Nehemiah 13: That Was Fast

Remember the covenant renewed in Nehemiah 10?  While Nehemiah is away to see King Artaxerxes, the people quickly fall into their old habits and break the terms that they had so recently pledged to follow.  When Nehemiah returns, he is NOT happy.

Here are some of the violations that Nehemiah quickly addresses:

• A storeroom in the Temple had been converted into lodging for Tobiah the Ammonite.  This was approved by the priest Eliashib because he was related to Tobiah.  Nehemiah writes, "And I was very angry, and I threw all the household furniture of Tobiah out of the room.  Then I gave orders and they cleansed the chambers, and I brought back the vessels of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense" (vs. 8 and 9).

• The provision for the Levites and singers had not been given to them.  In response, they had returned to their own fields outside of Jerusalem.  Again, Nehemiah takes action to remedy the situation: "So I remonstrated with the officials and said, “Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their stations.  Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses" (vs. 11 and 12).

• As far as the promise to not buy on the Sabbath?  That, too, was forgotten.  Merchants were coming into Jerusalem and setting up shop and engaging in all sorts of work and commerce.  Nehemiah roundly criticizes the officials who had permitted this, and orders that the gates of Jerusalem be kept shut throughout the Sabbath to prevent these violations from taking place (vs. 19).

• Finally, the pledge against intermarriage with foreigners was likewise ignored.  Even the grandson of the high priest, Eliashib, married a daughter of Sanballat the Horonite.  Nehemiah reminds the people of their promise, even beating them and pulling out their hair.  He pointed to the example of Solomon, who was so great in wisdom, yet still led astray through the influence of his foreign wives.

Nehemiah was serious about the reforms he had instituted.  He desperately wanted to see the people remain true to God rather than repeat the mistakes of their ancestors which had plunged their land into ruin.  Truly, Nehemiah was passionate about the integrity of the Jewish religion and zealous for the Lord.