Nehemiah-The Day The City Gates Closed

By Mary Vee
Nehemiah 13

From Nehemiah's Journal

Photo Courtesy

My name is Nehemiah. 

I am visiting back in Jerusalem for the second time. God has burned a desire in me to check on the progress in the city. When I left the last time the walls had been rebuilt, the people had been taught the laws of Moses, and they said they would seek to obey them.

I thought everything would be fine as I returned to my job in Babylon. But I was wrong. I came back and found a huge mess.

First, I found that evil Tobiah living in the Temple and causing trouble then I found the Levites had left their temple duties and returned to plow their gardens because they were hungry. This time I found foreigners bringing their wares through the gates to sell in the city on the Sabbath.

The key word here is Sabbath. I mean, really? Yep. There were men in Judah treading winepresses, bringing in grain, and loading it on donkeys along with wine, grapes, figs, and a bunch of other goods. 

These items were brought through the city gate. Jerusalem's city gate. On the Sabbath. I couldn't believe my eyes.

I went to each one and warned them not to sell food on that day. Men from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem brought in fish and other merchandise to sell in the city on the Sabbath to the people of Judah.

I called a meeting of the nobles after the last cart left the city. "What are you doing?" 

The nobles looked at me like I was crazy. "People need to eat. The venders have come to sell food and a few other necessities."

"You know better than this. In the Law of Moses we are clearly told to honor the Sabbath. What is the matter with you? This is a wicked thing you are doing. You're desecrating the Sabbath. Didn't your forefathers do the same thing? It displeased God so much most of the nation ended up being hauled off into slavery. Now look at you. Promoting the buying and selling on the Sabbath as if we'd never learned our lessons. Do you want Jerusalem burned to the ground again?"

They shook their heads. No one said a word. But that evening I made sure the law would be obeyed. I went to the gates and ordered the doors to be shut and not opened until the Sabbath was over. I stationed some of my own men at the gates so that no load could be brought in on the Sabbath day.

Once or twice merchants and sellers spent the night outside Jerusalem. I warned them. "Why are you spending the night by the wall? If you do it again, I will have you hauled away."

From that time on they no longer came on the Sabbath. 

I ordered the Levites to purify themselves then guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy.

One more problem solved. 

I prayed to God, "Remember me for this also, O my God, and show mercy to me according to your great love."

Somehow I have the feeling this wasn't the last problem that needed fixing. Sheesh.

Come back next time, because interesting tales happen in Jerusalem in days to come.
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sources: New International Version, New King James Version

Nehemiah- Do I Really Have To Babysit Jerusalem Officials?

By Mary Vee
Nehemiah 10

From Nehemiah's Journal

Photo Courtesy

My name is Nehemiah. 

I am visiting back in Jerusalem for the second time. God has burned a desire in me to check on the progress in the city. When I left the last time the walls had been rebuilt, the people had been taught the laws of Moses, and they said they would seek to obey them.

I thought everything would be fine as I returned to my job in Babylon. But I was wrong. I came back and found a mess.

Last time, I told how the sneaky Tobiah wormed his way into having a room for himself in the Temple. Really? Well, let's have the enemy right in our camp..shall we? Not! I didn't waste anytime throwing him and all of his stuff out of there.

Then I looked around the Temple and saw it hadn't been taken care of the way it should be. The lamps, the bread, repairs, the singers. Nothing done. Where were the Levites who were supposed to be taking care of this?

I searched for one of the priests. "Where are all the Levites? Why aren't they here taking care of the Temple?"

"I'm sorry Nehemiah. The food portions that were supposed to be given to them haven't ben given. The Levites were hungry. So they went back to their fields to grow their own food."

"What? You're kidding me."

"No."

"Call a meeting right now. I want every official in this room in the next few minutes. Go!"

He ran out of the room and returned with all the officials in a very short time. Good thing that he did because I would have gone out and found them myself and I was in no mood to be toyed with.

The official entered the room and greeted me as though I were a long lost friend. Big mistake. I was not happy. "Sit."

They sat. 

"Why has the house of God been neglected? When I left, everything was in order. What have you done to make the Levites return to their fields instead of fulfilling their duties here? Tell me!"

The men sat silently. Just as I thought. Too afraid to admit what they'd done wrong. "Fine. You will go out to every Levite field and bring each one back here. Have them in the temple by sundown."

Although the official didn't say anything to me, they certainly did their fair share of grumbling as they left. I didn't care. I was here to put the temple back in order.

That night all the Levites were back in their stations. Each doing their own job. Each receiving their food. 

Come back next time, because interesting tales happen in Jerusalem in days to come.
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sources: New International Version, New King James Version

Jonathan Goforth-The Game Plan

By Mary Vee
Year: summer 1888

Jonathan Goforth-29 years old

Jonathan Goforth's Journal

My name is Jonathan Goforth. I've opened every one of my tellings to you with "I will be a missionary to China some day." Guess what? We landed in China!

If you remember from last week, our journey here stirred our stomachs to the point of becoming seriously ill. The misfit ship we rode took us to Kobe, Japan where we found a much safer ship to take across the Yellow Sea to Shanghai, China.

Shanghai turned out to be much larger than any city I'd seen before. I had not seen such a busy place, people bustling around, business everywhere, much less one known as the jewel of China. This was the prime shipping area where East met West. A vibrant port like Paris or London or New York City.

Even though the new sights in Shanghai surprised me, I remained firm that I had come to China for a specific reason, to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those who didn't know the one true God. After all, I had prepared four years for this moment. I couldn't waste time on sightseeing.

Once the ship docked, I looked for a boardinghouse for Rosalind and me to sleep the night. The Canadian mission didn't have an office in Shanghai, and I couldn't speak the language, yet. 

The China Inland Mission, you know, Hudson Taylor's mission, anyway I heard they had an office in Shanghai. We found their building, which is pretty amazing since we couldn't speak Chinese. As I expected, the missionaries warmly greeted us. "Goforth, come in. Is this your wife? You must be exhausted from your journey. Come in and have tea."

I let Rosalind walk in first. We were treated like honored guests. 

The group of missionaries living in Shanghai came together to meet us that evening. The one in charge introduced us and gave me an opportunity to speak. 

"Thank you for greeting us so warmly." I reached in my pocket and pulled out an envelope then handed it to the director. "This is money collected in Canada for the hungry here in China."

The director's eyes widened. "We really didn't expect this. Thank you so much. Please also convey our thanks to the people in Canada."

"We will. Now, where can we be of service? Rosalind and I are anxious to get to work."

The group chattered for a short time then quickly decided where the greatest need was. "We  want you to go to the North Honan area. It's a stretch of land surrounded by the Yellow River, The Gobi Desert, and the East China Sea. Before you head there, though, we suggest you go to Chefoo to our mission station. It is four hundred fifty miles north of here on the coast. There you can learn the Mandarin language."

Rosalind and I smiled at each other. We had a plan. Chefoo first to learn Mandarin then on to our assignment in North Honan. I felt better already. Our life ministry finally felt real.

Jonathan has many stories to share. Come back each Monday to find out what happened next.



Resources Used for This Series
Being, Janet, and Geoff Benge. Jonathan Goforth: An Open Door in China. Seattle. WA: YWAM Pub., 2001.Print
Doyle, G. Wright. Builders of the Chinese Church: Pioneer Protestant Missionaries and Chinese Church Leaders. Eugene Oregon: Pickwick Pub, 2015. Print.
Goforth, Jonathan, and Rosaline Goforth, Miracle Lives of China, London" Marshall, Morgan & Scott, 1931, Print.
Goforth, Jonathan. "By My Spirit" Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1942. Print
Goforth, Rosalind. Climbing; Memories of a Missionary's Wife. Chicago: Moody Pub, n.d. Print
Goforth, Rosalind, How I Know God Answers Prayers; The Personal Testimony of One Life-time, New York: Harper & Brothers, 1921. Print
Goforth, Rosalind. Jonathan Goforth. Minneapolis, MN: Bethan House, 1986. Print
Goforth, Rosalind, How God Answers Prayer: The Mighty Miracles of God from the Mission Field of Jonathan Goforth. USA: Revival, 2016. Print Original copyright not stated.
Jackson, Dave, and Neta Jackson. Mask of the Wolf Boy: Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House, 1999. Print.
McCleary, Walter. An Hour with Jonathan Goforth: A Biography. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1938. Print.
Meloche, Renee Taft., and Bryan Pollard. Jonathan Goforth: Never Give up. Seattle, WA: YWAM, 2004. Print.

.

Let Jonathan hear from you!

Leave a comment below.

Nehemiah-That Sly Tobiah

By Mary Vee
Nehemiah 10

From Nehemiah's Journal

Photo Courtesy

My name is Nehemiah. 

The king seemed pleased to see me back in Babylon. He invited me into his courts and asked, "Tell me about Jerusalem, Nehemiah. What has been done there?"

I was very excited to share all the stories I'd already told you, and I made sure to include the mean things Sanballot and Tobias had done to try and stop our success. 

Anyway. Pleased to hear the good news, the king went about his day as usual and I went back to being his cupbearer, satisfied with what God had done in my homeland. 

The days went on like usual and I fell into my old routine of duties. I was, after all, still a slave in Babylon. As time went on though, I thought of Jerusalem and wondered how the city had flourished. If they'd continued doing as God asked, all the buildings should be in repair, the people tithing, festivals observed. Oh, I wish I could be there to see.

One evening as I served the king his meal, after tasting and insuring the food would not harm him, I asked if I could go back to Jerusalem to see the progress. To my surprise he said yes--without any hesitation.

The king wrote me a letter for safe passage and gave me an escort and a horse. As we climbed the last hill before the city I gazed at it. So beautiful. What a wonderful gift from God for His people. The walls stood strong to protect the people. Everything must be wonderful inside the city gates.

I urged my horse forward, arriving before the sun set, which is when the gates are closed for the night.

I invited the men who escorted me to the same home I'd used when rebuilding the walls and offered them food and drink. Their animals were cared for in the nearby stables. That night I slept in my own bed in my home in my own country. And slept very well.

The next morning, I met with the council. That's when I learned what had been going on in my absence. 

Eliashib, the priest had been put in charge of the storerooms for the house of God. He had close ties with that rotten bully, Tobiah. Without permission, and basically in secret, Eliashib gave Tobiah a large room which used to store the grain offerings, incense, temple articles, and the gifts of grain, new wine, and oil set aside for Levites, singers and gatekeepers, as well as the gifts for the priests.

The second I found out that Eliashib had given Tobiah a room in the courts of the house of God I stormed to the room and threw all Tobiah's household goods out. I gave orders to purify the rooms then had all the equipment and offerings put back where they should have been in the first place.

That guy. Can you believe he did that?

And this was just the beginning. The next few days, I have a feeling my work would be cut out for me.

Come back next time, because interesting tales happen in Jerusalem in days to come.
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sources: New International Version, New King James Version

Nehemiah-Together As One

By Mary Vee
Nehemiah 10

From Nehemiah's Journal

Photo Courtesy

My name is Nehemiah. I had been a servant in Babylon for a long time.

The king of Babylon graciously allowed me to return home to help encourage the people in moving forward with their lives. We rebuilt the walls, and that was no little job, I'm just sayin'. We had troubles you couldn't imagine from bullies who didn't want to see Jerusalem rebuilt. But those bullies lost.

A few moments ago the Levites said a prayer of dedication for the city and the people. I am standing here before the crowds. They are smiling, cheering, praising God. Their enthusiasm to follow the ways of God are inspiring. Music is playing. There is clapping and dancing and celebration of praise to God.

Men, women, and children old enough to understood stood together as brothers and sisters and said these pledges together:

1. We promise not to give our daughters in marriage to the people around us or take their daughters for our sons.
2. We will not buy merchandise or grain from neighboring peoples on the Sabbath or any holy day.
3. Every seventh year we will stop working our land and will cancel all debts.
4. We will  take on the responsibility to pay a third of a shekel each year for the service of the house of our God.
5. We will each take our turn providing wood for the temple.
6. We will give the first of our crops and fruit trees to the house of the Lord.
7. We will also bring the firstborn of our herds, cattle, and flocks to the temple.
8. And we will bring the first of our ground meal, grain, new wine and oil to feed the Levites, keepers of the temple.
9. We will not neglect the house of our God.

Hearing the people shout these words, and seeing the enthusiasm in their hearts made me happy to be here. We all praised God together. 

Everything seemed to be moving forward. Enthusiasm to worship and obey God's commands. The Israelites working together. Yes. This is good. 

I remembered my promise to return to the king in Babylon. This seemed to be a good time to go back and report the progress made in Jerusalem to the king. 

Come back next time, because interesting tales happen in Jerusalem in days to come.
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sources: New International Version, New King James Version

Jonathan Goforth-The Ugly Truth

By Mary Vee
Year: summer 1888

Jonathan Goforth-29 years old

Jonathan Goforth's Journal

Photo Courtesy

My name is Jonathan Goforth. I've opened every one of my tellings to you with "I will be a missionary to China some day." Guess what? Today is the day.

Hand in hand with my beautiful new wife, Rosalind, we journeyed from Toronto by land to Vancouver, Canada to meet our ship.

I must admit, we were both shocked to see the town had a horrible fire the day before we'd arrived. Smoke. Cinders. Most of Vancouver had suffered. Only a few hotels survived and every available room had been booked.

I didn't know what to do. We needed a place to sleep for the night. Rosalind and I walked to the docks and looked at the boat, the S.S. Parthia that would take us to China. She seemed sea worthy. Fresh paint. Pleasant crew. I can't lie, excitement burst inside of me. 

The captain left his cabin and stepped onto the deck. "Are you the passengers heading for China?"

"Yes. This is my wife Rosalind and I am Jonathan. Jonathan Goforth."

He easily rocked with the boat, never losing his balance. Of course he would, he'd sailed many times before. I squeezed Rosalind's hand. "Would you mind, terribly, if we were to sleep the night on board? All the hotel rooms have been booked."

He extended his hand to us. "Of course. Come aboard."

He escorted us below deck and to our room. I had booked a small cabin, we wouldn't need more for this journey. 

The next morning we climbed the ladder to the deck and watched the casting off. We didn't want a big ceremony from our friends. It was hard enough to leave the only land we'd known. I was nervous yet incredibly excited. Of course, my sweet Rosalind said the perfect words as the boat left the dock, "Let's win ten thousand Chinese souls to please our Lord." She is going to be an amazing companion.

Within an hour, a nightmare began. The ship tossed and rocked with the ocean waves. We grabbed for anything stationary and still lost our balance. I wondered how this ship would respond in a storm. No. Actually, I didn't want to think about that. 

Rosalind's face turned pale. Her eyes told the story. She excused herself to go below. An hour later I checked on her only to see that she couldn't get up from the bed. We guessed it was our lack of sea legs. Surely all first time voyages felt this way. Right?

The days dragged by. We couldn't sleep at night. I understand you have medication to settle your stomachs for voyages in your day. I so wished we had something like that.

The S.S. Parthia rocked back and forth, back and forth, up and down, side to side, over and over for fourteen straight days. Just writing this is stirring my stomach. While talking with one of the crew members I learned the ugly truth. 

This vessel had been used as a cargo ship for twenty-five years. As the Parthia aged she gathered a reputation for rolling, pitching and heaving to the point no one would book passage on her. 

So it wasn't just us.

Unwilling to get rid of the ship, the owners needed to book passengers. So the captain had her repainted and renamed. Sly. Very sly.

But, we survived.




Jonathan has many stories to share. Come back each Monday to find out what happened next.



Resources Used for This Series
Being, Janet, and Geoff Benge. Jonathan Goforth: An Open Door in China. Seattle. WA: YWAM Pub., 2001.Print
Doyle, G. Wright. Builders of the Chinese Church: Pioneer Protestant Missionaries and Chinese Church Leaders. Eugene Oregon: Pickwick Pub, 2015. Print.
Goforth, Jonathan, and Rosaline Goforth, Miracle Lives of China, London" Marshall, Morgan & Scott, 1931, Print.
Goforth, Jonathan. "By My Spirit" Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1942. Print
Goforth, Rosalind. Climbing; Memories of a Missionary's Wife. Chicago: Moody Pub, n.d. Print
Goforth, Rosalind, How I Know God Answers Prayers; The Personal Testimony of One Life-time, New York: Harper & Brothers, 1921. Print
Goforth, Rosalind. Jonathan Goforth. Minneapolis, MN: Bethan House, 1986. Print
Goforth, Rosalind, How God Answers Prayer: The Mighty Miracles of God from the Mission Field of Jonathan Goforth. USA: Revival, 2016. Print Original copyright not stated.
Jackson, Dave, and Neta Jackson. Mask of the Wolf Boy: Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House, 1999. Print.
McCleary, Walter. An Hour with Jonathan Goforth: A Biography. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1938. Print.
Meloche, Renee Taft., and Bryan Pollard. Jonathan Goforth: Never Give up. Seattle, WA: YWAM, 2004. Print.

.

Let Jonathan hear from you!

Leave a comment below.

Nehemiah-A Covenant for A New Generation

By Mary Vee
Nehemiah 9

From Nehemiah's Journal

Photo Courtesy

My name is Nehemiah. I had been a servant in Babylon for a long time.

Since that time, I traveled to Jerusalem, oversaw the rebuilding of the walls, took care of a few bullies, and am now working with the prophet Ezra to train the people in the Law of Moses. 

Last time I wrote the Levites said the first part of their prayer. The people are still standing listening: 

"But then our fathers mutinied, rebelled against you, threw out your laws and killed your prophets, the very prophets who tried to get them back on your side—

And then things went from bad to worse.

You turned them over to their enemies, who made life rough for them.

But when they called out for help in their troubles 

You listened from heaven and in keeping with your bottomless compassion 

You gave them deliverers who saved them from the cruel abuse of their enemies.

But as soon as they had it easy again they were right back at it—more evil.

So you turned away and left them again to their fate, to the enemies who came right back.

They cried out to you again. In your great compassion you heard and helped them again.

This went on over and over and over.

You warned them to return to your Revelation, they responded with haughty arrogance:

They flouted your commands, spurned your rules—the very words by which men and women live!

They set their jaws in defiance, they turned their backs on you and didn’t listen.

You put up with them year after year and warned them by your spirit through your prophets.

But when they refused to listen you abandoned them to foreigners.

Still, because of your great compassion You didn’t make a total end to them.

You didn’t walk out and leave them for good.

Yes, you are a God of grace and compassion.

And now, our God, the great God, God majestic and awesome, loyal in covenant and love, don’t treat lightly the trouble that has come to us, to our kings and princes, our priests and prophets, our ancestors, and all your people from the time of the Assyrian kings right down to today.

You are not to blame for all that has come down on us.

You did everything right. We did everything wrong.

None of our kings, princes, priests, or ancestors followed your Revelation.

They ignored your commands, dismissed the warnings you gave them.

Even when they had their own kingdom and were enjoying your generous goodness, living in that spacious and fertile land that you spread out before them, 

they didn’t serve you or turn their backs on the practice of evil.

And here we are, slaves again today. And here’s the land you gave our ancestors so they could eat well and enjoy a good life, and now look at us—no better than slaves on this land.

Its wonderful crops go to the kings you placed over us because of our sins.

They act like they own our bodies and do whatever they like with our cattle.

We’re in deep trouble.

“Because of all this we are drawing up a binding pledge, a sealed document signed by our princes, our Levites, and our priests.”

When the Levites finished this prayer for all the people the leaders signed the document.

Come back next time to see what happens.
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sources: New International Version, New King James Version, The Message (MSG)

Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson