The Better Tithe

Big Idea:  Jerusalem was repopulated with leaders and freewill volunteers from the surrounding villages.

I.              Intro – Transition

A.            Recounting the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the purpose in Ezra to have temple rebuilt, and the purpose in Nehemiah to have city rebuilt.

B.            Rebuilt the walls under heavy opposition and beginning in Chapter 8 started reinstituting their religious observances.

II.           Exposition

A.            Choosing who lived in Jerusalem (Neh. 11:1-2)

1.             These first two verses can be seen as a summary statement for the entire chapter.

a.              Quite succinctly, they tell us that Jerusalem is beginning to be repopulated.

b.              It really picks up the story that was left off in Neh. 7:4 (read).

c.              Nehemiah realized that having the walls and gates rebuilt was a great start, but without the people coming back to live within the city walls, all that work would soon be for naught, as they would no doubt begin to face opposition again.

2.             So we see here in Chapter 11, the repopulating of Jerusalem.

a.              This was part of Nehemiah’s purpose all along.

i.               When he got his first report in Chapter 1, he heard that the walls were destroyed and the people had been shamed.

ii.             Even though he was motivated enough to rebuild the city walls in 52 days, a city without any people is no city at all.

b.              This is why book of the genealogy was brought out in Neh. 7:5 and the people were all called together.

c.              However, the end of Chapter 7 says that the seventh month, the month of Tishri had come.

i.               Tishri is a very important month on the Jewish calendar.

ii.             In it are the Feast of Trumpets and the Feast of Tabernacles, which we see the people gathering together to celebrate in Chapter 8, where Ezra reads from the Book of the Law for eight days while the Feast was being celebrated.

iii.           Also in the month of Tishri is the holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.  In Neh. 9-10 we see the people consecrating themselves to God by making confession for their sins and signing a covenant dedicating themselves to following the Word of God.

d.             It was only after this month, and these festivals, were over could Nehemiah pick up the project he had set down some weeks ago: repopulating the city.

3.             This was done with a tithe.

a.              Not a collection of money, but an offering from the people, of the people.

b.              The word “tithe” simply means 1/10 or 10%.

c.              In the previous chapter, the people chose to tithe of their produce and wood in order to serve the Lord.  Now they tithe themselves.

d.             It gets a little confusing here because the text reads that lots were cast for the tithe in verse 1, but then it also says in verse 2 that the people who went up to Jerusalem willingly offered to go.

i.               I think that the lot was cast to pick the family, and then people volunteered from within the family to go.

ii.             Casting lots was a bit like flipping a coin to discern God’s will.

a.)           Although it’s not done frequently, several places in Scripture mention casting lots

b.)           In Leviticus 16, lots are cast to determine which goat would be the sacrifice and which would be the scapegoat that carries the sin of Israel out of the camp.

c.)           The Promised Land was divided among the 12 tribes by casting lots (Num. 24)

d.)          The disciple needed to replace Judas was chosen by lot in Acts 1:26.

e.)           Proverbs 16:33 says, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.”

f.)            May seem strange to us today, but God had allowed lots to help people make decisions.

i.)             Today we don’t use or need lots because we have the full counsel of God’s Word and His Holy Spirit to help us make decisions.

e.              So we see how the people were chosen to live in Jerusalem.  But who was chosen?

B.            List of who lived in Jerusalem (Neh. 11:3-24)

1.             Sons of Judah and Benjamin (Neh. 11:3-9)

a.              As verse 1 said, the leaders and a portion of the people from the surrounding communities lived in Jerusalem.

b.              Here we see specifically that the vast majority of people came from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, where the rest of the people continued to live outside of the city walls.

i.               Although the classification of the people into the groups of Israel, priests, Levites, temple servants and descendants of Solomon’s servants may seem odd to us – some are grouped according to genealogy, some according to profession – he is intentionally following the grouping from Chapter 7 (Neh. 7:7-60)

ii.             In Neh. 7, the walls have been finished and the gates have been set up, and Nehemiah wants to begin repopulating the city, so he needs to see who all had emigrated out of Persia to the Promised Land.  To that end, he finds a book listing the genealogies of everyone who made the trip.

iii.           The genealogies are categorized according to the people of Israel (7:7), the priests (7:39), the Levites (7:43), the temple servants (7:46) and the sons of Solomon’s servants (7:57).

iv.           His groupings here in Chap. 11 are meant to bring us, the reader, back to Chapter 7 and understand that what he had set out to do originally, repopulate the city, was now coming to fruition.

c.              So we see why he arranges the names as he does.  And we also see who some of the key leaders were in Jerusalem in that time.

i.               From the tribe of Judah, there is Athaiah and Maaseiah.

a.)           Each of these represent a different son of Judah that were born to him back in Genesis 38.

b.)           Athaiah is from Judah’s fourth son, Perez.

c.)           Maaseiah is from Judah’s third son, Shelah.

i.)             Shilonite is better translated “Shelanite”, indicating that he came from the tribe of Shelah.

ii.)           Judah’s fifth son, Zerah, is not mentioned here, but is mentioned in a similar list in 1 Chron. 9.

ii.             From the tribe of Benjamin, Sallu is listed as the leader.

a.)           Many versions read “Jeshaiah, and after him Gabbai, and Sallai, 928” for verse 8.

b.)           I think that “and his brothers, men of valor, 928” is a better reading and makes more sense when compared with 1 Chron. 9.

iii.           Finally, the person in charge of all these people was Joel and his second in command was a man named Judah.

2.             Priests (Neh. 11:10-14)

a.              In this section, we learn that Seraiah was the high priest (“ruler of the house of God”, v. 11) and that Zabdiel was their chief officer and responsible for all the priests.

b.              We also see in this section an allusion to the 24 orders of priests that King David had set up some 500 years previous.

i.               In 1 Chron. 24, David cast lots and chose 24 descendants of Aaron and assigned them a different week of the year in which they would be responsible for service in the temple.

ii.             In Nehemiah 11, we see that five of the “orders” are referenced, in addition to the high priest.

iii.           This is interesting for two reasons

a.)           First, it is an intentional reference to Solomon’s temple.

i.)             By bringing our minds back to the glorious temple that Solomon had constructed, we are reminded that God fulfills His promises.

ii.)           He had promised that the people would return from exile and they He would again dwell in their midst, and both of these things are coming to pass.

iii.)         Even though there is still a long way to go as far as become the nation and blessing to the world that God had originally intended for Israel, because God is fulfilling His promises, we know that there is hope for the future.

b.)           Second, it gives us a deeper understanding Luke 1:5.

i.)             Zechariah is of the division of Abijah, one of the priestly orders set up by King David.

ii.)           It gives us some insight as to when he was ministering in the temple when he received the message that his barren wife Elizabeth would conceive and give birth to John the Baptist.

3.             Levites (Neh. 11:15-20)

a.              Several leaders are mentioned

i.               Shemaiah and his kinsmen, Shabbethai and Jozabad, whose primary responsibility was to take care of the physical upkeep of the temple

ii.             Mattaniah, who was the praise band leader and his second-in-command, Bakbukiah.

iii.           Akkub and Talmon were the leaders of the gatekeepers.

b.              There are some differences between the priests and the Levites

i.               Generally speaking, the Levites were the priests’ assistants.

ii.             The priests were responsible for the sacrifices and offerings, praying on behalf of the people and teaching the Law.

iii.           The Levites were assigned the singing and music, they prepared the showbread, took care of the sacred vessels, cleaned the sanctuary and took charge of the treasuries.

a.)           Neither more important or less important

b.)           But both necessary as they worked together.

iv.           We see this working relationship in action in Chapter 8 when the priest, Ezra, taught from the Book of the Law, and the Levites (Shabbethai and Jozabad are mentioned specifically) assisted by making sure that the people understood what was being taught.

4.             Footnotes (Neh. 11:21-24)

a.              In this section we’re given some footnotes to help complete what was said earlier.

b.              We’re told who the leaders of the temple servants were.

c.              We’re given the name of the leader of the Levites, Uzzi, and we’re told that he was responsible for the singers, just like his great-grandfather Mattaniah, who is mentioned in v. 17.

d.             We’re also told that King Artaxerxes was very interested in making sure that the singers were provided for and made sure that his personal envoy, Pethahiah, was responsible for that and for taking care of this new community in Jerusalem.

5.             This is a quick rundown of the leaders and families that volunteered to leave their own properties and move into the city of Jerusalem to repopulate it.

a.              But not everybody moved to the holy city, only a tithe.

b.              What were the other places that people lived?

C.            Villages outside Jerusalem (Neh. 11:25-36)

1.             Villages of Judah (Neh. 11:25-30)

a.              Just like the people were recognized by being from Judah and Benjamin, here too are the villages associated with Judah and Benjamin.

b.              The summary verse is v. 30.

c.              This describes in general terms that people lived from the southern-most part of Israel – Beersheba – to the Valley of Hinnom, which is on the southern edge of Jerusalem.

2.             Villages of Benjamin (Neh. 11:31-36)

a.              Historically, the allotment of land given to the tribe of Benjamin was located to the north of Jerusalem.

b.              That is where these cities are located.

3.             Again, these lists of cities help us to see the connection to the “glory days” of Israel, when the nation prospered in the land that it was given.  Not just repopulating the holy city of Jerusalem, but settling in and repopulating the Promised Land of Israel.

D.            But these lists don’t just have historical importance, or even trivial importance.  They have very practical importance for us today.

III.        Implications/Illustrations

A.            Individuals matter to God

1.             Not legalistic in having to read every word every time publicly.  But in our personal reading, what is our attitude towards God's Word?

2.             Nearly 80 people are mentioned here by name. 

3.             And I don’t believe that God wastes words.  God chooses His words carefully.

a.              Creating the universe (Gen. 1) to inspiring the Scriptures (1 Tim. 3:16).

4.             One author said that, “Each and every important event in the book [of Ezra-Nehemiah] has its list of participants to indicate that the activities were not the actions of famous individuals but included the less known members of the society….For Ezra-Nehemiah, glory goes to the countless people who actually shaped the details of the events, not simply to their leaders.”

5.             Not only do they matter to God in the OT, but in the NT as well.

a.              Revelation 20 describes a day when the Lamb’s Book of Life is opened, and all of us who have confessed and believed in the Lord Jesus Christ will have our name written in that Book.

6.             It’s the difference between the Washington Monument and the Vietnam War Memorial.

a.              The Washington Monument is a huge structure that stands over 555ft tall and celebrates the heroic life and activities of one man.

b.              The Vietnam War Memorial is a non-descript set of walls built into the ground, but contains the names of over 58,000 names of people who gave their lives in service for their country.

B.            It takes people to do the work of ministry

1.             Not only do we have individuals named, but we see collectively what they can do.

a.              Verse 12 says, “and their brothers who did the work of the house”

b.              Verse 22 mentions the singers as being involved in the “work of the house of God.”

c.              It’s interesting that for all the leadership qualities and lessons we get in Nehemiah, and there are quite a few, he is not mentioned at all.

d.             Even though some leaders names are mentioned, it is the masses of everyday people that are emphasized in this text: “468 valiant men” (v. 6), 928 men of valor (v. 8), 822 “who did the work of the house” (v. 12), 242 “brothers” (v. 13), 128 “mighty men of valor” (v. 14), etc.

e.              It is the people who took the initiative and cast lots in verse 1 to choose who would come into the city.

f.               It was the people who rose up to bless those who volunteered to move.

2.             It is the people that get the work of the ministry done.

a.              Eph. 4:11-12, then and now.

b.              2 Cor. 5:18 says that we have all been given the ministry of reconciliation.

c.              1 Peter 2:9 says that all of us are royal priests.

d.             1 Cor. 12 says that the believers of the world make up a single body, with each individual as a vital member of that body.

i.               Each member, whether the eye, the foot, the liver or the nail on the small toe, is equally important so that no one can choose to not participate.

ii.             If one member chooses to not participate, the entire body suffers.

3.             We are blessed with some very good leaders here at Cornerstone.

a.              But as good as our VBS leaders are, without the 100+ volunteers we need to step up, the work doesn’t get done.

b.              That’s true in each of our ministries (Life Groups, Bible classes, Discipleship groups, Youth ministry, audio/visual, meal ministry).  If people don’t step up to do the work, the work doesn’t get done.

c.              And what suffers is the members of the Body who really need to be ministered to.

d.             What suffers is that we don’t get to present each person mature in Christ, and thus we rob God of His glory.

C.            We need to be a freewill offering

1.             Although the families were chosen by lot as to who needed to go up into Jerusalem, the men and women within those families offered themselves willingly to go.

2.             The word used here for “willingly offered” is the same word used in Leviticus 22:23 to describe a freewill offering.

3.             Ps. 119:108 says that we can submit freewill offerings of praise.

4.             But in Psalm 110 it says that we are the freewill offerings (read Ps. 110:1-3a)

a.              Messianic psalm, referencing the day when Jesus returns to set up His kingdom and war against His enemies.

5.             One reference article describes a freewill offering in this way, “The freewill offering was joyously and willingly presented to express a general thankfulness toward God.  No specific deliverance or blessing had to be mentioned. An interesting aspect of the freewill offering is the stipulation that minor imperfections in the animals offered was permissible, unlike the case in [other] offerings.  Emphasis was thereby given to God’s acceptance of the worshiper with a right attitude.”

a.              I believe that this is what Paul was referring to in Rom. 12:1.

b.              We can come with our imperfections – He will accept us and He can use us.

i.               He allows this because we are made acceptable by the blood of Jesus Christ.

ii.             We have been given His righteousness.

c.              Our attitude is more important than our abilities.

i.               Peter in Acts 3 – what if he had stopped after the first part of the sentence and walked away?

ii.             The text goes on to read that not only did the healed man praise God, but the people who saw him praised God and were filled with wonder and amazement and came to Peter and John to hear more about this man called Jesus.

iii.           Hosea 6:6 says, “I desire steadfast love/mercy and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”

D.            Conclusion

1.             In Nehemiah 11, we’re faced with a challenging decision.  Do we skip quickly through the text, only glancing at some of the names that are difficult to pronounce?  Or do we pause, and look with open eyes to what God has to say to us?

2.             If we do take time to read and examine, and if we do believe the truth that the Scripture is profitable to teach me, to correct me and train me in righteousness, we will come away challenged and humbled.

3.             We will see that each one of us matters to God, we will see that collectively we are all needed to do the work of the ministry, and we will see that what God desires most, is that we present ourselves to Him as a freewill offering, to be used in any way that He sees fit for His glory.

IV.        Prayer

A.            “He Knows My Name” lyrics

1.             He knows my name
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
And He hears me when I call