NEHEMIAH CHAPTER 13 – RECTIFYING THE PROBLEMS

After being in Jerusalem for twelve years, Nehemiah had returned to Persia as he stated he would do to King Artaxerxes in Nehemiah 2:6. Now he has come back to Jerusalem to resume the governor’s position only to find to his mortification and regret that many of the Jews had reverted to practices that were not pleasing to God. As a result, there were five main areas of concern which Nehemiah addressed and rectified in this chapter. They were:

1. Eliashib, the high priest, had permitted Tobiah the Ammonite access to a room in the temple which had been designated as a storage chamber for temple treasures and objects used in the temple service by the priests and Levites. Nehemiah threw out Tobiah and his belongings, had the room cleansed and returned to its designated purpose.
2. The Jews had been negligent in their tithing and offerings, which was necessary for the support of the temple staff; thus, many of staff had returned to farming. Nehemiah rebuked the rulers, reinstated the dispersed Levites, and appointed trustworthy individuals to administrate the temple treasury and care of temple staff.
3. Some of the Jews were neglecting to observe the Sabbath by working, buying, and selling on it. Nehemiah questioned the nobles, closed the gates of Jerusalem from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday, and threatened the merchants who attempted to sell their wares outside the city gates during this time.
4. Once again, the Jews were intermarrying with the women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. For the intermarriage offenders, Nehemiah cursed, whipped, and shaved off the hairs. He also made them take an oath to cease allowing themselves and their children to marry heathens.
5. Eliashib, the high priest, had a grandson who married a Samaritan, which was contrary to the instructions that God gave for marriages of a priest (Lev. 21:14). Nehemiah excommunicated this man and asked God to judge this man’s rebellious action.

The gleaning points that I have received from this chapter are:

1. God’s laws/instructions are often generational.
2. The enemy seeks to move into unoccupied spaces.
3. An evil thing is an enemy in God’s house.
4. Don’t permit the enemy to store his goods in God’s house.
5. Refuse to fraternize with the enemy.
6. The enemy should be evicted from God’s house.
7. Our sins should grieve us.
8. Exorcize the impure.
9. Fill God’s house with the proper things; the things that belong to Him.
10. Ministry needs support in order to survive. Without it, ministers will seek other means to live/survive.
11. When leadership is lacking, people will do what they want.
12. Leaders are to be held accountable for their actions.
13. Use the faithful.
14. Strong leadership is needed to keep people on track
15. There are consequences for sinning.
16. The enemy seeks to allure you to do the wrong thing.
17. Take charge of the atmosphere within and without.
18. Your speech identifies you.
19. When evil alliances take place, an ungodly lifestyle will occur.
20. Sin causes us to be absorbed, dominated, and controlled by evil influences.
21. Always stand for what is right.
22. Sometimes it is necessary to confront leaders.
23. You can ask God to remember what you have done in His house.