Nehemiah's Final Reforms

Taught by Toby
Notes by Linda

Today Toby concluded our study of Nehemiah, covering Nehemiah 13. From reading this chapter in its entirety, we find that Nehemiah had returned to Jerusalem after returning to Babylon for a period of about 12 years. When Nehemiah returns he finds that the people had broken the vows that they had made before God. After the Law was read by Ezra (please see Nehemiah 9) the Israelites had renewed their covenant with God. There are four significant areas of spiritual decay. They were: 1-defilement of the holy place, 2-neglecting of the temple and support of the clergy, 3-breaking of the Sabbath, and 4-intermarriage.

1 - Defilement of the Holy Place (Nehemiah 13:4-9)
Upon Nehemiah’s return, he is met with a situation that greatly grieved him. “Here I learned about the evil thing Eliashib had done in providing Tobiah a room in the courts of the house of God” (Nehemiah 13:7). Toby reminded us of the part Tobiah had played in the events to date – he had opposed the rebuilding of the temple and frustrated God’s work every step along the way. He was now put in a place of influence. Tobiah was also an Ammonite, a gentile pagan. The high priest, Eliashib, had formed an unholy alliance with Tobiah and allowed the temple to be used for a purpose that was contrary to its holy purpose. Nehemiah took strong action to rectify this situation. “ I was greatly displeased and threw all Tobiah's household goods out of the room. I gave orders to purify the rooms, and then I put back into them the equipment of the house of God, with the grain offerings and the incense” (Nehemiah 13:8-9).

2 - Neglecting the Temple and the Support of the Clergy (Nehemiah 13:10-14)
The rooms that Tobiah was occupying were purposed as temple storerooms. “And he (Eliashib) had provided him (Tobiah) with a large room formerly used to store the grain offerings and incense and temple articles, and also the tithes of grain, new wine and oil prescribed for the Levites, singers and gatekeepers, as well as the contributions for the priests” (Neh. 13:5, emphasis added). Because Tobiah was in these rooms there was no place to store these crucial items. Because those who served in the temple were not physically provided for they had to return to their regular jobs. As a result of this the house of the Lord was being neglected. Once again we see Nehemiah rectify the situation. “So I rebuked the officials and asked them, "Why is the house of God neglected?" Then I called them together and stationed them at their posts. All Judah brought the tithes of grain, new wine and oil into the storerooms” (Neh. 13:11-12). He also appointed trustworthy men to be put in charge of the distribution of the contributions.

3 - Breaking of the Sabbath (Nehemiah 13:15-19)
The next issue that Toby pointed out was that the Sabbath was not being honored. “In those days I saw men in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, together with wine, grapes, figs and all other kinds of loads. And they were bringing all this into Jerusalem on the Sabbath. Therefore I warned them against selling food on that day. Men from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them in Jerusalem on the Sabbath to the people of Judah” (Nehemiah 13:15-16). This was an infraction of the Mosaic Law which could have resulted in death to the offenders. Nehemiah’s strategy was to have the gates shut on the Sabbath to prevent commerce from taking place. Without the opportunity to sell their products it was futile for them to continue this practice. It was noted that the observation of the Sabbath is what set the Israelites apart from the other nations.

Toby then asked the class what the Sabbath meant to believers in today’s world. A lengthy discussion ensued. Some people believed that it should be a day set apart for time with their families. Others saw it as a day of refreshment. It was noted that because of the working structure in today’s world many people are required to work on the Sabbath. Many different views and feelings were expressed.

4 - Intermarriage (Nehemiah 10:23-30)
The last area addressed in chapter 13 is intermarriage. Toby stressed that the danger with intermarriage was the dilution of the Israelites spiritual beliefs because of the influence of pagan religions. Nehemiah had a very strong reaction to this situation. “I rebuked them and called curses down on them. I beat some of the men and pulled out their hair. I made them take an oath in God's name and said: "You are not to give your daughters in marriage to their sons, nor are you to take their daughters in marriage for your sons or for yourselves” (Nehemiah 13:25). He then reminded them of the example of King Solomon. “Was it not because of marriages like these that Solomon king of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no king like him. He was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel, but even he was led into sin by foreign women” (Nehemiah 13:26). Toby pointed out that even the high priest’s grandson was guilty of this sin. She explained that Nehemiah’s reaction was so severe because this sin would result in the very thing that had resulted in their period of captivity in the first place.

A Final Word on Vows
Toby concluded today’s teaching with a warning about making vows. To put this in context, she referenced earlier passages in the book of Nehemiah. The Israelites had vowed specifically against the sins that they later committed.

The Israelites had made the following vows: “In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement, putting it in writing, and our leaders, our Levites and our priests are affixing their seals to it” (Nehemiah 9:38) and then again "The rest of the people—priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, temple servants and all who separated themselves from the neighboring peoples for the sake of the Law of God, together with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to understand—all these now join their brothers the nobles, and bind themselves with a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God given through Moses the servant of God and to obey carefully all the commands, regulations and decrees of the LORD our Lord” (Nehemiah 10:28-29). In verse 10:30 they specifically vowed against intermarriage "We promise not to give our daughters in marriage to the peoples around us or take their daughters for our sons”. In verse 10:31 they vow to honor the Sabbath, “When the neighboring peoples bring merchandise or grain to sell on the Sabbath, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day. Every seventh year we will forgo working the land and will cancel all debts”. Lastly, in verse 10:39, “The people of Israel, including the Levites, are to bring their contributions of grain, new wine and oil to the storerooms where the articles for the sanctuary are kept and where the ministering priests, the gatekeepers and the singers stay. "We will not neglect the house of our God."

Toby pointed out that these oaths had been made in sincerity yet they did not prevent the people from sinning. She warned against making a vow to the Lord and then trying to keep it by our own will and strength. It gives the enemy room to come in with condemnation. She encouraged us to lean on the strength of the Lord. “That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 10:12). Only when we surrender to God and say ‘I can’t do this on my own’ will He come in.

In a final summation of the book of Nehemiah, we saw the wall was rebuilt and dedicated, the temple was rebuilt and dedicated, and the Israelites rededicated themselves to the Lord. Despite all this, years later destruction would again come. Toby asked what this all pointed to. She said it pointed to a better way. The Messiah would come. Because of this we have access to holiness that those who lived before us never dreamed of. The Holy Spirit abides in us as believers. He gives us the power to overcome sin more than vows and curses ever could. She finished with words we have often heard: ‘Less of me, more of Him’.