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 enter the assembly of God, 2 for they did not meet the people of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them—yet our God turned the curse into a blessing. 3 As soon as the people heard the law, they separated from Israel all those of foreign descent.
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,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. 6 While this was taking place, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king. And after some time I asked leave of the king 7 and came to Jerusalem, and I then discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, preparing for him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. 8 And I was very angry, and I threw all the household furniture of Tobiah out of the chamber. 9 Then I gave orders, and they cleansed the chambers, and I brought back there the vessels of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.
10 I also found out that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had fled each to his field. 11 So I confronted the officials and said, “Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their stations. 12 Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses. 13 And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouses Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, and as their assistant Hanan the son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, for they were considered reliable, and their duty was to distribute to their brothers. 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.
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. 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! 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? 18 Did not your fathers act in this way, and did not our God bring all this disaster[a] on us and on this city? Now you are bringing more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”
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. 20 Then the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice. 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.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.
23 In those days also I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. 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. 25 And I confronted them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair. And I made them take an 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. 26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin on account of such women? Among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, foreign women made even him to sin. 27 Shall we then listen to you and do all this great evil and act treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women?”
28 And one of the sons of Jehoiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was the son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite. Therefore I chased him from me. 29 Remember them, O my God, because they have desecrated the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.
30 Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign, and I established the duties of the priests and Levites, each in his work; 31 and I provided for the wood offering at appointed times, and for the firstfruits.
Remember me, O my God, for good. Nehemiah 13 ESV
The people read the law, compared their present state to the law, were convicted of the law and set out to separate themselves accordingly. Now lest we think this a point to feed our own worldly predispositions towards hate, racism and the like, this is not a racial divide or segregation. How do I know that, or am I just trying to appease the present culture? Well, I don't want to rabbit trail too much, but I really have no desire at appeasing a culture where those who claim racism are in fact the most guilty. The way we find the intent of this passage is in it's context and by taking the whole counsel of God, for those who are searching out the truth. They were told not to intermarry with the Moabites which was for the sake of religious purity not racial. When a false prophet, Balaam, could not curse Israel, because of God's restraint, but still wanted to be revered and paid by the king, he taught them how to break Israel from within. It is the sin of Samson, David, Solomon and others, to be unequally yoked with unbelievers.
The people read the law, compared their present state to the law, were convicted of the law and set out to separate themselves accordingly. Now lest we think this a point to feed our own worldly predispositions towards hate, racism and the like, this is not a racial divide or segregation. How do I know that, or am I just trying to appease the present culture? Well, I don't want to rabbit trail too much, but I really have no desire at appeasing a culture where those who claim racism are in fact the most guilty. The way we find the intent of this passage is in it's context and by taking the whole counsel of God, for those who are searching out the truth. They were told not to intermarry with the Moabites which was for the sake of religious purity not racial. When a false prophet, Balaam, could not curse Israel, because of God's restraint, but still wanted to be revered and paid by the king, he taught them how to break Israel from within. It is the sin of Samson, David, Solomon and others, to be unequally yoked with unbelievers.
Rahab
Nehemiah has been gone from his original post as governor for what most commentators estimate to be a period of 10 to 12 years. This was after his first term where we saw the building of the wall, and reform to the extent that the people made a covenant with God to abstain from romantic unions that would lead to idolatry. They were not going to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. The people promised to abstain from greed, for it would lead them to dishonor the Sabbath. The Sabbath laws forbid work or commerce on that day, not because business itself was immoral, but because the people would forsake a higher call and cause others to as well. Lastly, they promised to see to the care of the temple and the Levites. The Lord's work is important and we should find ourselves privileged to be a part of it. What does Nehemiah find on his return?
This sin was found most grievous, and whereas Ezra pulled out his own hair and separated these families in the past, Nehemiah pulls out the hair of these men to shame them and calls them to do it no more. There is never any one sermon that retires the rest of our lives. It is every day that we must deny ourselves, taking up our cross, reading the word, confessing our sin, praying without ceasing. They had a wonderful revival, but some 10 years later they have gone back upon every promise of their covenant. It is the same with the Christian life, as we read we see, as we see we find conviction, and as we are convicted we cry out, "have mercy", and He is faithful to see us down this long road of sanctification. It all comes down to a matter of the heart, not the emotions of a moment but the ongoing work of Christ's spirit in us. It is not a racial divide, for even a priest was thrown out. Rahab was from Jericho but she sided with the only true God, she is in the line of David. Ruth was a Moabite, who became a proselyte, and married Boaz to also become a grandmother in the line of David, the line of Judah, the line of Christ. Don't put your trust in birth, lineage or circumcision, but in Christ, for there it is that we are all one body.
Nehemiah has been gone from his original post as governor for what most commentators estimate to be a period of 10 to 12 years. This was after his first term where we saw the building of the wall, and reform to the extent that the people made a covenant with God to abstain from romantic unions that would lead to idolatry. They were not going to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. The people promised to abstain from greed, for it would lead them to dishonor the Sabbath. The Sabbath laws forbid work or commerce on that day, not because business itself was immoral, but because the people would forsake a higher call and cause others to as well. Lastly, they promised to see to the care of the temple and the Levites. The Lord's work is important and we should find ourselves privileged to be a part of it. What does Nehemiah find on his return?
- Tobiah, his enemy, one of those who along with Sanballat, tried to obstruct the building of the wall, had now been given room to set up office in the temple. It is an abomination that Eliashib, the priest, would give such permission. The wolf waited for the shepherd to leave, and then snuck in another way, but upon Nehemiah's return, Tobiah is kicked out. There are a lot of churches like this today that will let anyone in the pulpit who smiles or claims to have a word.
- While this was going on, the portions had not been paid to the Levites, causing them to seek other forms of work. It is noted in commentaries that this was probably the reason it was so hard to convince the Levites to leave the land of Babylon in the first place. They had no holdings here of their own according to the law, they were set apart to the work of God. Nehemiah sets out to correct this right away by finding more reliable, trustworthy men.
- Merchants were there on the Sabbath selling their wares and the Jews were buying. Nehemiah's reaction is much like our Lord's when He overturned the tables of the money chambers. He locks the merchants out and then threatens to lay hands on them. This is God's house, this is the city of God.
- The people were found to have married into the cultures that were forbidden. Their children could not even speak Hebrew, for they were already more like their unbelieving mothers. The role of mother is much like gate keeper to the wall, she is the guard of the home, and here you have hired a thief. How will she guard righteousness and Godliness when she worships idols? How can you serve God when she is an idol living in your house, a sign of your disobedience. The people had great precedence in their priests as well, for one of them was married to the daughter of Sanballat, another enemy to true worship. Nehemiah kicks this apostate priest out as well, and it is held in some Jewish traditions that Sanballat makes him a priest in Samaria.
This sin was found most grievous, and whereas Ezra pulled out his own hair and separated these families in the past, Nehemiah pulls out the hair of these men to shame them and calls them to do it no more. There is never any one sermon that retires the rest of our lives. It is every day that we must deny ourselves, taking up our cross, reading the word, confessing our sin, praying without ceasing. They had a wonderful revival, but some 10 years later they have gone back upon every promise of their covenant. It is the same with the Christian life, as we read we see, as we see we find conviction, and as we are convicted we cry out, "have mercy", and He is faithful to see us down this long road of sanctification. It all comes down to a matter of the heart, not the emotions of a moment but the ongoing work of Christ's spirit in us. It is not a racial divide, for even a priest was thrown out. Rahab was from Jericho but she sided with the only true God, she is in the line of David. Ruth was a Moabite, who became a proselyte, and married Boaz to also become a grandmother in the line of David, the line of Judah, the line of Christ. Don't put your trust in birth, lineage or circumcision, but in Christ, for there it is that we are all one body.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave[a] nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28
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