Beginning and Endind
Bible Reading: Nehemiah 11:3-17 Key Verse: Verse 17 – “ And Mattaniah the son of Micha, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, was the principal to begin the thanksgiving in prayer: and Bakbukiah the second among his brethren, and Abda the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.” Key Words: begin the thanksgiving in prayer After the Babylonian captivity, Nehemiah led the nation of Israel in rebuilding the walls around Jerusalem and in restoring the temple and in restoring the worship of God. After the restoration of the walls and temple, the people of Israel gathered together in a thanksgiving service, and Mattaniah, a leader of the tribe of Levi, began the service with a prayer of thanksgiving. Now, this raises a question in my mind: how do we begin and end our prayers? Do we do this by giving thanks to God? The Rev. Leslie F. Church related the fo...