Nehemiah 13
The People's Attention to Their DutyIt was very important for Israel to stay separate from other nations. This helped protect their holiness and identity as God's special people. They were not supposed to mix with the surrounding nations or let foreigners become part of their community. In this passage, we see how the people responded when they learned more about God's law.v. 1-2: On a special day when God's word was read to everyone, the people heard a law that said no Ammonite or Moabite should ever become part of Israel (Nehemiah 13:1 a). This rule was given because these nations had been unkind to Israel—they didn’t help them and even tried to harm them (Nehemiah 13:2; Deuteronomy 23:3-5 b). – v. 3: When the people heard this law, they obeyed quickly. They separated themselves from the "mixed multitude," meaning anyone who was not truly part of Israel. In the past, people from other nations had caused trouble and led Israel to sin (the mixed multitude fell a lusting, Numbers 11:4 c). Now, the people acted to prevent that from happening again. v. 4-5: The story then focuses on Tobiah, an Ammonite who was an enemy of Israel. Eliashib, the high priest, allowed Tobiah to stay in a room in the temple because they were connected by family and friendship (Nehemiah 13:4; Nehemiah 13:28 d). This was wrong, because the high priest was supposed to marry someone from his own people (Leviticus 21:14-15 e). Eliashib even cleared out the temple storerooms, which were meant for offerings and supplies, just to make a special place for Tobiah (Nehemiah 13:5 f). Allowing an Ammonite into the temple went directly against God's law, and it was a serious mistake. – v. 6: During this time, Nehemiah was not in Jerusalem. If he had been there, Eliashib would not have dared to do such a thing. This shows how important good leadership is, because when God's servants are away, bad things can happen (Matthew 13:25 g). v. 7-9: When Nehemiah returned and learned what had happened, he was very upset (Nehemiah 13:7-8 h). He threw Tobiah and all his things out of the temple. Nehemiah did not keep anything for himself; he simply wanted to remove what was wrong. After this, he ordered the temple rooms to be purified before returning the sacred vessels and offerings. This was similar to when Jesus cleared out the temple to make it a house of prayer, not a den of thieves (Matthew 21:13 i). Removing sin from our lives is like cleaning out the temple—it is not enough to throw out what is wrong; we must also ask God to purify us and fill us with his Spirit so we can do good. – – Abuses RectifiedIn this section, Nehemiah deals with another problem among the people. The Levites, who served in the temple, were not being given their proper share. This was a serious issue because it affected worship and the work of God’s house. Nehemiah acted quickly to fix the situation and make sure everyone did their duty.v. 10: The Levites were not receiving their portions as they should . It is possible that when Tobiah took over the temple storerooms, he also took the supplies meant for the Levites. Because they were not being supported, the Levites and singers left their work at the temple and went back to their farms to earn a living. When ministers are not cared for, the work of God suffers. v. 11: Nehemiah blamed the rulers for this problem. He asked them, Why is the house of God forsaken? . The leaders should have made sure the Levites were supported and doing their jobs. When leaders, ministers, and people all neglect their responsibilities, the worship of God is harmed. The law had warned them not to forsake the Levites (Deuteronomy 12:19; 14:27 j).Nehemiah quickly brought the Levites back to their proper places in the temple. He made sure they returned to their stations and did their work. Sometimes, people just need to be reminded or called back to their duties to do what is right. v. 12: Nehemiah encouraged the people to bring in their tithes again . When the Levites were back at work, the people were more willing to give what was required. Good leadership and faithful service encourage others to do their part as well. v. 13: Nehemiah appointed trustworthy men to make sure the Levites received their share . These men had already shown they could be trusted with other responsibilities. Their job was to collect and distribute the offerings fairly and on time. v. 14: Nehemiah prayed, Remember me, O my God, concerning this . He did not look for thanks from people, but trusted God to see and remember his good work. Nehemiah was humble in his prayer—he only asked God to remember him, not to reward or praise him. The Bible says, God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love (Hebrews 6:10 k). When we do good for God’s house and his people, God will remember and bless us. The Charge Respecting the SabbathThis passage shows another way Nehemiah worked to reform the people and honor God. He took action to restore respect for the Sabbath, following the fourth commandment. Nehemiah knew that when people do not value holy time, they will also neglect other duties to God. So, he made sure the Sabbath was kept holy in Jerusalem.v. 15-16: Nehemiah noticed that many people were breaking the Sabbath. Farmers were working in their fields and bringing in crops on that day, even though God had commanded that no work should be done, even during busy seasons (Exodus 34:21 l). Others were carrying heavy loads, which was also forbidden (Deuteronomy 5:14; Jeremiah 17:21 m). Merchants from Tyre were selling goods in Jerusalem, and the people bought from them on the Sabbath (Nehemiah 13:16 n). This showed there was little respect for the Sabbath, and this led to a decline in religious life.v. 15, 17-18: Nehemiah responded by warning those who broke the Sabbath. He spoke out against the people and especially the leaders, telling them it was wrong. He reminded the nobles of Judah that their ancestors’ disobedience caused God’s judgment in the past. He said, You bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath (Nehemiah 13:18 o). Breaking the Sabbath showed disrespect for God and brought trouble on the whole nation. – – – v. 19-21: To stop the problem, Nehemiah had the city gates closed before the Sabbath began and did not open them until it ended (Nehemiah 13:19 p). He put his own servants as guards. Merchants who tried to camp outside the city were warned that if they did it again, Nehemiah would take action against them (Nehemiah 13:21 q). This strong stand discouraged further violations. – – v. 22: Nehemiah also ordered the Levites to purify themselves and help guard the gates, so the Sabbath would stay holy. This way, even when Nehemiah was not there, the Sabbath would still be respected. When leaders and ministers work together, it is more likely that people will obey God’s commands.Nehemiah finished with a prayer: Remember me, O my God... Spare me according to the greatness of your mercy . He did not trust in his own good deeds but asked God for mercy. Even the best people need God’s forgiveness, because there is not a just man that does good and does not sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20 r). We must always rely on God’s mercy, not our own actions. The Dismissal of Strange WivesThis passage shows Nehemiah’s strong desire to keep God’s people pure and faithful. He did not use his power for himself, but worked hard to help the people obey God. Nehemiah wanted Israel to be a special people for God, different from the nations around them.v. 23-24: Nehemiah found that many Jews had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab (Nehemiah 13:23 s). This problem had happened before in Ezra’s time, and even though some had repented then, others did not learn from it (Ezra 9–10 t). The children from these marriages could not speak the Jewish language well, but spoke the language of their mothers. This showed that foreign influence was strong in their homes. God had warned against marrying people who worshipped other gods (Malachi 2:11 u), because it would lead Israel away from him. – v. 25-27: Nehemiah was deeply upset about the sin of intermarriage with foreign women, which violated God’s command: “You shall not give your daughters to their sons” (Deuteronomy 7:3 v). He confronted the people directly, arguing with them and showing them the seriousness of their actions. Nehemiah took strong action by cursing those who persisted, beating some of them, and pulling out their hair to shame them and emphasize the gravity of their sin (Nehemiah 13:25 w). He also made them swear an oath to obey God’s law. Nehemiah reminded them of Solomon, who was wise and loved by God, yet sinned and suffered because of his marriages to foreign women (Nehemiah 13:26 x). He made it clear that this was a great evil and a transgression against God (Nehemiah 13:27 y). This example shows the importance of leaders addressing sin boldly and upholding God’s standards, even when it requires difficult actions. – – v. 28-30: Nehemiah also discovered that a grandson of the high priest had married the daughter of Sanballat, one of Israel’s main enemies . Because this priest refused to give up his foreign wife, Nehemiah removed him from the priesthood. After this, Nehemiah ensured that all the priests and Levites were fulfilling their proper duties and that the community was cleansed from foreign influences (Nehemiah 13:30 z). This helped restore order and purity among God’s people. v. 29-31: Nehemiah ended with two prayers. First, he asked God to remember those who had sinned and to deal with them as they deserved (Nehemiah 13:29 aa). Second, he prayed, “Remember me, O my God, for good” (Nehemiah 13:31 ab). Nehemiah trusted God to see his efforts and reward him, even if people forgot. This is a good example for us: it is enough if God remembers us for good.
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