The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold;
sweeter than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in you sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.--Psalm 19:7-10; 14
read
Nehemiah 13:7-13
I read the extended passage, which was the whole 13th chapter. In this whole chapter, Nehemiah restores a semblance of order to the Israelite nation. The Temple worhip had been abandoned because the Levites were not getting their allotment of provisions, so they all went home to their farms. I'm sure that many people saw Nehemiah as being quite annoying during this passage, but he achieved a lot in the name of the Lord's honor, as he restored things to the way they should be.
think
In these earlier days, what do you notice about the way of life God required his people to abide by?
It was rather strict. It seems that there were a lot more rules. Especially around the Sabbath, which we basically don't observe in our day. Many people consider our Sunday to be the "sabbath," but it really isn't. Even the New Testament Christians realized that the day of worship that became the standard wasn't the "sabbath." It was chosen because Jesus rose on the first day of the week.
Why do you think this was important to him?
Good question. A lot of the rules that God established were actually for the well-being of the Israelites. Having a day of rest is very important for people, and I think we are only just beginning to see the adverse effect that working 7 days a week with no break is beginning to have on people. I don't know what percentage of our society is taking some kind of anti-anxiety drug, but I bet it's pretty high. There are too many people working too many hours, and for what? Mostly to pay off debts that we have already incurred. We have forgotten how to rest.
Personally, I love my Saturdays. I don't do much of anything on Saturday. Granted, there is a small amount of preparation for Sunday that I do in the mornings, but mostly, I just "play" on Saturday. And, believe me, I get grumpy if someone infringes on that.
I'm not sure I answered the question. I also think one purpose for the Sabbath rules was to get people thinking about God and all he had done for them. We can't afford to forget about God.
What do you think their relationship with God was like?
In general, it was a unique relationship. These people had first-hand experience with God. Some of their ancestors had seen some very mighty acts of God and these were still being handed down, verbally. But at the same time, there was no "savior," yet, so I have to believe that God was seen as someone to be feared, much of the time. So there was a cautious, fearful approach whenever contact with God was needed. Also, they could not directly approach him. They had to go through the priests. So, in this way, he was probably seen as kind of impersonal.
However, in this particular passage, there was hardly any relationship at all with God. Because the leaders of the people had allowed things to deteriorate badly.
How might it be different from your relationship with God?
First of all, the most drastic difference is Jesus. I have a direct contact route to God through my savior. I don't have to go through any human priest, because Jesus is my Hight Priest. And, I don't have to talk to Jesus and ask him to ask God something for me. Jesus has taught us that we can pray directly to the Father.
God is personal to me. I feel very secure in the knowledge that he loves me. However...let us not get too comfortable. I still have a fear of God that must remain, because he is Almighty God. He is El Shaddai. His judgment will be sure, and his plan is being worked, and will not fail, no matter what. So it is to my benefit to get on board and work with him rather than against him, or even just somewhere else.
pray
Today's prayer instruction is pretty personal. It's all about being aware of God's presence with me. Sharing thoughts that have arisen based on this study, and things that I have noticed about my relationship with him.
My relatioship with my Father is growing. That's a wonderful thing. He is reminding me of things that I have known since my childhood, and teaching me new things.
live
I'm asked to think about how my life would look with more passion. That's passion for God, specifically. I have plenty of passion for a few things that aren't God. The author then quotes the passage from Deuteronomy 6, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength."
With this command in mind, think of one small new habit you could cultivate that would honor God in a particular area of your life.
I'll have to ponder this one for a little bit. I'll get back to you on it later.
In the meantime, Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in you sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
Grace and peace, y'all!