Nehemiah 10:34 says, And we cast the lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, after the houses of our fathers, at times appointed year by year, to burn upon the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the law: The priests and Levites and the rest of the people cast lots to determine not only the times the priests and Levites would serve in the temple but also who bring wood into the temple to be used in the burning of the offerings. The lots were used to determine the will of God then, but we no longer should rely on this to determine who is going to do what in the church. We should all be led by the Holy Spirit, and I believe that in any local congregation God will always have called someone to fill the positions needed to successfully serve and worship Him and the Holy Spirit will lead that person to volunteer to serve, if they will only obey His call. He will also call on those who are His people to bring what is needed to accomplish His work through the church.
Verse thirty-five adds, And to bring the firstfruits of our ground, and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, unto the house of the Lord: The people were called on to bring the first fruits to the temple to offer to God in accordance with His commandment. We should still make giving our tithes and offerings to God above all else. Just as the people of Israel then were not to bring the leftovers or the damaged fruits as a sacrifice, we should not just give God our leftovers today.
Verse thirty-six continues, Also the firstborn of our sons, and of our cattle, as it is written in the law, and the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks, to bring to the house of our God, unto the priests that minister in the house of our God: This commandment also applied to the first born of the flocks and of their children. We cannot ensure that our first-born, nor any of our children, will serve God, but we need to dedicate ourselves to teaching them about God. Then, we need to pray for their salvation so that God can work through the Holy Spirit to lead them to their purpose in His kingdom.
Verse thirty-seven states, And that we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and the tithes of our ground unto the Levites, that the same Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of our tillage. They were then told that they were to bring the first fruits of everything they had to God for the use in the temple and for supplying the needs of the priests and Levites. We likewise should bring our tithes and offers to the church so that God’s work can be done and the preachers and others involved in the ministry of the congregation may be provided for.
Verse thirty-eight adds, And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites, when the Levites take tithes: and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes unto the house of our God, to the chambers, into the treasure house. The priests, those who were descended from Aaron, we to oversee the Levites in the collecting of the tithes and offerings. We don’t have priests or preachers today who are so because of who any of their ancestors may have been, but we are all a part of the priesthood of believers if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord. Still, we need those who are called by God to do to be responsible for the use of our tithes and offerings.
Verse thirty-nine continues, For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the corn, of the new wine, and the oil, unto the chambers, where are the vessels of the sanctuary, and the priests that minister, and the porters, and the singers: and we will not forsake the house of our God. The people then were called on to bring their tithes and offerings to the temple so that God’s work would not be neglected. We today should do the same, giving to God before all else.
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