SERIES: The Book of Nehemiah
TEXT: Nehemiah 12:1-26
MESSAGE: “Face to Face with our Father”
God shows He wants to connect with us in three ways
He…
- Establishes the connection
- Maintains the connection
- Fully restores the connection
1. Establishes
“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.” — Nehemiah 12:24 ESV
“When David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel. 2 David assembled all the leaders of Israel and the priests and the Levites. 3 The Levites, thirty years old and upward, were numbered, and the total was 38,000 men. 4 “Twenty-four thousand of these,” David said, “shall have charge of the work in the house of the Lord, 6,000 shall be officers and judges, 5 4,000 gatekeepers, and 4,000 shall offer praises to the Lord with the instruments that I have made for praise.” 6 And David organized them in divisions corresponding to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.” — 1 Chronicles 23:1–6 ESV
“In the Old Testament, the priests were appointed by God to offer sacrifices. They also offered prayers and praise to God on behalf of the people. In so doing they ‘sanctified’ the people or made them acceptable to come into God’s presence, albeit in a limited way… [The people] could not even enter into the first room of the temple, the holy place, for only the priests could go in there. Then into the inner room of the temple, the holy of holies, only the high priest could go, and he could only enter there once a year.” — Wayne Grudem
2. Maintains
“These are the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua.” — Nehemiah 12:1 ESV
“the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia…” — Ezra 1:1 ESV
“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.” — Nehemiah 12:26 ESV
“Do you picture God as disappointed? Angry? Indifferent? Does his face say ‘Get Your act together!’ or ‘If only you could do a little more for me!’ If you imagined God as anything but satisfied because of what Jesus has done for you, you have fallen into a performance mindset. Because the gospel truth is that in Christ, God is deeply satisfied with you. In fact, based on Jesus’ work, God has adopted you as his own son or daughter! But when we fail to root our identity in what Jesus has done for us, we slip into performance-driven Christianity. We imagine that if we were ‘better Christians,’ God would approve of us more fully. Living this way saps the joy and delight out of follow Jesus, leaving us to wallow in a joyless, dutiful obedience. Our gospel becomes very small.” — Robert Thune and Will Walker
3. Fully Restores
“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ 7 By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ By saying that the Lord’s table may be despised. 8 When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the Lord of hosts. 9 And now entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, will he show favor to any of you? says the Lord of hosts. 10 Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand.” — Malachi 1:6–10 ESV
“The sacrifice that Jesus offered for sins was not the blood of animals… Instead, Jesus offered himself as a perfect sacrifice. This was a completed and final sacrifice, never to be repeated… Therefore, Jesus fulfilled all the expectations that were prefigured not only in the Old Testament sacrifices but also in the lives and actions of the priests who offered the sacrifice. Jesus is now the ‘great high priest who has passed through the heavens.’” — Wayne Grudem
“Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.” — Hebrews 9:15 ESV
Takeaways
God is speaking now. How can we take note of what He is saying to us? We can notice…
1. His steadfast love over us
“In human relationships, hesed implies loving our neighbor, not merely in terms of warm emotional feelings but in acts of love and service that we owe to the other person simply because he is part of the covenant community.” — Iain Duguid
2. His pursuit of us
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. — Hebrews 4:15 ESV
When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. — Mark 6:34 ESV
3. His Spirit in us
So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. — 1 Peter 2:1-5 ESV
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. — Hebrews 4:16 ESV