SUNDAY, 6 APRIL 2025
TEXT: NEHEMIAH
10:28-38
28: “The rest of the
people—priests, Levites, gatekeepers, musicians, temple servants and all who
separated themselves from the neighboring peoples for the sake of the Law of
God, together with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to
understand—
29: all these now join
their fellow Israelites the nobles, and bind themselves with a curse and an
oath to follow the Law of God given through Moses the servant of God and to
obey carefully all the commands, regulations and decrees of the Lord our Lord.
30: “We promise not to
give our daughters in marriage to the peoples around us or take their daughters
for our sons.
31: “When the neighboring
peoples bring merchandise or grain to sell on the Sabbath, we will not buy from
them on the Sabbath or on any holy day. Every seventh year we will forgo
working the land and will cancel all debts.
32: “We assume the
responsibility for carrying out the commands to give a third of a shekel each
year for the service of the house of our God:
33: for the bread set out
on the table; for the regular grain offerings and burnt offerings; for the
offerings on the Sabbaths, at the New Moon feasts and at the appointed
festivals; for the holy offerings; for sin offerings to make atonement for
Israel; and for all the duties of the house of our God.
34: “We—the priests, the
Levites and the people—have cast lots to determine when each of our families is
to bring to the house of our God at set times each year a contribution of wood
to burn on the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the Law.
35: “We also assume
responsibility for bringing to the house of the Lord each year the firstfruits
of our crops and of every fruit tree.
36: “As it is also
written in the Law, we will bring the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle,
of our herds and of our flocks to the house of our God, to the priests
ministering there.
37: “Moreover, we will
bring to the storerooms of the house of our God, to the priests, the first of
our ground meal, of our grain offerings, of the fruit of all our trees and of
our new wine and olive oil. And we will bring a tithe of our crops to the Levites,
for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all the towns where we work.
38: A priest descended
from Aaron is to accompany the Levites when they receive the tithes, and the
Levites are to bring a tenth of the tithes up to the house of our God, to the
storerooms of the treasury.
(New International
Version Holy Bible)
TOPIC: SEPARATE
YOURSELF
Today,
this compromising statement is very common: "If you can't beat them, join
them." For Christians, this is a terrible counsel and philosophy from the
pit of hell.
The
word separate 'aphorizo' is formed from the preposition 'apo' which means 'away
from' and the verb 'horizo' means, 'to appoint, designate or define'. So, in
this context it is used to designate someone moving away from anything that is
against God's word and principles.
The
Israelites, having made a covenant with God, made up their minds to separate
themselves from the neighbouring people for the sake of the Law of God (vs. 28)
and take up their proper task of following the precepts of God as priests,
families and individuals (vs. 32-38).
This
is because it is far better and easier to separate ourselves from anything that
is unclean and evil that can influence us negatively than face the separation
from God (Matthew 13:49; 25:32).
QUESTION: Have you been able to separate yourself from evil
and friends that can influence you negatively?
PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for calling me into the life
of separation from evil. Set me apart for righteousness, help me to move away
from anything that is against Your word, in Jesus' name. Amen.
Remain
Blessed
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