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Nehemiah
Chapter Eleven
Nehemiah 11
Chapter Contents
The distribution of the people.
In all ages
men have preferred their own ease and
advantage to the public good. Even the professors of religion too commonly seek
their own
and not the things of Christ. Few have had such attachment to holy
things and holy places
as to renounce pleasure for their sake. Yet surely
our
souls should delight to dwell where holy persons and opportunities of spiritual
improvement most abound. If we have not this love to the city of our God
and
to every thing that assists our communion with the Saviour
how shall we be
willing to depart hence; to be absent from the body
that we may be present
with the Lord? To the carnal-minded
the perfect holiness of the New Jerusalem
would be still harder to bear than the holiness of God's church on earth. Let
us seek first the favour of God
and his glory; let us study to be patient
contented
and useful in our several stations
and wait
with cheerful hope
for admission into the holy city of God.
── Matthew Henry《Concise Commentary on
Nehemiah》
Nehemiah 11
Verse 1
[1] And the rulers of the people dwelt at Jerusalem: the
rest of the people also cast lots
to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem
the holy city
and nine parts to dwell in other cities.
To dwell — That the buildings of the city might be compleated
and the safety of it better provided for.
Verse 2
[2] And the people blessed all the men
that willingly
offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem.
Blessed — Because they denied themselves
and their own safety
and profit for the publick good; for this city was the butt of all the
malicious plots of their enemies; and for the present it was rather chargeable
than beneficial to its inhabitants.
Verse 3
[3] Now these are the chief of the province that dwelt in
Jerusalem: but in the cities of Judah dwelt every one in his possession in
their cities
to wit
Israel
the priests
and the Levites
and the Nethinims
and the children of Solomon's servants.
Province — Of Judea
which was now made a province.
Israel — The generality of the people of Israel
whether of
Judah
or Benjamin
or any other tribe. These he calls Israel rather than
Judah
because there were many of the other tribes now incorporated with them;
and because none of the tribes of Israel
except Judah and Benjamin
dwelt in
Jerusalem.
Verse 9
[9] And Joel the son of Zichri was their overseer: and Judah
the son of Senuah was second over the city.
Overseer — The captain of their thousand.
Verse 16
[16] And Shabbethai and Jozabad
of the chief of the Levites
had the oversight of the outward business of the house of God.
Outward — For those things belonging to the temple and its
service
which were to be done without it
or abroad in the country
as the
gathering in of the voluntary contributions
or other necessary provision out
of the several parts of the land.
Verse 17
[17] And Mattaniah the son of Micha
the son of Zabdi
the
son of Asaph
was the principal to begin the thanksgiving in prayer: and
Bakbukiah the second among his brethren
and Abda the son of Shammua
the son
of Galal
the son of Jeduthun.
To begin — In the publick and solemn prayers and praises
which
were constantly joined with the morning and evening sacrifice
at which the
singers were present
and praised God with a psalm or hymn which
this man
began.
Verse 21
[21] But the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel: and Ziha and Gispa
were over the Nethinims.
The Nethinims dwelt in Ophel — Which was upon the
wall of Jerusalem
because they were to do the servile work of the temple:
therefore they were to be posted near it
that they might be ready to attend.
Verse 24
[24] And Pethahiah the son of Meshezabeel
of the children of
Zerah the son of Judah
was at the king's hand in all matters concerning the
people.
Was
… — Or
on the king's part
to determine civil causes and
controversies between man and man
by the laws of that kingdom; between the
king and people; as in matters of tribute
or grievances.
Verse 36
[36] And of the Levites were divisions in Judah
and in
Benjamin.
Divisions — Or
for the Levites (those who
were not settled in Jerusalem) there were divisions
places appointed for them
and distributed among them. Thus were they settled free and easy
tho' few and
poor. And they might have been happy
but for that general lukewarmness
with
which they are charged by the prophet Malachi
who prophesied about this time
and in whom prophecy ceased for some ages
'till it revived in the great
prophet.
── John Wesley《Explanatory Notes on Nehemiah》
11 Chapter 11
Verses 1-18
Verses 1-19
And the rulers of the people dwelt at Jerusalem.
The holy city replenished
Jerusalem is called here the holy city
because there the temple
was
and that was the place God had chosen to put His name there. Upon this
account one would think the holy seed should all have chosen to dwell there.
They declined
however. Either--
1. Because a greater strictness of conversation was expected from the
inhabitants of Jerusalem than from others
which they were not willing to come
up to; or--
2. Because Jerusalem
of all places
was most hated by the heathen
their neighbours
and against it their malicious designs were levelled
which
made that the post of danger
as the post of honour uses to be
and therefore
they were not willing to expose themselves there; or--
3. Because it was more for their worldly advantage to dwell in the
country. We are here told--
I. By what means
it was replenished.
1. The rulers dwelt there. The “mighty are magnetic.” When great men
would choose the holy city for their habitation
it brings holiness into
reputation
and their zeal will provoke very many.
2. There were some that “willingly offered themselves to dwell at
Jerusalem
” bravely postponing their own secular interest to the public
welfare. The people blessed them. They praised them
they prayed for them
they
praised God for them. Many that do not appear forward themselves for the public
good will yet give a good word to those that do.
3. They
finding that yet there was room
concluded
upon a review of
their whole body
to bring one in ten to dwell in Jerusalem
and who they
should be was determined by lot-; the disposal they all knew was of the Lord.
The proportion of one in ten seems to refer to the ancient rule of giving the
tenth to God. And what is given to the holy city He reckons given to Himself.
II. By what persons
it was replenished.
1. Many of the children of Judah and Benjamin dwelt there. Originally
part of the city lay in the lot of those tribes and part in that of the other;
but the greater part was in the lot of Benjamin; hence more families of that
tribe abode in the city.
2. The priests and Levites did many of them settle at Jerusalem.
Where else should men that were holy to God dwell
but in the holy city? (Matthew
Henry.)
Repeopling the capital
This was altogether worthy of Nehemiah’s practical sagacity. The
restored walls of Jerusalem could not do much to promote its security and
welfare so long as it was inhabited by a mere handful of people. It would be
well if some Of our modern statesmen were to grasp the principle of this
policy
and open their eyes to the fact that the chief wealth and strength of
any nation must ever lie
not in massive fortifications or colossal armies
but
in the numbers
the character
the patriotism
and the prosperity of its
people. (T. Campbell Finlayson.)
The holy city
The two leading thoughts connected with the holy city in this
phase of her history are singularly applicable to the Christian community.
I. Enclosed within
walls
the city gained a peculiar character and performed a distinctive mission
of her own. Our Lord was not satisfied to rescue stray sheep on the mountains
only to brand them with His mark and then turn them out again to graze in
solitude. He drew them as a flock after Himself
and His disciples gathered
them into the fold of Christian fellowship. This is of as vital importance to
the cause of Christianity as the civic organisation of Jerusalem was to that of
Judaism. The Christian City of God stands out before the world on her lofty
foundation
the Rock of Ages--a beacon of separation from Sin
a testimony to the
grace of God
a centre for the confession of faith
a home for social worship
a rallying-point for the forces of holy warfare
a sanctuary for the helpless
and oppressed.
II. The public duty
of citizenship. The reluctance of Christians to accept the responsibilities of
Church membership may be compared to the backwardness of the Jews to dwell in
Jerusalem. (W. F. Adeney
M. A.)
Verse 16
Had the oversight of the outward business of the house of God.
The secular in sacred service
I. It is possible
to secularise the sacred. When sacred service is entered upon from secular
motives; when it is performed in a perfunctory manner; when any object less
than God is regarded in its performance. An unhallowed hand may not bear up an
ark. A cowl does not make a monk. High office cannot elevate a base man.
II. It is
neccessary to make the secular sacred. “He can who thinks he can.” Application:
1. The secret of contentment. “Self-humiliation is full of truth and
reality.”
2. The law of growth. Be thy ambition to become pure in thought and
feeling
strong in resolve and deed. Serve. Care not how
mind not where. (Homiletic
Commentary.)
Outward business
We have prayed about that house
we have thanked God that the
crumbling walls of our little houses lean against the foundations and the walls
of God’s dwelling-place. Do we catch the music
do we see the vision of the
house of God? Do the words balance well? “House” is a familiar word
“God” is
the most awful of all words; yet here we find them together in sublime unity
and relation. What is the house of God? “A church.” “A chapel
a sanctuary
a
tabernacle
a temple.” Not necessarily. You may have a cathedral without a
house of God
and you may find in some little thatched cottage or chapel on the
hillside all the cathedrals out of heaven. Hence it is that we must not look at
magnitudes
sizes
revenues
apparatus
but at the ideal. “I never go to the
house of God.” How do you know that? Have you ever been really out of it? Let
us go to Jacob for an answer. What said he when he awoke after the delight and
yet the torment of the dream? He said
“This is none other than the house of
God.” There are those who only know houses by architecture
by wails
stones
bricks. Well
now
what was Jacob’s environment at that time? Churches
chapels
institutions? Not one. Yet he was in a walled place
walled in with
light
and ministered to by ascending and descending angels. We must get the
house of God and many other things back from little definitions and narrow and
petty locelisations
and regard the universe as God’s house. Of course Jacob
having seen all these things
could have said
“Nightmare!” That is all the
answer some men can return to the universe. Let us so live as to make the
house
even though a little one
grand
tender in all its ministries
a nest in
the heart of God. Let us be careful how we divide things into outward and
inward. The time will come when we shell get rid of even Scriptural uses of
outward
alien
strange
foreign. All these words are doomed to go. “I saw no
temple therein
” said John. Why did he not see a temple in heaven? Because
heaven was all temple. He who lives in light does not even see the sun; he who
lives in God has no moon
for he has no night. But men are crafty and expert
almost at making little definitions
parties
separations
and the like. Some
men divide music into sacred and profane. I never heard any profane music; I do
not believe there is any. I have heard sacred music
and I have heard music
profaned
perverted
taken away to bad uses
made a seduction on the road to
hell. But we must get back to real definitions and proper qualities
and see
things as God meant them to be seen. I have also heard of profane history and
sacred history. There is no profane history. History truly written
and true to
human experience
is an aspect of Providence
an elucidation of that marvellous
mystery which penetrates all life
and that whispers to us in many a moment of
unexpectedness
“The very hairs of your head are all numbered.” Who is it that
rises up amongst us and splits up history into sacred and profane? What right
has such a man to define and separate and classify? I would follow the
historian who sees God m everything
in the defeat as well as in the success of
the battle. And there are persons who have carried their defining powers
if
powers they be
into what are called ecclesiastical matters
so that now we
have “the temporalities” and “the spiritualities.” What man devised so insane a
distinction? There is a sense
but a very poor
narrow sense not worth considering
in which the work of the Church may be divided into the temporal and the
spiritual
but
properly regarded
in the spirit of Christ and in the spirit of
the Cross
the gift of the poor man’s penny may be as true an act of worship as
the singing of the anthem. There is nothing secular
or if there is anything
that we call secular it is only for momentary convenience. He that made ell
things is God; He built the wall of the Church
and He will take care of the
roof; it is His place. (J. Parker
D. D.)
──《The Biblical Illustrator》