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Certain officers Appointed
v. 44. And at that time, at the Festival of the Dedication, were some appointed over the chambers for the treasures, the cells or rooms where the gifts to the Temple were stored, for the offerings, for the first-fruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities, the tilled ground surrounding the various towns, the portions of the Law, the delivery of which the Law required, for the priests and Levites; for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites that waited, the joy of the people evidenced itself also in their willingness to care properly for the ministers of the Lord who stood at their posts, performing their tasks as commanded by God.
v. 45. And both the singers and the porters kept the ward of their God, performing their appointed duties, and the ward of their purification, attending also to the duties of purifying, according to the commandment of David and of Solomon, his son, 1 Chronicles 25, 26.
v. 46. For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were chief of the singers, 2Ch_29:30, and songs of praise and thanksgiving unto God, and the purpose of Nehemiah was to restore the entire Temple service to its original beauty and completeness.
v. 47. And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah gave the portions of the singers and the porters, the dues intended for their maintenance, every day his portion; and they sanctified holy things unto the Levites, brought in their consecrated or dedicated gifts; and the Levites sanctified them unto the children of Aaron, the priests, the Levites turning over to the priests the tithe of the gifts which were dedicated to them and entrusted to their care. It augurs well for the work of the Church if all its members rejoice for the Lord's ministers and willingly take upon them the maintenance of the servants of the Word. The sacrifice of the lips is well-pleasing to the Lord only when supported by the sacrifice of the hands.