Paul Decker: Illustration: Need to Confront Sin, Reject Compromise, take stand for Righteousness A hunter raised his rifle and took careful aim at a large bear. When about to pull the trigger, the bear spoke in a soft soothing voice, it better to "Isn’t talk than to shoot? What do you want? negotiate the matter." Let’s Lowering his rifle, the hunter replied, "I want a fur coat." "Good," said the bear, "that is a negotiable item. I only want a full stomach, so let us sit down and negotiate a compromise." They sat down to negotiate and after a time the bear walked away, alone. The negotiations had been successful. The bear had a full stomach, and the hunter had his fur coat! Well, that goes to show that compromise is not always ideal, right? Confinement: Closing Off Opportunity made them swear by God, shall not give your daughters to their “and ‘You sons, nor take of their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.’” Nehemiah got them to make a commitment to change their actions Illustration: confinement efforts in the Gulf by BP to try to control the spread of the oil spill; important not to minimize the damage; not to cover up the problem; be truthful Consequences: Corporal Punishment and Shame struck some of “and them and pulled out their hair,” one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was “Even a son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite, so I drove him away from me.” him off “chasing” Not exactly a model for parental nurturing (Neh 13:30) Consecration: Purification and Refocusing them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood “Remember and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites. Thus I purified them from everything foreign and appointed duties for the priests and the Levites, each in his task, and I arranged for the supply of wood at appointed times and for the first fruits.” III. (Neh 13:31) REFRAIN OF SEEKING FAVOR FOR GOD’S COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP me, O my God, for good.” “Remember Theme of Remembrance
Paul Decker: Illustration: Need to Confront Sin, Reject Compromise, take stand for Righteousness A hunter raised his rifle and took careful aim at a large bear. When about to pull the trigger, the bear spoke in a soft soothing voice, "Isn’t it better to talk than to shoot? What do you want? Let’s negotiate the matter." Lowering his rifle, the hunter replied, "I want a fur coat." "Good," said the bear, "that is a negotiable item. I only want a full stomach, so let us sit down and negotiate a compromise." They sat down to negotiate and after a time the bear walked away, alone. The negotiations had been successful. The bear had a full stomach, and the hunter had his fur coat! Well, that goes to show that compromise is not always ideal, right? Confinement: Closing Off Opportunity “and made them swear by God, ‘You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take of their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.’” Nehemiah got them to make a commitment to change their actions Illustration: confinement efforts in the Gulf by BP to try to control the spread of the oil spill; important not to minimize the damage; not to cover up the problem; be truthful Consequences: Corporal Punishment and Shame “and struck some of them and pulled out their hair,” “Even one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was a son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite, so I drove him away from me.” “chasing” him off Not exactly a model for parental nurturing (Neh 13:30) Consecration: Purification and Refocusing “Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites. Thus I purified them from everything foreign and appointed duties for the priests and the Levites, each in his task, and I arranged for the supply of wood at appointed times and for the first fruits.” III. (Neh 13:31) REFRAIN OF SEEKING GOD’S FAVOR FOR COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP “Remember me, O my God, for good.” Theme of Remembrance
6562.Nehemiah-Commentary_2D00_Paul-Apple.docx