Luke 5:17-26 — “And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them. And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day.”

Who does Jesus think He is?!

Well, lets deduce a few things together.
Jesus forgave the mans sins —> Only God can forgive sins = Jesus is God!

Jesus read the minds of the religious leaders —> Only God knows our thoughts =
Jesus is God!

Jesus healed the man physically and spiritually. He proved His authority. Jesus is absolutely, uncontestedly, indisputably God. However, there were two responses. One glorified God, the other rejected out of pride.

Today, the world is provided a choice. Is Jesus a liar, lunatic, or is He truly Lord? The choice is ours. It is our job to tell the world who He is. Have you decided? Have you done your part to tell others?

Today is the day of salvation. You may need to do that. You may need to be the one who tells others about it. Who is Jesus to you? 

Luke 5:21-26 — “And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day.”

There were two responses to Jesus‘ miracles. He had forgiven a man his sins, proven His authority by healing his palsy, and even read the minds of the religious leaders. Many saw these miraculous acts and were amazed, and they left glorifying God because of the strange things they had seen. God got the glory.

The other response was critical, though. Jesus had done a wonderful thing, and many rejoiced. But the religious leaders had a critical heart. They did not see these acts as wonderful or amazing. They saw them as a threat. They would go on being a stumbling block to Jesus and His ministry, ultimately being the very force that would lead to His crucifixion.

Today, we are given a choice to respond. You can come to church with a critical heart just trying to find issues. You can be critical of others, of itinerary, of pastors, of music, or anything under the sun.

The other response is one of amazement, wonder, awe, and love for our God. We have nothing to offer, but all that we have we can give to the Lord with a heart that is pure and honest…not critical.

Which are you?

Luke 5:21 — “And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?”

The news of Jesus was not going unnoticed by the religious leaders. Jesus regularly taught and preached to huge crowds of people, and many were turning to Him instead of the temple. He was making waves among the scribes and Pharisees, who were the leading religious figures at the time and were constantly trying to trap Him.

Here, He professes to have forgiven a man of his sins! The scribes then asked, “Who does He think He is?!” This man has just admitted to doing something that only God can do. They were appalled by such a thing.

The question remains today: who does Jesus think He is? The claims of the Son of Man are audacious and bold…but true. Jesus is the Christ. He is the Son of God.
Who is He to you?

Luke 5:21-25 “And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.”

Jesus claimed to have authority. He spoke to the man and forgave his sins! No one but God can do that! He claimed authority, but after His claim he performed a wonderful miracle. He made the lame man walk!

Jesus healed the sick, caused the blind to see, and, as we see here, made the paralyzed man get up and walk away! That is our God! That is who we put our faith and trust in. He has done it for them, and He wants to work in your life as well.

Today, He may not heal in the way He did this man, but we get to walk through our life with Jesus. He has the power above all else. Are you relying on Him? Is He Lord in your life?

Luke 5:17-20 — “And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them. And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.”

These men did everything they could to get their paralytic friend to Jesus. After lowering him into the room, Jesus, who was teaching to a multitude, forgave the man of his sins! This was something only God could do!

Listen friend, Jesus understood that this mans greatest need was not physical. Despite his terrible state and paralysis, Jesus knew that this man needed to be forgiven. What a wonderful thing it is that He did.

Today, do you remember when your sins were forgiven? When you came to Jesus broken over your sins, brought them to him for forgiveness, and as 1 John says, “he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” What a great way to praise the Lord today.

Maybe you have never done that. Today, consider the truth of this account. Jesus did not first heal his sickness, he healed his soul. You and I need our soul healed as well. We all fall short of God‘s glory and are in need of a Savior. Jesus will forgive your sins.

Acts 8:3-6 “As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.”

“Keep moving forward!” is what you may see on a motivational calendar or cat poster. It is an encouragement that whatever may be in your way, keep going. Don‘t quit! Press on!
It may seem cliche, or silly, or even dumb, but it is true!

The Christians of Jerusalem had every reason to quit. They were facing prison or even death! However, as they were scattered they preached the gospel. Philip did not stop preaching. He kept moving forward, and saw much fruit from it!

Today, whatever the obstacle, difficulty, or stuggle God wants to help…if you just keep moving forward. Don’t mistake a roadblock for a failure. Don’t let the discouragement weigh you down. Keep moving forward! God is by your side through it all!

Acts 8:3-4 “As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.“

Saul was the forerunner of the great persecution of the early church. He was a man who was powerful, influential, and dangerous. He caused havoc for the people and drug men and women away from their homes, children, and lives to jai….

BUT GOD!

Verse 4 is so encouraging! While great persecution ensued, God was still at work!
He worked through the problems. He worked through the struggle. He worked through the roadblock!

Today, God can work through your roadblock. It may seem impossible, but He can. It may seem insignificant, but it means the world to Him. Whatever you are facing, God is still at work!

Acts 8:1 “And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.”

Progress is so encouraging. I love to see things going well for others and, of course, in my own life!

The church in Jerusalem was seeing much progress. Jesus Christ had instituted the church there, and Peter had preached on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, and according to verse 31, 3,000 people were added to the church! How amazing! How incredible!

However, with this progress came a hindrance. Saul had stoned Stephen, and the world saw its first Christian martyr. This snowballed into a “great” persecution of the church in Jerusalem, causing many to flee for their lives.

For you and I, the fact of life is that our progress for the Lord will at some point be hindered. There WILL be a roadblock. The question is, what are you going to do about it?
Today, what might be hindering you? We all face hindrances, roadblocks, or obstacles…but what can we do about it? Today, let God be in charge when the road gets blocked.

Nehemiah 13:29-3 –  Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites. 30 Thus cleansed I them from all strangers, and appointed the wards of the priests and the Levites, every one in his business; 31 And for the wood offering, at times appointed, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.

Galatians 6:9 - "Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." 

Nehemiah's story doesn't end with a finished wall or a mountaintop celebration. It ends with a prayer, "Remember me, O my God, for good," after doing the hard, unglamorous work of guarding what God had already rebuilt.

That's the real ending of this series. Ruins became revival, but revival isn't a moment you frame and hang on the wall, it's something you keep tending. Faithfulness isn't one great decision. It's the daily choice to go back and guard it again.

Reflect:

-       Looking back over this week, holiness, commitments, time, home, where is God asking you to guard something today?

-       What's one specific, concrete step you'll take this week, not just to feel convicted, but to actually act?

Nehemiah 13:23-28 – In those days also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab: 24 And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people. 25 And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves. 26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin. 27 Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying strange wives? 28 And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was son in law to Sanballat the Horonite: therefore I chased him from me.

Proverbs 22:6 - "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." 

The children in Nehemiah's day spoke the language of Ashdod because that's what they heard. Children repeat what surrounds them. That's not an indictment of the kids, it's a mirror for the home.

The question isn't whether your children will pick up a language spiritually. They will. The question is which one they'll hear spoken at your table.

Reflect:

-       What do the people in your home hear you get excited about, what fills your conversation?

-       What's one practical way you could make the language of faith more audible in your home this week (a prayer before dinner, a verse discussed at breakfast, talking about what God is doing)?

Nehemiah 13:15-22 – In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals. 16 There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. 17 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day? 18 Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath. 19 And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day. 20 So the merchants and sellers of all kind of ware lodged without Jerusalem once or twice. 21 Then I testified against them, and said unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall? if ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on the sabbath. 22 And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy.

-       "I commanded that the gates should be shut..." Nehemiah 13:19 

The Sabbath wasn't stolen from the people, it was traded away, a little at a time, for commerce and business as usual. Nothing that filled it was inherently evil. It just wasn't what that time was set apart for.

We're not under the Old Testament Sabbath law, but the principle stands: if you don't guard your time with God, something else will take it, and usually it won't be anything sinister, just everything else.

Nehemiah's answer was simple: he shut the gates. He built a boundary.

Reflect:

-       What tends to quietly take the time that belongs to God in your day?

-       What's one "gate" you could shut this week, a boundary that protects time with Him?

Nehemiah 13:10-14 – 10 And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field. 11 Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place. 12 Then brought all Judah the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries. 13 And I made treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah: and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah: for they were counted faithful, and their office was to distribute unto their brethren. 14 Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof.

Nehemiah 10:39 - "And we will not forsake the house of our God." 

The Levites didn't abandon their calling, the people abandoned their promise to support them. And when the giving stopped, the work of God went untended. Nobody made a dramatic decision to walk away. They just missed it once, then again, until it became optional.

That's how most broken commitments happen, not with a slammed door, but a slow drift.

Reflect:

-       What commitment to God have you kept faithfully in the past, but let slip recently?

-       What would returning to it, not starting something new, but recommitting to something old, look like this week?

Nehemiah 13:4-9 – And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah: 5 And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests. 6 But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem: for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon came I unto the king, and after certain days obtained I leave of the king: 7 And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. 8 And it grieved me sore: therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber. 9 Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and thither brought I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meat offering and the frankincense.

Romans 13:14 – "But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof."

Eliashib the priest didn't invite an army into the temple. He invited one man, Tobiah, into one room. That's all compromise ever needs: one exception, one open door, one thing you've learned to live with.

Nehemiah's response wasn't to manage it or make peace with it. He threw it out. Compromise doesn't get negotiated with, it gets removed.

Reflect:

-       Is there something you've made room for that doesn't belong, something you once resisted but now excuse

What would it look like to "cast it out" rather than manage it?

Nehemiah 12:43
“Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.”

Nehemiah 11 tells us who filled the city. Nehemiah 12 tells us what filled the city. It was filled with thanksgiving, singing, and joy.

The wall was finally finished, and it was time to dedicate it to God. They gathered the Levites. They brought in the singers. They prepared the instruments. They came together with gladness and thanksgiving. Then Nehemiah divided them into two great companies. One group walked one direction along the top of the wall. The other group walked the opposite direction. They walked around Jerusalem, praising God for what He had done.

Think back to what Tobiah had said back in chapter 4, that the wall couldn’t even hold the weight of a fox if it climbed up on it. Now two huge groups of people were standing on top of that same wall, praising God.

When the two groups reached the house of God, the entire city joined together in celebration. Look at how many times joy shows up in the verse we started with today. They rejoiced. God made them rejoice. They rejoiced with great joy. This wasn’t limited to a few leaders up front. The men rejoiced. The wives rejoiced. The children rejoiced. The whole city rejoiced together, so loud and so genuine that people outside the city could hear it.

Wouldn’t that be a great testimony for us today? Not known for our programs. Not known for our buildings. But known for a joy so real it can’t be contained. That’s the testimony God wants from His church, not perfection, but praise that overflows.

Someday, the credits will roll on your life. Maybe no one down here will remember your name. Maybe you were never the one up front. But Nehemiah recorded these names for a reason. Ordinary people, faithful people, written into God’s eternal Word. The ones who showed up. The ones who served without applause. The ones who prayed. The ones whose praise couldn’t be contained.

So don’t just finish this week wanting to be used by God. Finish this week willing to be one of the names. Present. Serving. Praying. Praising. That’s a faithful community. And that’s exactly what God is still looking for.

LET ME ASK YOU
Looking back over this whole week, which of the four marks, present, serving, praying, or praising, is God asking you to grow in the most?

Nehemiah 11:17
“And Mattaniah the son of Micha, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, was the principal to begin the thanksgiving in prayer.”

Right in the middle of all these names and assignments, Nehemiah stops on one man in particular. His assignment was to begin the thanksgiving in prayer. That tells us something Jerusalem couldn’t survive without. Jerusalem didn’t just need people present. Jerusalem didn’t just need workers. Jerusalem needed people who prayed.

Notice who this man was. Mattaniah, the son of Micha, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph. That name Asaph should catch your attention. Asaph was one of the chief musicians and worship leaders appointed generations earlier, back in the days of David. This wasn’t a random assignment. Generation after generation, this family was faithful to lead others in prayer. Walls could protect the city from an enemy. But only prayer could keep the people dependent on God.

The same is true for the church today. We need people who will faithfully pray. People who pray for the preaching. People who pray for our families. People who pray for the lost. People who pray for one another. A church can have people, programs, and ministries, but without prayer, we’re trying to do God’s work without God’s power.

James 5:16 says, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Notice it doesn’t say the effectual fervent prayer of a pastor. It doesn’t say the prayer of a prophet, priest, or worship leader. It just says a righteous man. Just someone right with God, willing to pray.

It’s easy to read about Mattaniah and think, that’s just not me, that’s for somebody else to do. But Jerusalem wasn’t held up by one man’s prayer life. The gatekeepers prayed. The singers prayed. The workers prayed. Nehemiah prayed. That’s the kind of church we ought to be. Not a church where prayer is one person’s assignment, but a church full of praying people.

Do you faithfully pray? Not just when something goes wrong. Not just when you need something from God. But faithfully, consistently, bringing people before the Lord. Some of the most important work in your church will never happen up front on a Sunday morning. It happens when you pray.

LET ME ASK YOU
Be honest with yourself. Do you pray for your church, your pastor, and the people around you, or only when trouble hits? Who’s someone you could commit to praying for this week?

Romans 12:4-5
“For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.”

Beginning in verse 3 of Nehemiah 11, we find the names of those who lived and served in Jerusalem. At first it might look like another long list. But when you slow down, you realize these people didn’t just move into the city. They each had a responsibility. They each had a place to serve. They each helped Jerusalem function.

There were rulers and priests. There were Levites. There were gatekeepers. There were singers. There were people who cared for the house of God. Verse 12 even describes some of them as those that did the work of the house. Every one of them had a role, and every role was different.

Think about the credits at the end of a movie again. Different names. Different jobs. But every job matters to finish the film. Nobody watches the credits and says, well, the lighting crew really wasn’t necessary. Take away the lighting, and the picture goes dark. Take away the sound technician, and the words disappear. Every job is different. But every job matters.

The same is true in the church. God never made us all the same. He made us all necessary.

Paul put it this way in Romans 12. We have many members in one body, and not everyone has the same job. But we’re members of one another. We belong to each other. We need each other. The church needs you, and you need the church.

Notice something about Nehemiah 11. He didn’t record their titles. He recorded their names. Because Jerusalem needed every one of them. And this church needs you. Not someone else in your place. Not a better version of you. You, faithfully doing what God placed in front of you.

LET ME ASK YOU
What has God placed in front of you to do? Is there a role in your church, no matter how small it seems, that only you can fill right now?

Nehemiah 11:1
“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.”

The wall was finished. But Jerusalem still had a problem. The city had protection. The city had leadership. The city had worship. But the city still needed people. Back in chapter 7 we find out that the city was large, but the people inside it were few.

That’s important to notice. Rebuilding the walls was only part of rebuilding Jerusalem. A city is more than walls. A church is more than a building. A ministry is more than a name. It takes people who are willing to be present.

So God had one out of every ten families move inside the city. That might not sound like much, but for some of them it was a real sacrifice. They had to leave their homes. They had to leave their land. They had to leave the comfort of what they knew. This was an inconvenience. But for Jerusalem to become what God intended, it needed people who showed up.

That’s where faithfulness begins. Not with something big or impressive. It begins by showing up. It begins by being available.

My father-in-law used to say the greatest ministry is the ministry of presence, just being there. That’s still true today. Being present when it would be easier to stay home. Filling a need without being asked. Staying committed when it becomes inconvenient. That’s one of the most encouraging things you can do for your church and your pastor.

Hebrews 10:25 tells us, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Even in the New Testament, God’s people were tempted to drift away from gathering together. But notice the writer doesn’t just say don’t miss church. He says we’re to exhort one another. Presence isn’t only about you showing up for yourself. It’s about someone else needing you to show up for them.

You can have the greatest building, the best music, and the best preaching in town. But without people who are simply, faithfully present, none of it matters.

 
LET ME ASK YOU
Is there somewhere God is simply asking you to show up this week? Not to lead, not to perform, just to be present for someone who needs you there.

Nehemiah 11:2
“And the people blessed all the men, that willingly offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem.”

Have you ever stayed and watched the credits after a movie ends?

Most people don’t. The moment the movie is over, everybody is up and heading for the door. But if you stay, you’ll see hundreds, sometimes thousands, of names scroll across the screen. Most of them you’ve never heard of. The actors get the applause. The director gets the recognition. But the movie never happens without the names that scroll by at the end. The camera operators. The lighting crew. The editors. The sound techs. None of them are famous. But every one of them is faithful. And because of that, their name is written into the credits forever.

That’s exactly what Nehemiah 11 feels like.

The wall had been rebuilt. Revival had broken out. The covenant had been signed. And now the credits roll. Name after name after name.

At first it might seem out of place. But every word of God is inspired and there for a reason. God is reminding us that His work has never depended on a handful of famous names. It depends on ordinary people who are simply faithful. God could have just said, “The people moved into Jerusalem.” But He didn’t. He recorded their names. He etched them into His eternal Word.

That’s what we’re going to spend this week looking at. Four marks of a faithful community. Present. Serving. Praying. Praising.

Somewhere down the line, the credits are going to roll on your life too. Not because you were famous. But because you were faithful.

LET ME ASK YOU
When you picture your walk with God, do you see yourself as one of the famous names, or one of the faithful ones nobody notices? Why does that matter to God?

Nehemiah 10:38-39 – And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites, when the Levites take tithes: and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes unto the house of our God, to the chambers, into the treasure house. For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the corn, of the new wine, and the oil, unto the chambers, where are the vessels of the sanctuary, and the priests that minister, and the porters, and the singers: and we will not forsake the house of our God.

We have walked through relationships, priorities, and responsibilities. Three promises, each one costly. Now the chapter closes, and so do we.

Every last detail is accounted for. Who checks the tithe. Where it gets stored. Who answers for it if it comes up short. Then, after thirty-nine verses of fine print, the whole chapter lands on one line: we will not forsake the house of our God.

Not, we felt something about the house of God. We will not forsake it. That is a decision built to survive the day the feeling runs out.

They had already heard the whole cost read aloud in chapter 8. They had already confessed how badly they had failed at it before in chapter 9. And knowing all of that, in chapter 10, they signed anyway.

So will you. Not because the terms are easy. Because you have read them, and you know exactly who you are signing your name to.

Nehemiah 10:32-37 – Also we made ordinances for us, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God, for the shewbread, and for the continual meat offering, and for the continual burnt offering, of the sabbaths, of the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy things, and for the sin offerings to make an atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God. And we cast the lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, after the houses of our fathers, at times appointed year by year, to burn upon the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the law: and to bring the firstfruits of our ground, and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, unto the house of the LORD. Also the firstborn of our sons, and of our cattle, as it is written in the law, and the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks, to bring to the house of our God, unto the priests that minister in the house of our God: and that we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and the tithes of our ground unto the Levites, that the same Levites might have the tithes in all our cities of tillage.

Two sections of the fine print are behind us now: relationships and priorities. The next section gets practical: actual money, actual labor, actual weight to carry.

None of this is glamorous. A shekel tax. A wood offering. Firstfruits, firstborn, tithes, all of it accounted for before anybody spent a cent of it on themselves. Somebody had to keep the fire burning on that altar every day, which meant somebody had to keep cutting and hauling and stacking wood, year after year, with no applause for it.

They did not wait to be asked. Verse 32 says it plainly: "we made ordinances for us, to charge ourselves." Nobody forced this giving. They volunteered for it before anyone required it of them, and they gave the first portion, not whatever happened to be left over.

Real commitment eventually shows up as a task nobody notices. What is the unglamorous thing God is asking you to carry, whether anyone ever finds out you carried it or not?

Nehemiah 10:31 – And if the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the sabbath, or on the holy day: and that we would leave the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt.

Yesterday's fine print was about relationships, who gets closest to your heart. Today it turns to your calendar and your bank account.

One verse, two promises, both expensive. They would not buy from the Sabbath sellers, even when it was convenient. Every seventh year, they would let the ground rest and let debts go, on purpose, knowing exactly what that would cost them.

Nobody makes promises like that about something they consider optional. What comes first in your life is never really what you say it is. It is what you actually choose when the calendar gets tight and the money gets tight at the same time.

They did not just say God came first. They wrote down what would come second because of it. What would have to move if God actually came first on your calendar this week?

Nehemiah 10:30 – And that we would not give our daughters unto the people of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons.

Yesterday the whole nation signed one covenant together, one document, one oath. Today we find out exactly what they promised, starting in the last place you would expect.

Of everything they could have listed first, this is what came first. Not the money. Not the building. Their homes. Who their children would marry, and who would be sitting at their table shaping their grandchildren's faith.

This was never about where somebody was born. The nations around them worshipped other gods, and marriage into those families had already dragged Israel into idolatry more than once. Even Solomon, with all his wisdom, went down that road. So this commitment was not prejudice. It was protection.

You are who you let closest to you. Not who you avoid. Who you let in. The people you let shape your normal will always shape your walk with God, one direction or the other. Who has that kind of access to your heart right now?

Nehemiah 10:28-29 – They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes.

The wall is finished. The Word has been read aloud. The people have spent hours confessing every failure that reading exposed. Now comes the signature page.

Nobody forced this. Look back a few verses and you will find the whole community named, one by one, priests, Levites, and the heads of the people, every single one putting their own name on it (vv. 1-27). This was not a crowd swept up in a moment. It was person after person making a decision with their name attached to it.

That is the part we skip. We feel something in a service. We get quiet in a hard season. Then the feeling passes, and nothing about our life is actually different, because we never turned the feeling into a decision.

Israel did not stop at feeling something in chapter 9. They put it in writing in chapter 10. What is the difference between something you have felt about God and something you have actually decided?

Nehemiah 9:38 – “And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it.”

Look how the chapter ends. "And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it" (Nehemiah 9:38). They didn't just feel sorry. They signed their names. Real confession always leads to real commitment.

It's not enough to feel something about your sin. It's not enough to say something about your sin. The question is, will you do something about it? If God has shown you something this week that needs to change, don't close this devotional without taking that step. Write it down. Tell somebody. Make it real.

And as you do, remember why you can. The greatest "but God" in the Bible isn't in Nehemiah. "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ"(Ephesians 2:4-5). We were dead. Not sick. Not struggling. Dead. But God. Man crucified Jesus and laid Him in a tomb, "but God raised him from the dead" (Acts 13:30).

One prayer. A thousand years of failure. And the faithfulness of God on every single line. That's Israel's story, and if we're honest, it's ours. Whatever your sentence looks like today, it isn't finished. Not your failure. But God.

Nehemiah 9:32-33 – Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day. 33 Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly:”

For thirty-one verses, the prayer is about "they." Our fathers dealt proudly. They made a calf. They slew the prophets. Then at verse 32 the pronoun changes. It's not "they" anymore. It's "us." "Let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us."

That's the moment the prayer stops being a history lesson and becomes a confession. It's easy to see everybody else's sin. What our country is doing. What another church is doing. What somebody else is doing. Revival becomes real when we finally say, "Lord, this has come upon us. I am guilty too."

Then comes maybe the most honest sentence in the whole prayer. "Thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly" (v. 33). No blaming God. No blaming circumstances. No excuses.

Real confession drops every "but" of self-defense. Not "I know I sinned, but I was angry." Not "but they hurt me first." Not "but everybody does it." The moment we add our "but," we've turned confession into an excuse. And here's the beautiful thing. The moment they dropped their "but," God was free to write in His. They said, "We have done wickedly," and heaven answered, "But thou art a God ready to pardon." Confession doesn't drive God away. It opens the floodgates of His mercy. "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy"(Proverbs 28:13).

Think about it: Is there a "but" of self-defense you've been holding onto? What would it sound like to pray verse 33 in your own words?