And let's close in prayer. No, we're not going to close in prayer.

Nehemiah chapter 13 tonight. We are going to, it's kind of bittersweet. We're going to finish

the book of Nehemiah. And I'm going to really miss Nehemiah. This has been a fabulous and

fascinating study and really looking forward to

this chapter. It's kind of like saving the best for last. This is incredible what is before

us tonight. So why don't we pray and we'll ask God's blessing on our time together in his

word if you would join with me.

Loving Heavenly Father, we're so grateful to you and on this week where we celebrate Thanksgiving, Lord, we do want to express to you our our thanks and Lord we are so

thankful to you for who you are and how good you are to us Lord you are always only

good all the time and, we cannot with the English language find the words adequate

to express to you just how thankful we are to you. We're thankful to you for your word and this chapter that we have before us tonight here in your word.

Lord, as we have our Bibles open, I pray so too at our hearts be open as well to receive from you that which you would desire to minister to us

tonight in and through your word. So Lord speak, your servants are listening. In Jesus' name, amen.

All right, let's jump in. Verse one. On that day, they read from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people, and in it was found

written that no ammonite or moabite should ever come into the assembly of God.

And here's why verse two. Because they had not met the children of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balam against them to curse them. However, our God, and I love this, turned the curse into a blessing. How many of you know that only God,

as only he can, can take that which is meant for a curse or evil and turn it into a blessing

and bring good from it. And that's what he did. So it was, verse three,

when they had heard the law that they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel. This is what I call

not only reading, but heeding the word of God. They read in, and think about this, this is

probably very likely the first time in the newly rebuilt temple that they had actually read

from God's word about this account. Now I want to come back to that because it's one of the

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