Nehemiah Chapter 10: verses 32-39 (NIV)
“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: 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.
“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.“We also assume responsibility for bringing to the house of the Lord each year the firstfruits of our crops and of every fruit tree.
“As it is also written in the Law, we will bring the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, of our herds and of our flocks to the house of our God, to the priests ministering there.
“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. 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. 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.”
1 Corinthians 3:16 (NIV)
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?
The people were determined, having returned from exile, that they would do everything in accordance with the law as God had commanded. At several points we see here that they say that they will assume the responsibility for what needed to be done for the Temple, and end the chapter with the promise that they would not neglect the house of God.
Paul taught the Corinthian Church that because the Holy Spirit lives in the heart of the Christian, we ourselves are the Temple of God. That got me thinking of the things I as a Christian need to do to take responsibility to look after that Temple. It means I need to make sure I do what God expects of me, be aware of what I bring to the Temple, spiritually, – what do I entertain in my thoughts, how I conduct myself, what do I watch? And how do I look after that Temple, spiritually, mentally and physically? As an adult, I can’t put that responsibility on anyone else. I need to take that on board myself as the exiles did. And that is definitely a positive thought to take forward into the New Year.
Dear Lord,
I thank You that although I need to take responsibility for my actions, I don’t need to do everything completely by myself; the Holy Spirit is my teacher, counsellor and guide and I have Your word in the Bible to show me how. Help me to make the effort that will be needed to do so in the year ahead. I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.