
God. 47 In the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah all Israel
gave the portions for the singers and the gatekeepers, a portion for each
day. They also [ah]consecrated holy things for the Levites, and the Levites
consecrated them for the children of Aaron.

Principles of Separation
13 On that day they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the
people, and in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever
come into the assembly of God, 2 because they had not met the children of
Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them.
However, our God turned the curse into a blessing. 3 So it was, when they
had heard the Law, that they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel.

The Reforms of Nehemiah
4 Now before this, Eliashib the priest, having authority over the storerooms
of the house of our God, was allied with Tobiah. 5 And he had prepared for
him a large room, where previously they had stored the grain offerings, the
frankincense, the articles, the tithes of grain, the new wine and oil, which
were commanded to be given to the Levites and singers and gatekeepers, and
the offerings for the priests. 6 But during all this I was not in Jerusalem,
for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned
to the king. Then after certain days I obtained leave from the king, 7 and I
came to Jerusalem and discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah,
in preparing a room for him in the courts of the [ai]house of God. 8 And it
grieved me bitterly; therefore I threw all the household goods of Tobiah out
of the room. 9 Then I commanded them to cleanse the rooms; and I brought
back into them the articles of the house of God, with the grain offering and
the frankincense.

10 I also realized that the portions for the Levites had not been given
them; for each of the Levites and the singers who did the work had gone back
to his field. 11 So I contended with the rulers, and said, "Why is the house
of God forsaken?" And I gathered them together and set them in their place.
12 Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the
oil to the storehouse. 13 And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouse
Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah; and
next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they
were considered faithful, and their task was to distribute to their
brethren.

14 Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds
that I have done for the house of my God, and for its services!

15 In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath,
and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and
all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day.
And I warned them about the day on which they were selling provisions. 16
Men of Tyre dwelt there also, who brought in fish and all kinds of goods,
and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.

17 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, "What evil
thing is this that you do, by which you profane the Sabbath day? 18 Did not
your fathers do thus, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and
on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath."

19 So it was, at the gates of Jerusalem, as it began to be dark before the
Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they must
not be opened till after the Sabbath. Then I posted some of my servants at
the gates, so that no burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day. 20 Now
the merchants and sellers of all kinds of [aj]wares [ak]lodged outside
Jerusalem once or twice.

21 Then I warned them, and said to them, "Why do you spend the night
[al]around the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you!" From that
time on they came no more on the Sabbath. 22 And I commanded the Levites
that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should go and guard the
gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day.

Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the
greatness of Your mercy!

23 In those days I also saw Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and
Moab. 24 And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and could
not speak the language of Judah, but spoke according to the language of one
or the other people.

25 So I contended with them and [am]cursed them, struck some of them and
pulled out their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, "You shall not
give your daughters as wives to their sons, nor take their daughters for
your sons or yourselves. 26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these
things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, who was beloved
of his God; and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless pagan women
caused even him to sin. 27 Should we then hear of your doing all this great
evil, transgressing against our God by marrying pagan women?"

28 And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was a
son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite; therefore I drove him from me.

29 Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the
covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

30 Thus I cleansed them of everything pagan. I also assigned duties to the
priests and the Levites, each to his service, 31 and to bringing the wood
offering and the firstfruits at appointed times.

Remember me, O my God, for good!

Footnotes
Nehemiah 10:1 Heb. Tirshatha
Nehemiah 10:31 merchandise
Nehemiah 10:31 collection
Nehemiah 10:37 Temple
Nehemiah 11:9 Or Hassenuah
Nehemiah 11:14 Or the son of Haggedolim
Nehemiah 11:16 Temple
Nehemiah 11:17 Or Michah
Nehemiah 11:22 work
Nehemiah 11:22 Temple
Nehemiah 11:23 fixed share
Nehemiah 11:24 Lit. at the king's hand
Nehemiah 12:2 Melichu, v. 14
Nehemiah 12:3 Shebaniah, v. 14
Nehemiah 12:3 Harim, v. 15
Nehemiah 12:3 Meraioth, v. 15
Nehemiah 12:4 Ginnethon, v. 16
Nehemiah 12:5 Minjamin, v. 17
Nehemiah 12:5 Moadiah, v. 17
Nehemiah 12:7 Sallai, v. 20
Nehemiah 12:14 Malluch, v. 2
Nehemiah 12:14 Shechaniah, v. 3
Nehemiah 12:15 Rehum, v. 3
Nehemiah 12:15 Meremoth, v. 3
Nehemiah 12:17 Mijamin, v. 5
Nehemiah 12:17 Maadiah, v. 5
Nehemiah 12:20 Sallu, v. 7
Nehemiah 12:24 Lit. watch by watch
Nehemiah 12:26 Jehozadak, 1 Chr. 6:14
Nehemiah 12:39 Heb. Hammeah
Nehemiah 12:41 Or Mijamin, v. 5
Nehemiah 12:42 Lit. made their voice to be heard
Nehemiah 12:44 Lit. stood
Nehemiah 12:47 set apart
Nehemiah 13:7 Temple
Nehemiah 13:20 merchandise
Nehemiah 13:20 spent the night
Nehemiah 13:21 Lit. before
Nehemiah 13:25 pronounced them cursed