Wednesday Bible Study: The end of all things- at last, Nehemiah

 

We come at last to the tying of the three part David study together, in the pages of a man who lived some 500 years later, Nehemiah.  Let me review what we saw in David's mistakes these last few weeks first.  The first mistakes, we learned, were about the things David needed to commit to God- and we will see that this is leading to our SERVICE to God.  Truth, Safety, Wrath (emotion that makes you go forward) and fear (emotion that makes you go backward) were the items David stumbled on here.  Then we came to a second set of mistakes that involved submitting to God- and these, we will see, take on CHARACTER.  Our "I's"- I know this, I can do this, I deserve this, I'll fix this- are in question here, so the right way of doing them is going to involve submitting to God's way of doing them.  The third set were those that he needed to act on himself and take responsibility for- and we are going to see a progression from the purely religious factors of the first group to the corporate obedience of the second, to the PERSONAL responsibility of the third.

So now, to Nehemiah 13.  He has already told how the people rejoiced at the renewing of their corporate, national, and personal faith- but in verse four, the aspect changes with but three words...

Neh 13:4  Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, and who was related to Tobiah...

"Now BEFORE this..." which indicates that before the people got to that point of renewed piety, there were some things that needed weeded out.  These things cropped up during a time Nehemiah, because of his duties to the Persian overlord, had to return to Susa for a time, and came back to find these issues (V6).  And I want to stop 3 places on each of the three things he found- the sin, his reaction, and his prayer afterwards.  Because, if we remember the FIRST chapters of Nehemiah ( or even go look now to consult the backstory), our hero never did anything- ANYTHING- without prayer.

The first thing, as v4 alluded to, is that the high priest and his family had married into the family of Tobiah, the enemy of the Jews and toady of Sanballat (his relation to the priest is explained in chapter 6).  So Eliashib the high priest of the day moved out "some old junk" from a room in the new Temple to give Tobiah a room.  What did Eliashib consider "some old junk"?

Neh 13:5  prepared for Tobiah a large chamber where they had previously put the grain offering, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil, which were given by commandment to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests.

In other words, it was where they stored the means of living for the Levites who served the Temple; thus, they had no choice but to abandon the service and go back to their farms (v10).  

This was an area that was to be committed to the service of God; but an evil priest had allowed evil to subvert it.  Thus, a chain reaction started that collapsed the whole structure of service.  Now, I want to say that this whole 4 weeks directly impacts ME as I study it, because right here I have to say to myself, "What is it in MY service I have 'given a room to', and thus corrupted MY service?"  This isn't a single quick answer; this is an every day examination, that widens in scope as time goes on.

Nehemiah's reaction?  He tossed Tobiah and Eliashib, cleansed the room, restored it to its function and put men he could trust in charge of keeping it that way.  Or, repentance, restoration, and reinforcements.  The last is very important, and one I really need the help in.

So then the second thing that happens in Nehemiah 13 is the case, just like with David, of "doing what I want to..."

Neh 13:15  In those days I saw in Judah people treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them on the day when they sold food.
Neh 13:16  Tyrians also, who lived in the city, brought in fish and all kinds of goods and sold them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah, in Jerusalem itself!

We have a two headed problem here.  First, they were doing what was unlawful; second they were encouraged in this by a pagan group- a colony from Tyre- living with them.  This is the warning about "being too closely yoked with unbelievers" all over again.  We think we can handle it in our own strength, and being fallen man, we can't.  But if we look closely here, there is also another dynamic:

Neh 13:17  Then I confronted the nobles of Judah and said to them, "What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day?

In the first crime, he had to confront the priest- the religious authority.  This time, he confronts the Nobles- the secular authority.  When we get to the third part of this, he'll confront the people themselves.

And he does more than just confront them. 

Neh 13:19  As soon as it began to grow dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and gave orders that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. And I stationed some of my servants at the gates, that no load might be brought in on the Sabbath day.
Neh 13:20  Then the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice.
Neh 13:21  But I warned them and said to them, "Why do you lodge outside the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you." From that time on they did not come on the Sabbath.

He set a guard on the gates, and he warned the outsiders to get lost!  And this is how we fight David's second group of mistakes- put a gate and a guard on our hearts, and get rid of the influences that tempt us to open those gates.

The third sin was one the people themselves were committing:

Neh 13:23  In those days also I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.
Neh 13:24  And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but only the language of each people.
Neh 13:25  And I confronted them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair. And I made them take oath in the name of God, saying, "You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.

The people were letting foreign influences corrupt them to the point that their children were becoming indistinguishable from the pagans.  They were about to lose themselves in the society around them.  Plucking their beards ("...and pulled out their hair...") was the highest form of humiliation Nehemiah could put on them- until it grew back, they were excluded from the service altogether.  In our day, we might call it "excommunication".  The lesson here is simple:  There are things you CAN NOT DO and still say you serve God.  No matter how much you say, "But this is what I am, I was born this way."  Believe that if you want, but don't kid yourself that God respects your 'service'.

Now, you will notice I haven't got to the prayers of Nehemiah yet.  This is our close.  After he cleansed the service, he prayed this...

Neh 13:14  Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for his service.

And after slamming the gates shut on the Sabbath, he prayed...

Neh 13:22  Then I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates, to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember this also in my favor, O my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love.

And at the very end of the chapter, he prayed...

Neh 13:31  and I provided for the wood offering at appointed times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good. 

 

One of the commentators mentions that some, including some rabbis, considered these the prayers of a man who thought his actions lifted him above the rabble.  But that is misreading it completely.  You need to see this prayer as explained by Matthew Henry:

He here refers to God, not in pride, but with a humble appeal concerning his honest intention in what he had done. He prays, “Remember me;” not, Reward me. “Wipe not out my good deeds;” not, Publish them, or record them. Yet he was rewarded, and his good deeds recorded. God does more than we are able to ask.

Nehemiah was an example both of humility and zealousness for the Lord.  And in this chapter, God takes the lessons learned from David's failures and gives us examples on how to do them right.  My prayer is that I learn from them both and begin committing, submitting, and accepting responsibility in the way God wants me to.