Nehemiah Restores Faith Practices

Prophets Faithfull to God's Covenant Prophets of Restoration Live in the light of God (Isaiah 2:5)    Nehemiah: The Captivy Cupbearer Rebuilds a Nation Nehemiah 13:15-22 New International Version 15 In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, together with wine, grapes, figs and all other kinds of loads. And they were bringing all this into Jerusalem on the Sabbath. Therefore I warned them against selling food on that day.16 People from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them in Jerusalem on the Sabbath to the people of Judah. 17 I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this wicked thing you are doing—desecrating the Sabbath day? 18 Didn’t your ancestors do the same things, so that our God brought all this calamity on us and on this city? Now you are stirring up more wrath against Israel by desecrating the Sabbath.” 19 When evening shadows fell on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered the doors to be shut and not opened until the Sabbath was over. I stationed some of my own men at the gates so that no load could be brought in on the Sabbath day. 20 Once or twice the merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside Jerusalem. 21 But I warned them and said, “Why do you spend the night by the wall? If you do this again, I will arrest you.” From that time on they no longer came on the Sabbath.22 Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and go and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember me for this also, my God, and show mercy to me according to your great love. For Reflection The Israelites were slipping further and further away from the long standing faith practices. Not the least of these was the erosion of the Sabbath rest.  To reverse the non-observence, Nehemiah ordered the stores to close and conducted survalence, arresting those who voilated the Sabbath.  Pray Pray and assess your Sabbath traditions. Pray and contemplate the rythms of your faith practices. Forward to a friend