Heralds Digest

“And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law.” ‭‭Nehemiah‬ ‭8:9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ http://bible.com/114/neh.8.9.nkjv In our world of competition, worldly wisdom is driven by the fear of position, property and prosperity. When the value of life is characterized by a privileged access to this worldly wisdom, commitment to the will of God and the real purpose for human existence is lost. Unfortunately, without a proud possession of the knowledge of God and the understanding of His will, the world can no longer sustain peace, unity, and respect for one another at home, workplaces, and the society. Before the period of captivity, the Jews have lived to reject the word of God through the prophets of God; while religion was considered a distraction to liberty and a denial of human rights. Ackn...

“and of the priests: the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Koz, the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called by their name. These sought their listing among those who were registered by genealogy, but it was not found; therefore they were excluded from the priesthood as defiled.” ‭‭Nehemiah‬ ‭7:63-64‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ http://bible.com/114/neh.7.63-64.nkjv In response to the killing of Hauwa Leman, a Red Cross worker, by Boko Haram, a commentator lamented that “Hauwa responded when humanity called on her; but no one responded when she called on humanity”. As painful and disappointing as human experiences to humanity count, there is always a call to a more important count in life. A call to the priesthood was apparently taken as an ordinary humanity call by Barzillai. He ignored the requested sacred romance with the Lord, while shifting affection to the mundane things and the carnal love affair. His romance to the daughter of the Gileadites, an...