55-Days Devotional Journey - Day 49
July 19, 2025 (Saturday)

Scripture:
We will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons. And if the peoples of the land bring in goods or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on a holy day. And we will forego the crops of the seventh year and the exaction of every debt.

"We also take on ourselves the obligation to give yearly a third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God: for the showbread, the regular grain offering, the regular burnt offering, the Sabbaths, the new moons, the appointed feasts, the holy things, and the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God. We, the priests, the Levites, and the people, have likewise cast lots for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, according to our fathers' houses, at times appointed, year by year, to burn on the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the Law. We obligate ourselves to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of every tree, year by year, to the house of the Lord; also to bring to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God, the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, as it is written in the Law, and the firstborn of our herds and of our flocks; and to bring the first of our dough, and our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the wine and the oil, to the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and to bring to the Levites the tithes from our ground, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all our towns where we labor. And the priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive the tithes. And the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers of the storehouse. For the people of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the contribution of grain, wine, and oil to the chambers, where the vessels of the sanctuary are, as well as the priests who minister, and the gatekeepers and the singers. We will not neglect the house of our God."
Nehemiah 10:30-39 (ESV)

Reflection:
The Israelites who renewed their covenant with God promised to take actions, including not marrying foreigners, not buying or selling any food on the Sabbath, not working or collecting debts in the seventh year, and setting up various offerings to the temple. All these actions reflected the Israelites' attempt to restore the law to govern the entire group and re-establish the temple, the place where God was present, as the center of everyone's life.

The scriptures remind us that the principle of offering is to provide for the needs of the temple, to provide for the priests who served God wholeheartedly, and to offer the first fruits of the harvest to God as a thank offering. For the Israelites who had just returned to Jerusalem and whose family's needs might not be fully met, these laws were not easy to follow, and were even difficult. However, these principles teach us to separate ourselves from our lives and return sovereignty to God.

The teaching of offering has not been abolished because of the change of times, but it challenges us to use everything we have wisely. Whether it is time, energy, or wealth, it can be used well by God to provide for those in need and practice God's teachings in the Bible. So that we will not approach and worship God in words, but not actually practice God's command.

Today, we are also determined to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Everything we have in our lives is under the authority of God. So how can we faithfully use everything we have to glorify God?

Reflection Question:
How do we manage our time, energy, and finances today to reflect God's sovereignty over us?

Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, You are the Lord of all our being, which means everything we have belongs to You. Please, God, be the Lord of our time, energy, and wealth, and teach us to use everything wisely to glorify Your name. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

By Pastor Edmond Chung