Nehemiah 13:23-31

Notes:
Before you were born again you were a gentile, after you became a Christian you are now a saint.

Ruth and Rahab - did Ruth come into the nation as a Moabite or an Israelite?
What about Rahab?  They have been grafted in  to nation of Israel.  They left behind their pagan traditions and culture and chose to come under God's way as He had instructed Israel.

Ruth and Rahab took steps of faith.  Ruth took steps of faith and she never saw then end of the picture, if she had not been faithful to God were would never have known salvation, because Jesus Christ came through the line of David, of which both Ruth and Rahab are a part of.

Ruth said to Naomi, where you I will go,your God will be my Go;, she surrendered herself to God.

Israel at the centre of the world where God called this people to witness to the world.  Israel was and is a peculiar people; so too is the Church.

The Word of God -  we read the Word because its part of Gods order
Public Bible reading should be part of what we do as a "corporate" body.

Further Bible References:
Heb 11 great men and women of faith
Nehemiah 13 :23-31

433 BC Nehemiah went back to the King and then when Nehemiah returns he finds out his enemies have married into the priests and this has brought disorder and strife into Jerusalem.  God is of order; a proper order.  If we don't have order, families fall apart because of loss of order.

The wall wouldn't hold back enemies; it was the peoples relationship with the Lord that made them secure.  Note throughout the book of Nehemiah, that Nehemiah, always consulted God first.

Sabbath is resting in Jesus, this is the day that the Lord made!  We have a responsibility to ensure we follow Gods culture.

The Promise of Rest - Hebrews Chapter 4:1-9

4 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them,[a] not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 3 For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said:

“So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest,’”[b]
although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; [c] 5 and again in this place: “They shall not enter My rest.”[d]

6 Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, 7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said:

“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts.”[e]
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. 9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. 10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.