Men Appointed Over The Storage Chambers In The Temple And Arrangements Are Made For The Gathering Of The Offerings And Tithes For The Sustenance Of The God-ordained Priests And Levites (Nehemiah 12:44-47).
In recognition of the new status of Jerusalem, and as a continuation of their expressions of thanksgiving towards God, a new impetus was given to the gathering of offerings and tithes for the priests and Levites. This is not to be seen as just an idea that was tacked on. It was central to the expectancy of the renewal of the Kingdom. It was seen as vitally important that in the holy city, where YHWH reigned in splendour, (whilst very much not being limited to that city, for it was recognised that ‘even the heaven of heavens could not contain Him' (Psalms 93-99; 1 Kings 8:27)), those set apart to God's holy purposes and service should be fully provided for in accordance with the Law of Moses, so that they could give their full time to His service. And we should note that significantly there is here a deliberate reference back to the times of David, thereby emphasising that this was all to be seen as an important part of the reconstitution of the Davidic Kingdom, with David's city at its head.
The connection with the previous celebrations is clearly brought out by the opening words, ‘on that day, at that time' (beyom). The emphasis is on the fact that what is now to be described was to be seen as springing directly out of the loyalty and dedication to God revealed in those celebrations (compare also Nehemiah 13:1).
This emphasis on the tithes and offerings as an important evidence of loyalty to God, and as a precursor to future blessing from God, is heavily underlined in the nearly contemporary prophecy of Malachi, which may even have been written at this time. There the prophet, in expectation of great things to come, calls on God's people to renew their loyalty to God and pay Him His dues. Indeed he makes clear that without this there could be no glorious future (Malachi 3:7-12). One of the signs of God's evident working is that His people become generous with their material things, all of which belong to God. Thus this establishment of tithes and offerings was all a part of the expression of their loyalty, and an ensuring of the ministry of the priests and Levites chosen by God for that purpose, thus ensuring the continual holiness of the city and its eschatological future.
Analysis Of Nehemiah 12:44-47.
· Men appointed over the Temple store-chambers in order to gather the heave offerings and tithes (44a).
· Judah rejoiced for the priest and the Levites who stood (before YHWH), and kept the charge of God, and the charge of purification, and the charge of the singers and gatekeepers according to the commandment of David and Solomon (45)
· For in the days of David and Asaph there were chief singers and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God (46).
· The portions for the singers and gatekeeper, and the tithes for the Levites and priests, were set apart as required (47).
‘And at that time (or ‘on that day') were men appointed over the chambers for the treasures, for the heave-offerings, for the first-fruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them, according to the fields of the cities, the portions appointed by the law for the priests and Levites: for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites who stood (before YHWH).'
Beyom (on that day, at that time') is not necessarily intended to be seen as precise. ‘Yom' could equally mean ‘day' or ‘duration of time', although it may be that the celebrations immediately precipitated the actions described. But it is unlikely that they commenced at the end of that very busy day. Rather they would take time to implement. Compare also Nehemiah 13:1. Indeed the later beyamim ‘in those days' suggests that these time frames are vague and approximate. The aim of these connecting phrases is in order to demonstrate what follows as an essential part of the purifying of the renewed Jerusalem.
So it was as a consequence of the initial religious purifying of Jerusalem that men were appointed (by the people of Judah) to oversee the Temple treasury, and to watch over the gathering of the heave-offerings, the firstfruits and the tithes. The idea is that what was God's should be gathered efficiently and should be kept holy. For men to be over the treasury and the store-chambers was not new. Consider for example those described in Ezra 8:33. See also Nehemiah 10:38. But this would appear to have in mind a new initiative taken in order to ensure efficiency in the service of God.
‘To gather into them, according to the fields of the cities, the portions appointed--.' It is apparent from this that they were given the responsibility of gathering in the tithes in a systematic manner, for these were the portions appointed by the Law for the priests and Levites. We have no indication anywhere of how systematically his had been done in the past, but at times when tithing was practised it must have required a great deal of expended time for the Levites to gather in the tithes from every farm, and ensure that they received the correct proportion, and as Nehemiah 10:38 indicates this was overseen by the priests. Thus it was a regular procedure. But now this was done happily because the whole of Judah were rejoicing in their God-chosen representatives before YHWH. There was renewed hope for the future, and the contribution of the Levites was seen as being of great importance.
Thus one of the firstfruits of the revival was a renewed activity of setting apart of the chambers in the Temple for their holy purpose. But sadly, as spirituality waned, and when Nehemiah's eagle eye was not present, those very chambers would be taken over and utilised for another, quite unholy purpose (Nehemiah 13:4-5), something which a returning Nehemiah had to remedy. The purity of Jerusalem had to be maintained, and it was this that Nehemiah saw as his main accomplishment (Nehemiah 13:30-31).
The heave-offerings, the firstfruits and the tithes were the portions appointed by the Law for the maintenance of the God-chosen priests and Levites. It was as a direct result of these that they were able to carry on their full-time ministry, and they were essential for that purpose. That is why they were so important in maintaining the holiness of the holy city.
The ‘heave-offerings' were that part of the offerings which was ‘heaved' or ‘waved' before YHWH as His portion, and thus available only to be partaken of by the priests. The ‘firstfruits' were that portion of produce set apart as YHWH's in recognition that they held the land from Him. That too was partaken of by the priests. ‘The tithes' were one tenth of all produce (both of animals and of grain) which was to be set apart, both for the Levites, and for the poor, with a tenth of a tenth being made available to the priests.
‘For Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites who stood (before YHWH).' It is significant that the same word (‘rejoiced') is used of Judah's attitude towards the priests and Levites as was used of their celebrating the completion of the wall (compare Nehemiah 12:43). Both were occasions of great joy. They were exultant that the holy city had been established with a holy priesthood. For the phrase ‘stood before YHWH' see Deuteronomy 10:8; Deuteronomy 18:7; Ezekiel 44:15; 2 Chronicles 29:11.
‘And they kept the charge of their God, and the charge of the purification, and (the charge of) the singers and the gatekeepers, according to the commandment of David, and of Solomon his son.'
The ‘they' here possibly refers to those appointed over the store-chambers, who would of course be priests and Levites, or it may refer to the priests and Levites generally. They gladly kept God's charge, faithfully fulfilling their responsibilities in order to fulfil God's Law, including His charge concerning offerings and sacrifices and other methods of purification, and His charge concerning the singers and gatekeepers in accordance with the requirements laid down by David, and his son Solomon, for which see 1 Chronicles 23-26. This is especially significant in that, once Nehemiah was absent at the court of the Persian king, the people failed to completely fulfil this responsibility (Nehemiah 13:10), and had to be called into line. In 1 Chronicles 23:28 the ‘purifying of holy things' was seen very much as an important part of the service of ‘the sons of Levi'.
Many would translate as ‘as did the singers and the gatekeepers', including them as fulfilling their responsibility with regard to ‘the charge of God'.
‘For in the days of David and Asaph of old there was a chief of the singers, and a song of praise and thanksgiving unto God.'
Here the writer stresses that there were indeed in David's day, and in the days of Asaph his choirmaster, a chief of singers and ‘a song or praise and thanksgiving' that is there was a choir that sang praises to God. There being a ‘song of praise' after mention of a chief singer, is demonstrative of this latter fact. The song of praise would arise from his choir. The double emphasis on David suggests that very much in mind was the fact that they were continuing on with the ministry of the kingdom. Now that Jerusalem was once more the holy city they were hoping for a new David to arise, to lift God's people to new heights.
‘And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the gatekeepers, as every day required: and they set apart that which was for the Levites; and the Levites set apart that which was for the sons of Aaron.'
He then stresses that from the very moment of the return from captivity to the present time, even if only spasmodically when a leader with impetus arose (in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah), the due portions were given to the singers/musicians and the gatekeepers, in accordance with their requirements, and tithes were set apart for the Levites, who in their turn set aside a tenth of the tithes for the priests. There is a deliberate portrayal of the ideal prior to our learning what happened when the people were left unsupervised by a godly leader. But as no credit for this could specifically be given to Nehemiah there is no prayer from Nehemiah that God will remember what he has done.