daily reading 52.2 (Nehemiah 13:15–22)

5-days-a-week through Daniel and other late OT books in 2023


Our opening prayer for this week:

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let ev’ry heart prepare him room
And heaven and nature sing.

Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
Let all their songs employ.
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow
Nor thorns infest the ground.
He comes to make his blessings known
Far as the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of his righteousness
And wonders of his love. Amen.

 

Nehemiah 13:15–22

  • At that time I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath. They were also bringing in stores of grain and loading them on donkeys, along with wine, grapes, and figs. All kinds of goods were being brought to Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I warned them against selling food on that day.
  • 16 The Tyrians living there were importing fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah in Jerusalem.
  • 17 I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them: "What is this evil you are doing-- profaning the Sabbath day?  18 Didn't your ancestors do the same, so that our God brought all this disaster on us and on this city? And now you are rekindling his anger against Israel by profaning the Sabbath!"
  • 19 When shadows began to fall on the city gates of Jerusalem just before the Sabbath, I gave orders that the city gates be closed and not opened until after the Sabbath. I posted some of my men at the gates, so that no goods could enter during the Sabbath day.
  • 20 Once or twice the merchants and those who sell all kinds of goods camped outside Jerusalem, 21 but I warned them, "Why are you camping in front of the wall? If you do it again, I'll use force against you." After that they did not come again on the Sabbath.
  • 22 Then I instructed the Levites to purify themselves and guard the city gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember me for this also, my God, and look on me with compassion according to the abundance of your faithful love.



For yourself pray:

  • That for Jesus' sake you remember the Sabbath day by regarding God's word as holy and gladly hearing and learning it

For others pray:

  • That God keeps spreading the kingdom of the Son he loves on the tiny island of Tokelau

A psalm to listen to and ponder, as time allows:

 

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