Nehemiah

Mattaniah was a descendant of Asaph (1 Chronicles 9:15) and one of the many Levites who labored in the Temple worship during Nehemiah's day. National thanksgiving was deeply personal for Mattaniah. Image gives article title and is set to the background of The-second-Jewish-Temple-by- artist Alex-Levin

A Thanksgiving Message from Mattaniah

November 27, 2025
This week, I have been reading again through the Old Testament historical record of Nehemiah. It is full of names and genealogies, and I am learning to pay attention to...
Working through Your Weariness is often necessary. Even the best workers get tired. Jesus did. In His perfect humanity, He still grew weary.

Working through Your Weariness

July 14, 2025
I thank God for Christian workers who are diligently seeking to pass God's Word and work on to another generation. Yet, even the best workers get tired. Jesus did. In...
God used Nehemiah's leadership to rebuild the ruined walls of Jerusalem. In just 52 days, they were completely restored. Begin Your Journey Through Nehemiah with this devotional overview by Scott Pauley and Enjoying the Journey. Picture of Nehemiah in the Bible.

Journey Through Nehemiah

April 7, 2025
Overview: There is work to do in our homes, churches, and nation. Sin's work is destruction; God's work is construction. In Nehemiah, we learn the principles of building up that...
Normal Days, The Normal Days, A Normal Day

A Normal Day

January 25, 2025
Men are famous for their extraordinary days, but they are forged on their ordinary days. We revel in the accomplishments and bemoan the failures of others, yet, those highest and...
EZRA, Journey Through Ezra, journeying through Ezra, Overview of Ezra, Ezra in the Bible,

Journey Through Ezra

January 7, 2025
We are journeying through the little book of Ezra. And what an amazing book it is. Ezra is a very short book, a brief book, and it picks up exactly...
The ruins of the Castle of the Servant in Jordan. The historian Josephus wrote that the dynasty of Tobiah built a castle on the east side of the Jordan River, in Ammon. He specifically wrote in the Antiquities of the Jews about the carved "beasts of gigantic size" visible here on the left corner of the structure. The beasts on the right side are not as well-preserved. The structure dates to the centuries after Nehemiah, however it shows the power and prestige of this family of "servants." Photo by John Buckner

The Castle of the Servant 

May 22, 2024
The Castle of the Servant  “When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek...
preslie-hirsch-rOKbmUbcOVg-unsplash

Don’t Lose Your Joy!

May 31, 2014
Don't Lose Your Joy! This world is full of joy stealers.  Behind them all is a miserable devil whose only delight is to "steal, kill, and destroy."  It is a...