March 1, 2003
This chapter relates the reformation of various abuses crept in among the Jews by Nehemiah, who removed the Moabites and Ammonites, mixed with them, #Ne 13:1-3, threw the household goods of Tobiah out of a chamber of the temple, and restored it to its former use, #Ne 13:4-9, took care that the Levites had their portion given them which had been kept from them, #Ne 13:10-14 prevented the profanation of the sabbath by selling goods on that day, #Ne 13:15-22, and put a stop to the marrying of strange wives, which had prevailed again among them, #Ne 13:23-31. (Gill)
Upon the reading of the law separation is made between Israel and the mixed multitude, #Ne 13:1-3. Nehemiah, at his return to Jerusalem, causeth the chambers to be cleansed. #Ne 13:4-9. He restoreth and reformeth the offices of the priests and Levites in the house of God, #Ne 13:10-14; and seeing the violation of the sabbath, he contendeth with the nobles of Judah, #Ne 13:15-18. He shutteth the gates, and setteth a watch at them, #Ne 13:19-22. The punishment of marrying with strange wives, #Ne 13:23-28. Nehemiah's prayer, #Ne 13:29-31. (Pool.)
Nehemiah, having finished what he undertook for the fencing and filling of the holy city, returned to the king his master, who was not willing to be long without him, as appears, #Ne 13:6. But, after some time, he obtained leave to come back again to Jerusalem, to redress grievances, and purge out some corruptions which had crept in in his absence; and very active he was in reforming several abuses, which here we have an account of. (MH)
There are five charges against God's people in this chapter. Evidently, Nehemiah had returned to his king for a short period of a few years, and during that time, the people forgot all about their wonderful promises they had made about serving the Lord as revealed by Moses.
First, vv. 1-3, the Moabites had been allowed into the congregation of the Lord.
Second, vv. 4-9, the priest, Eliashib was corrupt, and he took a chamber in the house of God where the treasures of the Lord were stored, and gave it to Tobiah. The people ceased giving to the Lord as required by Moses.
Third, vv. 10-14, those who had been set aside for the Lord's service were not being supported as required by both Moses and the king of Persia.
Fourth, vv. 15-22, the sabbath was being seriously violated, which was a problem that had brought down God's wrath upon His people.
Fifth, vv. 23-31, inner marriage with the woman of Ashdod, Ammon and of Moab.
First, vv. 1-3, the Moabites had been allowed into the congregation of the Lord.
Moab sought to harm God's people as they came out of Egypt. God turned Moab's evil intentions into good, but He did not forget their evil intent against His people.
On that day, probably on the day Nehemiah returned from the king's court. Seeing the corruption that took place in his absence, he read the book of Moses in the people's hearing. When they heard Moses' words against Moab, they took action, and separated from the mixed multitude of Moab.
But the verse reads as though it was on the day of the dedication of the wall, or it could be on an anniversary in commemoration of that day of dedication. (MH)
Moses said that Moab was not to be allowed into the congregation of the Lord forever. The reason being that Moab sought Israel's destruction, and not his benefit. Nor should the unsaved be allowed into the congregation, for they cannot seek the welfare of the Kingdom of God.
The reading of the law should bring action according to the law.
Second, vv. 4-10, the priest, Eliashib was corrupt, and he took a chamber in the house of God where the treasures of the Lord were stored, and gave it to Tobiah.
This section says that Nehemiah had been gone for some time, vv. 6, 7. He would not have allowed such a thing to take place. Eliashib the priest, being in charge of the house of God, not only allowed Tobiah to move in, but prepared him a room there in which to live.
Note that Tobiah could not win from outside, so he moved inside. But he moved inside with the aid of the high priest. He did not come in on his own. He took over the place that had been set aside to receive the goods for those who served the Lord. In fact, Eliashib had removed all of the Lord's stuff to make room for Tobiah. There is not enough room in one's inner chamber to serve both the Lord and the flesh. The one will displace the other every time.
V. 4, Tobiah, the Flesh. We make place for the flesh in the holy place within us, the place where only the Holy Spirit should rule.
Third, vv. 11-14, those who had been set aside for the Lord's service were not being supported as required by both Moses and the king of Persia.
Nehemiah laid the blame upon the rulers, and he soundly rebuked them for not upholding what was required.
The second and third problems seem to be connected. The priest, Eliashib took a chamber in the house of God where the treasures of the Lord were stored, and gave it to Tobiah. The people ceased giving to the Lord as required by Moses.
Nehemiah saw that the Lord's servants had not been paid as commanded by the law and by the king. So these people had gone back to their land to make a living.
Note that in chapter 11, there were not enough people to populate Jerusalem, so some volunteered and then one in ten were chosen. V. 2, the people praised the Lord, and praised those who chose to live in Jerusalem. However, the praise was short-lived, for they soon failed to support those who remained there as was required by Moses, and as they had promised to do.
There may be a reason they did not, and that being that they saw the priest misusing what they had given in support of Tobiah, the enemy of God's people.
Nehemiah contended with the rulers about not supporting the house and work of the Lord. The result of holding the rulers accountable was that the people then gave as they were required and as they had promised back in chapter 11.
I suppose one of the most distressing and discouraging things for the people is to see their leaders, both spiritual and civil, misuse their office for their own profit. That discourages the people from doing as is required of them.
Nehemiah then set faithful men over the treasurers of the Lord, men who would faithfully execute their responsibilities and give to whom giving was due, v. 13.
V. 14, implied is that Nehemiah faced tremendous ridicule for doing what was right in the sight of God, so he prays that the Lord would remember him for good.
Fourth, vv. 15-22, the sabbath was being seriously violated, which was a problem that had brought down God's wrath upon His people.
V. 18, they broke the covenant of chapter 9 already. Without a strong leader, the people will do it every time.
Here is the desecration of the sabbath. Nehemiah was gone for a short while, so business went back to usual. The people willingly violated the sabbath, even though such violation was a reason the nation was carried away into captivity.
Nehemiah chased the merchants out of the city, and shut the gates to keep them out on the sabbath. However, the people evidently went out to them, so Nehemiah chased them away from the city by threatening physical harm to them. They left, and with no more merchants, the people honoured the sabbath.
As long as God's people will put buying and selling before the Lord, the world will provide whatever is wanted.
Nehemiah even had to send some personal servants to keep the gates in order to sanctify the sabbath day, v. 22. It is indeed sad when God's people are so intent on doing their own thing that a guard must be established to stop them.
It is sad to say, but the reason we have wicked leaders is because GOD'S PEOPLE have wicked hearts.
V. 22 is like v. 14, Nehemiah praying that the Lord would remember his efforts to protect the Lord's law. The implication here is that evil designs are upon him by those who hate the limits of the Lord's law. Nehemiah asks the Lord to spare him – spare him from what? Probably the evil intentions of those within the gates who want to be out from under such a strict, but right, interpretation of God's word.
Fifth, vv. 23-31, inner marriage with the woman of Ashdod, Ammon and of Moab.
V. 25, this evil seemed to excite Nehemiah the most of the five. And people think we are hard on them for violation of God's word.
No doubt this is one of the most effective weapons in the enemies arsenal—persuading God's people to intermarry with the pagans. All five of the evils listed by Nehemiah can be found in the New Testament, and this fifth one probably the clearest spoken against. I have noticed that when the unsaved wants to marry an saved individual, the unsaved will start telling how much he or she loves the Lord, and will tell how he or she made a profession. And the saved who wants to marry will justify the situation the same way.
V. 28, Sanballat, the World. Place for the world was made by a priest. Churches and preachers have "married" up with the world. Notice in the first 2 chapters, the war was with Tobiah and Sanballat. In the last 2 chapters, they saw that they could not win over God's people from the outside, so they move inside. Now they are within destroying from within – with mixed macrames, &c. Notice these things did not move in until Nehemiah, the man of God, went somewhere else to take care of business.
V. 29, Nehemiah ends this fifth evil with the same plea for God to remember him. And then he ends the book the same way.
He, no doubt, had tremendous pressure against him as he stood for right.
Vv. 11, 17, 25, contended:
2. By an easy transition, the verb is employed for verbal combat, i.e. to quarrel, to chide one another, as Jacob with Laban (Gen 31:36) or the people with Moses (Ex 17:2, with be : also with îm Gen 26:20; Neh 13:25). t apparently in the sense of with, rather than as sign of direct object, is also sometimes used after this verb, as in Neh 5:7; 13:11, 17 and even with al (Gen 26:21, 22). In the last case, the preposition may not designate the second contending party or parties but the matter of contention: "they strove (r bû) "for that" ( ‘ lêh ). Once the word means "to quarrel" and no object at all appears (Hos 4:4)—in negative command and parallel with y kah "to dispute, argue."
Some of these LXX renders by machomai, which has also the same of verbal quarreling, and others by loidore "to wrangle," "quarrel," "remonstrate angrily." This is an action severely reprimanded in the NT. (1 Cor 15:11; 6:10: 1 Tim 5:14; Mt 5:11, etc.: TWNT, IV, p. 293). (TWOT, #2159, II, p. 845)Genesis 31:36 And Jacob was wroth, and chode <07378> with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?
Genesis 26:20 And the herdmen of Gerar did strive <07378> with Isaac's herdmen, saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well Esek; because they strove with him.Nehemiah 13:25 And I contended <07378> with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves.
Nehemiah 5:7 Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked <07378> the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them.
Nehemiah 13:11 Then contended <07378> I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place.
Nehemiah 13:17 Then I contended <07378> with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day?Genesis 26:21 And they digged another well, and strove <07378> for that also: and he called the name of it Sitnah.
Genesis 26:22 And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove <07378> not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, For now the LORD hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.Hosea 4:4 Yet let no man strive <07378>, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive <07378> with the priest.
Nehemiah became very agitated, and he contended over:
1) 5:7, charging or extracting usury from other of God's people.
2) 13:11, forsaking the house of the Lord and, accordingly, forsaking
the servants of the Lord.
3) 13:17, profaning the sabbath.
4) 13:25, intermarriage.
There are times to be "angry"enough to contend with the evil doers, but we usually contend over the wrong things.
Nehemiah contended for right, and after each encounter with evil, he asked the Lord to remember that he did stand for right: 5:19, Think upon me, my God, for good... 13: 14, Remember me, O my God, concerning this... V. 22, Remember me, O my God, concerning this also... V. 31, Remember me, O my God, for good...
It is sad that people, more often than not, will only do right under proper leadership. Leadership gets lacks or totally crossways with God, and the vast majority of the people will quickly go to the devil. Nehemiah went back to his king, and the people went back to their sinful ways.
We saw this when the Pastor left Marrywoods Baptist Church. It seemed that he was the only thing holding many people together, and when he left, many people left and families split.
Decisions made in the joyous heat of the moment, e.g., chapter 11, don't last long.