Vers. 1-26, 44-47.-Ministers of tlie Lord. Twenty-six verses of this chapter are given to the record of the names of priests and Levites. That fact itself is sug- gestive. It is indicative of the high place which the ministers of God held in the national estimation. We meet in these chronicles with the names of few men of comparative wealth, or rank, or soldierly ability; but the names of the ministers of religion are recorded, and are thus immortalised. Concerning these we may learn- I. THEIR RELATIVE VALUE IN THE STATE. "Judah rejoiced in the priests and Levites that waited "-stood at their posts (ver. 44). The worth of the "non-pro- ductive classes" of the community, however high their social position, has been said to be less than that of the man who "makes two blades of grass to grow where only one grew before." But the worth of this last is surely less by far than that of him who makes a true thought to live and gro,v in the mind where one false fancy throve before, who plants right principles in the soul, who is the means of cultivating fruit~ of righteousness in the hearts and Jives of men. .A number of men scattered all over the land who Jive to circulate that sacred truth which leads men into and along the way of wisdom, and to draw the hearts of men into fellowship with a holy God, must be doing a work of truest patriotism, second to none that can be mentioned. Well might" Judah rejoice in the priests and Levites that stood at their posts" (or that waited), and treasure their names in her archives. 'Well may England rejoice in her ministers of Christ who stand at their posts and do the work he has placed in their hands. II. THE PRINCIPLE OF THEIR APPOINTMENT (ver. 10). We are naturally struck with the expression (ver. 10), "And Jeshua begat Joiakim, Joiakim also begat Eliashib," &c. It brings before us-as indeed all these family names do-the hereditary prin- ciple adopted by God in the appointment of his ministers. The priestly and the Levitical office went from father to son. In that age, e.nd under the system of religion appointed of God, there can be no doubt that this was the best possible prin- ciple. We have sad and striking instances, indeed, of its failure to secure purity and integrity. The cases of Eli and Samuel, whose sons "walked not in their fathers' ways," immediately suggest themselves. Yet there was e.n unquestionable spiritual force in this family arrangement. The sons and grandsons who looked back to their fathers, to their ancestors, as men that stood before God in his near presence, as men that taught Israel the sustaining, reviving, saving truths of religion, would gain a powerful incentive from the thought ; and as they looked forward to their sons and their grandsons, to a remote posterity discharging the same sacred offices, a holy antici- pation would join with a holy pride to keep them loyal to their faith and to their functions. With the Christian ministry the hereditary principle is in the background; it is a secondary, not primary, consideration. The first thing is fitness for the work, and the conviction that a man is personally called thereto by God's own Spirit. "Aptness to teaoh" (1 Tim. iii. 2) and to serve in the various offices of the ministry of Christ, with that earnest desire to " do good and to communicate" which argues a heaven-born inspiration, must be the decisive thing. Nevertheless, there is room for the influence of the family principle here. Many of the very best ministers of Christ are sons and grandsons of those who thus served their God and their generation before them; and these have been worthier and abler servants of their age because they have drawn inspiration from their fathers' lives and labours. In this our time there is mnch of h.oly influence and power to gain from those who have gone hefor;i us, o.nd much to give to those who shall come after us. We should aim to (l) II: 2 132 THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH. [err. xn. 27-47.
ht> wo_rt.hy of our ancestors, and to (2) supply an incentive and example to our po~tL-nty. ~II. THEIR R~COMPENSE (vers. 44---47). So much did "Judah rejoice for (in) her pnests and Lentes " (ver. 44 ), that men had to be appointed II over the chambers for the treasures," first-fruits, tithes, and free-will offerings which the people freely bro~gbt to them. . All those who held any sacred office-including those of the Lentes who w~re smge:5 and porters, and "who kept the ward," i. e. did their work (v~r. 45)-received their recompense, and the people "sanctified" (set ape.rt) 11 holy tlnn~s" (their offerings to the Lord) to the Levites, e.nd these gave their tenth to the "children of Aaro!1" (ver. 47). The Christian minister ha1:1 bis recompense which is threefold. 1. It 1s present and temr,oral. 11 Sowing spiritual things " he expects to II reap carnal things'' (1 Cor. ix. 11). He that is "taught in the wo1'.d is to com- munica~e _unto him that teacheth in all ~ood _things" (Gal. vi. 6). 2. It is presen,t and spiritual. In the approval of 9hnst his observant Lord; in the gratitude and a_ffect10n of ~hose whom he serves ; m the excellency and sucoess of his work-intrin- sically ~~e highest and best o! all works ; and in the opportunities it provides for his own spmtual culture. 3. It 1s future. The smile of the Master in the day when 11 every man has pr~ise of God ; " th~ _gr~~ti.ng ag~in of those rescued and strength- ene_d on earth ; the rule over many cities to be enJoyed by those who wisely employ their talents here.-C.
PART IV. DEDICATION OF THE WALL OF JERUSALEM UNDER NEHEMIAH AND EZRA, WITH NERB~ MIAR'S AlutANGEMENT OF THE TEMPLE OFFICERS 1 AND HIS EFFORTS FOB THE REFORM OF RELIGION (CH. xn. 27-47, AND CR. XIII.).