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PROVIDENCE, THE CONFIDENCE FOR SERVICE (II)
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27
Nehemiah 7:39-45

Ezra 2:36-42

 

“Let all things be done

decently and in order.”

 

PROVIDENCE, THE CONFIDENCE FOR SERVICE (II)
 
The lists in Nehemiah and Ezra also portray God’s order and distinction. God has concern for and knowledge of His people, but He also has order and standards for them. Distinction was made in the first census conducted in Numbers, with the Levites not numbered among the children of Israel (Num 1:47). In Numbers, the census was to get the count of those who could be used of God in the time of war. The Levites were excluded as they were, according to God’s order, set apart for use in God’s house and thus exempted from war.
The priests… The Levites… The singers… The porters (Neh 7:39-44). After the list of the children of Israel by their families, the genealogy then turned to those who served in the house of God by families. As God stirred the hearts of the children of Israel to return, He did not bring them back to Jerusalem without those who would perform spiritual duties as was set when the worship and its order were instituted in the law. As the people returned to Jerusalem from captivity, there were also “priests” whose office was to “minister unto me” (Exod 28:1, 3, 4, 41; 29:1, 44; 30:30) “unto the holy place” (Exod 28:29, 35, 43; 39:41) while bearing “the names of the children of Israel” (Exod 28:29). Apart from the priests, there were also “the Levites” who were appointed over the Tabernacle and its vessels (Num 1:50-53), to minister to the priests (Num 3:9), and assigned to teach the law (Deut 33:8-10). “The singers” were drawn from the Levites when the order of Temple worship was established by David (1 Chron 9:33-34). “The porters” like the singers were also “chosen to be porters in the gates” by David from among the Levites (1 Chron 9:21‑32). And “they lodged round about the house of God, because the charge was upon them, and the opening thereof every morning pertained to them.” Indeed, apart from the task of rebuilding Jerusalem, there was also the building up of the people in faith and maintaining their relationship with their God. For this purpose, the LORD made sure that as the people returned, worship and service would proceed according to the order that was laid before the carrying away to Babylon, and that nothing new would be invented.
 
THOUGHT: (Read 1 Corinthians 14:33 and 40.)

PRAYER: Give me grace, Father, to serve according to Thy Word.

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