06.20.2015 Old Testament: Neh 12.45–47

To read the Bible in a year, read Nehemiah 12–13 on June 20, In the year of our Lord 2015

By Don Ruhl

After the Jews had rebuilt the temple and the wall around Jerusalem, they had to put the worship into order, and that included having singers present,

Both the singers and the gatekeepers kept the charge of their God and the charge of the purification, according to the command of David and Solomon his son. For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were chiefs of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. In the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah all Israel gave the portions for the singers and the gatekeepers, a portion for each day. They also consecrated holy things for the Levites, and the Levites consecrated them for the children of Aaron (Nehemiah 12.45–47). 

The Lord wants singing. He likes music. He wants to hear the musical instruments that He created, the human voice. Therefore, do not see singing as a waste of time, as a time-filler that only gets us to the sermon, but see it as the Lord does, the expression of the joy of His creation.