Monday 24th May 2010 - Churchy stuff.

As I type this mum is having an afternoon nap, Cathy is watching play-school on TV and Michele is at school.
Been a few interesting things I have heard about over the last few days. I am an avid fan of ABC podcasts. They are all well worth watching. I listened to one last night that suggested that the expulsion of the Jews from Israel 2000 years ago may not have actually happened. Some one has written a book on it, calling it a myth. He raised all sort of interesting thoughts on the matter. What makes it interesting is that the fellow is a lecturer in general history at a Jerusalem university. Add to this that his parents were Holocaust survivors. Don't that beat all.
The second one was about Catholic requirements for celibacy amongst its priests. The suggestion being that the celibacy requirement was a possible cause of the some of the sexual crime allegations that have become a real problem within the Catholic church over the last decade. Now I am not a Catholic but it seems to be that this problem is not isolated to catholic priests. I would imagine that anyone working with children alone would be subject to the same problem. I seem to remember that there were some other church and also Scout leaders who also have been charged with paedophilia. I really think that saying that celibacy is the prime cause is really stretching it a bit.
So, my Triple M's team is back in Nehemiah this week by popular demand.
Here is Nehemiah 1.
Verse 3 and Nehemiah is weeping of the state of Israel. Gee, sometimes I think we ought to weep over the broken down walls of the church. What a mess.
Nehemiah acknowledges God and asks that God give attention to his prayer. "Let Your ear.....", then straight into it. "We have sinned.....". No excuses. Reminds me a bit of Psalm 50. And it's not just sin. It is sins they had committed against God. Not against any man. No, Nehemiah calls it as it is. The crimes are against God and they were done by everyone. I thought verse 9 is interesting. Had the Israelites acknowledged their wrong doing? Obviously. Or so it would seem.
Maybe we need to do the same today. The sins of the church and those therein are far greater than those of yesteryear. Today we call sin righteousness. We do. We call homosexuality good and ordain those who practice it. We call what God calls sin, good. We say that God is wrong. We forget that God said don't be unequally yoked to unbelievers. We do it. Unbelievers married to those who would name the name of Christ. Then there are some who would say that God told them to get divorced even though His word says otherwise. We would call God a liar nowadays. See verse 4. That's what we ought to do. Verse 11b "And I was the kings cup bearer." What is implied here? It was not a good career move to be sad in the employer's presence.
Chapter 2.
Here I think is a good example of a chapter placement in the wrong spot. I think maybe Chapter 2 should have started at verse 11b. There is a little gem in chapter 2 verse 4b. He sent up a prayer before he spoke. I sure do wish I could remember to do this. I know I need to acknowledge God every day all day. But I don't. I am sure my relationship with Christ would soar if I did. I love the life in Christ I have. I live very easy and very comfortable. But I need to acknowledge Him more. So Nehemiah prays and talks at the same time. And the king, with the queen sitting beside asks him how long will the journey take and what does he need. I think Nehemiah's heart would have quickened about now.
There are interesting bits here. Tobiah and Sanballat enter the scene here. It is a passing reference. A bit like Nehemiah is setting the scene.
Nehemiah tells no one at first of his plans. He looks and looks and studies the situation. He is in no rush. He wants to see it all unhindered by the worlds opinion. He wants to see what God wants done, not what man might like to have done. The temple is God's and it is His plans that are important.
Look at verse 20. Nehemiah puts Tobiah and Sanballat in their place. "You are not one of us so leave us alone." Ouch, that had to hurt no matter how true it might be. I am a bit surprised actually. Nehemiah reminds these two that it is God's work that will be done in His way and they have no part therein.