Shabbat Shalom everyone. Please open your Bibles to the book of Nehemiah, Nehemiah, chapter 7, this ministry meeting. We have covered the first six chapters so far. And as we arrive to Nehemiah chapter 7, we found here a list of names of our own Jewish people found here in this chapter. We are not going to read all the names that are found here, but we still will learn some important lessons that are found here in Nehemiah chapter 7. So let me read at least some of the verses found here in Nehemiah chapter 7. We begin with verse 1. Now it came to pass when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, and the porters, and the singers, and the Levites were appointed.

That I gave my brother Hanani and Hananiah, the ruler of the palace charged over Yerushalayim. For he was a faithful man and feared God above many. And I said unto them, let not the gates of Jerusalem be open until the sun be hot. And while they stand by, let them shut the doors, and bar them, and appoint watchers of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, everyone in his watch, and everyone to be over against his house. Now the city was large and great, but the people were few therein, and the houses were not built. And my God put into my heart to gather together the nobles and the rulers and the people that they might be reckoned by genealogy and I found a register of the genealogy of them which came up at the first and found written therein these are the children of the province that went up out of the captivity of those that had been carried away from Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had carried away and came again to Jerusalem and to Judah, everyone unto his city.

Who came with Zerub Havel, Yeshua, Nechemiah, Azariah, Ramiyah, Nachmani, Mordechai, Bilshan, Misperet, Bigvai, Nachum, Ba'ana. The number, I say, of the men of the people of Israel was this. And from verse 8 until verse 69, we have the list of the names of the people of Israel. Now let's read in verse 66. The whole congregation together was 42,360 beside the men's servants and their maiden servants of whom there were 7,337 and they had 245 singing men and singing women verse 68 their horses 736 their mules 245 their camels 435 6,720 donkeys and some of the chief of their fathers gave unto the work the Tarshatta gave to the treasure a thousand drams of gold 50 basins 530 priests garment and some of the chief of their fathers gave to the treasure of the work 20,000 drums of gold and 2,200 pounds of silver and that which the rest of the people gave was 20,000 drums of gold and 2,000 pounds of silver and 67 priests garment saw the priests and the Levites and the porters and the singers and some of the people and the Netanyim and all Israel dwelt in their cities and when the seventh month came the children of Israel were in their cities I'm going to stop here with the reading for today's ministry I only read the first few verses.

In the beginning of the chapter and the last few verses at the end of the chapter because the seventh chapter of Nehemiah gives us a list of genealogy of the Hebrew names of those who lived now in Israel after their return from Babel. Now this is important brothers and sisters hear this seventh chapter because I want you to notice that even though there is a list of names we have to realize that there is a reason why we have such a list and they are found by the way in Ezra chapter 2 and Nehemiah chapter 7 almost an identical list of Hebrew names of these Jewish people who came back from Babel.

Now many times unfortunately when you would read those two lists those that do not believe in the Bible and the inspiration of the word of God they find some faults in them and the reason that if you will read carefully Ezra chapter 2 and Nehemiah chapter 7 you will find out that there is at least 17 Numbers that do not match and many from the. Unbeleaving world from the liberals says you see Gideon the word of God is not divinely inspired there is some problems with the word of God because if you have the list in Ezra 2 and it's Repeated in Nehemiah chapter 7, what is the problem? Why there is no continuity in those two chapters?

Well, you will find out that when Ezra returned to the land of Israel and when Nehemiah came to the land of Israel, there were many years that have passed by. There were new children born to some of the families. They live in a different time, at least 100 years or so. You remember there were 70 years in Babel, And then about 70 years after, 538 BC, Ezra and some came back to the land. And then they began to build a temple in Jerusalem. Some years later, 444 BC, then Nehemia come and his men. And there is at least about 100 years or more between the two writings of Ezra and Nehemia.

And the timing is different. Children are born. People die. Things are different in those two periods of time of the history of our Jewish people. But I want today in this message to show us how important it was for Nehemiah and for the Jewish people who returned from Babel and later on from Persia, how it was important for them to set things in order among the nation of Israel. You see, it's not sufficient to bring Jewish people back to the land. It's not sufficient to bring them all the way from captivity to place them in the land and allow them to have disorder in their midst.

Just the same like for you and I today. It's not right for us to have an assembly, a congregation of believers and to have things in disarray and in disorder. And what we have here, the theme of this chapter, is the importance of order among the people of God. You and I might not look at that list so much today with the name because it's very difficult even to pronounce the name of these Hebrew men and women, but I would like to highlight some important thought for our hearts as believers in Yeshua the Messiah. We learn from Nehemiah so much. First of all, I want you to notice that by the time we get to chapter 7, Nehemiah already experienced in chapter 4, opposition from without.

In chapter 5, opposition from within. And in chapter 6, opposition through snares and craftiness. Already, we read chapter 4, chapter 5, chapter 6, there was opposition from without. You remember San Balat and those friends of him wanted to destroy the walls of Jerusalem. And then later on, we find in chapter 5 that there was a problem within, that there was a friction between the Jewish people. There was a cry that went up to heaven, to God, because they were treating each other in a wrong way. They were abusing each other. They were taking each other's properties, and they were making merchandise from each other. And they were crying to God because there was so much disorder.

And then in chapter 6, the study that we have done in a previous meeting together, Sanbalat, Tuviyah, Geshem, and the rest of the enemies of Israel wanted to craftily sneak around and influence Nehemiah to come outside of Jerusalem and they actually wanted to kill him in a crafty manner. But now we get to chapter 7. And Nehemiah have gone through these experiences. And he knew if there is a way to protect Yerushalayim and to protect the Jewish people, he must set things in order. Let me mention that in our situation, if any local congregation who want to grow, who want to mature, and want to be a blessing in the world around us, they must set things in order.

They must be careful, watchful, Wise in their dealing, in their conduct and their behavior, if there will be growth and blessing for the people of God. You remember what Yeshua said? I am the door, by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved. And then he says that the false shepherds that rise up, even in past history and the present time, false shepherds arise, he's coming to kill. It's like a thief coming to kill and to destroy. Among the people of God but the Lord Yeshua the Messiah said that he is the good shepherd and the good shepherd laid down his life for the sheep he came in in the right way he's leading the people of God in the right way and he wanted the shepherds that God had established even among the people of God to instruct and to help and to watch over God's people and so you notice how he proceeded we're basically going to deal most of the time with the first verses of chapter 7 in verses 1 and 2 he assigns responsible and faithful people to take responsibility in the city of Jerusalem you notice look at this verse 1 now it came to pass when the wall was built and I set up the doors and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed and I gave my brother Hanani and Hananiah the ruler of the palace charge over Jerusalem for he was a faithful man and feared God above many.

You notice this, we begin, first of all, you can see the importance of setting things in order. The wall was done, the whole city of Jerusalem, the doors was also set up. See, the doors were a smaller door that was part of the larger gate. You have a shahar gate, and then you have a smaller door where people will go in and out you might open all the gates or you might open the small door within the gate and once everything was set up then Nehemia says wait a minute I'm not going to allow everybody just to come in and out as they please there is a necessity of carefulness who is going to come in and who is going to go out you know I can tell you this even from today in the history of our people Israel do you think anyone will let anybody get into Israel or even into the city of Jerusalem even in the world today when you pass from one country to another you still have to show your passport you still have to make sure the country will protect their people Nehemiah have done the very same thing but for us there is a spiritual lesson here he was saying listen wait a minute we had enemies from outside we have Satan tried to attack us and cause problems from within we needed to.

Straighten those matters and they straightened those matters but now we are going to be careful and so notice it says in verse 1b the porters and the singers and the levites were appointed and the interesting thing the word for porter in Hebrew is shoarim the porters the shoarin, the shoer what is the responsibility of the shoer, of the porter is to stand by the door and to watch those who come and those who go well you can say to Nehemia Nehemia don't you trust God you're going to say of course I trust God the problem is that I don't trust men I trust God but I don't trust men I don't trust myself I need the help of the Lord and we all need the help of the Lord And while we pray to God, we still have responsibility to watch who is coming in, who is going out.

And you know, brothers and sisters, it's very similar for us as believers. We also need to watch, spiritually speaking, who are the people and what they teach and how their practices, what their views are in order to watch over the flock of God. Let me show you a verse in 2 John. Yohanan wrote this letter to the early believers as part of the family of God. Notice what John said in verses 9, 10 and 11. He says, Whosoever transgresses and abides not in the doctrine of the Messiah, hath not God. He that abides in the doctrine of the Messiah, of Messiah he has both the Father and the Son if there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine receive him not into your house neither bid him God's speed for he that bidding him God's speed is partaker of his evil deed now I don't know about in your home situation but in our area sometimes we have those individuals who come two by two they knock on the door and they want to give you some material that has a rejection of the divine nature of Yeshua the Messiah rejection of the truth of the word of God and therefore you see they come in and they bring a teaching that is not found in the word of God so Nehemia was wise he's saying wait a minute I want to be careful I want to protect these Jewish people that returned from Baveil.

I want to protect the city of Jerusalem. I'm going to set there the porters. And they are going to watch. And I told you this. Over the years in ministry, we have had all kind of views that came across our pathway. Even in our own midst, when I was ministering up till today, all kind of views someone come with a denial of the messiahship of Yeshua another one come with a denial of the divine nature of Yeshua the Messiah another one come with a denial of the triunity of the Godhead another one come with saying that we can get saved one day and get lost another day and on and on denial of the virgin birth of the Mashiach and so on and in other words there's many ways to heaven you go your way and I go my way and you see what happened in no time we can have such problems among the people of God and that's why doctrine teaching and practice is very very important beloved brothers and sisters and Nehemia says I am going to place the porters the shoarim there in order that they will be the one that will watch who is coming in and who is bringing things that are contrary to the word of God and then brothers and sisters of course you and.

I today are all responsible to seek to study the word and to be those that are taught well and sound in the things of the Lord now that does not mean that one of us have all the truth none of us have all the truth we are all in the school of God but nevertheless there need to be carefulness in what is allowed to be brought in Nehemia did so Nehemia set up the porters secondly you notice it says in verse 1 that he set up the singers and the singers are those that already in biblical time David set up first chronicle chapter 15 from one of the tribes of Israel there were risen those that were singing among the people of God leading the people of God in worship now of course i know that over the years in the history of the body of Messiah we set a choir and many have sung in the front and so on and some of us are still singing today or leading the congregation in singing but brothers and sisters the singers.

Are all believers today we are all responsible to sing to the Lord and to lift up our voices from our heart to sing to the Lord and glorifying the name of Yeshua the Messiah let me read you a verse from the book of Ephesians chapter 5 where the apostle Paul encouraged the believers at Ephesus to sing and I hope you and I have this desire to sing chapter 5 of Ephesians verse 19 says speaking to yourselves in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing and making melody in your heart unto the Lord giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah.

Singing is a privilege and a responsibility of us all. But in the history of our people Israel there was a designation of a certain group of people who were singing. Many of them perhaps wrote the Psalms of Israel like David and many others who wrote the Psalms of Israel the songs that were lifted up when Israel was singing unto the Lord. And you and I are responsible to sing to the Lord. And you know, a person that doesn't have a desire to sing, now, not all of us have, you might say, the same quality of voices, but it is from the heart that we can sing and believe the guitar that we use, or a keyboard that we use, or any other instrument, though it is beautiful, it doesn't rise above the ceiling.

You know what rises above the ceiling? Is the song that comes out of the heart of the believer. I will sing unto the Lord, for he had been victorious. The armies of the enemies have been defeated, but the people of God can sing unto the Lord. Singing and making melodies in your heart unto the Lord. It's so beautiful to hear the voices of believers that are singing to the Lord. And you know, our song rise above the ceiling. Because God hears the voice of His people singing about His Son and He rejoices with the song of the people of God. With Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing and making melody in your heart.

Notice, it's not even to each other but it is to the Lord. The singers are responsible to sing to the Lord. You know, so when you sing, when I sing, let's sing to the Lord like Nehemiah set up the singers to sing but not as thirdly not only the porters the singers but also the Levites the Levim now who were the Levites the Levites were the servants and you see how precious it is because the servants were serving among the people of God that's what the responsibility of the Levites there would be the one that will serve in the temple there will be the one that will go from place to place and they will bring the sacrifices they will carry the tabernacle the responsibility was tremendous in many areas around the tabernacle in the temple in the land of Israel well this is also a responsibility that you and I have to serve among the people of God even though sometimes things are not necessarily as easy as we would like them to be but we are all called to be servants among the people of God and I challenge you brothers and sisters I can tell you that you will never have so much joy.

In your heart before the Lord as when you serve Him and being a blessing to the people of God Moses called Moses my servant if you look at the history of the people of Israel they were serving those servants were blessed when they were serving the Lord the Apostle Paul called himself as the servant of Yeshua the Messiah on behalf of God's people so we don't need to wait for Moshe or to wait for Shaul Paul but we are all responsible to be servants among the people of God but here it is verse 2 tells us now the wall was built the gates were set up the porters the singers the Levites the Leviim now was set up in verse 2 Nehemiah gave a charge a responsibility to a person who was faithful it says in verse 2 that I gave my brother Hanani in Hanania the ruler of the palace charge over Jerusalem for he was a faithful man and he feared God above many now here it is brothers and sisters the Lord can use us and the Lord wants to use us.

But it requires faithfulness not perfection but faithfulness we know from experience in our personal life where we are not always faithful but it is required from a servant to be found faithful now you notice that he doesn't say that Hanani that man that he made him to be the ruler over the city of Jerusalem it doesn't say that Hanani went to school and got certain degrees it doesn't say that he was a wealthy man and he was able to conduct certain things but it does say that he was faithful in other words what it really teaches us that if we are going to serve the Lord and to please the Lord not men all the time not people all the time it is really required that a person will be found faithful in Hebrew the word is Neeman Neeman come from the Hebrew word emunah faith and we need this God delight in this to see faithful brothers faithful sisters who just want to serve the Lord and they want to be those that can be a blessing to God's people.

It has nothing to do with degree it doesn't have anything to do with politic and position and a name that one has it requires a simple faithfulness in the life of this person turn with me to 1st Corinthians chapter 4 in the first few verses we want to apply this to us today as Nehemiah did so in the history of our nation Israel let a man so count of us as of the servants of the Messiah and as stewards of the mystery of God and then verse 2 moreover it is required from a steward that a man may be found faithful you know it's such a wonderful thing when the Lord can say well done good and faithful servant you see a servant is not a man pleaser a servant is simply called to serve Yeshua the Messiah was the greatest example for us as the servant of the Lord the servant of Yehovah he was the one that came all the way from heaven went all the way down to the cross to the tree with all the shame that he had experienced.

He was a faithful servant and God have raised him from among the dead and set him at the pinnacle of the universe we need to develop this in our hearts you know sometimes we get so taken up with our service that we are occupied with ourselves rather than with the Lord that we are serving and sometimes we get discouraged because whatever we do it seems to be that people are not pleased enough and we didn't quite make it and we fail many times and we don't realize that what the Lord is looking for is simple faithfulness. Another verse to look at is a very interesting verse, 2 Timothy chapter 2.

Again, Paul is writing, this time he's writing to Timothy, and he said, verse 1, he said, Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in the Messiah Yeshua, and the things which thou have heard of me, among many witnesses, the same commit to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also. Do you know, brothers and sisters, the very fact that you and I are here today and are still reading our Bible and are still going to a meeting and are still praying and are still seeking to walk with the Lord is because many other brothers and sisters have been faithful to set up an example in your life and mine.

And that helps us to say wait a minute what they teach is the right thing and I need to learn from them and the continuity that they have and the faithfulness that they have become an example to us and so we desire to learn from them it requires from a steward that he may be found faithful Hanani was faithful in our chapter we find that what Nehemiah does he placed Hanani as in charge over the city of Jerusalem again I'm reading verse 2 and I gave my brother Hanani and Hanania the ruler of the palace charge over Jerusalem for he was a faithful man and he feared God above many so here Nehemia watched Iran and by the way that man Hanani is the very one that is found in chapter 1 you remember Nehemiah chapter 1 he was the one that came back from Jerusalem and Nehemiah asked him about the situation in Jerusalem about the situation that is found in the land of Israel in the city of Jerusalem notice in chapter 1 and verse 2 then Hanani one of my brethren came.

And a certain man of Judah and I asked him concerning the Jews that escaped you see he was already in the land of Judah he came back to Persia he gave that information to Nehemia and now we find Hanani again in the city of Jerusalem it was his life he wanted to minister to his Jewish people and he wanted them to be blessed to restore the city of Jerusalem what a beautiful example and by the way he called him in chapter 7 my brother Hanani in Hebrew it's not necessarily a brother in the flesh from the same mother and father but it is a brother from among the nation of Israel you see there's an expression that we say in Hebrew all Israel are brethren and while we are all brethren from the same nation and even though they are brethren from the same mother we are still brethren and you and I even though we are not from the same nation every believer in Yeshua the Messiah is one of the brethren we are brethren, we are Achim and Hanani was a faithful brother.

And he could be set to be over the city of Jerusalem what an example we have here so brothers and sisters what we learn in verses 1 and 2 is the importance of setting things in order and beginning in verses 1 and 2 is assigning or recognizing people that are going to be faithful in their ministry, the porters, the singers, and the Levites. We need in our midst those that the Lord will raise to be a servant of the people of God. Faithful men, faithful women, Everyone that can be a servant among the people of God are a blessing. And no wonder he placed Hanani in charge over the city of Jerusalem.

Now secondly, I want you to notice in verses 3 and 4, Nehemiah instruct the people and the leadership to shut the doors at night and not to open it until the daylight, until the heat of the day. Again, you might say, Nehemia, why are you worried? Don't you trust God? Again, I would like to say, he surely trusts God, but he didn't trust the enemies that were without. And he knew very well that Satan as a roaring lion or as an angel of light will always seek to destroy the testimony of God. He does so today very well, and he seems to be successful in the condition that exists in the church age in which you and I live in in the Laodicean age and so we learn from this that he gave them instruction notice that now verses 3 and 4 and he said unto them let not the gates of Jerusalem be open until the sun be hot and while they stand by let them shut the doors and bar them and appoint watchers over the inhabitants of Jerusalem, everyone in his watch and everyone to be over against his house.

Now the city was large and great, but the people were few therein and the houses were not built. Now notice, he is now saying, listen, don't open the doors of the city of Yerushalayim until the sun be hot. In other words make sure that it will be by daylight now you know very well who comes at night the thief comes at night he's coming to devour he doesn't come during the daytime he doesn't come in in the right order he's coming in a time where we are not watching and that's why it is so important he said to them listen don't open the gates of Jerusalem until the sun be hot in other words not a little bit of light make sure that things are clear that you can see clearly who comes in and who goes out and how things are going on and you notice that also he set watches notice the word in verse 3b and appoint watches in Hebrew we call it mishmarot when we were in the military we never could go to sleep at night without to have mishmarot every hour we changing one another one soldier get up put his clothes on get his gun on get ready the one who is watching go back to sleep an hour passed by this one finished his watch and another.

Will come in and exchanging him he put his clothes on he gets ready to watch less the enemies will come and attack the people of God same thing spiritually speaking there need to be watching Yeshua said watch in prayer in the garden of Gethsemane in Gatshmanim watch and pray and often time brothers and sisters we don't watch we don't have to speak about each other we know it ourselves in our own hearts when we don't watch and when we are not careful we allow things to come in and ultimately they are not for our benefit. We are losing out. And Nehemia, he was wise. They were required to be watching for the welfare of the people of God, watching for the welfare of the city of Yerushalayim.

I remember years ago, before even I was born, when the Jewish people immigrated to Israel, they were living in kibbutz in a commune. But in order to protect themselves, they had to work the ground with a shovel and the gun is on their shoulders. They live in communities so they can protect each other. And they didn't leave one here and one there and another one there. They live close to each other so they can protect each other because of the enemies that were coming to attack them. In fact, my sister lives in a kibbutz called Netiva Lamedhei, the valley of the 35, there were 35 Israeli young men who were ambushed when they were not careful and they died on the way and there they established a kibbutz, a commune, naming the way of the 35 who were ambushed and died.

They probably tried to watch as much as they could but still the enemy was successful. And so to understand that spiritually we too need to be watching and again thank God for men and women godly brothers and godly sisters who watch over our souls and assist us in our spiritual progress thank God who raised these men and women who love the Lord Yeshua the Messiah and teach us and instruct us of the things of the Lord. Turn with me to the Gospel of Luke chapter 12 in verse 37. There Yeshua speaks and He says those words, Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when He comes shall find them watching.

Verily I say unto you that He shall gird Himself and make them sit down to meet and will come forth and serve them. You notice what Yeshua is saying. He says, listen, I'm going to come soon, but until I come, make sure that you are watching. And blessed are those servants, verse 37 of Luke 12, whom the Lord, when he comes, shall find them watching. Because he wants them to be alert he's coming watch over the people of God watch over our lives because the enemy will attack us and brothers and sisters I can tell you that if you and I will not stay close to the Lord and watch over what we hear what we accept and what we look at and what we are occupied with you'll see how Satan will be successful every time watching is necessary as Nehemiah has placed in first Corinthians chapter 16 in verse 13 verse 13 watch ye stand fast in the faith quit you like men and be strong stop to be like children he's saying but be strong and so you see what Nehemiah does beloved brothers and sisters he is very wise in verses 1 and 2 he gives responsibility to faithful men in verses 3 and 4 he is instructing them to shut the door and not allow anyone just to come in at any time only by daylight and making sure that they set up watches in Nehemiah chapter 7.

In verse 4 it says that the city was large and great the people were few therein and the houses were not built and you notice that even though our way of looking at the city it must have been very small Yerushalayim but in that time it was considered to be a large city and the people that were living inside these Jewish men and women were about a few there were not too many they were very weak very fragile they needed always to be awakened and alert because the enemy was going to harm them and Nehemiah gave the instruction to do so in such a way set watches and make sure that you don't allow anyone to come into the city you don't open the doors during the night only at the heat of the day daylight in chapter 7 now and verses 5, 6 and 7 we have additional things that we find out here he shows us that God put in his heart now to know the genealogy of the people of Israel and notice it began here it says in verse 5.

And my God put in my heart to gather together the nobles and the rulers and the people that they might reckon notice by genealogy and I found a register of the genealogy of them which came up at first and I found written therein so apparently God now does something very important he awakened Nehemia's heart to say wait a minute wait a minute I want to know who is who I want to know the genealogy whether it is all of the people that are there in Jerusalem and outside are really belong to the people of Israel and you know the genealogy this is very important the Hebrew word here is yohassin or yichus there's another word that we use and the word is shoshelet in other words to really see if this person is actually the son of this person and whether he or she are the granddaughter of that person to see the genealogy now why it is so important genealogies you know if you will read in your Bible you find out that in Genesis chapter 4.

You have the genealogy of the people who were ungodly or away from God and in Genesis chapter 5 you'll find out the godly line and from there on you find that there was a genealogy given to us in the word of God in chapter 10 you have the chapter that give us the nations which one belong to which nation and you find out throughout the Scripture that you have genealogy after genealogy after genealogy and many many names are given to us and we ask ourselves the question well why is it that it's so important to have genealogies well there are a few reasons one of the reasons is because God record the name of everyone that belonged to him you see God delight to record the name, are we written in the Lamb's book of life?

You see, no one will ever pass through unless his name is written in the Lamb's book of life. God knows his own people who belong to him and who is not. You remember what we just read in our reading today. You have to. Be thankful that your names are written in the book of life. And you see, this is something that we cannot do it for another. Every one of us that was born into this world, our names are written in the book of the living. If we die without the Messiah, our name will be erased from the book of the living. And if we died in faith in Yeshua the Messiah, our name will be written not only in the book of life, but also in the Lamb's book of life.

Secondly, not only that, but God delighted to record the deeds and the names of the people who have done that which was pleasing to him. There are many lists in the Bible that give us the record of people that have done things that were pleasing to the Lord. For example, here you have a list, And if you just jump to verse 8, it says the children of Parosh, 2,172, the children of Shephatiah. You have a list of Hebrew names, and those are the names of the people that have been part of the nation of Israel, and they are recorded here because they were faithful. They came back to the land of Israel, they rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, and they sought to be restored to the Lord.

So the Lord recording the names of these individuals thirdly there is a third reason why we have genealogies in the Bible because it gives us a record of accuracy of the history you see how do we know if the word of God is correct well we know it on the basis of the genealogy and that's why when we have records that show us the people that were born how do we know that Abraham has existed? The Bible tells us. How do we know that Isaac was the son of Abraham? Because the Bible tells us. How do we know that Yaakov was the grandson of Abraham?

Because the Bible tells us. It proves that it is accurate. Old Testament and New Testament. The Tanakh and the Brit HaChadasha. But there is one more reason that is very important about genealogy. It also gives us the proof that when the Messiah will come he must come through that one nation one family which came out of one tribe and ultimately will come through that one mother by the name of Miriam that is in the genealogy you find the genealogy in the old testament in the Tanakh for example in Isaiah chapter 11 it tells us that when the Messiah will come he will be a descendant of jesse and of descendants of king David in the new testament we have the genealogy of Yeshua the Messiah in Matthew chapter 1 who was a descendant of Abraham Isaac and Jacob all the way down and ultimately he became the son of Miriam in fact i want you to turn with me to Matthew chapter 1 verse 1 the whole first 17 verses of the Gospel of Matthew, deal with the generation of Yeshua the Messiah.

Years ago, when I first opened the New Testament, one of the most encouraging verses that I enjoy reading is just this genealogy in Matthew chapter 1. The book of the generation of Yeshua the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham begat Isaac, and Isaac begat Yaakov, and Yaakov begat Yehudah and his brethren, the tribe of Judah. And Yehudah begat Peretz, and Zerah of Tamar, and Peretz begat Esrom, and Esrom begat Aram. And you can go all the way down in verse 16 until you find out. And Jacob begat Joseph, the husband of Miriam, of whom was born Yeshua, who is called the Messiah. See, genealogies are very important in the word of God, and therefore, God laid upon the heart of Nehemiah to make sure that he find out who belonged to who, whether they have rights to the land, and whether they are part of the nation of Israel.

So I'm back in Nehemiah chapter 7. And you notice that just to get to those at least the first names here. It says in verse 5 that they might reckon by genealogy and I found a register of the genealogy of them that came up at first. And I found written therein. See, what did he find? He found the record that is found in Ezra chapter 2 that came over 100 years ago. And now he found it and notice what he says in verse 6 and the children of the province went up out of captivity of those that had been carried away whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away and they came again to Jerusalem and to Judah everyone into his city and here he gives us 12 names it had been suggested that in verse 7 the 12 names are heads of the 12 tribes of the people of Israel Zerub Avel, Yeshua Nechemiah, Azariah Ra'amiyah Nachmani Mordechai, Bilshan Misperet Bigvai Nachum and Ba'ana 12 names are found here in Nehemiah chapter 7 and verse 7 some suggest that they perhaps heads of the families that belong to the 12 tribes of the people of Israel and by the way if you will read in Ezra chapter 2 and verse 2 there are only 11 names are mentioned while here there are 12 names mentioned that's why some people say well you see the record of God is not right and it's not inspired by the Lord but I would like to remind you that years pass by.

Many have passed away and others were born and perhaps changes have occurred and yet we know that this is divinely inspired beloved brothers and sisters so the genealogy was very very important for Nehemiah to make sure that he is finding who belonged to who and where are the people come from and you notice the list by the way from verse 8 all the way to verse 69 we have the genealogy verses 8 to 38 the people verses 39 to 42 the priests verse 43 the Levites verse 44 the singers verse 45 the porters verse 46 to 56 the Nethinim verses 57 to 60 the servants of Solomon Shlomo verse 61 and 62 the ones who return but they could not show that they really belong to the people of Israel I want to pause here for a moment notice in verse 61 it says and these are they which went up also from Talma and Tarshata and Cherub and Adob and Emer but they could not show their father's house nor their seed whether they were of Israel you see now there were those.

Who could not show that they really belong to the people of Israel now here is something that we can apply to ourselves today we have to ask ourselves the question individually can we show by the way we live that we belong to the Lord you see salvation is a gift and if a person is born from above in Hebrew we say nolad milamala nolad mechadash if a person accepted Yeshua the Messiah he or she become born again we have new life we belong to the Mashiach we belong to him and it has to be evident in our life you see these people could not show that they belong to Israel there was no record that they belong to the people of God to the people of Israel well if there is no record you see it's affected it caused a lot of problem and therefore among the people of Israel perhaps they didn't look at them in the right way they didn't accept them if they would not belong to the people of Israel unless the nations around just adopted the God of Israel.

But you see Yeshua said my sheep hear my voice and I know them and I'll give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish Yeshua said to Nicodemus you must be born again except a man be born again he will not inherit the kingdom of God see there were those who could not show that they belong to the people of Israel now notice another interesting thing verses 63 to 65 the children of the priests they were not recorded it says and the priests of the children of Chabiah and the children of cause and I give you the name it says in verse 64 these sought their register among those that were reckoned by the genealogy but it was not found therefore were they as polluted and they put out from the priesthood now you and I are going to say well Nehemia what do you mean you put them out and they were considered to be polluted well as far as the service of the priest they couldn't function as priests because they had to be on the record.

And as far as Nehemia is concerned and again I didn't write it it is written in the word of God they were considered to be polluted and verse 64b at the end and they were put from the priesthood out you see they could not serve because their name were not mentioned and again I would like to say how important for a person to be born again to be a believer in Yeshua the Messiah and so to serve the Lord because the Lord knows the registry is before the Lord he knows my sheep hear my voice and I know them the Lord knows his own and so beloved brothers and sisters notice what it says in verse 65 and the Tirshata said unto them that they should not eat of the most holy thing until there stood up a priest with Urim and Tumim in other words as long as their names were not recorded they could not participate in the food that the priests were feeding on remember the table of showbread the priests were enjoying the table of showbread and then the certain sacrifices.

That the priests participated in feeding on them but they could not and the only time that they may be able is when the Urim and Tumim were there to give indication that they really part of the priesthood and the Urim, the Tumim in English is lights and perfection they are the two stones that were in the garment of the high priest when he would appear before the Lord those two stones will give light indication to say God says yes or no to the high priest and he would ask a question whether they belong to the priesthood if yes there will be lights coming out and it will indicate that they belong to the priesthood you find mentioned the women to me in Exodus chapter 28 in verses 29 and 30 and so you see the order that is existing here And I would like just to conclude with these remarks.

The last verses, verses 70 to 73, we have those who gave gifts for the work of the Lord. Verse 70, it says, The chief of the fathers gave unto the work. Verse 71, the chief of the fathers gave to the treasure. Verse 72, the rest of the people gave 20,000 and so on, drums of gold and so on. They gave to support the work of the Lord. Remind me of Exodus chapter 25, when they built the tabernacle and the people of Israel gave so much for the building of the tabernacle. Because God was going to be in the midst of the people of Israel. And now to conclude the last verse, Nehemiah chapter 7 and verse 73 so the priests and the Levites and the porters and the singers and some of the people and the Netanyahu and all Israel dwelt in their cities.

You see, not only Jerusalem but there were many cities around Jerusalem. And then it said and when the seventh month came the children of Israel were in their cities. Now the seventh month is the Fall Feast of Israel. You have Rosh Hashanah, the Feast of Trumpet. You have Yom Kippur, Day of Atonement. And you also have in the seventh month the Feast of Sukkot, the Feast of Booth. This is the time of the yearly season in which all the children of Israel dwelled in their cities. You notice it says the children of Israel? Because apparently those who believed that there were ten lost tribes are really teaching us wrong things because as far as God's concerned all the children of Israel from all the 12 tribes maybe a minority of them were represented in the land of Israel and in the city of Jerusalem well brothers and sisters it is a difficult chapter to teach from but we thank the Lord that we concluded today the 7th chapter of the book of Nehemiah Nehemiah set order among the people of God may the Lord help us also to have order in our midst