Habits of Renewal
Nehemiah 10
10 Those who sealed it were:
Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hakaliah.Zedekiah,
2 Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,
3 Pashhur, Amariah, Malkijah,
4 Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluk,
5 Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,
6 Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,
7 Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,
8 Maaziah, Bilgai and Shemaiah.
These were the priests.
9 The Levites:
Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel,
10 and their associates: Shebaniah,
Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,
11 Mika, Rehob, Hashabiah,
12 Zakkur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,
13 Hodiah, Bani and Beninu.
14 The leaders of the people:
Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,
15 Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
16 Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,
17 Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,
18 Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,
19 Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,
20 Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,
21 Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,
22 Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,
23 Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub
24 Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,
25 Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,
26 Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,
27 Malluk, Harim and Baanah.
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 firstbornof 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.39 The people of Israel, including the Levites, are to bring their contributions of grain, new wine and olive oil to the storerooms, where the articles for the sanctuary and for the ministering priests, the gatekeepers and the musicians are also kept.
“We will not neglect the house of our God.”
This Sunday’s service can be viewed on our Facebook page @Sunday, March 12, 2023
By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life.
We have received all of this by coming to know him,
the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.
And because of his glory and excellence,
he has given us great and precious promises.
These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature
and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
1 Peter 1:3-4
Have you ever wanted to change a bad habit?
I think most of us would answer “yes” to that question above! But in my research I’ve discovered that the majority of people who want to see change rarely ever do. Why is that? What makes it so hard for people to change?
Research has narrow down the eight greatest reasons we don’t see change:
1. We’re motivated by negative emotions.
2. We get trapped by thinking that make us feel overwhelmed.
3. We try to eat the entire elephant by an all or nothing attitude.
4. We neglect the toolbox we are given for change.
5. We try to change too much at once.
6. We underestimate the process.
7. We forget that failure is usually a given at the start.
8. We don't make a commitment.
The Hebrew people that Nehemiah was walking alongside had been living in rubble for hundreds of years that carried forth from one generation to the next. They could not see past the enormous obstacle in front of them and were overwhelmed with the prospect of how to move forward. But by taking one step at a time, they began to catch a vision of what God could do in and through them.
We can learn some of the same things in our lives as we start practicing the habits of renewal that create the life-giving change Jesus wants us to experience with Him! Let’s join together this Sunday to worship our Lord who TRULY is transforming our lives!
Grateful to journey and worship together with you,
Pastor John