It is proposed that a 10th of the population live in the holy city. There follow lists of the chiefs of the provinces who lived in Jerusalema and of the villages and towns settled by Jews outside of Jerusalem. After the Levites and singers are gathered together in Jerusalem, the ceremony of purifying the wall takes place. The two groups converge in the temple court where sacrifices are offered and all rejoice with great joy. The ideal cult, founded by David, has continued throughout the postexilic period from Zerubbabel to Nehemiah. In the reading of the book of Moses a passage is noted stating that an Ammonite or Moabite is to be excluded from the assembly of God. Can the Ammonites and Moabites ever be forgiven for their ancestors attitudes toward the Hebrews? Nehemiah returns to Persia, and Tobiah proceed to move into the temple quarters with the permission of Eliashib the priest. After some time, Nehemiah asks the king for permission to go back to Jerusalem. Discovering Tobiah, an Ammonite in the temple, Nehemiah is very angry and ejects him for the temple quarters. Nehemiah organizes a group of officials to oversee the storehouses and distribute food to the temple personnel since tithing to the temple had fallen by the wayside while he was away. The gates of Jerusalem are to be closed on the Sabbath and guarder by the Levites to insure that the day is kept holy. Nehemiah reacts, to say the least, against those who have married foreign women. Solomon is held up as the example of a sinner who has taken foreign wives. Nehemiah requires letter of the law compliance. A relative of Sanballat is singled out as a transgressor and run out of town. The book closes with a prayer for God’s remembrance of Nehemiah for good i.e. bring about a legalistic approach to religion. Would Jesus criticize Nehemiah as he will come to criticize the Pharisees of his day?
It is proposed that a 10th of the population live in the holy city. There follow lists of the chiefs of the provinces who lived in Jerusalema and of the villages and towns settled by Jews outside of Jerusalem. After the Levites and singers are gathered together in Jerusalem, the ceremony of purifying the wall takes place. The two groups converge in the temple court where sacrifices are offered and all rejoice with great joy. The ideal cult, founded by David, has continued throughout the postexilic period from Zerubbabel to Nehemiah. In the reading of the book of Moses a passage is noted stating that an Ammonite or Moabite is to be excluded from the assembly of God. Can the Ammonites and Moabites ever be forgiven for their ancestors attitudes toward the Hebrews? Nehemiah returns to Persia, and Tobiah proceed to move into the temple quarters with the permission of Eliashib the priest. After some time, Nehemiah asks the king for permission to go back to Jerusalem. Discovering Tobiah, an Ammonite in the temple, Nehemiah is very angry and ejects him for the temple quarters. Nehemiah organizes a group of officials to oversee the storehouses and distribute food to the temple personnel since tithing to the temple had fallen by the wayside while he was away. The gates of Jerusalem are to be closed on the Sabbath and guarder by the Levites to insure that the day is kept holy. Nehemiah reacts, to say the least, against those who have married foreign women. Solomon is held up as the example of a sinner who has taken foreign wives. Nehemiah requires letter of the law compliance. A relative of Sanballat is singled out as a transgressor and run out of town. The book closes with a prayer for God’s remembrance of Nehemiah for good i.e. bring about a legalistic approach to religion. Would Jesus criticize Nehemiah as he will come to criticize the Pharisees of his day?
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