Daily Devotional | Neglecting the House of God

Many churches, especially small congregations with very few full- time staff, will host a workday. On that day, members come together to complete much needed fix-it projects and generally clean up the building and property. They treat their church building with respect and care.

In Nehemiah 13, we read that the people of Judah had neglected the house of God. They had stopped bringing tithes to the Temple. This disobedience had a direct and negative impact on the “Levites and musicians” and the effects cascaded down to all the people of Judah. The Levites and musicians relied on Judah’s tithes for their own well-being. Since the tithes were no longer being given, these workers had to leave the Temple and return to their land, so they could make a living and provide for their families (v. 10).

The end result? The Temple could no longer function as it should, and worship had stopped. This might not seem like a big deal to us today, but it was a very, very big deal because the Jerusalem Temple was the only place where sacrifices could be offered to the Lord. Simply put, the worship God commanded had ceased. Dismayed at this behavior, Nehemiah once again sprang into action and set the people straight.

Following the death and resurrection of Jesus, the procedure for and positions related to worship changed. We no longer need priests and Levites to slaughter animals for sacrifice, and our worship services look a lot different (Heb. 7:27). Even so, this episode in Nehemiah reminds us how important it is to support our local churches. When we give generously and obediently, our pastors are freed to make leading the church their main priority.

>> If you are a member of a local church, your giving is an act of obedience to God! When you give generously, you help make sure your pastors are supported and worship can continue. Consider how you can participate through the act of giving.

Pray with Us

As our tithes sustain our pastors physically, we ask You to sustain them spiritually as they teach Your Word and lead Your people. We give in obedience, believing in Your sovereignty.

BY Dr. Russell L. Meek

Russell Meek teaches Old Testament and Hebrew at Moody Theological Seminary. He writes a regular column on understanding and applying the Old Testament at Fathom Magazine, and his books include Ecclesiastes and the Search for Meaning in an Upside-Down World and the co-authored Book-by-Book Guide to Biblical Hebrew Vocabulary. Russ, his wife, and their three sons live in northern Idaho.