Scripture Reading: Nehemiah 11:22-36, Nehemiah 12:1-26, Isaiah 48:1-11, Philippians 3:18-20
As a child in elementary school, I was always scared to read aloud in class. It wasn’t because I was a bad reader. In fact, I always read a bit faster than everyone else, skipping ahead to read a paragraph or two before the rest of the class. But even still, I was constantly nervous I would say something wrong or lose my place in the reading, and as a result, make a fool of myself if called on by the teacher.
It’s easy to get lost in this passage from Nehemiah 11 and 12, because it’s full of the names of people and places that are hard to read and even harder to pronounce. It’s also easy to acknowledge that there are a lot of names, decide they’re too difficult to pronounce, and then skip ahead to the more interesting part of the story.
But names are important. The names in this passage are the names of the priests who came back to live in Jerusalem. At the time, Jerusalem wasn’t exactly the hip, new place to live. It was dangerous to the point that the people had to cast lots to see who would go back and build their lives there. The names of these priests listed in Nehemiah 11 and 12 are the priests who took the risk, voluntarily or not, because the people moving to Jerusalem needed priests too.
These lists tell us more than just who these people were; they tell us where they came from, their history. There is a lot of interest nowadays in finding out more about your ancestry. You send in a sample of your DNA, and some laboratory sends you back a full report of your global ancestry. Human nature leans toward wanting more knowledge, more information, which is probably why these kinds of tests have become so popular. We just want to know what we want to know.
These lists of priests serve a similar purpose: to help future generations of priests know where they came from. When we know where we come from, it’s easier to know what we’re moving toward, to take a glimpse at the bigger picture. But our full understanding of where we come from lies in the knowledge and belief of this truth: our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20).
Our most important family name is the one given to us as children of God. We are His sons and daughters, and He is our Father. We belong to Him. He is our ancestry. He is our past, present, and future. Our citizenship and our family name rests fully with Him, and Him alone.
Ellen Taylor was born and raised in sweet home Alabama, but has called Nashville home since 2013. When she’s not working as the editorial assistant at She Reads Truth, you can find her enjoying good food and good conversation with her friends and family. She is a lover of iced coffee, ugly dogs, and the Oxford comma.
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45 thoughts on "The Priests Served Us"
You’re not alone! Did some of that myself and graciously received some conviction this morning ☺️
New woman, child of God, heir with Christ, redeemed since December 28, 1980!!!
Praise God!!!!
❤️
All of these men were purposefully included. There is a reason God wanted their name recorded. They are the missionaries who went to serve. We should remember their work and the role they played in God’s story. Let’s not just skip over them.
Great way to put it, thanks for that!
So thankful that who I am is because of Who You are Father!
I was adopted as an infant and my parents were amazing. They have passed on and I miss them daily. I was very interested in my ancestry – even as a kid. I met my birth parents and have done quite a bit of genetic genealogy and as a Christian, I was beyond thrilled to find that I am 30% Jewish by ancestry. I became a Christian in my early 20s and have always had a passion for Judaism. This discovery has been a blessing.
I am so thankful I am called His! I do over wonder where I come from. Even though I am still in my mid 30s, my parents and grandparents have been gone for decades and I often find myself wishing I would have asked more questions as a young child. But, amen to the fact that I never have to question who I am and where I stand in Christ!
Also, random note. When I come across thought lists like this one, or the ones in Numbers. Or even things that are more complicated to read in general, like helping my son with his Algebra, I tend to read it out loud. I feel it helps me focus and wander less. Just a thought. Have a great day everyone!
Reading out loud is so helpful! I tell one of my kids this when he does math, it slows your brain down!
Genealogy was critical to the Israelites. To be a priest you had to be able to prove you were of the tribe of Levi and to be a high priest you had to prove you were a descendant of Aaron. One couldn’t just claim to be one of “Gods Chosen People” – that claim had to be authentically proven. I can claim to be a Christian but it too must be traceable. There is a date and a time when I confessed my sins, accepted Jesus’ act of atonement and acknowledged His lordship over my life. My name was then and is now recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life. I am a joint heir with Christ. The title can never be rescinded. Although my children are traceable to me by DNA, they are only traceable to Him by their own decision. Forget about my familial genealogical chart – while it is a curiosity and interesting – it is the Book of Life that is the utmost importance. My life goal was one and one alone : that I would do all I could to promote their name being written there. Praise God, they had ears to hear and hearts to receive. Today I’m praying for all who are waiting for their son or daughter to do the same. I join my prayers to yours – for their salvation, for as long at it takes. Amen.
Thanks for praying! I agree with you in prayer for my daughters and all to come to know Jesus as Savior and Lord. I also like what you said about how we can claim to be Christian, but it must be traceable. I was reading the First 5 Bible study today. God wants us to read His Word and get to know Him. However, we need to be doers of the Word. When we are filled with God’s truth and love, we will be moved with compassion to tell and show others how Great and Good He is. May God help us to do that and have traceable acts of showing His love to others.
Am joining you in prayers for sons and daughters that are wandering around lost right now. Praying according to the Father’s will that they will come to know Him and their names written in the Book.
My mum, an only child never knew her father. He went to war and never came home…
Fast forward some 70/80 years, my brother decides he want to know our genealogy.. do sends for the kit…
A do it here and there and the results come back that he is related to a woman in Canada, and not just related but she is possibly his aunt!
Delving deeper and a few awkward conversations later.. this woman and my mum are sisters… half sisters…! They share a dad..! And even more special mum has sisters… three of them.!
This ancestry thing sure is a way to find lost family members, and perhaps to find out who you are here on earth and where you belong…
These women, my aunties, have accepted my mum into their family as a sister, one of them, a child of their wonderful father, whom they believe, had he known my mum existed would have been present in her life…
Mum, didn’t carry the father’s name, but she carried his DNA, which carries more clout, I guess than a name. People have lost family positions and status because of DNA!
Here’s the thing.. it would have made no difference to us not to know we had a family in Canada.. because however you splice it, God ultimately is our Father. Our Father in heaven. We are His sons and daughters, and He is our Father. We belong to Him. He is our ancestry. He is our past, present, and future. Our citizenship and our family name rests fully with Him, and Him alone… And nothing… nothing can change That!!!
Thank you Lord God… thank you for families here on earth… Thank
You that we are family. That we belong to you. That our name, the essence of who we are, is found in You…That You are our Hope… thank you God for everything..
Amen..
Happy Wednesday my SRT family… My Sisters…may our Father god turn His face to shine on you today… BLESSINGS…
That is so awesome Tina! And yes, isn’t it so amazing we all share the same Heavenly Father! So glad to be your Sister – all the way here in Texas! Thanks for sharing your mom’s story.
That is very exciting Tina! Thank you for sharing!
You also have a wonderful day! ❤️
What an amazing story!
This is an awesome story Tina!…and love that you said God is ultimately or ancestry! Beautiful (:
God is ultimately our ancestry I meant to say