 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
More Nehemiah commentaries
Nehemiah 9:1-8
The Greatness of God
Nehemiah 9:9-25
The Goodness of God When they Didn’t Deserve it
Nehemiah 9:26-31
The Results of Rebellion
Nehemiah 9:32-39
Slaves in Their Own Land
Nehemiah 10:1-31
The Agreement of The People
Nehemiah 10:32-39
Importance of Giving The First Fruits to God
Nehemiah 11:1-19
People Asked to Move Inside The City
Nehemiah 11:20-36
The Israelites Who Lived Outside The City
Nehemiah 12:1-26
Priests and Levites Serving in The Temple
Nehemiah 12:27-47
Nehemiah Dedicates the Wall
© Family Times | About Us | Donate | Contact Us
Search for sermons by: Commentaries | Scripture search | Topics
Priests and Levites Serving in The Temple
Nehemiah 12:1–26
» View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway)
John Wesley provides the most convicting analysis on what it means to be a true servant: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you can.” (Th … More
Now that the walls and gates of Jerusalem were restored, it was important that the Jews live in their capital city and make the population grow. For one thing, people were needed to protect the city; for they never knew when the enemy might decide to attack. It may have been safer for the people to live in the small outlying villages where there was no threat to the Gentile society, but somebody had to take the risk and move into the big city. A variety of people were needed as servants for the temple ministry, that was so important to the Jewish nation. The priests officiated at the altar, and the Levites assisted them. Some supervised the maintenance of the building (Neh. 11:16) while others ministered with prayer and praise (vv. 17, 22); and both were important. There were nearly 300 men appointed to guard the temple (v. 19). Since the tithes and offerings were stored in the temple, it was important that the building be protected. It took many people, with many skills, to maintain the temple.
Chapter 12 gives a list of priests and Levites needed to serve in the temple. David had appointed 24 priestly divisions to serve in the temple (1 Chron. 24:7-19) when it would be built. Now Nehemiah listed the 22 leaders of the priests who had returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel, almost 100 years earlier. Perhaps two names were dropped from the list in copying or perhaps it was not possible to fill the roster of 24. The many generations of high priests extended from Aaron to Jehozadak (vv. 10-11), who was taken into exile to Babylon (1 Chron. 6:3-15). Verses 12-21 list the heads of the priestly families in the days of Jeoiakim, the son of Jeshua the high priest (v. 10). Twenty names are listed here, corresponding roughly to the 22 names in verses 1-7. Darius is probably Darius II who ruled Persia from 423 to 404 b.c. (vv. 22-26).
Application
Every member of the family of God was important in Nehemiah’s day and the same is still true today. I need to continually be thanking the Lord for including me in His family?
Nehemiah 12:1-26 (English Standard Version)
These are the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah, Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah, Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the chiefs of the priests and of their brothers in the days of Jeshua. And the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who with his brothers was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving. And Bakbukiah and Unni and their brothers stood opposite them in the service. And Jeshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiakim the father of Eliashib, Eliashib the father of Joiada, Joiada the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan the father of Jaddua. And in the days of Joiakim were priests, heads of fathers' houses: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah; of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan; of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph; of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai; of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam; of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai; of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan; of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi; of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber; of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel. In the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, the Levites were recorded as heads of fathers' houses; so too were the priests in the reign of Darius the Persian. As for the sons of Levi, their heads of fathers' houses were written in the Book of the Chronicles until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib. And the chiefs of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers who stood opposite them, to praise and to give thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of God, watch by watch. Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers standing guard at the storehouses of the gates. These were in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra, the priest and scribe.
View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway) »
Post your comment or question below.