Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Nehemiah 13:1
On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God forever;
1 3. Separation from the mixed multitude
1. On that day ] See note on Neh 12:44.
they read ] Literally ‘it was read,’ without any intimation that the Levites were the readers.
the book of Moses ] A short form for that which is found in Neh 8:1, ‘the book of the law of Moses.’
that the Ammonite and the Moabite ] The passage which had excited attention was doubtless Deu 23:3-6, which opens with the following prohibition, ‘ An Ammonite or a Moabite shall not enter into the assembly of the Lord; even to the tenth generation shall none belonging to them enter into the assembly of the Lord for ever.’
come into the congregation ] R.V. enter into the assembly. It is important that the words of Deuteronomy should be adhered to in the quotation: and ‘assembly’ (qahal) not ‘congregation’ (dah) is the word generally used by the Deuteronomist.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
On that day – Or, at that time, as in Neh 12:44.
The entire Pentateuch is probably meant by the Book of Moses.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
CHAPTER XIII
The law is read, which commands that the Ammonite and Moabite
should be separated from the congregation, on which they
separate all the mixed multitude, 1-3.
Eliashib the high priest having not only joined opinion with
Sanballat, but being also allied to Tobiah the Ammonite, and
having given him some of the chambers in the court of the house
of God, 4, 5;
Nehemiah casts out the goods of Tobiah, and purifies the
chambers, 6-9.
He rectifies several evils; and the people bring the tithes of
all things to the treasuries, 10-12.
He appoints treasurers, 13, 14;
finds that the Sabbaths had been greatly profaned by buying and
selling, and rectifies this abuse, 15-22;
finds Jews that had married strange wives; against whom he
testifies, and expels one of the priests who had married the
daughter of Sanballat the Horonite, 23-29.
He cleanses them from all strangers, makes a final regulation,
and prays for God’s mercy to himself, 30, 31.
NOTES ON CHAP. XIII
Verse 1. On that day] I am quite of Calmet’s mind that the transaction detailed in this chapter did not immediately succeed the dedication of the walls of Jerusalem. It is most likely that, when this dedication was ended, Nehemiah returned to Babylon, as himself particularly marks, Ne 13:6, for he did return in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes; and then, after certain days, supposed to be about the term of one year, he got leave to return to Jerusalem to see how matters were conducted: and there he found the evils which he mentions in this chapter, and which he redressed in the manner himself describes. See the introduction to this book.
Should not come into the congregation] That is, Ye shall not form any kind of matrimonial alliance with them. This, and this alone, is the meaning of the law.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
On that day; not now presently after the dedication of the wall, and gates, and city, but upon a certain day, as that phrase is very commonly used in Scripture without any relation to the time or things mentioned next before it, to wit, when Nehemiah was returned again from the Persian court to Jerusalem, from which he had been absent for some considerable time, in which some errors and abuses had crept in, which now he endeavours to remove.
In the audience of the people; partly because it was not only the priests, but also the peoples, duty to study and understand Gods law and their own duty; and partly that the people hearing that this was the express mind and will of the great God, might the more willingly yield to the following duties, some of which were attended with difficulty, and required self-denial.
Should not come into the congregation of God, i.e. not be incorporated into the commonwealth of Israel, nor be joined with any Israelite in marriage relation, as appears from Neh 13:3; that practice being a plain comment upon this law. But of this and the next verse, See Poole “Deu 23:3“, See Poole “Deu 23:4“.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
1. On that dayThis was notimmediately consequent on the dedication of the city wall and gates,but after Nehemiah’s return from the Persian court to Jerusalem, hisabsence having extended over a considerable period. The transactionhere described probably took place on one of the periodical occasionsfor the public readings of the law, when the people’s attention wasparticularly directed to some violations of it which called forimmediate correction. There is another instance afforded, in additionto those which have already fallen under our notice, of the greatadvantages resulting from the public and periodical reading of thedivine law. It was an established provision for the religiousinstruction of the people, for diffusing a knowledge and a reverencefor the sacred volume, as well as for removing those errors andcorruptions which might, in the course of time, have crept in.
the Ammonite and the Moabiteshould not come into the congregation of God for everthat is,not be incorporated into the Israelitish kingdom, nor united inmarriage relations with that people (Deu 23:3;Deu 23:4). This appeal to theauthority of the divine law led to a dissolution of all heathenalliances (Neh 9:2; Ezr 10:3).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
On that day,…. Not when the wall of the city was dedicated, nor quickly after; for it cannot be thought that people should be so corrupted so soon as this chapter shows; but when Nehemiah had governed them twelve years, and had been at Babylon, and was returned again, as appears from Ne 13:6, compared with Ne 2:1,
they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; for from the time of the reading of the law by Ezra, Ne 8:1 it became a custom to read the law publicly:
and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of the Lord; that is, be admitted to marry with any of the people of Israel; [See comments on De 23:3].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Public reading of the law, and separation from strangers. – Neh 13:1. At a public reading of the law, it was found written therein, that no Ammonite or Moabite should come into the congregation of God, because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam to curse them, though God turned the curse into a blessing. This command, found in Deu 23:4-6, is given in full as to matter, though slightly abbreviated as to form. The sing. relates to Balak king of Moab, Num 22:2., and the suffix of to Israel as a nation; see the explanation of Deu 23:4.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| The People’s Attention to Their Duty. | B. C. 444. |
1 On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever; 2 Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing. 3 Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude. 4 And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah: 5 And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests. 6 But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem: for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon came I unto the king, and after certain days obtained I leave of the king: 7 And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. 8 And it grieved me sore: therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber. 9 Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and thither brought I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meat offering and the frankincense.
It was the honour of Israel, and the greatest preservation of their holiness, that they were a peculiar people, and were so to keep themselves, and not to mingle with the nations, nor suffer any of them to incorporate with them. Now here we have,
I. The law to this purport, which happened to be read on that day, in the audience of the people (v. 1), on the day of the dedication of the wall, as it should seem, for with their prayers and praises they joined the reading of the word; and though it was long after that the other grievances, here mentioned, were redressed by Nehemiah’s power, yet this of the mixed multitude might be redressed then by the people’s own act, for so it seems to be, v. 3. Or, perhaps, it was on the anniversary commemoration of that day, some years after, and therefore said to be on that day. They found a law, that the Ammonites and Moabites should not be naturalized, should not settle among them, nor unite with them, v. 1. The reason given is because they had been injurious and ill-natured to the Israel of God (v. 2), had not shown them common civility, but sought their ruin, though they not only did them no harm, but were expressly forbidden to do them any. This law we have, with this reason, Deut. xxiii. 3-5.
II. The people’s ready compliance with this law, v. 3. See the benefit of the public reading of the word of God; when it is duly attended to it discovers to us sin and duty, good and evil, and shows us wherein we have erred. Then we profit by the discovery when by it we are wrought upon to separate ourselves from all that evil to which we had addicted ourselves. They separated from Israel all the mixed multitude, which had of old been a snare to them, for the mixed multitude fell a lusting, Num. xi. 4. These inmates they expelled, as usurpers and dangerous.
III. The particular case of Tobiah, who was an Ammonite, and to whom, it is likely, the historian had an eye in the recital of the law (v. 1), and the reason of it, v. 2. For he had the same enmity to Israel that his ancestors had, the spirit of an Ammonite, witness his indignation at Nehemiah (ch. ii. 10) and the opposition he had given to his undertakings, Neh 4:7; Neh 4:8. Observe,
1. How basely Eliashib the chief priest took this Tobiah in to be a lodger even in the courts of the temple. (1.) He was allied to Tobiah (v. 4), by marriage first and then by friendship. His grandson had married Sanballat’s daughter, v. 28. Probably some other of his family had married Tobiah’s, and (would you think it?) the high priest thought the alliance an honour to his family, and was very proud of it, though really it was his greatest disgrace, and what he had reason to be ashamed of. It was expressly provided by the law that the high priest should marry one of his own people, else he profanes his seed among his people,Lev 21:14; Lev 21:15. And for Eliashib to contract an alliance with an Ammonite, a servant (for so he is called) and to value himself upon it, probably because he has a wit and a beau, and cried up for a fine gentleman (ch. vi. 19), was such a contempt of the crown of his consecration as one would not wish should be told in Gath or published in the streets of Ashkelon. (2.) Being allied to him, he must be acquainted with him. Tobiah, being a man of business, has often occasion to be at Jerusalem, I doubt upon no good design. Eliashib is fond of his new kinsman, pleased with his company, and must have him as near him as he can. He has not a room for him stately enough in his own apartment, in the courts of the temple; therefore, out of several little chambers which had been used for store-chambers, by taking down the partitions, he contrived to make one great chamber, a state-room for Tobiah, v. 5. A wretched thing it was, [1.] That Tobiah the Ammonite should be entertained with respect in Israel, and have a magnificent reception. [2.] That the high priest, who should have taught the people the law and set them a good example, should, contrary to the law, give him entertainment, and make use of the power he had, as overseer of the chambers of the temple, for that purpose. [3.] That he should lodge him in the courts of God’s house, as if to confront God himself; this was next to setting up an idol there, as the wicked kings of old had done. An Ammonite must not come into the congregation; and shall one of the worst and vilest of the Ammonites be courted into the temple itself, and caressed there? [4.] That he should throw out the stores of the temple, to make room for him, and so expose them to be lost, wasted, and embezzled, though they were the portions of the priests, merely to gratify Tobiah. Thus did he corrupt the covenant of Levi, as Malachi complained at this time, ch. ii. 8. Well might Nehemiah add (v. 6), But all this time was not I at Jerusalem. If he had been there, the high priest durst not have done such a thing. The envious one, who sows tares in God’s field, knows how to take an opportunity to do it when the servants sleep or are absent, Matt. xiii. 25. The golden calf was made when Moses was in the mount.
2. How bravely Nehemiah, the chief governor, threw him out, and all that belonged to him, and restored the chambers to their proper use. When he came to Jerusalem, and was informed by the good people who were troubled at it what an intimacy had grown between their chief priest and their chief enemy, it grieve him sorely (Neh 13:7; Neh 13:8) that God’s house should be so profaned, his enemies so caressed and trusted, and his cause betrayed by him that should have been its protector and patron. Nothing grieves a good man, a good magistrate, more than to see the ministers of God’s house do any wicked thing. Nehemiah has power and he will use it for God. (1.) Tobiah shall be expelled. He fears not disobliging him, fears not his resentments, or Eliashib’s, nor excuses himself from interposing in an affair that lay within the jurisdiction of the high priest; but, like one zealously affected in a good thing, he expels the intruder, by casting forth all his household stuff. He did not seize it for his own use, but cast it out, that Tobiah, who it is probable was now absent, when he came again, might have no conveniences for his reception there. Our Saviour thus cleansed the temple, that the house of prayer might not be a den of thieves. And thus those that would expel sin out of their hearts, those living temples, must throw out its household stuff and all the provision made for it, strip it, starve it, and take away all those things that are the food and fuel of lust; this is, in effect, to mortify it. (2.) The temple stores shall be brought in again, and the vessels of the house of God put in their places; but the chambers must first be sprinkled with the water of purification, and so cleansed, because they had been profaned. Thus, when sin is cast out of the heart by repentance, let the blood of Christ be applied to it by faith, and then let it be furnished with the graces of God’s Spirit for every good work.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Nehemiah – Chapter 13
Infraction of the Law, Verses 1-9
The beginning of this chapter further indicates that the account of the dedication of the wall was an insertion in the account of the peopling of the refortified city of Jerusalem. The general subject, beginning with chapter 8, has been the revival of the people. They had gathered for the autumnal feasts and reading of the law. The opening words here, “On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people, etc.” indicates that it was in the course of this reading they became aware of the prohibition now discovered. The law is recorded in De 23:3-4, where it is slightly more precise, reading, “even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the Lord forever.” The indication is that the law was forever, that after the tenth generation those who embraced the law of Moses would evidently have been admitted.
The purpose of God’s prohibition against the Moabites and Ammonites stemmed from the effort of Balak, the king of Moab, to have the false prophet Balaam put a curse on Israel (Numbers ch. 22-24). Furthermore they had resisted the Israelites as they passed near the lands of their habitation, denying them food and water. When the Israelites, gathered to hear the law, heard this prohibition read, they responded by excluding all foreigners from their midst
There had been a very glaring violation of this prohibition in the person of Eliashib the high priest and Tobiah, the Ammonite troublemaker against Nehemiah. Some time previously there had been intermarriage between the family of the high priest and the foreigners, and Tobiah had acquired influential backers among the Jews (Neh 13:28; Neh 6:12-14). Eliashib had charge over the chambers built in the outside wall of the temple compound for the storage of tithes, votive offerings, materials used in temple service, etc. Probably some of these served as apartments for the ministering Levites, or the priests. Eliashib had emptied a large room of its intended use and made a commodious apartment for the Ammonite, Tobiah.
This had been going on during the time Nehemiah had gone back to Babylon to the service of Artaxerxes the Persian king. After an indeterminate period of time Nehemiah had secured permission from the king to go again to Jerusalem. On his arrival he discovered the old enemy of the wall-builders. Tobiah, being furnished an apartment even in the house of God. As mentioned earlier it is probable that Eliashib was succeeded by his son Joiada during the lifetime of Nehemiah, but Nehemiah held the old priest responsible for this “evil” of allowing Tobiah to live in the temple. Nehemiah’s righteous wrath was aroused. He went into the chambers and threw out all of Tobiah’s household goods and ordered the temple servants to cleanse and sanctify the quarters and to return the things there which rightfully belonged. That no protest is recorded indicates that those around recognized that Nehemiah was absolutely in the right in what he did (cf. 2Co 6:14-18).
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
THE DIFFICULTIES OF REBUILDING
The opening chapter acquaints us with Nehemiahs very soul. The heart of the man is here exposed and the reader is permitted his deepest thought. He inquires after the remnant left in Jerusalem and learns that they are in great affliction and reproach, the walls of the city broken down, the gates burned, and he not only sits him down to weep, but mourns for days and fasts and prays before the God of Heaven, and his prayer as reported in chapter 1, Neh 1:5-11, is a model of intercession, while chapters 2 to 7 record the result of that petition before God.
These seven chapters suggest three things:
First, the strain of prayer and the exercise of patience. Chapters 1 and 2,
The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace,
That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.
And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.
And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of Heaven,
And said, I beseech Thee, O Lord God of Heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love Him and observe His commandments:
Let Thine ear now be attentive, and Thine eyes open, that Thou mayest hear the prayer of Thy servant, which I pray before Thee now, day and night, for the Children of Israel Thy servants, and confess the sins of the Children of Israel, which we have sinned against Thee: both I and my fathers house have sinned.
We have dealt very corruptly against Thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which Thou commandedst Thy servant Moses.
Remember, I beseech Thee, the word that Thou commandedst Thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:
But if ye turn unto Me, and keep My commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the Heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set My name there.
Now these are Thy servants and Thy people, whom Thou hast redeemed by Thy great power, and by Thy strong hand.
O Lord, I beseech Thee, let now Thine ear be attentive to the prayer of Thy servant, and to the prayer of Thy servants, who desire to fear Thy Name: and prosper, I pray Thee, Thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the kings cupbearer (Neh 1:1-11).
Neh 2:1-20.
And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence.
Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid,
And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers sepulchres, lieth waste and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?
Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of Heaven.
And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers sepulchres, that I may build it.
And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.
Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah;
And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the kings forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.
Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the kings letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me.
When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the Children of Israel.
So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.
And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon.
And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire.
Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to the kings pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass.
Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and so returned.
And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work.
Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burnt with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.
Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the kings words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.
But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said. What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?
Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of Heaven, He will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem (Neh 2:1-20).
I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of Heaven (Neh 1:4). There are people who make easy work of prayer. They either repeat what their mothers taught them in infancy, Now I lay me down to sleep, or else they think over what they would like to have and lightly tell God about it at night or in the morning; or else they remember the famous story of the saint who was heard to say, Well, Lord, Pm glad we are on the same good terms! Good-night! and the whole exercise is finished. Or perhaps, as possibly the greater multitude, forget to pray before retiring, awake in the night and remember it, and while formulating the phrases, fall to sleep again.
There are people who never pray without agonizing. They hold a conviction that any appeal addressed to God must be voiced in sobs if heard in Heaven, and they take on prayer tones and assume sorrow, contrition, agony of soul, and such are wont to think that no one prays who does not cry aloud; but while such patented prayers produce strange and almost revolting feelings on the part of the discerning, it remains a fairly well established fact that true praying is no easy or lackadaisical task.
The prayer of Jacob at Peniel was no slight mental exercise. It consisted not in framing a few petitions. It is described in the Book as a wrestling with God all the night through, a clinging that would not let Him go without a blessing. Abraham in praying for Sodom, continued his petition; advanced his requests and did not let God go until the best possible proffer was secured. Moses in agony for Israel reached the point where he begged that if God would not bless them, He should blot his name out of the Book of remembrance. In Gethsemane, Jesus remained on knees and wrestled with the Father and not only cried in agony, If it be possible, let this cup pass from Me, but sweat great drops of blood.
Prayer is no mere passing of time in talk; prayer is no mere opportunity of literary expression or homiletical arrangement; prayer, at its best, is an agony; prayer, at its best, utterly exhausts; prayer consumes!
Christ, Himself, in teaching us how to pray, employed the illustration of the importunate widow who would not be turned aside but, prostrate before the unjust judge, kept her petitions going until he was wearied with her. Many times I have heard Dwight L: Moody pray and the memory of it will never pass from my mind. I am perfectly confident that a five-minute prayer passing Moodys lips exhausted him more than five hours of hard physical labor would have done; more than the hour sermon that followed, for while Moody assumed no agonizing tones, prayer with him was indeed a soul exercise. He went trembling into the presence of God, as Esther approached the king. He ordered his cause before Him as one who felt that the highest human interests and holiest were at stake. He came not back until he was conscious that he had been heard and his hearts request was fully before God.
Listen to the language of Nehemiahs prayer; I beseech Thee, O Lord God of Heaven * * Let Thine ear now be attentive and Thine eyes open. I pray before Thee now, day and night (Neh 1:3; Neh 1:6). Hear his confession of sin, Both I and my fathers house have sinned, Remember, I beseech Thee, and again, O Lord, I beseech Thee, let now Thine ear be attentive to the prayer of Thy servant. Grant him mercy in the sight of this man, for he was the kings cupbearer.
But if prayer is exhausting, to wait for the answer is equally if not more so; for the man who truly prays is impatient. He yearns; he longs! Nehemiahs prayer seems to have been made in the month Chisleu, or December, and he waited until Nisan or April, before he had a chance with the king. Four months is a long time to wait when every moment is freighted with anxiety. The reports that had come to him of the condition of his loved city and its sacred temple, and of these blood relatives to whom he was bound as only a Jew is bound to his own, made every day of waiting seem like an eternity.
John Knox was heard, in a secret place behind the hedge-row, to pray, O God, give me Scotland or I die. Three times the passer-by heard this petition, wrung from his soul, and yet even Knoxs agony never exceeded that of Nehemiahthe waiting, weeping man!
Think what it would mean to you if the temple that we are now demolishing at Tenth Street had been in such state for years, and the place to which we were once wont to go and gladly worship God, and in which we once waited with such delightful songs and profitable exercise of soul, was never to rise again, and we knew that only God could call back its towers and make possible the completion of its auditorium and breathe His own Spirit, like a soul, into the same!
Joseph Parker said, Can we hear of sacred places burning without a single tear? Could we hear of St. Pauls cathedral being burned down without feeling we had sustained an irreparable loss, and if anything happened to that grand old Abbey at Westminster, we should feel as if a sacred place was gone, a sanctuary indeed, and as if it were every Englishmans duty to help put it up again.
When the cathedral at Rheims was destroyed, the entire Christian world revolted and grieved, and justly so; but that was a matter of pride rather than of passion. We may be moved with the report that the mansion on the boulevard has burned, but the souls deeps are smitten when one stands before the smoldering ashes of his own home, the place where he has thought and wrought, hoped and helped, planned and prayed. In a great sense, such a place is an essential part of life itself, and to smite it is to smite the soul of man.
To wait for the new building to come, to abide patiently until the walls rise again, and to look unto God who alone can bring order out of chaos, victory out of defeat, restoration out of despair; that is the strain for which few men are sufficient, but under which Nehemiah stood steadfastly.
But the whole of exhausting is not in waiting. Nehemiah proved sufficient for a second thing, namely, the exhausting stimulus of seeing plans perfected.
There are people who imagine that all weariness is over when once a work is well begun, clearly under way, with every prospect of completion. On the contrary, the opposite is true. That is when and where the truest exhaustion takes place. Its exhilaration we grant; its stimulus is often mistaken for strength; but it is none the less consuming.
Some years ago Mrs. Riley and myself sat down to think through plans for a home. Weeks we spent upon those plans, and they were weeks of pleasure. Anticipation played conspicuous part and the enthusiasm of new thought for this convenience and that cheered and encouraged, but when the building time came, the constant watch and care-taking concern was exhausting.
The members of the building committee of the First Baptist Church would bear kindred testimony. I doubt if any building the city of Minneapolis holds, had more time expended in thinking through plans than the two buildings upon the plans of which we have been engaged for years. They have been drawn three times, and the utmost endeavor was put into every detail, and yet the actual construction itself, while stimulating, has proven also exhausting. It may be difficult for racers to wait the word Go, and it is; and when once the race is commenced, the very stimulus of prospective victory leads one to forget self and muscles are not conscious of the strain, but with joy yield themselves to their task. The goal, however, never fails to find an exhausted runner.
But the greatest difficulty of this rebuilding is found in a third circumstance, namely, the increasing load of every conceivable opposition.
This opposition took varied forms; in fact, almost every form possible to Satanic suggestion.
Its first form was scorn. Sanballat and Tobiah laughed, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? wilt they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?
Then, with a great guffaw they continued, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall (Neh 4:2-3).
What so hard to endure as scorn; what so difficult to bear as a laugh? It stings like a hornet! It is one of the things against which it is hard to go. The Professor who teaches evolution also teaches his students that ridicule is an insult to science. They know its power and they also know that that subject deserves it; and on that account they wince at the very suggestion. But, on any subject, ridicule is hard to bear. However the true builder, a leader like Nehemiah and his co-laborers go on joining wall to wall and will not be laughed out of court on a great and needful enterprise.
Seeing this, Sanballat and Tobiah changed voices, and, joining with Arabians, Ammonites and Ashdodites, they were very wroth, and conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder if (Neh 4:7-8). The man who makes fun of you, when he finds his laughter ineffective, and your success assured, comes to hate, and if possible, to hurt. Human nature does not change through the coming and going of the centuries. All our enemies are of a kind; mockery at first, murder afterward. But, Gods man can commonly meet the true adversaries, Satans servants.
A far more difficult opposition is that recorded in the fifth chapter, the opposition of ones own. The Jews now join their complaints with the others, and the great cry of the people and their wives against their brethren was this:
We, our sons, and our daughters, are many: therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and live.
Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth.
There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the kings tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards.
Yet now our flesh is the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards (Neh 5:2-5).
For the moment they forgot that no man among them had sacrificed as Nehemiah had sacrificed, and, in reckoning their losses, they overlooked the circumstance that he had shaken his lap out, leaving himself nothing. That was a harder opposition than was created by Sanballat and Tobiah.
The disappointment of Christs life was not in the fact that He faced the Cross; He came to do that. It was not in the cruelty of the nails that crushed His tender flesh; from all eternity that had been anticipated! But, His agony was in the lifting up a heel against Him by one out of the little circle, dear to Him. Never was sarcasm reduced to such keen edge and more deeply felt than in the Garden of Gethsemane when Christ, looking into the face of Judas, said, FRIEND, wherefore art thou come?
FRIENDwhat that must have meant to Judas! If he knew the Scriptures, like a flash, Psa 41:9 filled his thought. My own familiar FRIEND, in whom I trusted, which did eat of My bread, hath lifted up his heel against Me (Psa 41:9).
And yet again how he would recall the words of the great Zechariah (Zec 13:6), And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in Thine hands? Then He shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of My FRIENDS.
Blessed is the man, the members of whose house join with him in his enterprises; and cursed indeed is he who endures their opposition.
But Satan has other methods of opposition than scorn, warfare and domestic rebellion. In the sixth chapter Sanballat tried to effect a companionship and consequent compromise with Nehemiah. Four times over he sends requesting that they meet together for a conference and adjust their differences. The recent Convention of Baptists is now heralded as a triumph of brotherly love. The whole session has gone by and only a single protest characterized it, and only one man voiced that complaint and the newspapers have been filled with jubilation of the reports of peace. The fundamentalists have subsided and the path of the future is smooth! Such is the glared acclaim; and that in the face of the fact that in the last twelve months the most flagrant denials of the faith that ever passed the lips of Baptist men, or dribbled from the pens of Baptist writers, have gone brazenly into print. The peace that comes by a compromise of principle, a conference that results to the satisfaction of Gods enemies, a conference that follows a fellowship of Satanic plans; these are, after all, the most effective hindrances to the truth of God. And it is written to the eternal credit of Nehemiah that he fell into no such trap, but declined the conference, resented the approach, rejoicing that he had escaped the pit digged for him, and recorded the fact that the wall was finished on the twentieth and fifth day of the month, being completed in fifty-two days.
And this same man who had led in the building now organized to hold what he had gained, and the result was a revival.
Mark
THE STABLE FEATURES OF THIS REVIVAL
It commenced in a careful canvass of returned captives. The seventh chapter of the Book of Nehemiah would amaze the modernist, should he read the same. That individual imagines that the social surveys of the last few years constitute a twentieth century novelty, but here three thousand years ago Nehemiah orders a census taken with a view to knowing the strength of Israel and sounding out his possible resources, the fuller carrying out of which has seldom been equalled and never surpassed. The report rendered by the commissioned workers was perfect. He took count of the last man and of his possessions, and when it was finished, Nehemiah knew how many people he had upon whom he could dependforty-two thousand three hundred sixty, besides seven thousand three hundred thirty-seven servants and two hundred forty-five singing men and singing women.
There is a suggestion there for modernists; better count rather than estimate! My candid judgment is that the one sin that characterizes more ministers than any other is estimating versus counting. I went into a church where the preacher had claimed a congregation of forty-four hundred, and counted exactly twenty-two hundred seats, including the choir gallery; and in another church largely over-estimated, reporting six thousand, and counted exactly thirty-two hundred including the choir. Better count than estimate. One might greatly reduce his crowd but would increase his reputation for veracity and increase his self-respect. The man who goes to battle had best not count on soldiers he does not have, and the church of God is militant and cannot win its victories with congregations that are estimated, but never existed.
The relation, however, to such a careful reckoning of ones resources to a revival is intimate and logical. I am inclined to think that of the years of my pastorate in this church, no single meeting held in it has accomplished more for it than the two years campaign that commenced with a most careful canvass of the membership. A canvass itself suffices to bring a conviction of responsibility to the individual, and to waken interest in the task to be undertaken by the entire people. Nehemiah knew the principles of a revival thirty centuries ago as well as the evangelist knows them today.
The second feature of this revival is significant in the last degree: The Word of God was produced and read to all the people.
It was no brief reading; it went on for hours, from morning until midday, .before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the Book of the Law (Neh 8:3).
There will never be a revival of religion without a revival of Bible reading. We are publishing more Bibles than ever before in human history, but the individual is not reading the Bible as much as his father did, and the whole church of God feels the relapse. When the Christian takes his Book in hand and abides with it by the hour, when the family begins the day by reading a chapter from the Book, when the, preacher turns from textual sermons and revives expository preaching, when the Sunday School ceases from lesson helps and pores over the text itself, the revival will be well on the way.
There never will be strength in the church until we feed on the Bread from Heaven and on the meat of Gods Word; until we hold the milk bottle of that same Word to the lips of babes. If we would have a revival we must bring the Bible from its shelf of neglect; if we would have a revival we must exalt it against the charges of infidelity; if we would have a revival we must rescue the people themselves from indifference to this Book. We are novel readers now; we are readers of the daily newspapers; some few of the more industrious, are magazine readers; a smaller company still, are book-readers, but the Church of God waits Bible reading; and if the day of Bible study should suddenly break in upon usand there are some signs of it then as sure as day follows night, an unspeakable blessing immeasurable in extent, infinitely desirable in character, will fall on the sons of man.
But note again, Repentance, fasting, and a fresh covenant follows (Neh 8:9 to Neh 12:39). Impenitent people will never become Bible students. The gormandizing crowd will never give itself to Gods Word; the pleasure-seeking will never enter into covenant with the Lord.
However, if, in the wisdom of His grace, the present Bible movement voices itself in the fundamentals association, and the thousands of Bible conferences that have been held, in the Bible Unions of China and England, and America, shall result in earnest and sincere and increasing study of the Scriptures, we may well expect repentance to follow. Men will break with sin and will no longer make a god of their bellies, but will fast; and out of this conviction self-control will come and a fresh covenant, made in sincerity, and destined to be kept in the power of the Holy Spirit.
So much for the stable features of revival, let us conclude our Book study with
THE STUBBORN FACTS OF RE-OCCUPATION
These are recorded in chapters 11 to 13, and the first one that we face is this: The Jerusalem dwellers were recorded as especially favored. The rulers of the people dwelt at Jerusalem: the rest of the people also cast lots, to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem the holy city (Neh 11:1).
It is a significant suggestion: Jerusalem, the city of the king; Jerusalem, the captial city of the land; Jerusalem, the subject of every Jews love, and the choice of every Jews living.
It does make a difference where one lives. A Minneapolis minister, returning from the Orient, a few years since, in an address before the Baptist ministers, said, I spent some days in Jerusalem; it is a bum town!
But only the readers of the Old Testament know what the ancient Jerusalem was and what it meant to every living Jew. It was more than the capitol; it was more than the city of the king: it was more than beautiful; it was, to them, Divine! They believed that God Himself was there; and in a sense they were correct, for He had made every pledge of His Presence in the Temple, and He performed His promise. Ones life, in no small measure, is the result of ones location.
I think I may be pardoned in passing, if I pay tribute to this city. I declare it my conviction that life has meant more to me, that the burdens have pressed less heavily upon my shoulders, that the joy of living has itself been increased, and that I hold a confidence against decrepitude and old age that would be impossible, if I lived in a city less charming than this beautiful metropolis. Life is profoundly affected by location. In the northern woods of Minnesota I stumbled suddenly and unexpectedly upon a small house. I was hungry and supposed myself beyond the pale of civilization. Going in I was met at the door by a charming looking woman to whom I said, I am hungry and have a party of four friends with me; would it be possible for you to give us a dinner? She graciously answered, It would be a delight to give you a dinner; bring your friends in. When the dinner was over and I tried to pay her, she declined to receive anything, and it was only by leaving the money on the table that I could force it upon her. She said, I have not seen a living face, except that of my little son, for three months; you cannot imagine the pleasure this dinner has been to me, for it has meant companionship. I asked, Will you tell me why you live here away from all civilization and friends?
Yes, sir, I live here with pleasure and with joy. In Southern Illinois I dragged a miserable existence; in these north woods my health is recovered and living is a joy.
Who will say that location has nothing to do with living. Jerusalem! Ah, that was the city coveted by every Jew, and the tenth man permitted to dwell there dwelt not only nigh to the Temple but nigh to God; and whatever else may be said of the Jew, it was the acme of his existence that he believed God and sought to live near God.
You will find again that in this city special provision was made for the priests and Levites. God never forgets those He calls to be His special servants !
There are special promises made to all Gods people! In fact, Dean Frost, our former great-souled co-laborer, used to say that there were thousands of promises in the Bible, and that with a solitary exception, they were all made to Gods own, and that exception was salvation proffered to the sinner. But while all Gods people are the subject of promises, the servant whose entire time is devoted to Gods work is the subject of His special promise, and the object of His constant care. The Levite was never forgotten; the priest was never overlooked. By law the provisions made for them both were adequate.
I meet a good many ministers who tell me they feel it incumbent upon them to look out for themselves, and judging by their conduct, they are keen on the job. They hunt for positions; they seek compensation; they corral opportunities. It all raises a serious question, whether one has much to do with the subject of caring for himself if he be the true servant of God, or whether it is sufficient for him to devote himself to that service and leave the whole question of his care to Him who careth and never faileth.
Finally, by the Law of the Lord certain were excluded from the city. Chapter 13.
Mark who they were: Ammonites and Moabites were not to come into the congregation of God forever, and note the reason, They met not the Children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them that he should curse them (Neh 13:2).
It is a grievous thing to refuse help to Gods people in the hour of their need. It is more grievous, a thousand-fold, than the average man imagines. It is not a rejection of the people onlyit is a rejection of Him. The twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew is a further presentation of this subject. The great day of Judgment has come; men are separated to the right and to the left, after the manner of sheep and goats, and the King is saying to them on His right hand,
Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
For I was an hungred, and ye gave Me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took Me in:
Naked, and ye clothed Me: I was sick, and ye visited Me: I was in prison, and ye came unto Me.
Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we Thee an hungred, and fed Thee? or thirsty, and gave Thee drink?
When saw we Thee a stranger, and took Thee in? or naked, and clothed Thee?
Or when saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee?
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.
Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
For I was an hungred, and ye gave Me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me no drink:
I was a stranger, and ye took Me not in: naked, and ye clothed Me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited Me not.
Then shall they also answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we Thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto Thee?
Then shall He answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to Me.
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal (Mat 25:34-46).
And yet this is not the only sin that excludes. After all, it is not sin that does exclude, save the sin of having rejected Jesus. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him (Joh 3:36).
Fuente: The Bible of the Expositor and the Evangelist by Riley
EXPLANATORY Notes.]
Neh. 13:1. On that day] This is to be understood in the same sense as at that time, in chap. Neh. 12:44. But no doubt public readings of the law took place frequently during Nehemiahs administration. Found written] The part of the law which forbade mingling with the other nations was specially read on the dedication-day. Deu. 23:3 would naturally be read, as also Deu. 7:1-6. No Moabite or Ammonite family could be admitted to the privileges of Jewry until in the tenth generation after quitting heathenism and formally allying itself with IsraelCrosby.
Neh. 13:3. They separated from Israel all the mixed multitude] Non-Israelitish people who followed the Israelites at their departure from Egypt. Here transferred to strangers living among them.
Neh. 13:4-5. Eliashib Tobiah] Nehemiah left for Persia. Irregularities were permitted. Amongst them this desecration.
Neh. 13:6. In the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes, king of Babylon] Probably the time set by Nehemiah and approved by the king (chap. Neh. 2:6), was twelve years. At the expiration of this term he was obliged to leave the superintendence of affairs at Jerusalem and return to the court. Artaxerxes is called king of Babylon, instead of king of Persia, probably because at this time of Nehemiahs return the court was removed to Babylon for some special state reason.Crosby. After certain days] No definite interval. Some expositors think a year. No proof.
Neh. 13:8. I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah] Nehemiah a man of decision.
Neh. 13:10. The Levites and the singers were fled] Their allowance had been withheld. They fled to their own fields for livelihood.
Neh. 13:11. Then contended I with the rulers] They had soon forgotten their vow (chap. Neh. 10:39). I gathered them] The Levites.
Neh. 13:13. I made treasurers] Managers of the stores. Four faithful men appointed.
Neh. 13:14. Wipe not out] Conceives of his deeds as written in a book.
Neh. 13:15. In those days] When he returned to Jerusalem. Sabbath had become desecrated. Work was done and produce brought in.
Neh. 13:17. The nobles] Nehemiah reminded them of the unchanged law and the sufferings its visitation had brought upon their fathers (Jer. 17:20-27).
Neh. 13:20. Lodged without] The traders forbidden to enter hoped the people would come out to buy.
Neh. 13:22. Cleanse themselves and keep the gates] Increasing the sanctity of the Sabbath by making Levites responsible.
Neh. 13:23. Jews that had married] Borderers who by living near the heathen nations had formed alliances. The childrens speech was affected.
Neh. 13:25] The action of a governor acting officially.
Neh. 13:28. I chased him from me] Forced him to leave Jerusalem.
Neh. 13:30. Thus cleansed I them and appointed the wards of the priests and Levites] So important did he deem the temple.
Neh. 13:31. Remember me] A repeated supplication. Nehemiah was great and good.
HOMILETICAL CONTENTS OF CHAPTER 13
Neh. 13:1-3. Renewed Purification.
Neh. 13:1-2. The Irrevocableness of Wrong-doing.
Neh. 13:2. Good out of Evil.
Neh. 13:4-8. Reformation a Slow Work.
Neh. 13:17-18. Profanation of the Sabbath.
Neh. 13:22. Nehemiah.
Neh. 13:26. Solomon.
Neh. 13:31. Divine Remembrance.
Neh. 13:31. A Lifes Work Reviewed.
RENEWED PURIFICATION
Neh. 13:1-3. On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever; because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing. Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.
The duty of the Church to purify itself constantly anew.
I. In regard to those with whom they assimilate themselves. In the Old Testament, in regard to the Ammonites, &c. In the Church, in regard to those who not only go astray, but also who will not allow themselves to be bettered, and who thus exclude themselves.
II. Whereon it grounds itself. Not only on the right of self-preservation, but also upon Gods word.
III. What it aims at. That the Church set forth more and more what it should be as Christs spotless bride.Dr. Schultz.
Illustrations: The true and grand idea of a Church is a society for the purpose of making men like Christearth like heaventhe kingdoms of the world the kingdom of Christ.Arnold.
THE IRREVOCABLENESS OF WRONG-DOING
Neh. 13:1-2. On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever; because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them.
The severe exclusion of the Moabite and Ammonite was an enacted token against sin. Even these blood relations of Israel were to be kept away as polluted, because they showed no sympathy with Israel, and made a deliberate and vile attempt to plunge Israel into sin. A permanent horror was to be erected between Israel and these monsters of iniquity. The key to many of the stern Mosaic statutes is to be found in the necessity of holding up the heinousness of sin, which men are ever ready to make light of.Crosby.
The immortality of evil.
I. It is donecannot be undone. An act has passed into the irreparable past. It has become part of the constitution of things. Man may forget it, and God forgive itbut it is done. The doer may plead ignorance, prejudice, habit, customexcuse may busy itself, and regret plead for pity, but the deed is done. Let inexperience remember and hardness ponder this.
II. It has moulded youyou can never again be the same. The dyers hand is subdued to what it works in. A mans trade, profession, or calling is indicated in his features. Habit is a second nature. The beauty of the soul touches the form and face. Vice makes the doer unlovely; stamps its image and superscription upon the otherwise divine form. Be not deceived; God is not mocked, &c.
III. It has warped others. Their task is rendered more difficult. Their steps will henceforth be more faltering. An Ammonite may thwart Israel. Ahab made Israel to sin. That is his title to remembrancehe has an immortality. I am my brothers keeper. His path and mine meet. I cannot throw off my responsibility. Doing wrong is ruinous. Sin is the great foe. The wages of sin are duly paid even to the uttermost farthing.
GOOD OUT OF EVIL
Neh. 13:2. Howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing.
Nevertheless Balaams memory is infamous. Evil was intended though God averted it. So in life.
I. Sin. Sin is still sin albeit the sinner is forgiven. God loves not sin. God hath turned the curse of sin into a blessing. And here it is proper to reflect upon the profound and incomprehensible wisdom of God, who hath made an advantage to us even of our sin and misery. It was truly said by one of the ancients, upon this account, that Job was a happier man upon the dunghill than Adam was in paradise. His holiness indeed was perfect, his happiness was great; but neither of them permanent and indefeasible, as our happiness by the Mediator is. So that in the same sense we may call Adams fall a happy fall, because ordered and overruled by the wisdom of God to our great advantage. And to this purpose Austin somewhere sweetly speaks: O how happily did I fall in Adam, who rose again more happily in Christ! Thus did the Lord turn a poison into an antidote; thus did that dreadful fall make way for a more blessed and fixed state. Now we are so confirmed and established by Christ in the favour of God, that there can be no more such fatal breaches and dreadful jars betwixt God and his reconciled ones for ever. The bone thats well set is stronger where tis knit, than it was before. Blessed be God for Jesus Christ!Flavel.
II. Sorrow. God has turned the curse of sorrow into a blessing. Sweet are the uses of adversity! In Gods hand indeed they are: when he puts his children into the furnace of affliction, it is that he may thoroughly purge away all their dross. A great writer has spoken with great beauty of the resources which God has placed within us for bringing good out of evil, or, at least, for greatly alleviating our trials in the cases of sickness and misfortune. The cutting and irritating grain of sand, he says, which by accident or incaution has got within the shell, incites the living inmate to secrete from its own resources the means of coating the intrusive substance. And is it not, or may it not be, even so with the irregularities and unevenness of health and fortune in our own case? We too may turn diseases into pearls. But how much more wonderful are the wisdom and mercy of God, in making the spiritual trials and distresses of his people their necessary discipline for their highest good, the means for the greatest perfection and stability of their characters! This is indeed a wonderful transformation. God, says holy Leighton, hath many sharp cutting instruments, and rough files for the polishing of his jewels; and those he especially esteems and means to make the most resplendent, he hath oftenest his tools upon.Cheever.
III. Death. God hath turned the curse of death into a blessing. It were a waste of words to attempt to prove that death is indeed a curse: it was the woe specially denounced against men as the result of transgressionthe ill inflicted on the workers of iniquity. But, through the obedience and death of Christ, the Redeemer, the sting of death has been destroyed, the uncertainty of the future has been dissipated, and, by the destruction of guilt, separation from the world has been revealed, as the beginning of a perfected happiness and an enlarged blessedness to the believer. If it is indeed a blessed thing, for a spirit, weighed down with a sinking mortality, and groaning beneath the load of unnumbered ills, to flee away from its troubles, and soar amid the cloudless light of immortal day, then death has been turned into a blessing, since it merely cuts asunder the chains whereby we are bound to earth, and admits the spirit to a land of peace and joy. If it is indeed a blessed thing for a being long pent up amid the closeness of a dungeon, to exchange its pestilential air for the fragrant breath of paradise, then death has been turned into a blessing, since it serves to dissociate the children of the covenant from the pollution of this world, and advance them to the regions beyond the grave, where the Lamb shall feed them and guide them to fountains of living water, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. I say, if God hath made death the very instrument of exchanging earth for heaven, of ending the warfare and strife of time, and crowning believers with the unspeakably precious reward, then undoubtedly, while they exultingly proclaim, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?they must not cease to remember that death was indeed a crying evil, a bitter curse, but that our God turned the curse into a blessing.MNaughton.
REFORMATION A SLOW WORK
Neh. 13:4-8. And before this, Eliashib the priest, &c.
When Nehemiah returned to Persia he left the people penitent and devoted; the temple restored; the priests and Levites at their posts. All were loyal to conscience and God. When Nehemiah came back again to Jerusalem he found Tobiah in the temple, Levites in the fields, tithes in the peoples hands, the house of God forsaken, and the Sabbath of God desecrated. And it grieved him sore. He had to build again from the foundations.
I. Reformers are sanguine men. They see the evil, and the needs-be for its removal. Too often they overlook the herculean task that lies before them.
II. Reformation meets with opposition. The reformers propose to destroy. They confront the selfishness of human nature, and war against the passions of men.
III. Reformation must build up after it has destroyed. Building up is slower than pulling down. All reformers have been disappointed. Those whom they have striven to help have been their most determined hinderers. Faith, hope, and courage are indispensable.
PROFANATION OF THE SABBATH
Neh. 13:17-18. Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the Sabbath day? Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath.
INTRODUCTION. Historical. Nehemiah absent; disorder ensued. Among other irregularities profanation of the Sabbath became frequent and flagrant. It moved the spirit of Nehemiah not so much that the men of Tyre sold their fish and wares on the Sabbath, which in consideration of their being heathen they might be expected to do, as that they sold them to the men of Judah, the visible worshippers of God, and in Jerusalem, the seat of his worship; coming up to the very threshold of his house with their merchandise, as if in contempt of his presence and authority. But we have a more serious concern in this matter than merely to vent our indignation against the men of Tyre. Our first and main concern is to see that our own garments are clean. Nor is it sufficient that our own habits in respect to our personal observation of the Sabbath are correct. In this respect the nobles of Judah, for aught that appears, were without fault. Yet Nehemiah did not hesitate to charge them with the guilt of the profanations which they witnessed. What evil thing is this that ye do, said he, and profane the Sabbath day? He said this on the assumption that they had the power to prevent the sin, and were answerable for the consequences of their neglect. Hence I derive the sentiment that
MEN OF AUTHORITY AND INFLUENCE INCUR GREAT GUILT, AND BRING WRATH UPON THE COMMUNITY, BY CONNIVING AT PROFANATIONS OF THE SABBATH.
Men of authority and influence, because in all countries where the people are the source of power, men in authority can do but little unsupported by men of influence. As men of all classes have their share of influence the responsibility rests in a measure upon all. By whatever means the influence of individuals is increased, their responsibility also is enhanced.
I. Profanation of the Sabbath is a great sin. The Sabbath is a Divine institution. At the creation, God by His express appointment set it apart from a common to a sacred use. This appointment He confirmed and renewed at Mount Sinai. Our Saviour, by the authority vested by him in his apostles, added his sanction to the appointment and made it a law of his kingdom, after the obligation of the Jewish ritual had ceased, with only the circumstantial change of the first instead of the seventh in the series, as the day of rest, in commemoration of his resurrection. Consecrated peculiarly to Gods service. Wantonly to profane the Sabbath is open contempt of God. This is not a sin of ignorance. A few men there may be who seriously disbelieve in the moral obligation of the Sabbath, and others are blinded by custom in regard to the guilt of certain common violations of it, but the great mass know what they do. This sin is an outrage on the rights of men. It opens the door to universal licentiousness; enfeebles the laws of society; tends to destroy our best blessings and blot out our dearest hopes. The Sabbath is necessary to the perpetuation of true religion. Some, while they think lightly of religion, profess highly to value free institutions. They boast of liberty, and of the sciences, the arts, the enterprise, the universal education of the people, and the general prosperity and happiness which they claim to be its fruits. And what is liberty? The unrestricted enjoyment of our rights, so far as this is consistent with the wellbeing of society. What liberty then can there be among depraved men, without law to restrain their appetites and passions? or what efficacy can there be in law, without a corresponding moral sentiment in the community to sustain it? or what efficacious moral sentiment without religion? or what religion without the Sabbath? Turn your eyes on those regions of the earth where the Sabbath is unknown, and what do you find the moral, social, and civil condition of men there? See also those portions of the world where the Sabbath is now abandoned, or given up to pastime.
2. Civil laws to protect the Sabbath from open violation, are just and proper. In Jewish national code the law of the Sabbath was enforced by civil penalties. On this ground it was that Nehemiah went to the magistrates of Jerusalem and charged them with guilt in forbearing to exercise the authority which God had vested in them to restrain profanations of the day. Equally incumbent is it on every other community, which has authority over its own members, whether it be a family or an empire, to protect the Sabbath from desecration. Nor is there anything in this unjust. To enforce a spiritual observation of the Sabbath is not indeed the province of civil authority. With duties appropriately religious it has no direct concern. These it must leave to the higher authority of God, and the conscience of every individual. But to protect those who are disposed religiously to observe the Sabbath, in the peaceful enjoyment of the privilege, is no less just and proper, than it is to protect them in the enjoyment of any other right or privilege. They too are the mass of the community. Ninety-nine hundred probably would consider a general disregard of the Sabbath destructive to their best interests. Such being the fact, to require that no laws for the protection of the Sabbath be made, or that having been made, they be a dead letter; to require that the mass of our citizens yield to the few, and be governed by their wishes, is a position which, on any other subject of legislation, would not for a moment be tolerated.
3. For a due execution of these laws, men clothed with the authority and the influence to do this, are answerable to God, and incur great guilt by neglecting it. They are ministers of God. They have taken official oaths. The fact of their being clothed with office, binds them to discharge its duties.
APPLICATION.
1. To the friends of Sabbath.
2. To fathers and mothers.
3. To the young.Noah Porter, D.D.; abridged.
Illustrations:Each should do what his talent and influence in society enjoin and permit. It is the principle upon which I insist. If we cannot absolutely shut the gates of our great cities to the entrance of merchandise, we may do something to lessen the evil. We may shut the door of our houseswe may prohibit the purchase or reception of articles of consumption by our servants and dependantswe may encourage those upon whom we have any influence, to observe the sacred day. Let only the zeal, the courage, the firmness, the disinterestedness of Ezra and Nehemiah be connected with their piety and love to the house of their God, and much would be done.Bishop Wilson.
We find from the beginning of the Christian Church that all days were not alike to Christians, but that one day, the first-day of the week, was singled out and separated from the others as their day of worship. The end of the Paschal Lamb was accomplished in the sacrifice of our Lord; the end of the one Temple has been accomplished; but the end of the Sabbath has not been accomplished, and will not be till toil, and trouble, and sin, and sorrow shall cease. Then it will be merged in the eternal Sabbatism which remains for the people of God. But till then the solemn words of our Lord are as a wall of fire around it, to protect its sacredness and integrity. Verily I say unto you. till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in nowise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.John Kennedy, D.D.
The Sabbath is the guardian of every other Divine institution. The sin of profaning the Sabbath stamps in the individual, the family, or the nation, which is guilty of it, the character of irreligious, and speedily ripens them for the judgments of God. This is the danger of being any way concerned in this iniquity, we are furthering an evil which would ultimately destroy religion itself, and which will assuredly prove as ruinous to the temporal renown, as the spiritual interests, of our country.Rev. J. A. Wylie.
It is a most important sentiment, and ought to be kept constantly before the public mind, that religion is the most direct and powerful cause of national comfort, prosperity, and security, and that in its absence all their other causes must be limited and transient in their effects. If religion were a mere abstraction of devotion, confined to the closet and the sanctuary, and restricted in its influence to the imagination and the taste, but not having any necessary control over the conscience, the heart, and the life, and not intended to regulate the intercourse of society; if it consisted merely in attendance on the rites and forms of the Church, and began and ended upon the threshold of the house of God, then it would be difficult to point out what a connection such a religion had with the welfare of a country. It would, in that case, resemble the ivy, which, though it add a picturesque effect to a venerable fabric, imparts neither stability to its walls, nor convenience to its apartments. But if religion be indeed a principle of the heart, an element of the character, the habit of thinking, feeling, and acting aright in all our social relations, the basis of every virtue, and the main prop of every excellence; if it be indeed the fear of the Lord by which men depart from evil; if it be faith working by love; if it be such a belief in the gospel of Christ as leads to a conformity to his example, religion being such as this must secure the welfare of any country. There is not one single influence, whether of law, of science, of art, of learning, tending to the well-being of society, which true religion does not guard and strengthen.James.
The Lords Day.Stations on the line of your journey are not your journeys end, but each one brings you nearer. Such are our Lords Days. A haven is not home, but it is a place of quiet and rest, where the rough waves are stayed. Such is the Lords Day. A garden is a piece of common land, and yet it has ceased to be common land. It is an effort to regain Paradise. Such is The Lords Day. A bud is not a flower, but it is the promise of a flower. Such is The Lords Day. The worlds week tempts you to sell your soul to the flesh and the world: The Lords Day calls you to remembrance, and begs you rather to sacrifice earth to heaven and time to eternity, than heaven to earth and eternity to time. The six days not only claim you as captives of the earth, but do their best to keep the prison-doors shut that you may forget the way out. The Lords Day sets before you an open door. Samson has carried the gates away. The Lords Day summons you to the threshold of your house of bondage, to look forth unto immortality, your immortality. The true Lords Day is the Eternal life; but a type of it is given to you on earth, that you may be refreshed with the anticipation and foretaste of your rest.John Pulsford.
NEHEMIAH.
Neh. 13:22. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy
INTRODUCTION. Historical. Every part of Nehemiahs short history shows that the fear and love of God formed the principal motive with Nehemiah. Here is, first
I. An appeal to Gods approbation. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also. Nehemiah often makes appeals of this kind. This manner of speaking was an appeal to God
1. From mans judgment. His distinguished abilities had hitherto recommended him to notice in the royal palace, notwithstanding the disgrace of his Jewish faith. But he had now engaged in an undertaking which was likely enough to appear enthusiastic and contemptible in the eyes of his Persian acquaintance. But what then? It was for Gods honour, and therefore he despises this shame, casting himself upon the approbation of God. This principle it was that influenced Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Paul. It is the principle of faith rendering an unseen God visible. Such men look for a future recompense of reward, promised by Him who cannot lie. When misunderstood, and undervalued, and misrepresented by the world, they can appeal to God. Let them curse, but bless thou. Nehemiah makes his appeal to God, secondly
2. From mans enmity. While one party satisfied themselves with despising, there was another party in Jerusalem itself, who hated and opposed, his proceedings. These were they who, being Jews, had connected themselves by marriage with heathen familiesor the offspring of such marriages. To such persons, the revival of pure Jewish manners was very provoking. Others found that their worldly interests were interfered with by Nehemiahs strict enforcing of the Sabbath. It is in reference to their enmity that the appeal in the text is made. Modem enmity. Nehemiah appeals, thirdly
3. From mans ingratitude. It was here that this zealous servant of God found his greatest trial. He might easily have disregarded mans judgment; or have endured mans enmity. But how painful, when the very persons, whom in Gods name he sought to benefit, were cold, reluctant, unfeeling! Nehemiahs was no solitary case.
Is there no danger lest appeals of this kind should lead us to trust in ourselves that we are righteous, and despise others? Not if we make them in the spirit of Nehemiah: for you find in close connection with this appeal
II. A contrite prayer for Gods forgiveness. Spare me, according to the greatness of thy mercy. Every real believer, while he habitually labours to have a conscience void of offence, maintains at the same time a deep feeling of humility and of his need of unsparing mercy. Let us endeavour to trace the course of this feeling.
1. After all that he has done for Gods service, Nehemiah cannot forget that there is a load of original and actual sin recorded against him, for which no subsequent obedience can make satisfaction.
2. Nehemiah finds even his religious actions so stained with sin, that though he may appeal from man, he cannot make them a plea of merit before God.
3. He casts himself, with a steadfast faith, on the free grace and covenanted mercies of the Lord.
APPLICATION. If the despised believer may thus appeal from man to God, what hope can there be for those who compel him so to do?
If the repenting and believing sinner is so graciously spared, how active should he be in serving the Lord, amid a gainsaying and perverse generation!Rev. Joseph Jowett, M.A.; abridged.
SOLOMON
Neh. 13:26. Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God.
It may appear remarkable that one who fell so grievously should contribute at all to the Book of God, nor is there any other instance of the kind; but his sad history adds a peculiar weight of warning to his words; nor are there any books more strongly marked by the finger of God.
Solomon was chosen of God, and afterwards rejected as Saul had been; he was full of wisdom and understanding, and, what is far more, of holiness and goodness. There is perhaps no one of whom the early promise of good seemed so decisive.
It has been said, as by St. Augustine, that Solomon was more injured by prosperity than profited by wisdom. Yet we may observe, that his falling away is not in Scripture attributed to his wealth, his power and honour.
We cannot conclude that Solomon himself did not at last repent; but this has always been considered by the Church as very doubtful, to say the least. All we know is, that Scripture has fully made known to us his falling away from God, but has said nothing of his repentance. The very silence is awful and impressive. What more melancholy than the fall of one so greatso wise? What words could have been spoken to him more powerful than his own? What eloquence could describe his fall with more feeling and beauty than his own words? What could more powerfully paint the loveliness of that holiness from which he fell? What the overpowering sweetness of that Divine love which he has consented to give up to feed on ashes? Who can describe the temptations to those very sins by which he was ensnared in a more searching manner than he has done? How must his own sweet and Divine words sound to him like music of Paradise to the lost spirits; yea, as songs of heaven would come back to fallen angels in sad remembrance?. It is very awful to think how God may use men as instruments of good that his Spirit may teach them, and through them teach others, and guide them to the living fountains of waters, yet they themselves at last fail of the prize of their high calling. What a warning for fear.From Rev. Isaac Williams Characters of the Old Testament.
DIVINE REMEMBRANCE
Neh. 13:31. Remember me, O my God, for good
Our Protestant forefathers were fond of the maximThey who observe Providences shall never want Providences to observe. The truth of this is eminently seen in the rescue of the Church from the Babylonish Captivity; in the rebuilding of the temple; and in the restoration of the people to the Holy Land. High political considerations rather than religious ones no doubt actuated Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes, but the hearts of kings are in the hand of God. So in the Reformation it has been said that God put little thoughts into Henry VIIIs mind for great purposes, just as the preservation of the Church in Esthers time was brought about by a single sleepless night of Ahasuerus the king. This also cometh from the Lord of Hosts, who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working. The Life and Times of Nehemiah are of much more consequence to the history of the Jewish Church than ordinary readers suppose. Great men are born for great occasions, and eventful times form the training school for public men. Our text is Nehemiahs last recorded prayer, showing us the secret of his strength. It expresses much, but it implies more.
I. Nehemiahs delight in the remembrance of God. The remembrance of God the habit of his life. Note the instructive occasions on which the prayer was uttered. Not in the closet for private devotion; not in the family for domestic contemplation; not in the sanctuary for public worship; but in the daily walks of lifeamidst the toils of his office, amidst the reforms he was carrying on, amidst the hot enmity of the world, amidst the plots that were formed against his life. Again and again he prays, Remember me, O God. He was in the habit of remembering God, or such a prayer would not have risen spontaneously to his lips.
1. A test of religious character. The manner and degree in which devout thoughts mingle with daily thoughts and incorporate themselves with worldly employments the special mark of a child of God. Nehemiah specifies this as the distinctive mark of those holy ones who were associated with himthy servants, who desire to fear thy name. And Malachi tells us that a book of remembrance was written for those who feared the Lord, and thought upon his name; and were thus the patterns of distinguished excellence in most degenerate times. Throughout Scripture the remembrance of God is set forth as the active principle of all vice. The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
2. A voluntary remembrance. Not enforced. The result of a principle. When Solomon says, Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, he appeals to the first and best affections of the human heart, under the impressions of early piety. In the days of thy youth some render in the days of thy choice. Religion is choice. Choose ye this day whom ye will serve. Not an appeal to fear. God might have compelled our remembranceby awful judgments; by outward demonstrations of his power. He asks where he might command; entreats when he might enforce. My son, give me thine heart. So when Jesus says, Do this in remembrance of me, he appeals to the more generous emotion of inward piety which disposed them to obey at a touch, and yield to the gentler insinuations of Divine grace. Nehemiahs remembrance of God was spontaneous and free: it sprang up on all occasions; like water from a fountain, or music from a bird, or light from the sun. It was part of a lifethe life of faith and devotion; a life hid with Christ in God. In your best moments you say, The love of Christ constraineth us.
3. A blessed, though difficult, exercise. It is difficult amidst the active duties of life to keep up a devout remembrance of God; but the blessedness more than compensates its difficulty. It is the advantage of any useful habit that when once formed it becomes easy and spontaneous; and would require an effort to forego or counteract it. Use is second nature. Same law holds in Christian life. That which we have once determined upon by principle and by choice we continue to do by preference and by affection. Well for us when the remembrance of God is the solace and delight of the mind in active and in solitary hours. Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
Not an easy attainment. All good men are painfully conscious how great an effort it requires, whilst sedulously engaged with the concerns of time, to give their best hopes and affections to heaven; to carry the spirit of the sanctuary into the cares and vexations of each returning day. It is difficult to mind the business of two worlds and to do justice to both: to be in the fear of God all the day long.
Difficult: not impossible. God enjoins nothing which his strengthening aids will not enable the faithful to achieve. With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. The history of the long cloud of witnesses attests the practicability of the religious life amidst all the agitation of this worlds cares. Patriarchs, prophets, reformers, and martyrs had as many hindrances in their way to heaven as we have in ours.
II. Nehemiahs devout desire for Gods remembrance of him.
1. He set a very high value upon the friendship of God. Not a matter of indifference to him whether he possessed it or not. It was vital to his enjoyment, vital to his prosperity, vital to his existence. Like a crust to a starving man; like a plank to the shipwrecked is the love of Christ to a Christian. Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, therefore my soul seeketh thee. The Psalmist prayed, Remember me, O Lord, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation. Luther protested that he would not be put off with common things. Much emphasis is in the words, That I may see the good of thy chosen, and rejoice with thine inheritancethat I may see it, and partake of it; have the vision and the fruition of this great goodness.
2. He had nothing to claim in the way of merit, but everything to hope for in the way of mercy. Not a touch of the Pharisee in Nehemiah. The deepest humiliation characterized his first prayer and his last; a spirit of self-renunciation and dependence. I beseech thee, O Lord, the great and terrible God, that keepest covenant and mercy. The only word that seems to look the other way is Neh. 13:14, Remember me, O my God, for good, and wipe not out the remembrance of my good deeds: but this was only an earnest appeal to God for his integrity in resisting the tyranny of the nobles of Judah, and maintaining the cause of the poorer among the Levites. As there is a book of remembrance written before God, Nehemiah would not be wiped out of that book. He only says, Remember menot reward it, not record ityet he was remembered and rewarded too, and his good deeds were recorded as well as remembered. As says Matthew Henry, Deeds done for the house of God and the offices of it, for the support and encouragement of religion, are good deeds; there is both righteousness and godliness in them; and God will certainly remember them, and not wipe them out.
3. He possessed a happy consciousness of his personal interest in the Divine regards. Again and again he utters the words, My God.
4. He attached much importance to the service of the sanctuary. He maintained altar and priest.
APPLICATION. HOW to attain amidst the business of life this pervading principle of spiritual piety. No fixed and invariable rules. Every man with the Bible before him must in some respects be a law to himself. Generally
1. Stated seasons of retirement ought to be appointed.
2. Occupy the thoughts in the morning with some leading truth or text of Scripture.
3. Form the habit of ejaculatory prayer.
4. Make conscience of your thoughts.Thodey.
A LIFES WORK REVIEWED
Neh. 13:31. Remember me, O my God, for good
I. The review is coming. All days point on to the day of judgment.
II. A review is desirable. It elevates a man to take a retrospect of his life, judge his motives, broaden his field of vision. To realize the grace of God within him, to mark the purpose of God towards him, and note the work God has given him to do; all this is well. But here is no elation. Rather is he humbled. God is great, and we know him not. That he should employ mesuch a man may sayis not matter for pride or self-boasting. I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies which he has shown unto his servant. And so he prays for mercy and grace to be found faithful. Reverence and trust, fear and hope, are in the man who thus pleads with God.Enlarged from Dr. Schultz.
THE END.
INDEX
Accusing cry of humanity, 114
Adversaries of the Church, craft and cruelty of, 101
Anger, 96 et seq., 117
Bad men praised, 170
Beginning again, 103
Benevolence, 13, 40
Biblepreciousness of, 201 et seq.; how to read 203; read, and expounded, 204
Boldness, 150
Book, the marvel of a, 244
Bribery, 161
Brotherhood, of man, 182
Certitude, value of, 152
Christians criticized by the world, 123
Churchcommon service of, 190; an edifice, 225; requires a ministry, 226; a missionary institution, 226; a brotherhood, 226; dwelling-place of God, 227; place where God and man meet, 228
Church revival, prayer for, 22
Church, enemies of, 63
Cities, 185
City, Holy, replenished, 234 et seq.; symbolism of the, 236
City of GodChrist the door of, 79; spaciousness of, 178; emptiness of, 179
Classes, fusion of, 84
Clergy, origin of the Christian, 76
Conviction, courage from, 149
Courage, Christian, 92
David, the Jewish hero, 85
Day-book, the workmens, 87
Debt, 116
Derision, 60, 67
Deserters, 169
Detraction, 147; sin of, 148
Devotion, habit of, 152
Electplace and people, 30; people, 38
Equality of men in the sight of God, 34
Ezras preaching, effect of, 192
Ezra reading the Law, 194
Faithful Promiser, the, 216
Family, idea of, 180; family history, 181
Fasting, the duty of, 18
Fasting and Feasting, 220
Faults, 139
Fear and Faith, 150 et seq.
Festivals, 203
Foes140; foiled, 173
Forethought, prudence of, 48
Genealogies, 186
Generation, ahistory of, 217; task of, 217; responsibility of, 217
Generosity, enthusiasm of, 181
Gifts, 155
Godmajesty and mercy of, 23; interposition of, 42; the hand of, 49; faith in, a condition of success, 62; the overruling, 165; worlds acknowledgment of, 167; Hebrew conceptions of, 206; in history, 207; in nature, 208; in lives of men, 208; a personal, 209; mercy of, 214, 215
Good out of evil, 249
Goodness, modesty of, 33, 40
Greatness, perilous, 135
Greed and its corrections, 108
Handicraft, honourable, 81
Hananiah and Hanani, 177, 178, 188
Hearers, 193
Hebrew character, Egyptian influence on, 210
Hebrew history, God in, 209 et seq.
Honour, responsibility of, 219
Hostility active, frustrated, 93
House of Godresolve concerning the, 229; importance of attending the, 230
Idleness, a life of, 81
Imprecations, 100
Inconsistency, 121 et seq.
Influence, baneful effects of, 167
Injustice, social, 114
Integrity, 131
James, St., 222
Jealousy, 53
Jerusalem, modern, 89
Joydefined, 200; Christian, 195 et seq.; strength of the Christian, 197; supporting virtue, 198, 199; result of faith, 200; within our power, 201; God its object, 205; true, 245
Judah, defection of, 106
Kingdoms ruined by sin, 35
Labourdivision of, 72, 74; sacredness of, 73; duty of, 74; rewarded, 75
Language, origin of, 71
Lifework and warfare of, 103 et seq.; review of, 133, 256
Man, a true, 86, 177
Memoryforgotten sins recalled to remembrance, 26, 37, of God, 27, 221; work and anticipation, 82
Moses, 224 et seq.
Nations prayer, a, 211
Namessignificance of, 69; Hebrew, 70; marking periods in Hebrew History, 70
Nehemiahbiographical sketch of, 1; the reformer, 5 et seq.; unselfish sorrow of, 16 et seq.; his love for the Church, 43; honouring the king, 44; the secret of his presence of mind, 45; retirement of, 54; inspecting the decayed walls, 55; appealing for help, 57; praying, 106; his watchfulness, 106; his policy and appeal, 107; his loyalty to conscience, 129, 130; an inspired man, 189; a general view of his motives, 253
Nehemiah, Book of, 2 et seq.; topography of the, 87
Opponents, 171
Opposition, the laws of, 95
Panic, 154
Past, the, 247
Persistency, 137
Piety and position, 9 et seq.
Poor, thethe work of, 81; claim of, 182
Possessions, the meaning of, 113
Posthumous influence, 244
Power, the passion for, 113
Prayerintercessory. 20; importunity in, 25; why unanswered, 33; submission in, 40; ejaculatory, 46, 153
Praying and working, 99
Prescience, human, 160
Priesthood, ideal, 75, 77
Prophets, false, 172
Prosperity, 217
Providence, world preserved by, 212
Public worship, divine ordination of, 227
Punishment and penitence, 28
Purification, 244, 248
Reformationthe difficulty of beginning a, 50; slow growth of, 250
Rejoicing, a great, 245
Remembrance, Divine, desired, 254
Resolution, clenching a good, 125
Responsibility, 157
Rest, 183 et seq.
Retirement, the importance of, 65
Revivals, hindrances to, 142
Rich and poor, 81
Rich man, empire of the, 113
Rights and duties, 128
Rival classes, 80
Sabbath, 250 et seq.
Sacred and secular, 237
Sacred service, 205
Saints support, 132
Sanballat, 106, 173
Sanctuary, zeal for, 226
Satan, subtlety of, 102, 160
Secrecy, importance of, 56
Secular power, place of the, 52
Self, communion with, 119 et seq.
Self, respect for, 159
Sepulchres, 86
Service of song, 238 et seq.
Shemaiah, 172
Silence and speech, 146
Singularity, 129, 130
Sin, the destructiveness of, 15, 254
Sinners, an assembly convoked against, 120
Slander, 143, 146
Small things, day of, 98
Solitariness, 152
Steadiness, the secret of, 153
Sundaysa year of, 162; needed by busy men, 228
Taxation, voluntary, 225
Testimonial, the best, 172, 176
Thanksgiving, 64; thanks-living the best, 246
Tithes, 231
Tobiah, 106, 173
Tongue, the, its use and abuse, 145 et seq.
Union, strength of, 59
Unknown future, working for the, 80
Unrighteousness, doom of, 106
Unworldliness, 169, 223 et seq.
Vocation, life a, 77
Wallthe Church a broad, 82; completion of the, 188; dedication of the, 242
Warrior builders, 94
Wealth, 110
Women, famous, 83; influence of, 83
Work, conditions of success in, 78 et seq.; the great, 140; Divinely inspired, 163; finished, 174; unfinished, 175 et seq.
Workers Divinely helped, 164
Worship Christian, 75
Wrong-doing, inexcuseableness of, 124; irrevocableness of, 248
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
TEXT AND VERSE-BY-VERSE COMMENT
C. Foreigners are expelled and religious reforms are instituted to purify the nation.
1. Foreigners are expelled.
TEXT, Neh. 13:1-3
1
On that day they read aloud from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people; and there was found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God,
2
because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing.
3
So it came about, that when they heard the law, they excluded all foreigners from Israel.
COMMENT
The events in Neh. 13:1-3, like those in the previous chapter, apparently happened on the occasion of Nehemiahs second visit (Neh. 13:6 f), when the wall was dedicated.[82] The occasion on which the Law of Moses was being read is not identified, but this was a regular part of Israels community life following the exile. The particular passage which they read was Deu. 23:3-6. The exclusion in Neh. 13:3 refers to foreigners, and not to those of foreign descent.[83] That is, those who retained their citizenship in and loyalty to other nations (not just Moab and Ammon), which would include worship of their gods, were not permitted to share in Israels Temple ceremonies.
[82] John E. Eggleton, Discovering The Old Testament, p. 237.
[83] Anchor Bible, op. cit., p. 206.
WORD STUDIES
EVER (Neh. 13:1 : Olam): for ever, everlasting. Basically it means hidden (as in the secret sins of Psa. 90:8): where the beginning or end is obscure or uncertain or indefinite. It is applied to (1) the past, or antiquity, time long past or even only a lifetime, the days of old, Mic. 7:14; or of a long time, Isa. 42:14; (2) the future, i.e., of the end of one life, Deu. 15:17; (3) end of an age or race or dynasty, limited by the length of their obedience, 1Sa. 2:30. (4) The laws are for ever (Passover, Exo. 12:14), yet they are superseded now. (5) The earth and universe are forever (Psa. 104:5), though we know they will pass away. (6) Only when the term is used of God does it have the idea of absolute eternality (Psa. 90:2).
The people of the O.T. did not have an everlasting promise; they found no need to coin a word for an idea which they didnt have, or barely had, in their mind. Only Jesus could complete that picture for them (2Ti. 1:10).
LOVED (Neh. 13:26 : Aheb): to breathe after, long for, desire; the meaning is akin to Agape in the N.T. Israel loved Joseph, Gen. 37:3 f; Jacob loved Rachel, Gen. 29:18; Hosea was told to love his wife in spite of her unworthiness, Hos. 3:1; God loved His people, Deu. 23:5; and we must love God, Deu. 6:5.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
XIII.
(1-3) Reform as to mixed marriages.
(1) On that day.Probably the season of the Feast of Tabernacles, as before. But portions were selected to be read.
They read in the book of Moses.It was read in the Pentateuch, and specially Deuteronomy 23. This is introduced for the sake of the action taken, and the history is given in brief, with a striking and characteristic parenthesis of Nehemiahs own concerning the curse turned into a blessing.
Therein was found written.What to the people generally was not known.
For ever.No Ammonite or Ammonite family could have legal standing in the congregation, even to their tenth generation; and this interdict was to last for ever. It virtually though not actually amounted to absolute exclusion.
(3) The mixed multitude.For the mixed multitude, or Ereb, which plays so prominent a part in Jewish history, see on Exo. 12:38. The process here was that of shutting out heathens who were in the habit of mingling with the people in the services. In Nehemiah 9 it was, as we saw, the peoples separation from the practices and spirit of the heathen.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
THE SEPARATION FROM STRANGERS, Neh 13:1-3.
1. On that day This is to be understood in the same sense as at that time, in Neh 12:44. But no doubt public readings of the law took place frequently during Nehemiah’s administration.
The book of Moses Here it is evident that the Book of Deuteronomy, from which they read on that occasion, was regarded as the work of Moses. Its Mosaic authorship was not questioned in Nehemiah’s day.
Found written The passage referred to is in Deu 23:3-6, and reads as follows: “An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the Lord forever; because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee. Nevertheless the Lord thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the Lord thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the Lord thy God loved thee. Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperity all thy days forever.”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
With Nehemiah Having To Return To Report To Artaxerxes, Unholiness Again Began To Infiltrate The Holy City, A Situation Which Had To Be Dealt With On Nehemiah’s Return ( Neh 13:1-14 ).
It should be noted here that Nehemiah was not satisfied with having established Jerusalem as a fortified city in its own right, but was equally concerned that it be established as the holy city. He had in mind the eschatological hopes which depended on such holiness. He never asks God to remember him for achieving the building of the wall, (the thing for which he is best remembered), but rather that He will remember the contribution that he has made towards the holiness of Israel and of the holy city.
This subsection, opening with ‘at that time, on that day’ (Neh 13:1) and closing with ‘remember me –’ (Neh 13:14), divides up as follows:
The separation out of Israel of those who had mingled among them, on the basis of Deuteronomy 23 which describes who may be accepted into the assembly of YHWH and excludes Moabites and Ammonites (Neh 13:1-3).
The infiltration into the Temple area of Tobiah the Ammonite as a consequence of his being provided with a chamber there by Eliashib the priest who oversaw the chambers in the Temple (Neh 13:4-5).
The fact that this occurred in the period between when Nehemiah returned to Artaxerxes to report to him, and the time of his return (Neh 13:6-7).
Nehemiah’s expulsion of Tobiah’s household stuff from the chamber (Neh 13:8).
The necessary purifying of the chamber and its return to its proper use (Neh 13:9).
The restoration of the collection of the tithes (Neh 13:10-12).
The replacement of Eliashib by new authorities over the Temple chambers (Neh 13:13).
Nehemiah’s prayer that he be remembered by God for what he has done (Neh 13:14).
Neh 13:1
‘On that day/at that time (beyom) they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people, and in it was found written, that an Ammonite and a Moabite should not enter into the assembly of God for ever,’
The time note connects this passage with what has gone before. It is always possible that Deuteronomy 23 was read out at the end of the celebrations over the completion of the wall, on that very day, but yom regularly indicates a period of time. Thus we should probably translate with the more vague ‘at that time’. Regular readings of the Scriptures took place before the people at the feasts, and no doubt also regularly on the Sabbath to all who gathered at the Temple, so that we do not know exactly when this took place. But it was the day on which the people had drawn to their attention the exclusion for ever from the assembly of Israel of Moabites and Ammonites.
Deu 23:3 literally reads, ‘an Ammonite or a Moabite shall not enter into the assembly of YHWH, even to the tenth generation shall none belonging to them enter into the assembly of YHWH for ever’. This was clearly interpreted at this time as indicating permanent exclusion. It did not exclude them from worshipping YHWH or approaching the Temple if they were converted to Yahwism. What it excluded them from was becoming full members of God’s people Israel. ‘The assembly of YHWH’ was the full gathering of all the adult males of Israel. The case of Ruth who was a Moabitess does not come into the reckoning for she was a woman who married a true-born Israelite and converted to Yahwism. As a woman she could never be a member of the assembly of YHWH, but officially her husband was.
It should be noted that the original intent of the Law was to prevent an Ammonite or Moabite from becoming true Israelites for sufficient period of time (the tenth generation) to ‘purge their contempt’. Edomite and Egyptian converts to Yahwism could become true Israelites after three generations. The word translated ‘for ever’ means ‘into the distant future’. But it was by Nehemiah’s time seen as signifying that they could not become true Israelites forever.
Neh 13:2
‘Because they did not meet the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, to curse them: however our God turned the curse into a blessing.’
And the reason for this exclusion, as taken from Deu 23:4, was that it arose because of the failure of the Ammonites and Moabites, who were related tribes, to welcome them with food and water when Israel under Moses initially approached the land of Canaan. Rather they had hired Balaam the sorcerer so that he would curse them. It had, however, been unavailing, for YHWH had turned his curse into a blessing.
The passage in Deuteronomy then goes on to deal with other less permanent exclusions, but this part was no doubt cited because it explained Nehemiah’s reaction against the residence of Tobiah the Ammonite within the Temple precincts.
Neh 13:3
‘And it came about when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude (or ‘those who mingled among them’).’
And the consequence of hearing this from the Law was that ‘they separated from Israel all the minglers among them’. Whilst the same word (translated ‘mixed multitude’) is found in Exo 12:36 it had there a somewhat different meaning. There it referred to foreign slaves who fled with the Israelites from Egypt and mingled among them in their flight. The vast majority of them became true Israelites through subscribing to the covenant at Sinai, and through their subsequent circumcision on entering the land. Here in Neh 13:3 it probably refers to those who worshipped YHWH on a syncretistic basis, in the same way as Tobiah did, who had somehow ingratiated themselves into Israel in such a way as to be treated as ‘Israel’, or at least in such a was as to be able to worship YHWH along with them. We are not told how they were separated. It may have been by exclusion from dwelling in Jerusalem. Or it may have been by excluding them from gatherings of the assembly of Israel. Or it may have been by exclusion from worship in the Temple because of their syncretism. We can compare how the syncretistic YHWH worshippers of Samaria were not allowed any official part in the Temple (Ezr 4:1-3). But the point that lies behind the words is that Israel excluded from among themselves all who were not pure worshippers of YHWH. It was all a part of the purifying of the holy city and ensuring within it only the true worship of YHWH. That this took place after Nehemiah’s return from seeing Artaxerxes as described in Neh 13:6, is apparent from the ‘now before this’ of Neh 13:4.
Neh 13:4-5
‘Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, being allied to Tobiah, had prepared for him a great chamber, where previously they laid the meal-offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the grain, the new wine, and the oil, which were given by commandment to the Levites, and the singers, and the gatekeepers; and the heave-offerings for the priests.’
‘Now before this.’ If taken specifically this suggests that what happened in Neh 13:1-3 occurred after this date, so that Tobiah the Ammonite had a chamber in the precincts of the Temple when that occurred. That would mean, either that what happened in Neh 13:1-3 occurred after the return of Nehemiah, or that because of his powerful influence, Tobiah was not included in the general purging of Israel from idolatrous elements which took place in the interim, until after the return of Nehemiah.
And the reason for Tobiah’s great influence was that he was ‘allied’ to Eliashib, a priest who was responsible for the chambers in the Temple precincts. This may have been due to a trade alliance, or even a marriage alliance (Tobiah was son-in-law to a prominent Jew named Shechaniah the son of Arah, and his son Johanan had married the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah (Neh 6:18), a prominent wallbuilder (Neh 3:4; Neh 3:30) and priest (Neh 3:28; Neh 3:30). Both Shechaniah and Meshullam were presumably of the Jewish aristocracy). But if so we are not given details. Or alternately it may indicate a close friendship between the two which enabled Tobiah to pressurise Eliashib into providing him with a chamber in the Temple precincts.
We read in Ezr 8:33 of a fourfold responsibility for the Temple treasures, at that time consisting of two priests, Meremoth, the son of Uriah, and Eleazar the son of Phinehas, and two Levites, Jozabad the son of Jeshua, and Noadiah the son of Binnui. Furthermore in Neh 13:13 we learn of four who were appointed for the same purpose in the time of Nehemiah, namely Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe, together with two Levites, Pedaiah and Hanan. Their responsibility was for the Temple treasures, and this would include the safety and distribution of the tithes, and these would all be stored in the Temple chambers. We also know that in the time of Ezra’s initial arrival one of the Temple chambers was occupied by ‘Johanan the son of Eliashib’ (Ezr 10:6). This last would tie in well with an Eliashib ‘who was over the chamber’, and it is doubtful if Ezra was there speaking of Eliashib the High priest because, although he mentions four Eliashibs, he nowhere mentions an Eliashib as the High Priest (see Ezr 10:6; Ezr 10:24; Ezr 10:27; Ezr 10:36). When speaking of Eliashib the High Priest Nehemiah always uses the full title ‘high priest’ (Neh 3:1; Neh 3:20; Neh 13:28). Thus this ‘Eliashib the priest’ would appear to have been a kind of priestly caretaker of the Temple chambers, undoubtedly almost a full time job, and one given only to a high level priest, with one responsibility among others being that he could allocate the chambers, many of which would have been available to prominent priests, enabling them to perform their functions more efficiently. That he allocated one to his son may cause us to frown. That he allocated one to an Ammonite, who was a syncretistic worshipper of YHWH, eventually caused everyone to frown. It may well be that the appointments in Neh 13:13 resulted in his replacement.
The ‘great chamber’ allocated to Tobiah by Eliashib must have been very large for it was one of those previously used to store meal offerings, and frankincense, and the vessels of the house of God (Neh 13:9), the latter vessels possibly containing the tithes of corn, wine and oil, or they may have been Temple vessels, and therefore costly. It also seemingly contained the heave-offerings of the priests. This usage for other purposes had been made possible because there had been a failure to gather in the tithes, so that the other storage chambers (compare 2Ch 31:11-12) were sufficient for the storage now required. That the High Priest and the priests turned a blind eye to it ties in with the fact that earlier we have been informed that many influential Jews were in sympathy with Tobiah (Neh 4:12; Neh 6:17-19), who may well previously have been deputy-governor with responsibility over Judah. As long as their own chambers were not affected (and each priestly clan presumably had a chamber for its patriarch) they were not averse to the presence of Tobiah in the Temple courts. As a consequence he was now presumably seeking to increase his influence in Jewish society, and infiltrate into Temple worship, no doubt with a view to making both compatible with the views of surrounding nations. It was a sign of how close true Yahwism was coming to being debased.
Neh 13:6
‘But in all this I was not at Jerusalem, for in the thirty second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king.’
Nehemiah now explains that all this was none of his doing. Had he been in Jerusalem it would not have been allowed. But he had been called on to report to Artaxerxes. It was common practise for such kings to recall prominent men so that they could report, and renew their oaths of loyalty. This is the second indication that we have of the fact that Nehemiah’s initial governorship was restricted to about twelve years (compare Neh 5:14). It may well be that he was not expected to return.
The title of Artaxerxes as King of Babylon is unexpected, although it was a title Artaxerxes would have claimed when dealing with affairs in Babylon (compare Cyrus king of Babylon in Ezr 5:13). It may suggest that at this time Artaxerxes was in Babylon and that Nehemiah had reported to him there.
Neh 13:6
-7 ‘And after certain days I asked leave of the king, and I came to Jerusalem, and understood the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God.’
We have no information as to the length of the ‘certain days’, but we need not doubt that they were long enough to have enabled problems to have arisen in Judea. It had been long enough for Tobiah to worm his way into the Temple precincts, and for the gathering of tithes to become dilatory to such an extent that Temple worship had been affected, and both of these factors suggest a period of some years.
But it appears that Nehemiah was aware of the possible failures of the people whom he had left behind in charge of Judah and its worship, and was deeply concerned, for he asked the king’s permission to return to Judah, presumably in an official capacity, although not necessarily as Governor. He was concerned that unholiness may have begun to mar the holy city. And he was proved to be correct. For on arrival in Jerusalem he learned of what Eliashib had done for Tobiah the Ammonite, in providing for him a chamber in the Temple precincts, ‘in the courts of the house of God’. For any syncretistic worshipper of YHWH to have been introduced into such close proximity with the Temple would have marred the holiness of the Temple, and for it to be in the person of an Ammonite rendered it doubly so. With him present Jerusalem was no longer the holy city, and the Temple was no longer pure.
We have in this a reminder of how easy it is to slip from being dedicated to God as described in chapter 10, and from being willing to make sacrifices for God as described in chapter 11, to being willing to compromise with those who might seem to be able to benefit us politically and materially. With Nehemiah gone it clearly seemed expedient to those remaining in Jerusalem to cosy up to those in the area with political power, and one means of doing this was through Tobiah who in a sense had a foot in both camps. He was sympathetic to Jews who were willing to compromise, being closely related to them, and he was in a position of authority in Samaria. Had Nehemiah not returned, and had Malachi not prophesied, Israel might well once again have become syncretistic and, humanly speaking, have disappeared from history.
Neh 13:8
‘And it grieved me sorely, therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber.’
The expression here is strong. Nehemiah was ‘sorely grieved’. As a godly man concerned about God’s will and God’s Law, and about the purity of God’s Temple his heart was smitten. It must have seemed to him as though even the Temple authorities, whose major concern should have been the holiness of the Temple, were prepared to stand back and see it defiled. He saw in it the same dangerous downward path that had previously led to the destruction of Jerusalem.
But Nehemiah was a man of action, and he was also in a position to act, and he therefore arranged for all Tobiah’s household stuff to be forcibly removed from the chamber, and ‘cast forth’, making it quite clear that Tobiah had no right to be there. There could be no place for those connected with idolatry in the Temple of YHWH.
Neh 13:9
‘Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and I again brought there the vessels of the house of God, with the meal-offerings and the frankincense.’
Then he gave command that ‘the chambers’ be ritually purified, for he saw the whole building as having been ritually defiled by Tobiah’s presence within it. Once again we see the emphasis on ritual purification already expressed earlier in Neh 12:30; Neh 12:45; Neh 12:47. He was concerned to preserve Jerusalem as a holy city.
And once the chambers had been purified he again brought into them the vessels of the house of God, along with the meal-offerings and the frankincense, all of which were supremely holy to God (‘most holy’ – Exo 30:36; Lev 2:1-3). The non-mention of the tithes is a reminder that at this point in time the tithes had mainly ceased to be gathered. And in view of the fact that those who gathered them would also be the ones who benefited from them we must assume that the problem arose from an unwillingness by the people to pay the tithes, although in saying this we must remember that many of them would have been finding it hard to survive (compare Neh 5:1-5). It was in the light of such a situation that the prophet Malachi prophesied in Mal 3:8-12, reminding the people that if they were faithful to God in such matters, He would be faithful to them.
Neh 13:10
‘And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them; so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, were fled every one to his field.’
The ‘portions of the Levites’ came from the tithes, and as these had not been gathered the Levites received no portion. Note that ‘the Levites’ in the first clause are ‘the Levites and singers’ in the second clause. This is a reminder that the term ‘the Levites’ was used in two ways, firstly of the Levites as a whole, including the singers and gatekeepers, and secondly of the group of general Levites who were not singers and gatekeepers, but served God in other ways, including the gathering of tithes. It is noteworthy that although they would not receive their due portions (Neh 12:47) the gatekeepers remained in Jerusalem in order to fulfil their duties of watching over the affairs of the Temple.
As a consequence of the lack of tithes the Levites and the singers had returned to the task of obtaining a living by returning to their own fields which they had occupied on their return from Babylonia. They had occupied this land because the Levitical cities had ceased to be such. And besides the Levitical cities within the province of Judah had been for the benefit of the priests. The Levites had thus had to find land to occupy on their return, and they had found it within a circle around Jerusalem (Neh 12:27-28). It was to this that they returned. It went without saying that the worship in the Temple had been greatly affected.
Neh 13:11
‘Then I contended with the rulers, and said, “Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together, and set them in their place.’
Once Nehemiah had perceived what had happened he had a set to with the rulers as to why they had allowed the house of God to be forsaken by the servants of YHWH. That his words were effective comes out in that the rulers clearly arranged for the recommencement of the collection of the tithes (Neh 13:12). At the same time he arranged for the Levites and singers to be brought together and set in their place so that they could perform their holy functions. This would include participation in the daily worship of the Temple, and the gathering of the tithes. It should be noted that there was no thought that the Levites and singers might refuse. They were seen as being servants of God, duly appointed by God, and therefor as much responsible to serve as the people were to pay tithes.
Neh 13:12
‘Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries.’
From then on the system of tithes was officially restored, and ‘all Judah’ brought their tithes of grain new wine and oil to the treasuries, that is to the Temple storerooms, including the chamber from which Tobiah had been expelled.
Neh 13:13
‘And I made treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah: and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were counted faithful, and their business was to distribute to their brothers.’
Then he set over the storerooms, which contained the Temple’s wealth, competent men whom he considered to be reliable and honest (‘faithful’), here called ‘treasurers’. These consisted of Shelemiah the Priest, Zadok the Scribe (i.e. secretary/accountant, who was probably also a priest), together with two leading Levites, Pedaiah and Hanan. And their main business was to see to the distribution of the tithes. Hanan would appear to have been slightly subordinate to the main three.
This followed the pattern of Ezr 8:33. But if such a committee had had permanent status, it had clearly failed in its responsibilities with regard to the tithes and the wrong use of the store-chambers. It would be inevitable therefore that it would be replaced. It is quite possible, however, that with the cessation of tithing Eliashib alone had been responsible for what was in the storehouses. And certainly it is unlikely that Eliashib would have been allowed to retain his position after what he had done.
Neh 13:14
‘Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds (covenant deeds) that I have done for the house of my God, and for its observances.’
This is the first of four ‘remember’ prayers which close off the book. See also Neh 13:22; Neh 13:29; Neh 13:31, and compare Neh 5:19; Neh 6:14. As he would before the king, so does he also call the attention of God to the faithfulness with which he has performed his duties and had fulfilled His commands (in every positive case it follows examples of what he has done in ensuring the carrying out of specific instructions in God’s Law). Here he wants God to note how he has preserved the purity of His house, and the purity and continuation of its observances, in the manner prescribed by the Law, through God’s prescribed servants. He has faithfully fulfilled his responsibilities to the covenant.
The plea that God would not wipe out his good deeds (his chesed) may well have reflected the fact that he did rejoice in the idea that God had wiped out his sins (a regular use of the verb – Psa 51:1; Psa 51:9; Isa 43:25; Isa 44:22). He does not want God to wipe out everything. He wants at least something to be remembered in his favour. He wants to hear God say, ‘well done, My good and faithful servant’. We might indeed translate chesed (covenant love) as ‘covenant deeds’ (note the use of chesed in the next remembrance statement in Neh 13:22, and often elsewhere, to indicate God’s covenant love). This is not the prayer of a self-seeker, but of a dedicated man who, aware of his own unworthiness (Neh 13:22 b) and of how little he has done, loves his God and wants it to be remembered that he has at least sought to fulfil His covenant. This should be the prayer of us all.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
The Establishment Of Jerusalem As The Holy City, Populated By True Israelites; Its Worship Conducted By Those Specifically and Provably Appointed By God; Accepted from God With Due Gladness And Praise; And Purified By the Removal Of All That Could Be Displeasing To God ( Neh 11:1 to Neh 13:31 ).
The Book closes with a description of the restoring of Jerusalem as the holy city. This was accomplished by:
Populating Jerusalem the holy city with members of the new true Israel who would defend it and (hopefully) maintain its purity (Neh 11:1-36).
Establishing the God-appointed leaders of worship whose genealogies demonstrate that they were of those appointed by God, maintaining the holiness of worship (Neh 12:1-26).
The celebration of gladness and thanksgiving for the completion of the wall and gates which made possible its being established as holy and the re-establishment of the system of tithes that ensured the maintenance of YHWH’s chosen appointees (Neh 12:27-47).
The purifying of the holy city from the defilements of Sabbath breaking and idolatry (Neh 13:1-31).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
THE PURIFYING OF THE HOLY CITY ( Neh 12:27 to Neh 13:31 ).
The prophecies concerning Jerusalem as ‘the holy city’ had in mind the coming eschatalogical age, and its consequent purification (Isa 52:1; Dan 9:24), and there can be little doubt, in view of the hopes expressed in the prophecies of Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi, that this age must have been in mind as Jerusalem was so triumphantly re-established. Thus the writer ends his book with a description of the purification of Jerusalem, both religiously and practically, the details of which are found in Neh 12:27 to Neh 13:31. This would be seen as necessary, in preparation for that age, for in that age the city was to be holy and wholly ‘clean’ (Isa 52:1). These passages are united together by vague time notes (beyom, beyamim) which connect them together, and they cover both the Godward side and the manward side of its purification. Whilst the time frame is foreshortened, and the time notes are imprecise, this section covers various aspects of its purification during the lifetime of Nehemiah. Each section, apart from the initial one, commences with the words beyom or beyamim, and sections 3-6 end with the statement ‘remember me –.’ On this basis we may divide it up as follows:
1) The religious purifying of the city at the time of the celebrations over the completion of the wall (Neh 12:27-43).
2) The re-establishment of offerings and tithes for the support of the priests and Levites who were the pure, uniquely chosen servants of YHWH and appointed to the service of the Temple, thus ensuring its purity of worship in accordance with God’s requirements. Introductory words ‘at that time — (beyom)’ (Neh 12:44-47).
3) The purifying of the true Israel and the Temple, by the exclusion of idolatrous foreign elements in accordance with the Law of Moses (Neh 3:1-9), and by establishing the God-ordained Levitical order (Neh 13:10-14). This included the exclusion of the Ammonite Tobiah who had wormed his way into the Temple precincts, and had thereby taken over the chambers intended for the storing of tithes and offerings (Neh 3:4-9). In consequence it was seen as necessary to purify the Temple chambers.
The consequent re-establishment of God’s chosen servants the Levites in their responsibilities with regard to the Temple and its worship, something which had failed because of the failure of Israel to respond to the tithing system. The result would be that once again tithes would flow into God’s house providing for His servants, a condition of God’s future blessing (Mal 3:10-12). Introductory words ‘at that time –’ (beyom). The passage ending with a ‘remember me –’ statement (Neh 13:1-14).
4) The purification of Jerusalem by restoring full observance of the Sabbath (another requirement for future blessing – Jer 17:19-27), the gates to be guarded by gatekeepers who had been purified. Introductory words ‘in those days’ (beyamim), with the passage ending with a ‘remember me’’ statement (Neh 13:15-22).
5) The removal of those who had idolatrous foreign wives from Jerusalem, thus preventing the watering down of their religious heritage, and ensured the continuing purity of the cult. Introductory words ‘in those days (beyamim) –’ , with the passage ending with a ‘remember me –’ statement (Neh 13:23-29).
6) Nehemiah’s summary of what he had achieved: the purifying of Jerusalem from all religiously foreign elements; the successful establishment of the God-determined priesthood and the Levitical order in order to ensure the purity of the cult; the ensuring of the means of offering sacrifices through purifying fire; and the ensuring of the supply of the holy firstfruits, this finally closing with a ‘remember me –’ statement (Neh 13:30-31).
We should note how much of what is described here is a direct enforcing of the provisions of the ‘sure agreement’ of Neh 10:29-39 which stresses separation from foreign influence especially in respect to marriage (Neh 10:30); observance of the Sabbath (Neh 10:31); supply of the wood offering (Neh 10:34); the bringing in of the firstfruits (Neh 10:35-37); and the gathering of the tithes (Neh 10:37-39).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
The Establishment Of The Temple Treasury, And The Chambers To Contain The Heave-offerings, Firstfruits and Tithes That Were Offered To YHWH, Their Restoration, And The Exclusion Of All Who Religiously Defiled Jerusalem ( Neh 12:44 to Neh 13:14 ).
Equally of importance with the celebrations over the completion of the wall, were the arrangements made to ensure that Jerusalem continued to be the holy city, set apart to YHWH, purified from all that religiously defiled, and fulfilling its function as the YHWH’s earthy dwellingplace, and as the store-city of all that specifically belonged to YHWH (that which had been set apart for Him and given to Him in accordance with the Law). To the mundane mind the building of the wall of Jerusalem had made it a defensible city suitable to be the capital of Judah, and thus an achievement in itself, but to the religious mind what the wall indicated was a new beginning of Jerusalem as ‘the holy city’ which was the centre of true Yahwism.
This portion (Neh 12:44 to Neh 13:14) is distinguished by being fashioned on a clear chiastic pattern, as follows:
A Appointment of men over the treasure and store chambers (Neh 12:44 a).
B The store chambers were for the treasures, heave-offerings, firstfruits and tithes (Neh 12:44 b).
C All Judah rejoiced over the priests, and over the Levites who waited (before God) and gave them their portions as every day required (Neh 12:44 c-47).
D In accordance with the Law of YHWH concerning the Moabites and Ammonites all who were religiously tainted were separated from Israel (Neh 13:1-3).
E Eliashib who was the priest who was appointed over the chambers, provided a chamber for Tobiah the Ammonite, a chamber which had previously been used for the storage of those things which had been given to God (Neh 13:4-5).
F All this happened when Nehemiah was away from Jerusalem, having returned to the king’s court, probably at this stage stationed at Babylon (Neh 13:6).
E Nehemiah learns what Eliashib had done in providing Tobiah with a chamber in the courts of the house of God (Neh 13:7).
D Tobiah the Ammonite was cast out of the Temple chambers which were cleansed and restored to their proper use (Neh 13:8-9).
C The portions of the Levites had not been given to them with the result that the house of God was forsaken by its servants who no longer waited before God (Neh 13:10-11),
B All Judah brought the tithes to the treasuries (Neh 13:12).
A Appointment of men over the treasuries (Neh 13:13-14).
Note that in A men were appointed over the treasure and store chambers, and in the parallel men were appointed over the treasury. In B the store chambers were for various things including the tithes, and in the parallel all Judah brought tithes to the treasury. In C the portions were given to the priests and Levites as every day required, and in the parallel their portions were not given to the Levites. In D all who were religiously tainted, including the Ammonites, were separated from Israel, and in the parallel Tobiah the Ammonite was cast out of the Temple chambers which had to be cleansed. In E Eliashib provided a chamber for Tobiah, ad in the parallel Nehemiah learned of it. Centrally all this happened whilst Nehemiah was away from Jerusalem
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Neh 13:3 Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.
Neh 13:3
Exo 12:38, “And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle.”
Neh 13:7-9 Comments The Cleansing of the Temple – Nehemiah cleanses the Temple much like Jesus did in Mat 21:12-16.
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
In the Temple and its Services
v. 1. On that day v. 2. because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them that he should curse them, v. 3. Now, it came to pass, when they had heard the Law, v. 4. And before this, v. 5. and he had prepared for him a great chamber, v. 6. But in all this time, v. 7. and I came to Jerusalem and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, v. 8. And it grieved me sore; therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber, v. 9. Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers; and thither brought I again the vessels of the house of God with the meat-offering and the frankincense.
v. 10. And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them, v. 11. v. 12. Then brought all Judah, v. 13. And I made treasurers over the treasuries, v. 14. Remember me, O my God, concerning this and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for the offices thereof,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
EXPOSITION
NEHEMIAH‘S EFFORTS FOR THE REFORM OF RELIGION (Neh 13:1-31). After having exercised the office of governor for twelve years, from b.c. 444 to b.c. 432, Nehemiah had had occasion to visit the Persian court, either to consult Artaxerxes personally on certain matters connected with his province, or for some other reason unknown to us. During his absence various evil practices, to which some reference has been already made in connection with the renewal of the covenant (Neh 10:30-39), acquired so much strength, and came to such a head, that, on Nehemiah’s return to Jerusalem at the expiration of a year (verse 6), he felt it necessary to take active steps to put an end to them. In the first place, intermarriages between the Jews and the neighbouring heathen, like those which Ezra had dissolved twenty-five years previously (Ezr 10:16-44), had again occurred, and a new generation was growing up which could not speak its own language correctly (verse 24). The family of the high priest, Eliashib, shared in this trespass. He himself was allied by marriage to the Ammonite chief, Tobiah (verse 4), and one of his grandsons had taken to wife a daughter of Sanballat, the Samaritan (verse 28). Secondly, through the growing influence of the heathen, and their intermixture with the Jews in Judaea and Jerusalem, the strict observance of the sabbath had fallen into disrepute. Trade was carried on upon the sabbath in Jerusalem itself; in the country wine-presses were at work, and farming operations continued, without the observance of any day of rest (verses 15, 16). Further, the payment of the tithes was very irregular; and the Levites, who ought to have found their daily food provided for them in the temple, not receiving their “portions” there, were forced to absent themselves from the daily service, and to support themselves by cultivating their own plots of ground (verses 10, 11). Finally, the temple had ceased to be regarded as sacred to the Almighty; a portion of it had been converted into a dwelling-house by the order of the high priest himself (verse 5), an i the Ammonite, Tobiah, had been allowed to take possession of it. Nehemiah tells us in this chapter the mode wherein he dealt with these various evils, treating of the mixed marriages in verses 1-3 and 23-28; of the profanation of the sabbath in verses 15-22; of the non-payment of the tithes in verses 10-13; and of the desecration of the temple in verses 4-9. The chapter is remarkable for the number of “interjectional prayers” which it contains (verses 14, 22, 29, 31), and for the plainness and roughness of the language (see especially verses 9, 17, 21, 25, 28). The authorship of Nehemiah is universally admitted.
Neh 13:1
On that day. See Neh 12:44. The phrase seems to mean, in Nehemiah, “About that time.” They read in the book of Moses. It is uncertain whether this was a casual reading, like that of Ezra’s, recorded in Neh 8:1-8, or whether it was the prescribed reading (Deu 31:11) at the time of the feast of tabernacles. Therein was found written. See Deu 23:3-5. It seems to be implied that the nation at large had no knowledge of the law, except that which they derived from the occasional public reading of the Pentateuch, or portions of it. Copies of the law were extremely scarce; and even if an ordinary Jew possessed one, he would not have been able to understand it (comp. above, Neh 8:8).
Neh 13:2
follows closely Deu 23:4, Deu 23:5, merely substituting the third for the second person, and abbreviating a little. On the turning of Balaam’s proposed curse into a blessing see Num 24:10.
Neh 13:3
They separated from Israel all the mixed multitude. Some lengthy process, like that pursued by Ezra (Ezr 10:10-19), is probably glanced at in these words, and again in the opening words of verse 30″Thus cleansed I them from all strangers.” The rebukes of Nehemiah (verses 25-27) did not suffice to produce a voluntary putting away of the foreign wives. Judicial proceedings had to be taken, and the “mixed multitude” separated off by authority.
Neh 13:4
Eliashib the priest. It is questioned whether the high priest of Neh 3:1 is meant, and noted that the expression used”the priest”does not always designate “the high priest” (see Neh 3:13); but the important charge said to have been assigned to him, the alliance with so great a man as Tobiah, and the important step taken, the assignment to a heathen of a residence within the temple precincts, imply a man of high authority, and suit better with the high priest than with any one of lower rank. Moreover, the fact that Eliashib’s leanings were towards the enemies of Nehemiah accounts for his disappearance from the history from Neh 3:1 to Neh 13:4. Having the oversight. Literally, “being set over”perhaps by Nehemiah, who seems to have claimed the appointment to all offices about the temple which were not purely spiritual. (see Neh 12:44; Neh 13:13). Of the chamber. The word “chamber” (lishkah) is here used in a collective sense of the entire building containing the many “chambers” or “treasuries” of Neh 12:44; Neh 13:9, Neh 13:12, Neh 13:13. Was allied unto Tobiah. Karob, the word translated “allied,” means “a relation,” either by blood or marriage. In the present case the relationship must have been by means of a marriage.
Neh 13:5
He had prepared for him a great chamber. He (Eliashib) had prepared (or made) for him (Tobiah) a great chamberprobably by throwing into one several of the old store-chambers. The meat offerings. The minchah consisted of fine flour seasoned with salt, and mixed with oil and frankincense. It was made into a sort of cake, but without leaven, and formed part of the daily morning and evening sacrifice, the Sabbath offerings, and most others. The frankincense. Frankincense was a necessary ingredient in the incense which was offered twice a day on the “altar of incense” in the holy place (Exo 30:34). As a rare foreign product, it had necessarily to be kept in store. The vessels. Sacred vessels, basins, and the like, not needed except on occasion of great gatherings. The offerings of the priests. The portion of the offerings which belonged to the priests”the tithe of the tithes.”
Neh 13:6
In all this time. Literally, “during all this”while all this was being done. The reference seems to be solely to the affair of Eliashib and Tobiah. Artaxerxes, king of Babylon. The title “king of Babylon,” which was certainly borne by Cyrus, Cambyses, and Darius Hystaspis, may have continued in use down to the time of Nehemiah, or even later. If he visited Artaxerxes at Babylon, the court happening to be there at the time, he would naturally think and speak of him as “king of Babylon.” After certain days. Literally, “at the end of days,” which is thought to mean “at the expiration of a year.” I obtained leave of the king. Gesenius and Professor Lee render, “I asked leave of the king; Houbigant, Rambach, and others, “I was asked for from the king,” i.e. “the Jews asked to have me sent back to govern them.”
Neh 13:7
A chamber in the courts of the house of God. It would seem by this expression that the chamber made over to Tobiah was not part of the main building of the temple, but a portion of some detached building belonging to the “courts.” This, no doubt, made the desecration less flagrant, but was far from justifying it.
Neh 13:8
Therefore cast I forth all the household stuff. Tobiah had furnished his “chamber” as a dwelling-house, filling it with “household stuff” of various kinds. Nehemiah, of his own authority, had the whole of it turned out of doors.
Neh 13:9
I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers. Regarding the sacred place as polluted by its conversion to secular uses, Nehemiah had it purified, and so reconsecrated. He then ordered the restoration to their former place of the various stores which had been removed to make room for Tobiah’s furniture.
Neh 13:10
I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: for the Levites were fled. What Nehemiah saw was that the Levites were absent, and “the house of God forsaken” (verse 11). On inquiry, he found that the reason of their absence was the non-payment of the tithes. That did the work. i.e. whose business it was to do the work of the house, or, in other words, conduct Divine service. Every one to his field. Every Levite had a plot of ground, which he cultivated when not engaged in the work of the temple (see Num 35:2; Jos 21:3).
Neh 13:11
Then contended I with the rulers. While the guilt of profaning the temple lay especially with the priestly class, that of withholding the tithes was mainly chargeable on the “rulers,” or “nobles.” These persons, as wealthy landowners, had of course a pecuniary interest in keeping back the tithe. When they felt the control of a strong hand they made the payments regularly enough (Neh 12:47; Neh 13:12); but no sooner was this control removed by Nehemiah’s departure than they relapsed into the covetous habits in which they had indulged before he was made governor (Neh 10:37). The Church in all ages has suffered wrong from the cupidity of wealthy men among its members. Why is the house of God forsaken? Why, contrarily to the distinct pledge given at the time of the renewal of the covenant (Neh 10:39), have you suffered the house of God to become a solitude, driving the Levites away from it by depriving them of their legal sustenance? I gathered them together. Nehemiah brought the Levites back to the temple from their country residences, and re-established them in their proper offices.
Neh 13:13
And I made treasurers. It was perhaps now for the first time that special treasurers were provided to have the charge of the temple store-chambers, these having hitherto been under the superintendence of the high priest (Neh 13:4). The appointment mentioned in Neh 12:44 is probably the same with this; and the entire duty of the treasurers is to be learnt by combining that passage with the present. They were to be both the collectors and the dispensers of the tithes. Of the four treasurers, one was a priest, one a Levite, one a layman of rank (see Neh 10:22), and one a professional scribe. This last, Zadok, is perhaps to be identified with the “Zidkijah” of Neh 10:1, who appears to have been Nehemiah’s private secretary (see the comment ad loc.). Unto their brethren i.e. to the priests and Levites, brethren of Shelemiah and Pedaiah.
Neh 13:14
Remember me, O my God, Or, “Think upon me, my God,” as the same words are translated in Neh 5:19. Wipe not out my good deeds. i.e. “Blot not my good deeds out of thy remembrance”forget them not, let them be remembered in my favour. For the offices thereof. Rather, as in the margin, “for the observances thereof”i.e. for the maintenance of the rites, ceremonies, usages, etc. of the temple, which I have done my best to continue on the ancient footing.
Neh 13:15
In those days. A note of time even vaguer than that of Neh 12:44 and Neh 13:1, but pointing certainly to a date later than Nehemiah’s return from the Persian court. Saw I some treading wine-presses on the sabbath. On the treading of grapes in the wine-press, as the first step towards the production of wine, see Job 24:11; Isa 63:2, Isa 63:3, etc. The performance of this work on the sabbath was a flagrant breach of the fourth commandment. Bringing in sheaves and lading asses. Scarcely “sheaves in our sense of the word, since corn was not stored in sheaves. Rather, “bringing .grain and loading it upon asses.” As also. Rather, “and even.” It might be pleaded that the transport of grain was a necessity; but there could be no absolute need of a supply of wine, grapes, or figs. I testified against them in the day in which they sold victuals. Rather, “I testified against them in respect of the day on which they sold provisions.”
Neh 13:16
There dwelt men of Tyre also therein. It was not against the law that foreigners should dwell in Jerusalem. Araunah the Jebusite lived there in the time of David, and Ebed-melech the Ethiopian in the time of Zedekiah (Jer 38:7). Nehemiah does not object to the Tyrians for being dwellers in Jerusalem, but for offering their wares for sale there on the sabbath, and inducing the Jews to buy of them. Which brought fish. Fish was always a favourite article of food with the Israelites (Le Neh 11:9; Num 11:5; Deu 14:9; Isa 19:10; Mat 14:7; Mat 15:34; Luk 24:42, etc.). They derived it chiefly from the Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean.
Neh 13:17
Then I contended with the nobles. In the desecration of the sabbath, as in the non-payment of tithes, the nobles were the chief offenders, being at once luxurious and latitudinarian. They desired the freshest food for their feasts, and encouraged both foreigners and natives to break the law for the gratification of their carnal appetites.
Neh 13:18
Did not your fathers thus? The desecration of the sabbath is among the sins most strongly denounced by Jeremiah (Jer 17:21-27)and Ezekiel (Eze 20:13; Eze 22:8, Eze 22:26, etc.). And did not our God bring all this evil upon us and upon this city? God had said by Jeremiah, “If ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched” (Jer 17:27). The burning of the city by Nebuzaradan was the performance of this threat.
Neh 13:19
When the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath. The Jews have always reckoned their days from sunset to sunset, grounding their practice on the account of the Creation given in the first chapter of Genesis, where “the evening and the morning” arc said to constitute each of the six days. There was also a special command that the “sabbath” of the great day of atonement should be kept “from even to even” (Le 23:32). I commanded that the gates should be shut. The gates would as a matter of course have been shut at sunset. Nehemiah required that the closing should take place some half-hour earlier, when the shadows were lengthening, and the day was drawing towards a close. He regarded it as a sort of desecration of the sabbath to carry on secular work to the last allowable moment. Some of my servants. Compare Neh 4:16; Neh 5:16. That there should be no burthen brought in. Foot passengers were no doubt allowed to enter and leave the city on the sabbath, Nehemiah’s servants being set to see that under no pretence should merchandise be allowed to enter.
Neh 13:20
The merchants lodged without. The merchants could not leave their wares unguarded; and the wares not being admitted into the town, they were obliged to camp out. Thus a crowd was collected about the gates, and a disturbance and excitement caused, which was unsuitable for the sabbath. To prevent this, Nehemiah threatened to arrest the merchants, whereupon the practice was given up (verse 21).
Neh 13:22
And I commanded the Levites that they should come and keep the gates. Assigning the duty to his servants was probably a temporary arrangement. The permanent charge was committed to the Levites, who had been intrusted with the duty when the gates were first set up (Neh 7:1). They were to “cleanse,” or purify, themselves, because the charge was considered a sacred one. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also. Compare Neh 13:14. And spare me. It is worthy of notice that Nehemiah does not regard his good deeds as sufficient for his justification, but throws himself unreservedly on God’s mercy.
Neh 13:23
In those days. i.e. “About this same time.” Compare Neh 13:15. Saw I Jews. Rather, “looked I after the Jews.” There is a reference to the first three verses of the present chapter, which had introduced the subject of the mixed marriages. Nehemiah wishes to put on record the part which he had taken in the matter, and begins by observing that it had not escaped himhe had had his eye on the transgressors, and had noted their misconduct, and the evils whereto it led. Wives of Ashdod. Philistine wives, of a race always hostile to Israel, and natives of a city which had recently taken part with Nehemiah’s bitter enemies (Neh 4:7). Of Ammon and of Moab. Compare Ezr 9:1, and Neh 13:1.
Neh 13:24
Their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod. Some understand the writer to mean that half of the children in a family spoke the tongue of the father, and half that of the mother. But many of the best Hebraists prefer the sense expressed by our translators, viz; that all the children spoke a jargon half Ashdodite and half Aramaic. The Philistine language is said to have resembled the Egyptian (Hieronym; ‘Comment. in Esaiam,’ 19:18).
Neh 13:25
I contended with them, and cursed them. Or, “reviled them,” as Gesenius and Professor Lee explain. And smote certain of them. i.e. “had some of them beaten.” Some understand by this that the offenders underwent the bastinado by sentence of a court (Deu 25:2); others think Nehemiah had them struck informally by his attendants. This latter explanation ‘is supported by the following clause, since “plucking out the hair” was never a legal punishment. Made them swear by God. Literally, “swore them by God,” i.e. dictated the words, and made them repeat the formula and accept the oath. Saying, Ye shall not give. Literally, “If ye shall give,’ etc. Nehemiah made them swear that they should intermarry with the heathen the curse of God should fall upon them.
Neh 13:26
Did not Solomon sin by these things? The example adduced was more apt than any other to move Jews. Israelites might have felt more deeply the case of Ahab (1Ki 21:25). Solomon’s sin in “going after strange wives,” and its punishment, are set forth very fully in 1Ki 11:1-40. Among many nations there was no king like him. The reference is not so much to particular texts (e.g. 1Ki 3:13; 2Ch 1:12) as to the general description of Solomon, his glory, and his greatness (1Ki 4:1-34.-10.; 2 Chronicles 1-9.), which set him above all other earthly monarchs. Who was beloved of his God. See 2Sa 12:24. And God made him king over all Israel. See 1Ki 4:1.
Neh 13:27
Shall we then hearken unto you? Shall we give way to you, and adopt the practice which you recommend, thus transgressing against God, and provoking him to destroy us? Surely not. Solomon’s example is enough to deter us.
Neh 13:28
One of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib. See Neh 12:10. Eliashib seems to have been still living, though one of his grandsons was of age to contract a marriage. Was son-in-law to Sanballat, the Horonite. Had therefore married one of his daughters, while Eliashib himself was connected by marriage with Tobiah. The defection of the high priestly family from those principles which Ezra and Nehemiah regarded as vital is only too apparent. I chased him from me. i.e. I forced him to quit the country and become an exile. We may suppose that he refused to repudiate his foreign wife, and preferred to take refuge with Sanballat in Samaria.
Neh 13:29
They have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites. We look in vain for any distinct “covenant” which the priestly order broke by allying itself with the heathen, or indeed for any special law forbidding the priests to take heathen wives, which was not equally binding upon laymen. But Nehemiah feels that every sin is worse in a priest than in one who is not a priest; that a priest who contracts a pollution “pollutes the priesthood;” and that there is a tacit covenant by which priests and Levites bind themselves to holiness of life more absolutely and definitely than others.
Neh 13:30
Thus cleansed I them. Rather, “And I cleansed them.” The process of cleansing touched on in this verse, and also in Neh 13:3, is not described. It probably resembled the process adopted by Ezra (Ezr 10:5-17). And appointed the wards. i.e. “assigned their offices to the various priests and Levites” (see Neh 11:11-24; Neh 12:44; Neh 13:13).
Neh 13:31
And for the wood offering. i.e. “I appointed persons to look after the collection of the wood offering (Neh 10:34) and of the first-fruits” (ibid. verses 35-37). At appointed times. Compare the expression in Neh 10:34 : “At times appointed year by year.” Remember me, O my God, for good. A characteristic termination of a book whereof one of the main features has been a constant carrying to God of all the author’s cares, troubles, and difficulties (see Neh 1:4-11; Neh 2:4, Neh 2:20; Neh 4:4, Neh 4:9, Neh 4:20; Neh 5:15,Neh 5:19; Neh 6:9, Neh 6:14; Neh 13:14, Neh 13:22, Neh 13:29).
HOMILETICS
Neh 13:1-3
Separation from Israel of foreigners.
In the public reading of the law, the command was met with to keep the Ammonite and the Moabite out of the congregation of God for ever. Upon this, interpreting the precept apparently as applicable to all strangers, the people separated from them “the mixed multitude” (for the phrase see Exo 12:38). To what extent these had been united with Israel before, and how far the separation was carried, does not appear. The law (Deu 23:3) seems clearly to mean that even if an Ammonite or Moabite became converted from heathenism to the faith of the Israelites, neither he nor his descendants, to the tenth generation, should be allowed to unite in their worship, or be capable of naturalisation. Was this law rigidly carried out in the case of proselytes from the heathen? But if “the mixed multitude” had not been fellow-worshippers, from what were they now excluded? Were they expelled from the city? Without attempting an answer to such questions, we may take the passage as suggesting the duty of the Christian Church to keep itself pure from alien elements. This duty is clearly set forth in not a few passages in the New Testament, which, when they are read in public in some Churches, must surely be at times felt as protesting against the existing state of things.
I. WHOM CHRISTIANS ARE TO EXCLUDE FROM THEIR FELLOWSHIP. None are to be separated, as under the law, on account of nationality. “There is neither Jew nor Greek,” etc. (Gal 3:28). None because ‘of the faults of their parents, still less of their remote ancestors. But
1. Total unbelievers in Christianity. This is implied in Mat 18:17, and clearly included in the prohibition in 2Co 6:14-17. But it needs no express precept; it is evident from the nature of the case that a Christian Church must be composed of professed Christians.
2. Rejecters of essential truths. Especially the teachers of serious error (see 1Ti 1:20; 2Jn 1:10; Rev 2:14, Rev 2:15).
3. The immoral (see 1Co 5:1-13.).
4. Impenitent offenders against a fellow-member of the Church (see Mat 18:15-17).
5. Disturbers of the peace and unity of the Church (Rom 16:17).
II. To WHAT EXTENT THE SEPARATION IS TO BE MADE.
1. From Church communion.
2. From the intimacies of private life.
The main ends of the separation cannot be secured if those who are excluded from Church ordinances are freely admitted to friendship and family life. “With such an one no not to eat,” is the language of St. Paul as to certain classes of offenders (1Co 5:11). Avoidance of private friendship is even enjoined towards some who are yet to be regarded as brethren (2Th 3:6, 2Th 3:14, 2Th 3:15).
III. WHY IT IS TO BE MADE. It is required by
1. The laws of Christ.
2. The idea and design of the Church. As a community consecrated to God; baptized into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; instituted to witness for truth and holiness, to maintain the worship of God, to promote his kingdom, which is righteousness; constituted the visible body of Christ, to speak his words, do his work, for conversion of sinners and spiritual improvement and comfort of saints. Christian communion is impaired, the power of Christian ministry and ordinances lessened, when the Church is itself palpably “a mixed multitude” of believers and unbelievers, righteous and unrighteous.
3. The safety of individual and family Christian life.
4. The benefit of the .separated themselves. That unbelievers may be impressed with the reality and importance of Christian faith and holiness, and their own lack of them. If treated as Christians, they will come to regard themselves as Christians, much to their own injury. So in the case of such as are guilty of immorality; their expulsion from fellowship is to be with a view to their repentance and restoration (see 2Co 2:5-8).
In conclusion
1. The exercise of such discipline doubtless requires much wisdom and charity. It is vain to hope for, it is wrong to attempt, a perfect separation between the true and the false, the wheat and the tares. It is possible to be too rigid; it is more easy to err on the side of laxity. There is danger on one side of Pharisaism and narrow bigotry; on the other, of growing indifference to truth and righteousness, the welfare of souls and the glory of Christ. Christian intelligence, piety, and loverather, the Spirit of Christin the Church can alone preserve from these opposite evils, and guide in a course harmonising at once with the purity and the charity which are united in the gospel, and ought never to be dissevered in the practice of Christians. But, in the face of the teaching and injunctions of the New Testament, it can never be right to seek to escape difficulty by abandoning Church discipline altogether.
2. The narrative shows the value of the written word, and the importance of the reading of it. It preserves the truth during periods of neglect and disobedience; and when studied afresh brings it to light again, for conviction and reformation.
3. The Divine law, though neglected and disobeyed, is not thereby abolished. It endures as a witness against those who disobey, and the standard by which they will be judged.
Neh 13:2
Foes turned into friends.
“Our God turned the curse into a blessing.” Balaam, who was hired to curse Israel, and desired to do so, was compelled to bless them. A unique instance; but suggesting the general truth that God makes the efforts of men to injure his people a means of doing them good: and of doing good to others through them, which is also a mode of blessing them. How does he effect this?
I. BY HIS OVERRULING PROVIDENCE. The case of Joseph is a notable instance see Gen 45:5-8; Gen 50:20). The enmity and cruelty of his brothers, the anger of Potiphar’s wife, issuing in his own exaltation, the preservation of his family, and their settlement in Egypt.
II. BY THE POWER OF HIS SPIRIT.
1. On those desiring to injure good men. Sometimes turning their hearts to friendship. Paul going to Damascus to persecute the Christians, but arriving to co-operate with them.
2. On those whose injury is sought. Turning the enmity of men, and even of Satan, into means of grace to his people; promoting in them
(1) Compassion and good-will towards their enemies. So that they bless those who curse, pray for them, forgive them.
(2) Trust in God, and experience of his supporting grace.
(3) Patience and resignation.
(4) Power to overcome temptation.
(5) Christian character in general. And, as the result of all-
(6) Power to do good.
3. On the hearts of others. The example and the utterances of Christians thus exercised and thus blessed being made more influential
(1) to encourage and strengthen their fellow-Christians and
(2) to promote the salvation of sinners.
Illustrations abound in Scripture, biographies of Christians, and ordinary Christian life. David was fitted for the throne by the discipline which the enmity of Saul afforded; and by the experience of varied trials was so enriched in spiritual life as to be able to write psalms meeting the wants of godly men throughout the ages. We owe the sublime death of Stephen to the rage of his malignant foes. If St. Paul had not been persecuted he would not have been so great in goodness, or effected so much good in life, or written epistles so full of inspiring thoughts and powerful consolations for the benefit of the Church for ever. St. John, banished to Patmos, sees heavenly visions, hears heavenly voices, and writes the Book of Revelation. And “the noble army of martyrs,” how much they owed, how much we owe through them, to their persecutions. But the grand instance is that of the Lord himself, made “perfect through sufferings,” and becoming thereby the Saviour of the world, the sympathising Friend and Consoler of his suffering people, the perfect example of meekness, resignation, and forgiveness of enemies. Note, however, in conclusion, that in the case of impenitent sinners blessings from God and man are turned into curses. What are meant for goodthe gifts of Providence, enjoyments, sufferings, the gospel and the grace of Godall become evil.
Neh 13:4-9
An intruder ejected.
In these verses we have an account of a gross abuse, of authority by the high priest, and how it was corrected by Nehemiah.
I. THE OFFENCE. Turning rooms in the courts of the temple, intended and used as store-rooms for tithes and offerings, etc; into a residence for Tobiah on his visits to Jerusalem. In verse 5 we read of “a great chamber;” in verse 9 of “chambers.” Perhaps several rooms were thrown into one; or the word in verse 5 may be, as in verse 4, collective.
1. The perversion was itself disgraceful. It may have occasioned the neglect recorded in verse 10,
2. The person for whom it was committed was not only an alien, but an enemy.
3. The person who committed it was the appointed guardian of the rooms. As high priest, he should have been too jealous of the sanctity of the temple; as “having the oversight of the chamber of the house of God,” he should have been too faithful to his duty; as head of the priests and Levites, too concerned for their rights and welfare, to be willing to permit, much less to perpetrate, such an abuse.
II. HOW THE OFFENCE CAME TO BE PERMITTED.
1. Nehemiah was absent. In his absence affairs fell rapidly into disorder again. A painful illustration of the superficiality of reforms wrought hastily under the influence of powerful leaders.
2. Tobiah was a great man.
3. He was a relative of Eliashib.
4. Eliashib was unworthy of his office. He was more concerned to stand well with Tobiah than to do his duty to God and his brethren. Probably he was disaffected towards Nehemiah and his reforms, and thought that now he was gone he could do as he pleased.
III. HOW THE OFFENCE WAS CORRECTED. Nehemiah, returning to Jerusalem, and being informed of what had been done, was very indignant, and at once took measures to put an end to the scandal. Under his direction
1. Tobiah’s furniture was summarily ejected.
2. The rooms were purified from the ceremonial uncleanness they had contracted.
3. They were restored to their proper use. The narrative suggests
(1) The evil influence sometimes exercised in the Church by rank and wealth, or relationship to those in office. These sometimes go further than character and ability (which should be mainly regarded) to secure for their possessors positions of authority and power in the Church. And those who should protest silently acquiesce in the abuse, or basely connive at it, that they may live in friendship with the unholy intruders into God’s temple, and promote their own worldly ends.
(2) The feelings which such abuses will awaken in good men.
(3) The duty of those who have the power to correct them.
Neh 13:10-14
Suspended ministrations restored.
Nehemiah, on his return, soon discovers another serious evil which his absence had occasioned; and, with his usual promptness, ability, and energy, corrects it.
I. THE SERIOUS IRREGULARITY WHICH HAD ARISEN. The services of the temple, if not discontinued, had been deprived of much of their dignity and impressiveness by the withdrawal of the Levites, including the singers, from their duties. Their appointed daily allowances (Neh 12:47) had been withheld, and they had retired to their fields to obtain a livelihood by other employments.
II. ITS CAUSES.
1. Nehemiah’s absence. His presence and authority were as yet necessary to keep all classes to their duty. The reformation he had effected was not sustained by any vital change in the hearts of rulers or people. Their resolutions, so solemnly made under excitement (Neh 10:1-39.), were superficial and short-lived.
2. The indifference and negligence of the rulers (verse 11), who should have taken care that the regulations were observed.
3. The unfitness for his office of the high priest. He ought to have deemed as his own the interests of the inferior ministers of the sanctuary. But his misconduct, as related in verses 4, 5whether the lack of offerings gave opportunity for it, or was occasioned by itshows how little likely he was to concern himself about them, so long as his own position and gains were not affected.
4. The covetousness of the people. They are reproved by Malachi about this time for robbing God by withholding the tithes and offerings (Mal 3:8). Had they furnished the means, the treasurers would hardly have failed to supply the Levites; or if these had proved unfaithful (as seems hinted in verse 13), the people could surely have secured the substitution of others.
5. Probably the worldliness of the Levites themselves. If their hearts had been in their work it is likely they would have found means of continuing in it. A general declension had evidently taken place, and the various classes would act and react on each other to increase the degeneracy of all.
III. ITS CORRECTION. Nehemiah
1. Remonstrated with the rulers.
2. Gathered and reinstated the Levites.
3. Restored the general payment of tithes and offerings.
4. Appointed as treasurers men of good repute, to receive the contributions of the people, and thence “distribute unto their brethren.”
IV. NEHEMIAH‘S PRAYER THEREUPON. Is expressive of
1. Satisfaction with his work. Could think of it before God as an evidence of his love for God’s house.
2. Confident expectation of Divine recognition, acceptance, and recompense of his work. He could expect little of these from the men whose disorders he had corrected. Enough if God approved.
3. Humility. “Wipe not out,” etc; as he felt might justly be done. Comp. verse 22: “Spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy.” To interpret these appeals to God as “prayer for posthumous fame” is surely to miss their meaning.
In conclusion, notice
1. The duty of zealously maintaining the public worship of God. All combining according to their ability. Some ministering, others contributing money or money’s worth; some faithfully using their talent for management, others exercising their authority to correct abuses and reprove negligence. Those who love God’s house will deem such services a privilege and honour. Those who withhold support deserve reproof, and have no right to complain of defective ministrations. “A scandalous maintenance makes a scandalous ministry.”
2. The Divine recognition and reward of practical love to the house of God.
3. The worth to a Church of able, devoted, and noble-minded leaders.
Neh 13:11
Forsaking the house of God.
“Why is the house of God forsaken?” The question addressed by Nehemiah to the rulers may well have had respect at once to their own neglect, the withholding of contributions by the people, and the consequent abandonment of the temple by the Levites. We may apply it to the neglect to attend and support public worship by a large proportion of the population of our country. It is
I. A QUESTION FOR MINISTERS. They have the greatest power to attract to, or repel from, the house of God. Let them ask whether the house of God may not be forsaken on account of defects in
1. Their preaching. Let them consider whether it is what it ought to be in
(1) Substance. Consisting of the presentation of the great truths of the gospel in their varied application to the spiritual needs of men.
(2) Intelligence. Addressing itself to the understanding as well as to the feelings. Not mere dogmatic utterance, unaccompanied by reasons.
(3) Intelligibility. Not obscure through the effort to seem intellectual or original.
(4) Adaptation. Suited to the mental condition of the hearers and those who might become hearers.
(5) Fervour. Arising from sincere love to Christ and men, and desire to do good.
2. Their conduct. Inconsistancies of character, indolence, self-indulgence, unapproachableness, priestly pretensions, airs of infallible authority, mercenariness, all tend to alienate the people from the sanctuary. Neglect of pastoral visitation, whether through indifference, or indolence, or preference for other pursuits, or being too much occupied with the business of religion, may have a like effect. Or people may feel no interest in ministers and their teaching because ministers show no interest in their general well-being.
II. A QUESTION FOR CONGREGATIONS. Defects in those who do attend Divine service may have much to do with the absence of others. Let them consider whether they are wanting in
1. Due support and encouragement of their ministers. Pecuniary support; sympathy and co-operation in efforts for the good of those without; encouragement of a style of preaching adapted to interest them; avoidance of unnecessary demands on the time and strength of their pastors. A minister’s power of usefulness depends largely on the temper and conduct towards him of his congregation.
2. Care to make the services attractive. By due attention to the building, the singing, etc.
3. Provision of sufficient and suitable accommodation.
4. Efforts to induce the neglecters of public worship to attend.
5. Hearty welcome of those who are induced to attend.
6. A life fitted to recommend religion. In their general conduct. In their families. In their relations to those around, as merchants, tradesmen, employers of labour, etc. In the Church: unity, peace, earnestness.
III. A QUESTION FOR THOSE WHO NEGLECT PUBLIC WORSHIP.
1. Partially. Why not regular and constant in attendance? If attendance be a duty at all, it must be a duty to be regular. If occasional attendance be good, constant would be better. Irregularity reveals want of religious principle in the matter, and that no spiritual profit has yet been received by attendance. It discourages ministers and congregations, hinders the salvation of those who are guilty of it, injures their families, and sets an evil example.
2. Wholly. Why do you forsake the house of God? Is it that you feel no interest in what is said and done there? This reveals a state of heart deplorable and perilous; alienation from God, indifference to your highest welfare, unfitness for heaven. Is it that you prefer the society and habits of the ungodly, or fear their ridicule? But will you sacrifice your souls to them? Can you think with pleasure of sharing their future lot? Is it that, wearied with the toils of the week, you think yourself entitled to spend the Lord’s day in idle repose? Its hours are sufficient for both rest and public worship, and the engagements of God’s house are themselves restful. Is it that you dislike some who attend Divine worship, or think them to be hypocrites? But, supposing you to be right in your judgment, you ought not to condemn and separate from all on account of the faults of a few; and their wrong conduct in one direction is no excuse for your going wrong in another; and if sincere in worship, you will be blessed, whatever becomes of them. Do you say that you can read your Bible and worship God at home? It is to be hoped that you do; but if it were to good purpose, you would surely value the exercises of public worship, and the opportunities and helps which it affords. Do consider anew the reasons for not forsaking God’s house.
(1) The claims and commands of God.
(2) The needs and worth of your souls.
(3) The good of your families.
(4) The good of society, so largely promoted by public worship and instruction.
(5) The account you must give hereafter to God, and the awful issues in eternity of a godless life.
Neh 13:15-22
Sabbath-breaking suppressed.
A promise to observe the sabbath was one of the articles of the solemn covenant recorded in Neh 10:1-39. We read here how it was violated by some of the people, and how Nehemiah put a stop to their practices.
I. THE PROFANATION OF THE SABBATH WHICH PREVAILED.
1. Among country Jews (verse 15). Nehemiah, visiting the country, saw the people labouring as on other days, and brining their produce to Jerusalem for sale. That they actually sold it on the sabbath does not appear. The concluding sentence of verse 15 seems to imply that they did not (see Bertheau in loc.). But they disobeyed the law by working themselves, and compelling their beasts of burden to work.
2. Among residents at Jerusalem. Tyrians dwelt there’ who traded in fish and other articles, and they carried on their business on the sabbath as on other days, the Jews encouraging the forbidden traffic by their purchases. Both violated the law; for the foreigner living amongst the Israelites was expressly named in it (Exo 20:10):
II. THE MEASURES BY WHICH NEHEMIAH PUT AN END TO IT.
1. He rebuked offenders. He visited the market when the country people were selling their produce, and rebuked them (verse 15). He remonstrated with the nobles, who ought to have prevented the profanation (verses 17, 18), charging them with doing what was done through their connivance, reminding them of the evil which such sins had brought heretofore on the nation, and warning them that renewed transgression was likely to bring down fresh punishment. He probably had Jer 17:21-27 in his mind.
2. He had the gates kept closed during the whole of the sabbath, placing some of his own servants as guards. Not to prevent all ingress and egress, but “that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day” (Jer 17:19).
3. He threatened with punishment the dealers who persisted in lodging near the wall during the sabbath: and thus brought the practice to an end. While it lasted the Jews would be tempted to make purchases on the sabbath; and if not, yet the thing was unseemly.
4. He appointed Levites as permanent guards of the gates on the sabbath, bidding them purify themselves as for a holy service before taking their posts.
III. His SATISFACTION WITH HIS WORK. Addressing himself to God as on former occasions (see on Jer 17:14, and Neh 5:19), praying as before that he would remember him and his work; but more humbly than before appealing’ to the Divine mercy. In conclusion
1. To promote the due observance of the sabbath is a work both of piety, benevolence, and patriotism.
2. Those who have the right and the power to suppress evil practices, yet permit them, are partakers of their guilt (Jer 17:17).
3. The punishment of others for sins should deter us from committing them (Jer 17:18). If, instead of this, we follow the example of sinners, we must share their doom.
Neh 13:23-29
Forbidden marriages.
This chapter might have been written to bring into pointed contrast the promises of the people (Neh 10:1-39.) and their subsequent practice. In nearly every particular the covenant so solemnly made was broken. We have recorded in this paragraph
I. A GREAT EVIL.
1. Marriages with foreign women. It is probable that the Jews referred to here lived near the territories occupied by the peoples from whom they took wives. Marriage with such was expressly forbidden by the law (Exo 34:16; Deu 7:3, Deu 7:4), and tended to destroy the distinctive character of the people as “holy to the Lord,” and to frustrate the purposes of their national calling. Some of the marriages in this case were specially criminal, since Jewish wives had been divorced that heathens might take their place (Mal 2:11-16).
2. The effect of these upon the children. They learned the language of their respective mothers, and were ignorant of the Jewish tongue. Or the meaning’ may be that they spoke a corrupt dialect compounded of the languages of father and mother.
II. THE COURSE TAKEN BY NEHEMIAH TO SUPPRESS IT.
1. He rebuked the offenders, pronouncing a curse upon them.
2. He administered to them an oath not to continue the forbidden practice.
3. He reasoned with them.
(1) As to the sinfulness of the practice (Neh 13:27).
(2) As to the peril of it (Neh 13:26).
This he showed by the example of Solomon, who, although so great and so beloved of God, was led into idolatry by his foreign wives. Enlightenment and conviction on these points would be more effectual in putting a stop to the practice than chastisement, or even the oath forced on them.
III. NEHEMIAH‘S SPECIAL TREATMENT OF AN OFFENDING PRIEST (Neh 13:28, Neh 13:29). Although he was grandson to the high priest, yet because he had married a daughter of Sanballat, who was not only a foreigner, but a bitter enemy of Israel
1. He banished him from his presence, perhaps from Jerusalem, or even the Jewish community.
2. He appealed to God to punish him and his supporters or companions in sin. The tone of this appeal seems to favour the view that, owing to his high connections, or perhaps because the civil governor did not think it expedient to interfere with the internal discipline of the priesthood, Nehemiah felt he could only forbid the offender’s presence near himself, leaving his due punishment, and that of his favourers, to God. That they merited severer punishment than others who had similarly broken the law, Nehemiah intimates when he says, “They have defiled the priesthood,” etc.
Lessons:
1. The evil of marriages between such as are and such as are not God’s people.
(1) They are contrary to the Christian law (1Co 7:39; 2Co 6:14).
(2) They are incompatible with the closest union and communion. Difference in some respects may promote union; but serious difference on a matter so vital and all-pervading as religion must constantly hinder fellowship of heart and unity of purpose.
(3) They are dangerous to the soul (verse 26). The influence of wedded life in making the two like each other will more probably operate to injure piety in the one than to implant it in the other. The words of Tennyson are likely in this sense to be fulfilled in whichever of the parties is the better at first:
“Thou shalt lower to his level day by day,
What is fine within thee growing coarse to sympathise with clay
As the husband is, the wife is: thou art mated with a clown,
And the grossness of his nature will have weight to drag thee down.”
(4) They prevent consistent family government.
(5) They operate to the serious injury of the children (verse 24), and thus frustrate one Divinely-ordained end of matrimony (see Mal 2:15).
(6) On these and other accounts they prevent the highest and purest happiness of married life.
2. The use to be made of the falls of others (verse 26). Some quote the sins of such men as David, Solomon, Peter, etc. as excusing or palliating their own. The very opposite is the fact. With such beacons our guilt is increased, if we fall in like manner.
3. The greater guilt of some men’s sins (verse 29). Professed special consecration to God increases guilt. Sins in ministers of religion are not only more injurious to others, but more wicked in themselves.
4. The certainty of the Divine punishment of sinners, though they escape the human (verse 29).
5. The worth of those who are zealous in opposing and suppressing sin. They are among the best of patriots and philanthropists. For the perils of states, and the miseries of men in general, arise mainly from sin. How surpassingly worthy then of all praise and love is the Son of God, who “was manifested to take away our sins” and “destroy the works of the devil” (1Jn 3:5, 1Jn 3:8).
Neh 13:30, Neh 13:31
Nehemiah: his character and works.
In these words Nehemiah briefly recalls the services he had recently rendered to the community, concluding with one more prayer that God would remember him. We may suitably conclude with a more general survey of his character and works.
I. HIS CHARACTER. His natural abilities were of a superior order: his sagacity, forethought, power of organisation and management, warmth of feeling, power to inspire and rule others, calm consideration in laying his plans, vigour and determination in executing them, etc. But in a homily we think rather of the moral and spiritual. The narrative presents him to us as eminent for
1. Piety. This was at the basis of his character, and guided and animated his whole life. It appears in his
(1) Habitual prayerfulness. From first to last this is conspicuous (Neh 1:4; Neh 2:4; Neh 4:4, Neh 4:9; Neh 5:19; Neh 6:9, Neh 6:14; Neh 13:14, Neh 13:22, Neh 13:29, Neh 13:31). “In everything by prayer and supplication” he made his requests “known unto God” (Php 4:6).
(2) Practical fear of God (Neh 5:15).
(3) Love for God’s house and its services (Neh 13:14, and elsewhere).
(4) Reverence for his law, and desire to bring all into harmony with it.
(5) Confidence in God (Neh 2:20; Neh 4:14, Neh 4:20)a confidence, however, which did not produce negligence in counsel or action, but stimulated to both.
(6) Recognition of God’s hand in all his successes (Neh 2:8, Neh 2:12, Neh 2:18; Neh 4:15; Neh 6:16). Appointed the praise of God as the principal part of the dedication of the wall (Neh 12:27, seq.).
2. Patriotism. An ardent longing for the welfare of Israel, and willingness to do and endure anything for its promotion (Neh 2:10). In the case of an Israelite, piety and patriotism could unite in a degree difficult to maintain in the case of others; the nation being, as no other, God’s people, owing to him its existence, laws, etc; and set apart by him as his special organ and for his special praise.
3. Disinterestedness. Seeking no personal end, receiving no salary as governor, but gladly devoting his own fortune to the service of the people (Neh 5:10, Neh 5:14-18).
4. Impartiality. Rebuking wealthy men, rulers and priests, as freely as the common people; enforcing the rights of the latter as zealously as those of the former (Neh 5:7-13; Neh 13:11).
5. Courage. In facing difficulties and opposition, and correcting offenders in high places (Neh 4:9, sol.; Neh 6:11; Neh 13:8, Neh 13:28).
6. Perseverance. In prosecuting his work, and beginning again when it was partially undone through his absence.
II. THE SERVICES HE RENDERED TO HIS PEOPLE.
1. The strengthening of Jerusalem. He saw this to be the great necessity which must be supplied, if anything else were to be done effectually and permanently for the good of the nation. To this end he
(1) Had the encircling wall thoroughly repaired and its gates restored. Thus turning Jerusalem into a strong fortress, and making it possible for the people to develop into a nation again.
(2) Organised its forces for defence.
(3) Increased its population.
2. Reformation of religion and morals. He sought to reconstitute the nation on the basis of the Divine law. He believed that “righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Pro 14:34). He therefore
(1) Suppressed extortion and oppression (Neh 5:1-19.).
(2) Separated the people from heathen alliances and friendships (verse 30, and elsewhere).
(3) Promoted the instruction of the people in God’s word (Neh 8:1-18; etc.).
(4) Resuscitated the great religious festivals.
(5) Led the people to confession of sin and renewal of their covenant with God (Neh 9:1-38; Neh 10:1-39.).
(6) Reorganised the services of the temple.
(7) Revived the payment of tithes and other offerings for the support of its ministers.
(8) Maintained its sanctity (Neh 13:8, Neh 13:9).
(9) Enforced the law for the observance of the sabbath (verses 13-22).
Altogether a remarkable man, raised up by God at a critical period to do a great work for Israel, and, through that nation, for mankind. Let us
(1) Glorify God in him.
(2) Imitate him so far as our abilities and opportunities allow, and so far as is consistent with the more spiritual system under which God has placed us.
(3) Pray God to raise up many such men for his service at home and abroad.
HOMILIES BY R.A. REDFORD
Neh 13:1-31
The blessing of God on an active life founded upon his word.
I. THE TRUE RELIGIOUS REFORMATION, both negative and positive.
1. Abuses must be vigorously attacked and cleansed away. The house of God has to be purified of strangers. The neglect of discipline a terrible evil. Unfaithful ministers the curse of the Church. The “mixed multitude” is no strength to Jerusalem, but weakness. The observance of the sabbath. To the Jew a typical commandment, which represented obedience altogether. While days cannot possess the same place under the new dispensation, there is guardianship of the day of rest which is absolutely necessary for the life of religion. In all active efforts of reformation personal caprice and mere self-assertion must be renounced. The open Bible must be the strong basis of operations, the unfailing armoury from which the weapons are taken. On that simply dependent, the true reformer can be bold, energetic, uncompromising, intolerant of evil, driving out the violators of God’s law and defilers of his temple. We have a great example of consuming zeal in the Lord himself.
2. All really religious reformation will be constructive as well as destructive. The evil driven away will come back finding “the house empty and garnished” unless it be possessed by the spirit of active obedience. The only principle upon which we can keep out abuse is that of the right use of the things before abused. This applies to the service of God’s house, to the observance of the sabbath, and to the purity of communion among God’s people. Nehemiah re-established the true order of religious life. The safety of the Church lies in its activity and development according to the word of God. All living growth is defence against attack and decay.
II. THE TRUE MEMORIAL BEFORE GOD AND MAN. “Remember me, Lord, for good.”
1. We should cast ourselves on the faithfulness of God. Men forget one another. God rewards his servants.
2. To hold a place among the honoured names of God’s word, to be in the line of the great succession, is more than all that this world can offer us.
3. God’s blessing descends to future generations. We build a monument in the characters and lives of those we leave behind us.R.
HOMILIES BY W. CLARKSON
Neh 13:1-9
Reading, obeying, suffering
etc. These verses record two cleansingsthe one of the congregation, and the other of the sanctuary of the Lord; the one by the people, and the other by a single servant of Jehovah. Taking them together, we learn
I. THAT THE BIBLE SHOULD BE READ WITH A SPECIAL VIEW TO ITS BEARING ON OUR OWN LIVES (Neh 13:1). “On that day they read in the book of Moses, . and therein was found written that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever;” and “when they had heard the law they separated,” etc. (Neh 13:1, Neh 13:3). The Israelites listened not only to understand and admire and be moved with joy and gladness, but to learn what they should do, that they might conform more perfectly to the will of God. We may read our Bible from
(1) the antiquarian point of view, or
(2) the poetical, or
(3) the professional, or
(4) perfunctorily, as a part of the day’s routine;
but we shall not have treated it as it deserves to be treated, as its Divine Author would have us use it, as our own spiritual necessities demand that it should be approached, unless we come to it in the spirit of those old words, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” We must study it devoutly, to learn what there is in us to be uprooted, about us to be avoided, absent from us to be implanted and cultivated.
II. THAT PLAIN DUTY, HOWEVER PAINFUL, MUST BE DONE FORTHWITH (Neh 13:3, Neh 13:7, Neh 13:8, Neh 13:9). It is very soon told that “it came to pass when they had heard the law that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.” But the act of separation, of expulsion, must have been an exceedingly painful one. The “mixed multitude” must have been closely allied to and inwoven with “the congregation,” and there must have been great rents and gaps made in families and connections and friendships for this excommunication to be thoroughly carried out. When, too, Nehemiah returned from Babylon, and found the house of the Lord used for an enemy’s storehouse, it must have “grieved him sore” (verse 8), not only to find this fact in existence, but also to have to put himself into direct antagonism with the high priest, and to reflect so sternly on his conduct as he did (verses 8, 9). So Paul must have been troubled to withstand Peter to the face (Gal 2:11), and we know how “out of much affliction and anguish of heart” he wrote “with many tears” a letter of reproach to the Church at Corinth (2Co 2:4). We are told that we are to deal tenderly and graciously with offenders; those who are spiritual restoring such “in the spirit of meekness” (Gal 6:1); but when the integrity, the purity, the reputation of the family, the Church, the society absolutely demand severe measures, we must take them. We should in such cases act,
(1) where possible, after remonstrance and giving opportunity for repentance;
(2) with all possible regard to wounded feelings;
(3) with manifest attention to the directions of Scripture;
(4) thoroughly and speedily, lest slackness or delay should do as much harm as entire unfaithfulness.
III. THAT SIN HAS FAR–REACHING CONSEQUENCES IN ITS TRAIN. There was written in the law “that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever,” etc. (verses 1, 2). There is nothing so cruel in the end as undue leniency in the presence of sin; there is nothing so kind and wise, all things considered, as the manifestation of “righteous indignation” against iniquity. God’s revealed anger at the transgressions of his people was one side of his mercythe less pleasant to our view, but not the less necessary for our redemption. Hence, among other things, his severity and apparent harshness. Hence such an act of judgment as this against the Ammonite. An act of inhospitality, and then of seductive treachery, done a thousand years before, leading to exclusion from privilege now! What a long train of consequences has sin! How far in its injurious results may one guilty action reach!
“Oh, mortal man, beware
Lest one wrong act should bring an age of care!”
IV. THAT INDIVIDUAL MEN HAVE A GREAT AND GRAVE POWER FOR GOOD AND EVIL (verses 4, 5, 8, 9). One man, the high priest, had very gravely compromised the people by admitting Tobiah, the enemy, to a chamber of the house of the Lord. It is impossible to say how much evil might not have arisen from this foolish step had not Nehemiah come in time to take effective action against it. But it is not every Eliashib who has a Nehemiah to correct his follies and save his country from their consequences. One man in high office, or with great faculties, or with peculiar charms, may commit a large body of people to folly and sin, and may bring down on their head saddest visitations. On the other hand, one wise and strong man, acting energetically, may do as Nehemiah did”cast forth” the evil (verse 8), and “cleanse the chambers,” and restore sacred places to a sacred use (verse 9). Exalted station is much coveted by men, but it has grave responsibilities attached to it by God. We may be well content to be without its burden of obligation; or if, in God’s providence, that should rest on us, it becomes our duty prayerfully and earnestly to rise to the height of our opportunity, and dedicate it to the service of our God and our race.C.
Neh 13:10-14
Practical Christian wisdom.
Nehemiah must have been shocked indeed to find on his return to Jerusalem (verse 7) what a sad relapse had taken place during his absence from the city. Most painful of all must it have been to him to find that the service of Jehovah in his own house had been so scandalously neglected. He found not only that chambers of the temple were in the occupation of the enemy of the people of God (verse 7), but that, the Levites being scattered abroad, because their portion had been withheld (verse 10), the house of God was forsaken (verse 11). We gather from the whole incident recorded in verses 10-14
I. THAT MATERIAL SUPPLIES AND SPIRITUAL PROSPERITY ARE IMPORTANTLY CONNECTED (verse 10). “The portions of the Levites had not been given them,” and, consequently, they had “fled every one to his field” (verse 10). It may be open to question whether these Levitessingers and other officialshad shown as much disinterestedness and devotion as could have been wished. It might be argued that as servants of God they might have stood at their posts and starved rather than desert the field of sacred duty. Perhaps if they had been some degrees more heroic than they were they would have risked and suffered all privations rather than forsake their work. But however this may have been, it is certain that the people had no right whatever to reckon on such heroism; they ought to have acted on the supposition that these were men of average piety, and that men of ordinary goodness will not continue to serve if they are not sustained in their service. The human nature which there is in every good manand which will certainly be shown in every class and order of good menis a factor which must not be disregarded. It is a feature that must be taken into account; a want that must be provided for. If it be left out of account, then, whatever the system or society may be, there will be found, as here, negligence, desertion, duty undone, God’s house forsaken, a fleeing from the temple to the field. Material resources have their place in the prosperity of the best of causes.
II. THAT GOOD MEN AS WELL AS GOOD METHODS ARE NECESSARY FOR LASTING SUCCESS. Judging from the four concluding verses of the preceding chapter (Neh 12:44-47), we gather that a very satisfactory system for receiving and storing the offerings, and also for distributing them, had been devised and brought into action. Yet, in Nehemiah’s absence, it failed to effect its purpose. When he returned and witnessed the failure, he immediately
(1) set to work to reorganise: he “set in their place” (verse 11) the Levites, who, at his instance, returned to Jerusalem, and he “made treasurers over the treasuries “(verse 12); but besides this, he
(2) appointed “faithful men” (verse. 12), on whom reliance could be placed, to do the work they undertook, infusing his own spirit into all the officers. He impressed on them all his own fervent and faithful genius. How long things went well we know not, but Nehemiah did the best he could do to provide for permanent prosperity: he associated good men with a good method. We should trust neither to one nor to the other. Again and again organisations have broken clown in the Church (whether tithe-taking, money-getting institutions, or others) because, though the machinery was excellent, there was no steam to work the wheels; again and again there has been an excellent spirit, but all has failed for want of a wise method. We must
(a) use our best judgment to perfect our system, and
(b) pray for, and look out for, the wise and earnest-minded men to work it.
III. THAT INDIVIDUAL FIDELITY WILL SURELY MEET WITH ITS APPROPRIATE RECOMPENSE (verses 13, 14).
1. Usually from man. “I made treasurers Shelemiah,” etc. … “for they were counted faithful.” Integrity, diligence, conscientiousness will generally be seen of man and receive its reward. It may indeed pass unnoticed, but as a rule it is recognised and rewarded. Be faithful, and you will be “counted faithful.”
2. Certainly from God. “Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds,” etc. (verse 14). There are many motives, all good, but some higher than others, which should prompt us to diligent and faithful labour for our Lord and our race. We may work in the vineyard of the Great Husbandman because
(1) be calls us, and it is our bounden duty to respond; or because
(2) our zeal is called forth by the apparent and urgent necessity for our help; or because
(3) we delight in holy activity, and are never so happy as when the weapon of usefulness is in our hand; or we may do so because
(4) we have “respect unto the recompense of the our God for good;” we would that he should “not wipe out our good deeds” (verse 14), but record them in his “book of remembrance;” and, not being “unrighteous to forget our work and labor of love” (Heb 6:10), reward every one according to his work. The truest humility (Luk 17:10) may characterise the same disciple that has the most earnest aspiration to receive his Master’s commendation, and to have rule given him over many things.” We may turn this prayer into a prediction. God will remember us, and will suffer nothing to blot out our pure endeavours from his book. We shall surely meet them again. Our “works follow us,” and will find us in his presence.C.
Neh 13:15-22
The sabbath day.
Among other deplorable departures from the Law of the word, Nehemiah found on his return to Jerusalem that his countrymen had fallen into flagrant disregard of the sabbath. It was a most serious defection, demanding a most vigorous reform. We look at what he found-and what he wrought.
I. A SERIOUS DELINQUENCY. The law of the sabbath (Exo 20:8-11; Exo 31:13-17; Num 15:32-36) was openly defied. Husbandmen were treading their wine-presses and were bringing corn into the city, and were lading asses on that day of sacred rest (verse 15); all kinds of fruit were also carried in and sold (verse 15). Tyrian traders were allowed to bring in and sell their fish and “all manner of ware” (verse 16). The sacred character of the day was set at naught, and was fast disappearing. Persian rulers, Samaritan neighbours, Phoenician traders, had prevailed over Jewish principles, and the sabbath was most seriously threatened. There needed
II. A VIGOROUS REFORM. Nehemiah set himself to change the whole aspect of affairs. He
(1) remonstrated energeticallyhe “contended with the nobles of Judah” (verse 17), charging them with bringing this about”What evil thing is this that ye do?”by their guilty connivance, and prophetically threatening them with the wrath of God for their sin (verse 18);
(2) caused the gates to be shut some time before, and to remain shut till some time after, the commencement and conclusion of the sacred day (verse 19): he set his own servants (some of his own retinue), on whom he could most reckon, to see that this order was impartially carried out;
(3) not only obliged those who came to sell to remain outside all the day, but threatened to apprehend them if they did this again (verses 20, 21); and
(4) enlisted the sympathy and aid of the Levites, that, when he was recalled and his own servants were withdrawn, they might maintain what he now instituted. These energetic measures succeeded; they had an immediate effect (verse 21), and they appear to have had a permanent influence, as, from this time, we have reason to think that the Jews became scrupulous, even to a fault, on this question of sabbath observance. Nehemiah’s reform was admirable and effective because
(a) It was bold and impartial. He confronted and reproached the nobles as well as the traders and salesmen.
(b) It was energetic and full of action. He used magisterial rights; not exceeding his authority, but using it, and acting in harmony with the powers of his commission and the law of God.
(c) It was anticipative of future wants. He prepared for a time when he would not be there, and when other men like-minded would be prepared to continue his work (verse 22).
Concerning the observance of the sabbath or the Lord’s day by ourselves, we may remark that it is
I. OBVIOUSLY THE WILL OF GOD THAT WE SHOULD KEEP IT. We know that
1. It was sanctified from the very beginning of our race (Gen 2:2, Gen 2:3).
2. It was included in the religious and moral statutes given by God to Moses, as if it belonged to that which is permanent and perpetual (Exo 20:1-26.).
3. It was insisted upon by the prophetic voice, and declared to be decisive of national prosperity or decline (Jer 17:19-27; Isa 58:13, Isa 58:14)the prophets being the upholders of the moral in preference to the formal and ceremonial.
4. It was declared by the Lord Jesus Christ to be “made for man” (Mar 2:27).
5. It was continued in the shape of the Lord’s day after the resurrection (Act 20:7; 1Co 16:2; Rev 1:10); these incidental notices pointing to a general apostolical observance.
II. MANIFESTLY REQUISITE FOR BODILY AND SPIRITUAL WELFARE.
1. Bodily; for man and beast live longer and work better with than without it.
2. Spiritual; for without the spiritual refreshment and revival of sabbath services, more especially in these days of absorbing work and care, the light of life would burn even more dim and faint, until it went out into darkness. All those who hate (spiritual) death may well love and guard and use it well. Our duty in regard to it is
(1) To avail ourselves of the bodily rest it brings, and to see that others have the same advantageour children resting from their lessons, servants (domestic and public) resting from their toil.
(2) To make it a day of special spiritual privilege, including
(a) worship-drawing nigh to God;
(b) instructionenlightenment, edification, the “beholding the beauty of the Lord and inquiring in his temple;” and
(c) inspirationfresh determination, invigorated resolution that as for us and our household we will serve the Lord Christ.C.
Neh 13:23-31
Unholy alliance
(a lesson for the young). Beside the forsaking of the house of the Lord consequent on the neglect to pay tithes, and the disregard of the sabbath, Nehemiah had to lament another grave evil which had grown up during his absence in Persia. In these verses we have
I. A CASE OF ALARMING DEFECTION. “In those days” of his return some of the Jews had married “wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab” (verse 23). Ezra had encountered the same evil, and vehemently and vigorously resisted it (Ezr 9:1-15; Ezr 10:1-44.). But it had broken out again, to the sorrow and dismay of the faithful leader and “governor.” It was an alarming defection because
(1) it was an act of downright disobedience. God had said by Moses, “Thou shalt not make marriages with them (foreigners); thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son” (Deu 7:3 and Deu 7:25). The Divine law was therefore deliberately and openly defied. What but the Divine anger could they expect to reap? More especially when so prominent a man as a grandson of the high priest had wrought this sin in the eyes of the whole people, thereby “defiling the priesthood” (verse 29). And because
(2) it was surely conducting to fatal consequences. The great, the main mission of the Jewish nation was to be a sanctified or separate people unto the Lord, to preserve his name and truth intact; but the result of these marriages was a mongrel race, speaking a corrupt language: “their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod (Philistia), and could not speak in the Jews’ language” (verse 24). Not only would their national language be corrupted, but their national morals and religion too: they were on that downward course which led Solomon himself, “beloved of God” as he was (verse 26), to sin and sorrow. The purity of their faith and the integrity of their national morality were seriously at stake.
II. AN INSTANCE OF VIGOROUS CORRECTION. Nehemiah
(1) contended with the delinquents (verse 25). He expostulated and reasoned with them (verses 26, 27); he also
(2) solemnly invoked condemnation and suffering on them in the event of impenitence: he “cursed them” (verse 25); he even
(3) caused some of them to be punished with bodily chastisement: he “smote certain of them” (verse 2,5); he
(4) summarily dismissed the high priest’s grandson: “I chased him from me (verse 28); he
(5) caused them to put away the strange wives and to take an oath not to continue the offence (verses 25, 30). Nehemiah felt that the danger was so deadly that not only energy and vigour, but even vehemence and passion, were justified in putting it away. It wrought in him “indignation, vehement desire, zeal, revenge,” that his countrymen might “be clear in this matter” (2Co 7:11).
Here is a very serious lesson for the young. They who are members of the Church of Christ find themselves, like these Jews at Jerusalem, under a temptation to an unholy alliance. The Church and the world are very closely intermingled, locally. They meet in the same street, in the same shop, under the same roof. They who would not choose to associate intimately with those that are servants of sin and sources of evil, come involuntarily into contact with companions who are devoid of Christian principle, but who are by no means wanting in other attractions. It may be personal beauty, or charm of disposition, or fascination of manner, or wealth, or some other worldly advantages which appeal to tastes and ambitions that are net of the highest order Here is temptation to intimate friendship or even to lifelong alliance. But let the young remember what is
(1) the will of Christ concerning them. Is there not an application we should make to ourselves in the injunction of the apostle, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers”? (2Co 6:14). And is there not an inference to be drawn from the same writer to our conduct when he speaks of marrying “in the Lord”? (1Co 7:39). It is surely not his will that one who has taken his vows upon him should enter into closest and even lifelong intimacy with another who has no interest in his truth, no love for himself. Let them also remember what are
(2) the inevitable consequences. The result to themselves must be spiritual decline, So was it with Solomon, leading him to the verge of utter ruin, if not over the edge, and into the gulf of it; so has it been with many thousands of the children of men. The result to others is moral and spiritual deterioration. The children “speak half in the speech of Ashdod” (verse 24): they inevitably catch something of the tone and strain of both parents. Their spirit and their language, themselves and their life, will not attain to perfect purity; they will bear about with them the mark of worldliness. The consequences of such union are evil, and they are irreparable. The choice of our intimate friends and of our one lifelong companion is much too lightly regarded. On our wisdom or folly here hangs our weal or our woe for life, and the future of others too, even of those in whom we shall be most deeply interested. If there be one step which, more than any other, should be taken with profound and protracted care, with devout and religious thoughtfulness, it is this step of choosing our friends, most particularly the friend of the heart and for the life. If we let humour speak on this subject, as we commonly do, it should only be on sufferance. We should make it speedily retire, that sound sense, and solemn consideration, and religious duty may utter their voice, and be obeyed.C.
Neh 13:31 (see also Neh 5:19; Neh 13:14, Neh 13:22)
The appeal to God.
During the latter part of this book these words recur like the refrain of a psalm. They are an appeal to Godan appeal to God from man. There is something plaintive as well as supplicatory in their tone. We look at
I. THE HUMAN NEGLIGENCE OF WHICH THEY ARE SUGGESTIVE. What! exclaims an earnest but inexperienced voice; is it meant that Nehemiah, the patriot prophet, who ventured so much in Persia for the people of God at Jerusalem; who, in the teeth of such dangers and difficulties, threw a wall of protection round Jerusalem, and made her safe and strong for centuries; who virtually repeopled and largely rebuilt her; who reinstituted her sacred feasts, and re-established her temple worship in its regularity; who redeemed her children from bondage; who purified her domestic life; who put down her sabbath desecration; who refused to receive fee or payment for his services, all the while showing a princely hospitality,is it meant that he had to appeal to God from the indifference, the negligence of man? Only too possible, is the reply. Do we not remember that the ancestors of these Jews wearied of the faithful Samuel, and preferred the weak and vacillating Saul; that Greece had her Socrates and Aristides, and Rome her Coriolanus, and Spain her Columbus, and England her William Tyndale? Nay! can we forget that once a greater than Nehemiah was “despised and rejected of men”? He was despised, and men esteemed him not. Nehemiah, to be the builder and restorer he was, had to be an ardent and energetic reformer, i.e. he had to come into sharp collision with the views and (what was more) the interests of his contemporaries, and to challenge and even denounce their doings. These words, “Remember me, my God,” follow his record of the vigorous part he took in the matters of
(1) usury (Neh 5:1-19.);
(2) the non-payment of tithes (verses 10-14);
(3) sabbath desecration (verses 15-22);
(4) the work of cleansing (verse 30).
They speak of coldness, of suspicion, of disregard, of backbiting, on the part of some, if not many, of those he sought to serve. The strain is this: This people are overlooking my work for them, forgetting the sacrifices I have made, not sparing me their reproaches. Remember THOU me, O God, for good; wipe not thou out my good deeds, spare thou me in the greatness of thy mercy. We must not enter the field of Christian work only, or chiefly, for what man will give us as the reward of our labour. If we do, we may be miserably disappointed; we may reap more tares than wheat in the harvest-time; we may find more thistles on the ground than fruits on the tree; we may be like the Master, who had the crown of thorns pressed on his bleeding brow instead of the crown of honour laid lovingly on his head. It is not for us to “covet earnestly” the smile or praise or recompense of man. Doubtless it ought to be given in response to faithful work; it is better both for him that gives, as well as for him that receives, that it should be given; but as those that serve the Lord Jesus Christ, as those that follow the Son of man, we must be prepared to do without these things. And we can afford to do so, if needful, for there remains
II. THE DIVINE FAITHFULNESS ON WHICH THESE WORDS ARE BASED. “Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done“ (verse 19). But dare we ask God to think on us according to what we have done? For him to deal with us after our actions and to reward us according to our doings, is not this for him to deal with us after our sins and reward us according to our iniquities? Dare we, sinners, make our appeal to the God of righteousness? Must we not address ourselves to him as the God of mercy, who does pass by, blot out, “remember no more” the things we had thought and said and done? Truly; yet this doctrine of grace and the doctrine that God will reward those who try to please and honour him stand well together. So Nehemiah felt; for while asking God to remember him for “this also” (this good deed), he asks him to “spare him according to the greatness of his mercy” (verse 22). So Paul felt; for while speaking of those who “by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory, honour, and immortality,” etc. (Rom 2:7), he speaks of “counting all things but clung to win Christ and be found in him, not having his own righteousness” (Php 3:8, Php 3:9). The full truth on this subject is that
(1) God’s general acceptance or condemnation of us at the last will turn on our acceptance or rejection of Jesus Christ in this life, but that
(2) the character of his approval and the measure of his award will depend on the kind of Christian life we shall have lived. There will be an acceptance which will simply be a not being condemned, a “being saved as by fire,” and there will be a cordial, hearty, emphatic “Well done.” There will be, for some, fewer cities and narrower spheres; for others, more cities and broader spheres over which to rule. Many Christians live in practical forgetfulness of this, and make no effort to win a cordial approval and a large reward. Hence their Christian life is
(a) indulgent,
(b) negligent,
(c) idle and unfruitful.
Others, happily, are wiser than they. To such we say, Be faithful in every good word and work, like Nehemiah, and you may make a confident appeal to God for recognition, remembrance, recompense. Do not look anxiously about you for man’s smile, but do look earnestly above you for Christ’s approval, and beyond you for his reward. Do not think it wrong to gain incentive and inspiration from the hope of recompense because that may not be the very highest motive. It is not wrong to do so; it is wrong not to do so; for Christ calls you so to do. He calls you to put out all your talents, not only because you ought to put them out, but because, thus doing, you will be blessed hereafter; to run your race with patience (perseverance), not only because you ought to do this, but also that you may win the prize. So bear your witness bravely, live your life holily and blamelessly, do your work diligently and in the spirit of full. consecration; be not dismayed, deterred, or even checked by the absence of man’s appreciation; walk with elastic step, with psalms of hope upon your lip, the path of holy usefulness, because the Lord your Saviour will “remember you for good;” because he will not “wipe out” your efforts, but write them in a book of remembrance which no hand may touch to blot or to erase; because he will give you a large reward, “abundance “of eternal joy, in the day of his appearing.C.
Fuente: The Complete Pulpit Commentary
Neh 13:1. On that day they read, &c. At that time the law of Moses was read in the audience of the people. Houbigant. The phrase of not entering into the congregation of the Lord, in this verse, does not signify an ejection from the public assemblies for divine worship; but must be understood to mean no more than a prohibition of marriage; for this, according to the rabbis, was the case of such prohibitions. None of the house of Israel of either sex were to enter into marriage with any Gentile of what nation soever, unless they were first converted to their religion; and, even in that case, some were debarred from it for ever; others only in part; and others again only for a limited time. Of the first sort, were all of the seven nations of the Canaanites. Of the second sort, were the Moabites and the Ammonites, whose males were now excluded for ever, but not their females; and of the third sort were the Edomites and Egyptians, with whom the Jews might not marry till the third generation. But with all others, who were not of these three excepted sorts, they might freely make intermarriages whenever they became thorough proselytes to their religion. At present however, because, through the confusions which have since happened in all nations, it is not to be known who is an Ammonite, an Edomite, a Moabite, or an Egyptian, they held this prohibition to have been long out of date; and that now, any Gentile, as soon as proselyted to their religion, may immediately be admitted to make intermarriages with them. See Prideaux.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Neh 13:1-30
1On that day [of dedication] they read [it was read] in the book of Moses in the audience [ears] of the people; and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever; 2because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but [and] hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit [and] our God turned the 3curse into a blessing. Now [And] it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.
[Events of 12 Years Later Date]
4And before this, [in the face of this], Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of [being set over] the chamber [chambers] of the house of our God was allied unto Tobiah: 5And he had prepared [and he prepared] for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meat-offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to 6the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests. But [and] in all this time was not I at Jerusalem; for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes, king of Babylon, came I unto the king, and after certain days [at the end of days] obtained I leave of the king: 7And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. 8And it grieved me sore: therefore [and] I cast forth 9all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber. Then [and] I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and thither brought I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meat-offerings and the frankincense. 10And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: for [and] the Levites and the 11singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field. Then [and] contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them [i. e, the Levites and singers] together, and set them in their place. 12Then brought all Judah [And all Judah brought] the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries. 13And I made treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah: and next to them [at their hand] was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah: for they were counted faithful, and their office was [and it was upon them] to distribute unto their brethren. 14Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds [kindnesses] that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof. 15In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine-presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also [and besides] wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought [and bringing them] into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals. 16There dwelt men of Tyre also therein [And the Tyrians dwelt therein], which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto 17the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. Then [And] I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day? 18Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet [and] ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath. 19And it came to pass that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark [were shaded] before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut [and the gates were shut], and charged [commanded] that they should not be opened till after the sabbath, and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there 20should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day. So [and] the merchants and 21sellers of all kinds of ware lodged without Jerusalem once or [and] twice. Then [and] I testified against them, and said unto them, Why lodge ye about [before] the wall? if ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on the sabbath. 22And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare [pity] me according to the greatness [abundance] of thy mercy.
23In those days saw I also [the] Jews that had married [carried to dwell with them] wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab: 24and their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod (and could not speak [were not acquainted with speaking] in the Jews language), but [and] according to the language [tongue] of each people [of people and people]. 25And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain [men] of them, and plucked off [tore out] 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. 26Did not Solomon, king of Israel, sin by these things? yet [and] among many nations was there no king like him, who [and he] was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish [foreign] women cause to sin. 27Shall we then [and shall we] hearken unto you to do [hear that ye do] all this great evil, to transgress 28against our God in marrying [carrying to dwell with us] strange wives? And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high-priest was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite; therefore [and] I chased him from me. 29Remember them, O God, because they have defiled [on account of the defilings of] the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites. 30Thus cleansed I [And I cleansed] them from all strangers, and appointed the wards of the priests and the Levites, every one in his business; and for the wood-offering, at times appointed, and for the first-fruits. Remember me, O God, for good.
TEXTUAL AND GRAMMATICAL
1 [Neh 13:6. . The lexicographers interpret this Niphal as Kal. But both here and in 1Sa 20:6; 1Sa 20:28 (the only places where the Niph. occurs), the meaning to receive permission seems to be necessary. It would be a quasi passive of the Kal meaning.
2 Neh 13:19. omitted before .
3 Neh 13:22. . Wav omitted. Yet we may read come as keepers of the gates.
4 Neh 13:24. stands absolutely, for being singular takes as its nominative.
EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL
Neh 13:1. On that day,i.e. the day of dedication of the walls, as in Neh 12:43-44.
The part of the law which forbade mingling with the other nations was specially read on the dedication-day. Deu 23:3 would naturally be read, as also Deu 7:1-6. The reference to the former passage here uses the words adh olam (forever), which are not found alone in Deuteronomy. There it reads: Even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the Lord forever, where the forever seems to signify the perpetuity of this ordinance, and not the perpetuity of their exclusion. It is quoted here in brief, without any design to change the meaning. No Moabite or Ammonite family could be admitted to the privileges of Jewry until in the tenth generation after quitting heathenism and formally allying itself with Israel.
Neh 13:2. The reference to Deu 23:3-5 continues through this verse, the passage being condensed throughout. In the Heb. we have the singular, he hired (i.e. Balak) as in Deu 23:4.
Neh 13:3. The result of this reading was a careful exclusion of the mixed multitude (erev) from Israel. This was a different act from that of the 24th of Tisri. Then Israel separated itself from the strangers. Now they separate the erev from Israel. The former was a withdrawal; this an expulsion. For erev, see Exo 12:38.
Nehemiahs Reform Movement on his Return to Jerusalem.
Neh 13:4. Before this.This should be in the presence of this (in conspectu ejus), with the circumstantial and not the temporal signification of liphne mizzeh. For Eliashibs evil conduct occurred while Nehemiah was away on his visit to Susa in Artaxerxes thirty-second year, and not before the dedication-day. The meaning is, that Eliashib, the high-priest, notwithstanding all this reform wrought by Nehemiah in Artaxerxes twentieth year, in the face of it all, dared, twelve years after, when Nehemiah was far away, to introduce Tobiah into the courts of the temple.
Nehemiah closes his record with a brief sketch of a new reform movement which he had to make twelve years later, owing to a long absence from Jerusalem at the Persian Court, in which time evil men had sought to undo his former work.
Between Neh 13:3 and Neh 13:4 we have therefore a gap of twelve years in the chronology.
We have no reason to suppose that Eliashib allied himself with Tobiah or (through his grandson) with Sanballat until this season of Nehemiahs absence, when Eliashib may have supposed that he would never return.
Nehemiah in all probability did not write this book of his doings at Jerusalem till late in life, when his second visit to Jerusalem was a thing of the past, as well as his first visit.
Eliashib, the priest (i.e. the high-priest), having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God.The participle is being set over (as in the margin). The chamber (lishcah) is used collectively for the chambers. As high-priest, he would have control of all the various buildings in the temple-courts where the treasures of corn, oil and wine were preserved.
Was allied to Tobiah.In what way we know not. Karov letoviyyah. A predicate adjective after so long a sentence, not in apposition (being allied), but as in E. V. a distinct assertion (was allied). A new fact is stated, and we are led to believe that this alliance marked a fearful period of falling away, after Nehemiah had turned his back. If it had existed before, we should have had mention made of it.
Neh 13:5. A second fact in the miserable business. The high-priest prepared for Tobiah a great chamber, probably by knocking many into one (see Neh 13:9), in which Tobiah resided when at Jerusalem (see Neh 13:8). This desecration Eliashib may have defended on the score of Tobiah being by blood a Jew (see on Neh 2:10), and the necessity of keeping on good terms with the influential men of the surrounding provinces.
These chambers had held all the unbloody sacrificial offerings and the tithes.
The Levites are distinguished from the singers and porters, although the singers and porters were Levites. So, on the other hand, the Levites are distinguished from the priests, although the priests were Levites. The Levites, as here designated, were those engaged in the more immediate sacrificial services, in attendance on the priests.
Neh 13:6. In the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes, king of Babylon,i.e. in B. C. 4343. Probably the time set by Nehemiah and approved by the king (Neh 2:6) was twelve years. At the expiration of this term he was obliged to leave the superintendence of affairs at Jerusalem and return to the court. Artaxerxes is called king of Babylon, instead of king of Persia, probably because at this time of Nehemiahs return the court was removed to Babylon for some special state reason.
After certain days.Lit. at the end of days, a very general expression, and may here mean several years.
Obtained I leave, to wit, to return to Jerusalem.
Neh 13:8. This decided action shows that Nehemiah returned with full powers from the Court.
Neh 13:9. The chambers. See on Neh 13:5. The tithes are omitted in the enumeration, because, as we see by the next verse, the people had ceased paying tithes, and hence there were none to put in the store-chambers.
Neh 13:10. For the Levites,etc.,were fled. Rather: and the Levites, etc., were fled. They fled to their own fields to work for their living, because their tithes were withheld. Their own fields were those belonging to the Levitical cities.The singers, that did the work, is a pregnant phrase for the singers and porters who performed service.
Neh 13:11. The rulers (seganim). The Pers. word does not necessarily refer to rulers set over the people by the Persians, although it may include such, but extends to all who might exercise authority by birth, election or otherwise. The Pers. word is used as a familiar term for magistrates.
Set them in their place.That is, put the Levites back into their positions.
Neh 13:12. Unto the treasuries (or storehouses). Or for stores.
Neh 13:13. I made treasurers.The Hiphil of Atzar, to store. Lit.: I caused to store over the store-houses. That is: I placed men over the store-houses, whom I caused to store the stores in them.
Shelemiah.See Neh 3:30.
Zadok.See Neh 3:29.
Pedaiah.See Neh 3:26 and Neh 8:4.
Next to them.Lit. at their hand, as their assistant.
Neh 13:14. This prayer is not one of self-glorification, but of faith in Gods truth. A man who knows he is doing right in the sight of God can say so to God without presumption. It is a testimony of Gods grace, and he can rejoice in it.
Neh 13:15. In those days of my return to Jerusalem. The Sabbath had become desecrated in Nehemiahs absence, so that in some cases the works of the farm were wrought on that day, and produce brought to Jerusalem, and there sold on the Sabbath.
Neh 13:16. Tyrian traders in fish and other products were plying their trade in the city on the Sabbath.
Neh 13:17. The nobles (horim), not the rulers of Neh 13:11, but the higher classes generally.
Neh 13:18. See Jer 17:20-27.
Neh 13:19. When the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the Sabbath.This seems to show that the day among the Jews did not begin at sunset. For here after sunset when it began to be dark, it was before the Sabbath. Only a special Sabbath was counted from the evening before. See Lev 23:32.
Neh 13:20. The merchants, or traffickers.On arriving with their wares, according to their wont, they find the gates shut, and are obliged to pass the night outside the walls until the Sabbath is over.
Neh 13:21. When this hint was not enough, Nehemiah sends them word that if they make their appearance again before the gates on the Sabbath to lodge there, they will be arrested. This broke up the evil.
Neh 13:22. Cleanse themselves, as for a holy service, and so guard the Sabbath by guarding the gates. For the prayer, see on Neh 13:14.
Neh 13:23. In those days of my return from Jerusalem. As at Neh 13:15.
Jews that had married.With the article, the Jews that had married. As the childrens speech was affected, these Jews must have lived on the outskirts of the Jewish province near the Philistines, Ammonites and Moabites. For children will always know the prevailing language of a district. Ashdod seems to stand for all Philistia, at this time probably the most conspicuous Philistine town.
Neh 13:24. And could not speak in the Jews language.A parenthetical phrase.The succeeding but should be and.Of each people,i.e. Ammon and Moab.
Neh 13:25. Here is described the action not of a private man in his ungovernable rage, but of a public officer in the faithful use of his power. Notice the word contended. In Neh 13:11 Nehemiah contends with the rulers regarding the neglect of the tithes; in Neh 13:17, he contends with the nobles regarding the profanation of the Sabbath, and here he contends with the Jews who had married heathen wives for this open disregard of the law.
Neh 13:26. Beloved of his God.Comp. 2Sa 12:24. This does not imply saving grace on Gods part or holiness on Solomons part. It only denotes special favor and privilege. Compare Mar 10:21.
Outlandish,i. e foreign.
Neh 13:27. Shall we then hearken unto you to do,etc. (welakhem hanishma laasoth).Lit.: And for you is it heard to do, etc., i.e. do we hear that you do all this great evil?
Although it is not stated expressly, it is implied in Neh 13:30, that Nehemiah insisted on a separation from the outlandish wives, as did Ezra many years before (Ezr 10:3).
Neh 13:28. Finding that Eliashibs grandson had married Sanballats daughter, Nehemiah makes a public example of so glaring a case of defiance to the law, for here the special sanctity of the priesthood was desecrated (Lev 21:6-8).
I chased him from me (abrihehu me alai). Lit.: I made him flee from off me. Nehemiah forced him to leave Jerusalem, and be no longer a burden to his government.
Neh 13:29. The covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites was, first, the general covenant with the tribes as Israels teachers and Gods special servants (Deu 33:8-11), and, second the special covenant of priesthood (Lev 21:6-8).
Neh 13:30. Thus cleansed I them from all strangersThe irregularities regarding tithes, the Sabbath, and the marriages were all attributable to connection with strangers. When this was stopped, the careful ordering of the priestly and Levitical work was made easy, which had all been disarranged and much neglected in Nehemiahs absence.
Neh 13:31. The wood-offering (see on Neh 10:34) and the first-fruits are mentioned for all the offerings, as those most apt to be neglected.
Remember me, O my God, for good.See on Neh 13:14.
HISTORICAL AND ETHICAL
1. The severe exclusion of the Moabite and Ammonite was an enacted token against sin. Even these blood relations of Israel were to be kept away as polluted, because they showed no sympathy with Israel, and made a deliberate and vile attempt to plunge Israel into sin. A permanent horror was to be erected between Israel and these monsters of iniquity. The key to many of the stern Mosaic statutes is to be found in the necessity of holding up the heinousness of sin, which men are ever ready to make light of. (See the exegetical commentary for an explanation of this statute.)
2. The lapse of Israel on Nehemiahs return to Persia throws into clear light the immense work which Nehemiah had wrought, and the remarkable power of the man. His influence had worked the reform and had upheld it, and when his presence was removed the structure at once began to crack and crumble. A generation later Malachi lamented over the spiritual waste that Judah presented. Great as Nehemiah was, he could not make healthy the diseased body of Jewry. He could only, by the force of his character, rouse the people to a decent semblance of righteousness. And yet, while he was powerless to renew the nation, we may believe that his influence ran down private channels in families and humble houses to the very time of the Messiah; making green lines of spiritual growth amid the arid desert of Judaism.
3. Ezra had effected a reform a dozen years before Nehemiah came to Judah. He had separated the Jews from the heathen people, and in this reform had forced the highest in the land to dissolve their wicked matrimonial alliances. The book of Ezra concludes with this statement. When Nehemiah arrived there was a new separation from strangers effected. (Neh 9:2.) Whether the mingling with the heathen had again amounted to marriage alliances we may not say. It may have only involved mercantile partnerships. A dozen years later again on Nehemiahs second visit, there is a necessity for a most stern application of Nehemiahs personal and official power to cure the same old evil, which seems to have been bolder than ever.
4. There are times when good men must assume great severity of manner and allow a holy indignation to fire their souls. Gentleness of style before barefaced villany is weakness and inefficiency. Had Nehemiah acted with a soft and effeminate method, the offenders would have laughed at him. God loves to guide with His eye, but sometimes He uses the thunderbolt.
HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL
Neh 13:1-3. The duty of the church to purify itself constantly anew. 1. In regard to those with whom they assimilate themselves; in the Old Testament, in regard to the Ammonites, etc., not on account of their nationality, but on account of their ways; in the church, in regard to those who not only go astray, but also who will not allow themselves to be bettered, and who thus exclude themselves. 2. Whereon it grounds itself; not only on the right of self-preservation, but also upon Gods word. 3. What it aims at; namely, that the church set forth more and more what it should be as Christs spotless bride.
Starke: One cannot read or preach Gods Word too often, for one always finds something which one had not noticed or known before.
What God has commanded one must perform, even though it may seem hard to us, and we may draw upon us the enmity of others in its performance.
Neh 13:4-9. The sanctity of holy places. 1. That upon which it is grounded; in the Old Testament, upon the fact that God had connected His peculiar presence with the temple; in the Christian dispensation, upon the fact that Gods honor dwells in the churches, that is, is cherished there. 2. What it binds us to; to uphold the churches in a condition corresponding to their aim, or where they are lacking to restore them in a worthy manner. 3. What blessing it has for us; it reminds us of the holiness, the majesty and the glory of our God, and fosters our regard therefor; it works frequently by elevating and edifying, whereas an unworthy desecration of churches only promotes the crudity from which it has sprung. Bede: Et tu quidquid inter fideles infidelitatis et immunditi reperis continuo projice foras, ut immundatis credentium cordibus, qu sunt gazophylacia Domini, cum virtutum fuerint plena divitiis, vasa Domini inferantur; hoc est, illa ipsa corda qu paullo ante vasa erroris fuerant per culpam denuo vasa Domini fiant per correctionem; ibiqua sacrificium bon operationis et thus pur orationis, ubi pridem spelunca erat latronum, inveniatur.
Neh 13:30-31. The retrospect of a servant of God upon his life and his usefulness. 1. It elevates him, because Gods grace was with him, and made him worthy to engage in the cause of God and the salvation of mankind. 2. It humbles him, because he was so unworthy of this grace, and moreover because he has fallen so far short of what he might have been able to accomplish through its means. 3. It drives him to prayer, that God would also be merciful to him at the last for Christs sake, whose righteousness is also his.
Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange
We here arrive to the close of Nehemiah’s wise and pious government. The chapter relates several interesting circumstances. Nehemiah had returned to his master at Persia; and as it should seem, was permitted to visit Jerusalem a second time. He reforms certain abuses crept in during his absence; and particularly restores the sabbath to its original Sanctity.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
The history of Moab’s conduct to Israel, and the vile attempt of Balaam, we have Num 22:23-24 . And the Lord’s commands in consequence we have Deu 23:3-5 . But added to these, the prohibition of alliances with the people of the land was among the distinguishing features of the Lord’s covenant. God’s people were to dwell alone, and not to be reckoned among the nations. Oh! how precious and blessed is it in all this to eye Jesus. I must not dismiss these verses without first taking notice how blessed the reading of the law was to the people. When they had heard of God’s holy will, that the stranger should be separated from Israel, the people obeyed. See, my soul, how vastly important it is to have the word of the Lord read in our churches, in our houses, families and closets. Oh! blessed book of God, I would say, thou Holy Bible, the merciful epistle sent down from heaven; be thou my meditation all the day, and let mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I may be occupied in it. Oh! blessed Jesus, thou holy Lamb, who alone was found worthy to open the book, and loose the seals, do thou, Lord open to my soul all the wondrous things of thy law; and open my heart to the right apprehension of it, that I may separate all that is mixed, and corrupt in my heart, and cast it out.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Solomon’s Folly and Sin
Neh 13:26
I. We may learn from the text that neither greatness nor goodness can render a man infallible. Let no man think himself too strong to fall. The best need to watch and pray.
II. Danger in evil associations. Solomon sinned by reason of his alliance with idolatrous wives.
a. Many a good character has been injured by godless associates.
b. Evil habits are often acquired through sinful associations.
c. Young people, especially, should avoid dangerous companions.
III. We should be warned by the sins and follies of others. Let no one trust in his own heart Self-confidence is vain confidence. Divine grace is needed to keep us from falling. God’s help must be sought daily.
G. Charlesworth, Sermonic Suggestions, p. 144.
References. XIII. 26. J. Parker, Studies in Texts, vol. i. p. 107. H. D. M. Spence, Voices and Silences, p. 141. XIII. 31. G. F. De Teissier, Plain Preaching to Poor People (9th Series), p. 83.
Fuente: Expositor’s Dictionary of Text by Robertson
Neh 13
“Howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing” (Neh 13:2 .)
Curses and Blessings
PICTURE a very large concourse of people with Nehemiah at their head. They have assembled to read the law written in Moses. This was the habit of the ancients: when they were in trouble, when they were at their wits’ end, they found it a high intellectual and spiritual tonic to read the law. We should find it to be exactly the same under events which we cannot control, and under sorrows for which we have no healing. If under such circumstances we bring ourselves face to face and heart to heart with the Eternal Word and the unchanging testimony, our health will be renewed and our hope will be rekindled.
Whilst the people were reading the law written in Moses they came upon a very singular and animating passage. Such passages abound in all the providential working of God and the true histories thereof; but sometimes a passage strikes us with peculiar accent and vividness, though we may have read it many times before without having been deeply impressed by its gravity and its application to ourselves. The passage in question ran to this effect: that the Ammonite and the Moabite should never enter the congregation of God for ever, because they met not the children of Israel with bread and water in the time of their necessity, but hired against the children of Israel the prophet Balaam to curse the children of Israel: “howbeit our God turned the curse [of Balaam] into a blessing.” Observe the marvellous constancy of the divine arbitrament and justice. Why was the Ammonite and why was the Moabite excluded from the congregation of God? For the very selfsame reason that men will be excluded from the kingdom of heaven in the last great assize. “Depart from me, Ammonite and Moabite; for I was an hungered, and ye gave me no bread; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink.” What he said to the Ammonite and the Moabite he will say to the goats upon his left hand when he comes to judge the world. It is one government, it is one law, it is one God; touch it where we may, we have the same response. Hence the beauty, the grandeur, the immortal majesty of the exclamation, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord.” Our purpose is to show that God has the power to turn a curse into a blessing, and that this doctrine is the ultimate rest and the supreme comfort of every honest man.
“Our God turned the curse into a blessing.” The ancient believers always seemed to have God so near that they had no difficulty in getting through the thicket which lures us the thicket of secondary causes, intermediate agencies, tumultuous and confusing events in life. The Jews, in their better time and in their better estate, seemed to go right up to God as friend might go to friend, and openly confer with him. Nehemiah does not say that Balaam was met by another Balaam: that some man had more genius than the prophet that was hired: that Balaam was outwitted by a keener sagacity than his own: that Balaam was checkmated by a subtler policy than he had imagination enough to conceive. Nehemiah sees God at work, sees the finger of God in this transformation, and openly, gladly, gratefully acknowledges that the transformation of the curse was not the work of human goodwill or of human genius, but a direct operation of the divine almightiness itself. We lose so much by not seeing God immediately. We have left him so far behind he now stands far off from our consciousness: whereas the old men who laid the rocky foundation of human history, and won its early victories, were men who had simply to look up when they saw the Almighty: to turn round, and they beheld the gleaming of his countenance: to put out the hand and they touched the hern of his garment. Why do we allow God to go so far away from our consciousness and appreciation and love? Why do we not cry out for him, and bid him come to us, and give him no rest until he draws near? This is the true religion; this is the noble piety; this is the infinite privilege of the sons of God. It will be comforting to not a few if we reflect for a moment upon this great truth, that whatever curses are breathed upon our life by hired prophets, or by false priests and by traitorous friends, may be turned into blessings by the great and good hand of God.
Let me remind you of a few familiar principles upon which we are all agreed, and then illustrate how these principles, that seem to have no centre, but to be floating as vague generalities, gather themselves up in a central principle in the divine government, and are not loose and incoherent propositions, but really part of the sum total of the kingdom and government of God.
To be cursed of man is really no proof of God’s disapprobation. Let us consider the case well, especially such as are labouring under harsh criticism, and exposed to unfriendly judgment: men who are misapprehended and misrepresented: men who have to suffer more or less of social excommunication and class ostracism; let us look carefully at the proposition to be cursed of man is really no proof of God’s disapprobation. Christ said, “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” Paul says, “Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth.” Who is man? What right has he to curse? What does any one man know about any other man, even his most familiar friend? We say, “Who can find out the Almighty unto perfection?” Who can find out any man to perfection? We have screens behind which we veil ourselves from the most loving and peering eyes; we can retire into solitudes and silences impregnable; we can be ourselves and by ourselves in an awful loneliness no friend can violate. Who can tell all the mysteries of our temperament and of our constitution, of the subtle circumstances that have made us what we are? Who can go back into our early history and trace us up day by day, and see the marvellous chemistry that has been going on, alike physiologically and socially and publicly, making up elements and composition for which there seem to be no words? And unless a man can estimate us critically and exhaustively, his judgment must be marred by the limitation of his knowledge.
He ought to be a very great man and a very pure, lofty, and godly soul who undertakes to curse anybody else. In cursing others we may be but showing our own littleness, and playing such fantastic tricks before high heaven as make the angels weep. Why should we be cruel, sharp, and harsh with each other? Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. A curse should only come from holy lips. A malediction coming from unconsecrated lips hurts him who speaks, not him who hears. There is great need for this lesson in the church to-day, for there is a kind of pharisaic morality which is very prone to speak that which is very intolerable, and which seems to imagine it increases its own virtue by indicating very broadly and vividly the vices of other people. There are persons who have a keen eye for faults and a sharp tongue for harsh criticism, who can always tell who is not sound and who is not full weight, and who is not precisely perpendicular, and although these people would disavow the power of cursing, they practically avail themselves of the prerogative of malediction and excommunication. If men would speak only according to their holiness, we should hear but little of them; if they would let their own purity and honour be the measure of their criticism upon their fellow-citizens, we should have silence where now we have speech, and humiliation where now we have self-exalting. Let us understand, therefore, that though scourged by whips of unworthy men, borne down by injustice and unnecessary criticism, to be cursed of men is not necessarily a proof of God’s disapprobation. He may be unwise or unworthy who takes our name in vain unworthy to set his feet in the dust we left behind on the highway, who ventures to say harsh words of us. Let our reply be a nobler bearing, tenderer love to God, profounder and deeper homage to all the law and requirement of the Holy One: answering not by vain words and by self-vindication as hollow as the curse it repays, but by growing massiveness of character, by higher dignity of spirit, by loftier aspiration, and by a more consecrated and honourable service in the kingdom of God.
It follows, however, that to be blest of man is no proof of God’s favour. There are those who receive an applause which has no fame in it men who are loudly called for, and whose names are received with echoing thunders of acclamation, who know that they do not deserve the cordiality with which they are hailed. And the real cursing is that which the man breathes upon himself. When he rises amid all this applause and welcoming, and says to himself, “You painted hypocrite, you know that you do not deserve these encomiums and approbations,” then it is a hollow thunder that resounds around him. He is not touched by the applause he declines it; for there is honesty in that thief, there is honour in that conscience. He receives it outwardly, and bows his grateful returns; but he declines it in his soul, for he knows that he has no right, title, lot, or memorial in any community of honest men.
To what blessing are we trusting? It is in vain to trust to any blessing that can be turned into a curse. Let us see to it that it is an essential blessing we get hold of a vital, divine benediction. If it be a secondary benediction it can be reversed; if it be a decree from an inferior court, it may be annulled by an appeal to some higher assize. To what blessing are we trusting? To the blessing of those who know little about us, to the kind word of men who do not understand us, to the confidence and the honour of people who would despise us and throw us into the river of forgetfulness if they knew what we were. There can be no virtue in such benediction. Let us renounce the artificial solace, and know that a blessing, a favour, an approbation that is not sanctioned by conscience, endorsed and approved of God, must in the long run become a sting and fill us with intolerable remorse. And remember, as the complement of this truth, that it is unwise and irreligious to fear any curse which can be turned into a blessing. “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” “Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.” God’s blessing is the only abiding approbation: any blessing short of the divine blessing is not worth having. Let God undertake for us; then it shall be true that if a man please the Lord he makes his enemies to be at peace with him. It shall be true of us that no weapon formed against us shall prosper. It shall be true or us in our degree, as of David’s and of Christ’s his enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish. Why should we fear the malediction of men? Why should we court the approbation of a corrupt society? If we do anything unworthy for the purpose of bringing upon ourselves compliments and courtesies and benedictions which are hollow in themselves, and which come from unworthy sources, we are bribing society to dishonour ourselves.
How much needs to be spoken upon this point to those who are called to bear testimony for Christ! Ministers need to speak to themselves very clearly upon this, for the temptation is to fear the face and to dread the curse of men. When they stand in the pulpit to speak some unpopular truth, or to assail what they believe to be a great public iniquity, there is a spirit looking at them and saying: “Take care perhaps you may offend some persons; perhaps they may leave your ministry; perhaps they may desert your pews. Do not put the thing so broadly, vividly, or graphically, but throw clouds around it and speak in ambiguous terms, lest you be considered to be too personal and too much to the point.” O, cursed spirit! bringing with it not breath from heaven, but blasts from hell! Oh that Christian men may be lifted above all fear, have the courage of their convictions, and be clothed with the spirit which says it is unwise, it is irreligious, it is atheistic, to fear any curse that God has power enough to transform into a blessing!
How far have these general truths been illustrated and confirmed in our personal experience? Every man will have his tale upon this point; every narrative will go to show that these general principles have received individual corroboration. Thus, you have as a younger man been neglected by a certain section of society; you wished to connect yourself with this fellowship, or with that club or association; you wanted to be one of its members, and to enjoy its privileges and its delights; and people conspired against you, and said, “We will not have him amongst us.” And at that time you said, “They have cursed me, and their curse is hard to bear.” How did you deport yourself? You acted wisely and said, “Then I will turn to the Eternal I will make friends with God.” And in carrying out this high purpose you gave yourself to reading, to study, to education. You said, “I will seek intellectual expansion mental refinement; I will acquire riches of the mind; I will attend to self-culture.” And so you read the old prophets biblical, and the old teachers classical, and the new historians modern, and you acquainted yourself with manifold wisdom; whereas if you had got the blessing you sought for in the first instance, you would have frittered away your time you would have been known at best as a brilliant gossip, and you would have gone out of the world without its having been the better for your coming into it. God turned the curse into a blessing; you never would have been the man you are if those people whose delightful society, as you then thought it to be, had not refused your fellowship and confidence. That, at the time a curse, was the making of you. In after years thou shalt say, “It was the best thing that ever happened to me was yonder malediction. I felt it at the time; it struck me heavily, I nearly succumbed howbeit my God turned the curse into a blessing.” Only you be true to God hand up the human curse to him let him treat it. “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord;” therefore “avenge not yourselves.”
All these thinkings and comfortings would be loose and uncertain if they did not lead up to a far greater principle than any we have yet stated, namely this: God means to turn his own curses into blessings. He does not mean any one of his curses pronounced upon the children of men within the region of the mediatorial and merciful to be his last word. He means his curse to be the beginning of a blessing, the darkness on which he will set his stars. His benediction is his last word, not his curse. When the end shall come the great dread tragical end shall come then his last word may be, “Depart from me;” but he will keep the heavens alive for thousands of ages yet, if he can but spare himself the utterance of that word upon any child he ever made. He does not want to say it; the word that he loves best and says most sweetly is, “Come.” There is hospitality in it; there is redemption in it; there is immortality in it in it there is heaven. Look at the curses of God, and you will find exactly what we mean. Once he cursed the ground for man’s sake. Not only because man had sinned, but because by the cursing, and all that was involved in the malediction, he intended man to develop himself in all his powers, energies, and capacities, and fit himself for a destiny superior to any issue possible within the region of earth and time.
Men have been straining themselves, looking off to horizons, to illimitable distances, seeking shadows among the clouds; whereas the Redeemer was standing there within their own shadow length. He was amongst them, and they knew him not. Why all the searching for the mineral and the vegetable that shall heal? For man’s sake. If we had not such trouble to go through we should soon die of monotony; but God says, “Try here.” He retires, and says, “Perhaps, if you try there….” And so he lures us, challenges our intellectual activity, draws us onward from one discovery to another, until the time shall come when he will say: “Now you shall be masters. I call you no more servants, but friends. You shall find what you want under your feet, and in the very first plant that blooms.” In the meantime it is good for us that the things should be hidden, that medical treatment should be a science, that great discoveries should be made, and great intellectual activity should be called for.
What is true in one particular is true in every other. Do you imagine that theology is the thorny maze, the difficult labyrinth, the horrible and entangling thicket which we make of it oftentimes and describe it to be in our laborious books? Nothing of the sort. The simplest of sciences, the easiest of truths, as we have to receive it now, the very alphabet of information and of wisdom; but it is good for us, if we use the opportunity aright, that we should have all this mental collision, this intellectual friction, this exchange of truth and of views, if only we keep our spirit sober; our spirit charitable, noble, catholic, always willing to give as well as to take. Then all this theological inquiry will lead to good and to happy results. But God means all this curse (so-called) of labour, toil, difficulty, intellectual oppositions and collisions, to end in a great blessing, in the discovery of infinite inheritances, and in the enjoyment of immeasurable, yea, infinite largesses of his grace and light. And so in what are called cross-providences, the Christian testimony should be, “God has always been right. I have said, ‘Father, I want this,’ and he has been silent; and I have said, ‘I will have it!’ I have taken it, and it has stung me. I have said, ‘I will not go down this road; it looks dark and perilous, and there may be beasts of prey down there; birds of evil omen may be darkening the black shadows of the treacherous trees;’ and God has said, ‘Go down!’ I have said, ‘Spare me this!’ but he has repeated, ‘Go!’ and I have in his strength gone down, and all the darkness was passed through in a few yards, and after that came a road thronged with angels, coloured with heaven, bright with all that makes heaven lustrous. God in my poor life has always been right, and when I have been crossed and punished and disappointed and chided and kept back, and when I have felt his hand upon me, and he has driven me down as if I had been his enemy, behold he has been seeking my welfare, turning me aside from dangerous paths; and I am a living man to bear this witness, that out of every disappointment I have received consolation, out of every sacrifice of my own will I have had revelations of the divine approbation and care which have widened and brightened and redeemed and cheered my life.”
God has no wish to curse the creatures of his hand. Judgment is his strange work. Truly he can curse, and when he curses who can bless? He can make the harvest a heap, and send upon the earth a day of desperate sorrow. He can bow down the high ones of stature, and humble the haughty. He can make the trees of the forest so few that a child can write them; but this he will not do if we do not sin against him and against ourselves. It is hopeless for us to fight against God, for his will shall stand above the wreck and the humiliation of all human purpose. Babylon cannot establish herself on ground he has forbidden. The wild beasts of the glen shall lie there, and the houses of the proud shall be full of doleful creatures. He will break the staff of the wicked, and throw the spear of their joy into the sea. Yet if we will return unto the Lord he says he will heal us; if we will acquaint ourselves with him we shall be at peace. Yes, blessed be God! where the curse abounds the blessing shall abound still more.
The time will come when all curse shall be done away, when sin shall have played out its little mischief, and the great universe may be the better for the tragedy of Eden. It is possible that there may be more joy over one sinner that repenteth than over ninety-and-nine just persons who need no repentance. How this is to be we cannot tell, but the Cross shall be more beautiful than all other trees, and Calvary shall be more thickly planted than Lebanon. God will turn the curse somehow into blessing, and roses shall be gathered out of the sands of the desert This is our faith. We do not believe that human power can go beyond a very little length. Man likes to curse because he likes to show his own virtue; he thinks that in cursing others he is showing his own worthiness to be blessed. Let us abstain from cursing; let us trust in the living God, who alone has benedictions to give unto men.
But do not understand that a blessing will be given without any action on your part. “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found…. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him: and to our God, for he will multiply to pardon” roll in upon him the billows of his forgiveness as wave pursuing wave, until the track of his sin shall be obliterated, and he shall have no more memory of his guilt. Art thou suffering? Go to thy knees; tell God thy sin tell it all right out; bitter, black, grim, ghastly, though it be; keep back no part of the price; and when thou hast told it all, and left no dreg in thy corrupt heart when thou hast laid it all clear out before him, then the film shall be taken from thine eyes, thou shalt see the great mighty redeeming cross of Christ, and he shall say, “Thy sins, which are many, are all forgiven thee.” The curse will be turned into a blessing, and thou shalt be the better for the abasement and the humiliation, and even for the sin of which thou hast fully confessed thyself, and which has been cleansed out of thee by the atoning blood of the Son of God.
Prayer
Almighty God, do thou fill us with a godly concern respecting the state of man. May we look on all things from the altar of the sanctuary, and judge righteous judgment, and be so inspired as to be fearless in the presence of evil. May the questions we ask come out of the heart, burn like fire, and stand up in the presence of men as symbols of the judgment of God. We thank thee for all earnest souls that burn their way through the ages, whose ardour is recognised as that which is kindled from on high: we bless thee for men who dare look at evil and name it by its right name, and curse it at the altar of eternal righteousness; they suffer, but are strong; they are killed, yet they live; they are thy servants, yet they come to us as angels from God. Behold us, we beseech thee, and create in us a spirit of earnest desire to rectify that which is wrong, to find that which is gone astray and restore it; and may our whole soul be filled with the compassion which moved the heart of Christ. We rejoice to find in him our Master and our Lord. He has a right to our whole homage, to all the energy of every faculty, for he died the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God. We hear his solemn words, we listen to the fall of his judgments upon scribes and Pharisees, and pretenders, and hypocrites, and whited sepulchres; and we say, Never man spake like this Man, either in judgment or in tenderness, in the spirit of righteousness or in the spirit of redemption. May we listen to all the tones of his voice, and respond to them according to our necessity; especially may we respond to the Son of God when he offers to give us pardon, and purity, and rest, and hope of heaven: then may we run towards him with eagerness and delight, knowing that he hath proceeded forth from God that so he might deliver and enrich human kind. If we pray for men of various estate, passing through various difficulties, afflictions, and emotions, surely thou wilt hear our prayer, made strong and prevalent in the name of Jesus Christ. We pray for all who are overwhelmed with sorrow, for those who are suddenly seized by evil, or that which appears to be evil to the narrow vision of human ignorance. Thou knowest that life is hard to some, the battle never ceases; there is hardly any taste of victory in all the long fight: God help such, and tell them that after all the time is short, and may end any moment, and that the Lord will suddenly come to the rescue of those who put their trust in him. To others life is all sunshine, an easy victory, a swift run through places of flowers and still waters: the Lord save them in the time of danger, show them that all wealth is dangerous, all prosperity is perilous, all strength is temptation to self-trust. The Lord lend a hand to the blind man, or he will fall in the thoroughfare; the Lord take up the weary man and give him rest awhile or he will fall for want of breath; the Lord speak to the poor and the outcast, and the far away, and by the awakening of memory, or the rekindling of inspirations and new possibilities of thought and force, draw men to a new standing, and give all men some sense of liberty and growth. The Lord sanctify affliction of every kind and degree, whether falling suddenly on the life, or creeping upon it slowly and devouring it little by little; still let the sanctification of thy presence be found in the chamber of affliction and sorrow. Save us, we beseech thee, from all false trust; may we abhor that which is evil, and cleave to that which is good; may it be our joy to follow Christ even up the steepest way, and to find in his presence all helpful grace. Pity our littlenesses and infirmities: for are we not creatures of the dust and children of the wind, except it be that we realise our relation to thyself, in whom alone we find our glory and eternity. The Lord encourage every one who is in bewilderment and longing for release and light; the Lord keep us steadily to our work, and may we not relax our hold upon the plough until the going down of the sun. Let the Lord’s heaven descend upon us, so that we may overhear its music, and be made glad by some hint of its ineffable rest. Amen.
Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker
Chapter 13
1. On that day they read [ Heb. there was read] in the book of Moses [Num 22:5 ; Deu 23:3 ] in the audience [ Heb. ears] of the people; and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever;
2. Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing [see Num 23:7-11 ; Num 24:3-19 ].
3. Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.
4. And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight [ Heb. being set over] of the chamber [the entire out-building or “lean-to,” which surrounded the temple on three sides, and was made up of three stories, each containing a number of rooms, some smaller, some larger (see 1Ki 6:5-10 )] of the house of our God, was allied [connected by marriage] unto Tobiah:
5. And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests [ i.e. the portion of the offerings assigned for their sustenance to the priests].
6. But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem: for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon came I unto the king, and after certain days [ Heb. at the end of days] obtained I [ or, I earnestly requested] leave of the king:
7. And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God.
8. And it grieved me sore: therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber.
9. Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and thither brought I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meat offering and the frankincense.
10. And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field.
11. Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together [Nehemiah gathered the Levites from their lands, and reinstated them in their set offices], and set them in their place [ Heb. standing].
12. Then brought all Judah the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries [ or, storehouses].
13. And I made treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe [probably the same as Zidkijah of ch. Neh 10:1 ], and of the Levites, Pedaiah: and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah: for they were counted faithful, and their office was to distribute unto their brethren.
14. Remember me [once more the faithful servant of God begs a merciful remembrance of what he had done for the honour of God in the “observances” of the temple], O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds [ Heb. kindnesses] that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices [observations] thereof.
15. In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day [ rather, concerning the day] wherein they sold victuals.
16. There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.
17. Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day? [The desecration of the Sabbath is first brought into prominence among the sins of the Jewish people by Jeremiah (see ch. Jer 17:21-27 ). It could not but have gained ground during the captivity, when foreign masters would not have allowed the cessation of labour one day in seven. On the return from captivity, the sabbatical rest appears to have been one of the institutions most difficult to re-establish.]
18. Did not your fathers thus [cf. Jer 17:21-27 ], and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath.
19. And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath [ i.e. at the sunset of the day before the sabbath; since the sabbath was regarded as commencing on the previous evening], I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and some of my servants [comp. ch. Jer 4:16-23 ; Jer 5:16 ] set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day.
20. So the merchants and sellers of all kind of ware lodged without Jerusalem once or twice.
21. Then I testified against them, and said unto them, Why lodge ye about [ Heb. before] the wall [ The Speaker’s Commentary says: The lodging of the merchants with their merchandise just outside Jerusalem during the sabbath, while they impatiently waited for the moment when they might bring their wares in, was thought by Nehemiah to be unseemly, and to have an irreligious tendency. He therefore threatened the merchants with arrest if they continued the practice]? if ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on the sabbath.
22. And I commanded the Levites [at first Nehemiah had employed his own retinue in the work of keeping the gates; but, as this was inconvenient, he now made a change, and assigned the duty to the Levites, as one which properly belonged to them, since the object of the regulation was the due observance of the sabbath], that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me [In this prayer also Nehemiah commits his fidelity to the merciful estimate of God. But something in connection with the sabbath, or with his retrospect of his own conduct, gives the passing prayer a peculiar pathos of humility], O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness [ or, multitude] of thy mercy.
23. In those days also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab:
24. And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod [a mixture of Philistine and Aramic], and could not speak in the Jews’ language, but according to the language of each people [ Heb. of people and people],
25. And I contended with them, and cursed [ or, reviled] them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair [scarcely with his own hand. The meaning rather is that Nehemiah caused them to be thus punished], 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.
26. Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God [comp. 2Sa 12:24-25 ], and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.
27. Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying strange wives?
28. And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was son in law to Sanballat the Horonite: therefore I chased him from me. [Eliashib himself was allied by marriage to Tobiah, and one of his grandsons was married to Sanballat Him Nehemiah drove into exile.]
29. Remember them [this priestly violation of law is committed to God alone for punishment], O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites.
30. [This is a brief recapitulation of the special work of Nehemiah after his return.] Thus cleansed I them [after the acts of discipline described above there was doubtless some formal service of expiation] from all strangers, and appointed the wards of the priests and the Levites, every one in his business;
31. And for the wood offering, at times appointed, and for the firstfruits.
[No special provision was made by the law for the supply of wood necessary to keep fire ever burning upon the altar; nor do David or Solomon appear to have instituted any definite regulations on the subject. It remained for Nehemiah to establish a system by which the duty of supplying the wood should be laid as a burthen in turn on the various clans or families, which were regarded as constituting the nation. The lot was used to determine the order in which the several families should perform the duty. A special day (the fourteenth of the fifth month, according to Josephus) was appointed for the bringing in of the supply; and this day was after a time regarded as a high festival, and called “The Festival of the Wood Offering.”] Remember me, O my God, for good.
[With these words (Bishop Ellicott’s Commentary ) Nehemiah leaves the scene, committing himself and his discharge of duty to the righteous Judge. His conscientious fidelity had brought him into collision not only with external enemies, but with many of his own brethren. His rigorous reformation has been assailed by many moralists and commentators in every age. But in these words he commits all to God, as it were by anticipation. It may be added that with these words end the annals of the Old Testament History.]
Nehemiah’s Temper and Questions
WHAT a different man is Nehemiah when the first chapter and the last of his book are brought into contrast! In the first chapter Nehemiah is meek enough; we read that it came to pass, when he heard certain words, that he “sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven” ( Neh 1:4 ), all that could be done in a private house. In the last chapter we find him laying about him with tremendous fury. He hurls everything out of his way in a righteous rage. There is nothing about weeping, and mourning, and fasting. The last chapter is a thunderstorm. Yet the first and the last are related; the man who cannot weep that is to say, the man who cannot feel deeply and acutely can never do any great and permanent reforming work in the world; the man who cannot fast that is to say, hold himself in severest control can never strike with any real effect; the man who cannot pray that is to say, connect himself with all the highest forces and energies of the universe, ally himself with the very omnipotence of God can never stand forth in heroic fearlessness and courage almost divine. In the first chapter we have the man’s inner nature in the last chapter we have the man at work; and between the two, though the contrast is outwardly so striking, there is an intimate and necessary relation.
What questions he asks! all reformation should be preceded by inquiry. Circumstances develop men. Nehemiah began in the history as a cupbearer; he ends in the same history as a mighty, resolute, beneficent reformer, never in any one of his reforms promoting his own interests, narrowly viewed as such, but everywhere considering the public weal, re-establishing law and order, that society may be secured and enabled to make useful progress. Nehemiah did not care who had done the mischief, he was bent upon undoing it. It was a priest who had “the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God,” who had allied himself unto Tobiah, whose history we have studied; and that same priest had prepared for the enemy a great chamber, and when Nehemiah came he knotted as it were whipcord and laid about him, so that they who had done evil might suffer in the body for the mischief they had wrought. Possession was not to him nine points of the law. The man was in the wrong place, and he must be routed out. It was in vain to plead possession, prescriptive right, a kind of quasi-legal entrance upon the property: Nehemiah said, This is not yours; it was not in the gift of any man; you must be put out of this, and you must take care of your stuff, or it will be thrown into the fire. An awkward man to deal with! Tobiah could have borne any amount of argument, and he looked serene in the face of most eloquent persuasiveness; but Nehemiah was a man of action as well as a man of thought; he gave but little time to moving; the moving was to be accomplished; and it was well understood that when Nehemiah had made up his mind to a course, that course was as good as run.
Look at some of the questions which Nehemiah put:
“Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken?” ( Neh 13:11 ).
This is the voice of a man who means to hold the house of God in highest reverence. We dare not adopt the question now, because it is out of consonance with the spirit of Jesus Christ, that spirit being one of persuasion, reasoning, sympathy, entreaty, well imaged in the words, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him.” Still, we owe much to the spirit of Nehemiah. There was a time when the spirit of order and right could assert itself in very forcible terms. The earth was not made beautiful without much volcanic energy, without great upheavals and tumults: the sward that is on the top of it was not always there; it comes after great contention, conflict, stirring together, and a tremendous coalition of forces well-nigh infinite. It is the same with human history. We have come to halcyon days: we wonder that the sward is not more velvet-like, we complain if everything is not brought to the highest polish of civilisation; we now argue with men, and entreat them to do things which aforetime would have been commanded and insisted upon. The former is the better plan. It is founded on an eternal principle. Yet who shall say that we are not much indebted even to physical force and positive penal law for a good deal that is best amongst us to-day? Who can be sure that our penalties have not ended in very much of our best refinement, our highest forbearance and self-control and moral dignity? The point, however, to be kept in view is this that there was a man who cared for God’s house. That man ought to live through all time. He does live. His influence is not always exercised in the same way; but there is always in the human heart a great wonder, a mighty passion, leading to strenuous effort in the direction of filling the house of God. When God’s house is cared for, no other house is neglected. We are not referring to that sentimental regard for the building which can leave other things to run to ruin, but of that intelligent, rational, reverent solicitude for the house of God, which expresses itself in all industries, and in every aspect of loving conscientious faithfulness. Let this be judged of by reality and fact. The matter is open to inquest upon almost statistical ground. Who cares for God’s business shall be cared for by God. “Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” was the question which Christ propounded. Let us put it in the new form Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s house? The idea remains unimpaired. When we are about God’s house in the right spirit the redemptive God is taking care of our home. He lives a foolish life who seeks his life upon narrow grounds. He that would save his life must know how to lose it; he who would save the little must attend to the great; he who would have all things added unto him must seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.
Look at another question:
“What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day?” ( Neh 13:17 ).
The same man here evinces the same spirit. The house of God and the day of God go together; they stand or fall together. The work of God is one, and his purpose is undivided, and all his ordinances interrelate themselves to one another, so that if you touch one you touch the whole, if you break the least you break the greatest. A marvellous unity of thought and purpose and law we find in the house of God! Nehemiah was a Sabbatarian of the severest type. We do well not to imitate his action in this matter. There can be no Sabbath-keeping by law. We cannot force a man to keep the day of God. We can compel him to withdraw from visible participation in merchandise; we can compel him to close his windows, and to give all his servants holiday; so far we can go. But unless the Sabbatic spirit is in the man there will be no Sabbath kept by him. It is the heart that obeys; it is the heart that is religious. We are not good because we assent to certain propositions and obey certain laws: we are only good because the spirit is at one in rational and loving consonance with God. Here again we must almost go to statistics for proof of the utility and beneficence of Sabbath-keeping. Let us rest this question on the strongest grounds, namely, those that are spiritual, social, healthful, beneficial, in every aspect and issue, and then our argument cannot be overthrown. If we should institute a comparison between those who keep the Sabbath with those who do not keep it, there can be no risk in believing that those who truly in their hearts consecrate a portion of their time to God are the best men: if they are not they ought to be; they do not live up to their profession of the Son of man. He ought to be the best man who sets apart a portion of his property, a portion of his time, to religious uses, and who does so not to escape a penalty but to express a high and noble sentiment of gratitude. If he is not the best man, then he is misusing his opportunity, playing false with his religious actions, and is unequal in his inner man and moral purpose to that which is outward and that which is externally attractive and good. The Sabbath, therefore, can only be kept by men who want to keep it. All our statutes and acts of parliament and preventatives are useless, and worse than useless, irritating and exasperating, unless there be a spirit in man which responds to the spirit of the Sabbath, and says, This is the gift of God; this is needful on social grounds, on healthful grounds, on religious grounds; therefore, the Sabbath should be kept holy unto the Lord.
So far did Nehemiah succeed that he drove out a good many who were doing business within the city on the Sabbath day. But they were not to be easily deterred: they loitered behind the wall; they thought they would watch their opportunity for doing a little business even on Nehemiah’s Sabbath day. But Nehemiah was an out-and-out reformer; he did not look in one direction only, he looked over the wall, and seeing these men loitering about he said, If you come there again I will lay hands upon you be off! The tone was needed at that time. Historically, it was right; the men could understand no other argument. There are persons who cannot understand a preacher, but they have some dim conception of a constable. Nehemiah, therefore, played the inspector, and looked over the wall, and hunted the rats out of their hole, and drove them away with righteous indignation, threatening them that if they returned they would be detained. A man of this kind is always useful in society; and the men who criticise him most severely are not always unwilling to realise the benefits which his policy secures: they will take whatever he may bring to them in the way of advantage, and then they will scrutinise severely his policy and his spirit, and wish that he were a man of another temper. Men of so-called bad temper have been of great use in society. Their temper has not been bad when looked at within the proper limits and in the right light: it was only bad to the men who were themselves bad, and who wished to escape judgment. There is a righteous indignation. There is a godly jealousy. There is an anger that may not cease with the shining of the sun, but burn at night and be ready for the morning, that evil may be contemned and scorched and destroyed.
This was the man Nehemiah. What probably enraged him more than anything else was the intermarriage of the Jews with the heathen. There he became most sublimely indignant; said he, “In those days also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab: and their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews’ language, but according to the language of each people. And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair,” and made them swear in God’s name that they would never do it again. This man was once only cupbearer; once he was a “mute inglorious Milton”; once he sat down and wept and mourned and fasted and prayed. Comparing the verse which represents him so doing with the twenty-fifth verse of the last chapter of his book, we find, though a great change passes in the matter of emotion and contemplation and action, the man is one and the same. The great argument was, “Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things?” his argument being, You have history to guide, you have example and warning on every hand; you are not guiltless, but doubly guilty, because even the king of Israel sinned in this way and incurred the judgment and displeasure of heaven. Here Nehemiah stood upon sound ground. He knew what had happened in the history of the world, which so few men know. Men may know the history of the world in bare facts and dates, in battles and victories, and coronations and changes of dynasty and policy, and yet know nothing about the central moral line that runs through all history and makes it organic, and turns it into a great teaching instrument. If we know dates only we know nothing about history. History has a moral aspect, and we must study its morale, its aims in relation to the moral health of the people, if we would grasp its philosophy and usefully apply its largest lesson.
Here, then, we have discipline, earnestness, definiteness, the very Cromwell of the Old Testament, the man with a rod in his hand; and nothing stands in his way when he has right to vindicate, when he has law to protect. Where are the Nehemiahs of to-day? There are none. Where are the Cromwells of to-day? They are in the grave. Look at this man’s attitude as described by himself; omitting the interstitial matter, let us catch all words in which he describes his personal action: “I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber ” “Then contended I with the rulers” “I testified against them” “I contended with the nobles of Judah” “I commanded that the gates should be shut” “I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves ” “I said unto the Sabbath-breakers, If ye do so again, I will lay hands on you ” “I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God” “I chased one of the sons of Joiada from me ” “Thus cleansed I them.” And so he passes away from us in a great storm of reformation. “I contended I commanded I cast forth I chased I said Thus I cleansed.” He is not ashamed to speak of himself. He was indeed the only man of his time worth speaking about. He was as the very Spirit of judgment amongst the people. If we do not want Nehemiah’s violence we want his earnestness. Never forget the distinction between these two terms. There may be those who condemn the violence of Nehemiah, and then sink into indifference regarding all that is sacred and noble and useful in human history. Do not let us escape on the plea that the day of violence has gone: the day of earnestness ought never to go.
What a time Nehemiah would have of it if he lived now! And what a time we should have of it if that same circumstance occurred! Nehemiah made his influence felt. Could he see what we see in all the capitals of the world, and yet hold his tongue, and pass down to church that he might say his own prayers, and find his own covert way to heaven? He would often be late for church; he would stand by the wayside to curse and denounce, and issue the judgments of God upon the things that are happening even in Metropolitan thoroughfares. Nehemiah could not look upon the sights which afflict our eyes without protestation. We have lost the spirit of Protestantism. We now make it a mere ecclesiastical term, whereas in its etymology and earliest history it was nothing of the kind. A Protestant is a witness a man who testifies, witnesses to certain truth. If there were no Roman Catholic Church, Protestantism would still remain, as vital, energetic, and beneficent as ever, because it means testifying, witnessing, laying the hand of identification upon evil, and saying, Thou art wrong! I curse thee in the name of God. That is Protestantism not going to chapel instead of going to church; not wearing a Geneva gown instead of some elaborately-decorated ritualistic garment. To protest is to witness. Nehemiah would be the leader of the Protestants. Could Nehemiah see the faces of the poor ground every day and say, “Nothing can be done: ‘the poor ye have always with you:’ it is a great mystery, and we must wait for its solution?” He might have to say that, but he would do a good deal before he did say it. He would go with these poor people and say, I will watch the whole process; I will see how you are treated, and you shall not be involved in my inspection, and I will beard the oppressor who crushes you, be his name what it may; though he be a pew-holder in my church, I will smite him in the face with a fist of righteousness. Could Nehemiah hear about our poor seamstresses being drilled by some commercial devil, and never say a word about it, but generalise on the mysteries of trade, and the difficulties of commerce, and the law of supply and demand, and the exactions of political economy? No! he would be more on the side of human nature than upon the side of any science that ever was invented for getting the last drop of blood out of a poor worker.
We much need Nehemiah’s earnestness, we repeat, without Nehemiah’s violence. We have already admitted that there was a time when violence itself might be historically justifiable, but even violence was inspired by earnestness. If the fury has been less, the passion and love of righteousness should still remain. If we were in earnest we could do more: we could make the country too hot for any man who was living by robbery and by oppression and cruelty; we should so organise ourselves as to get at the most skilfully concealed oppressor; we could make him feel that he is not to dine every day upon the flesh of human creatures, and drink his wine out of the skulls of his fellow men. Do not say that nothing can be done. A moral sentiment can be created, a grand public opinion can be organised, and the most cunning workers of evil can be made to feel that there is a spirit in the air, an invisible, ghostly, awful spirit, the spirit of righteousness, the spirit of humanity, the spirit of pity, the spirit of judgment: there may be absence of visible organisation and positive definition, yet there will be a feeling that the enemy is behind or in front, or on the right hand or on the left, or just above or just below, but there he is, the enemy so-called the enemy of wrong-doing, the enemy of cruelty, the enemy of shamelessness, but the friend of God, and the true friend of man.
Can we not rouse ourselves to some heroic endeavour in this direction? One thing surely we can do: we can ask significant questions. Nehemiah pushed his inquiries as he might have thrust spears into the consciences of men. When the question is raised the answer may come; but if we do not raise the question we cannot be concerned about the issue. Why are all these thousands of children so ragged, so poverty-stricken, so hungered, so neglected? We can at least put the question, and we can put it with unction, we can ask it as if we meant it; and there is a way of asking some questions that amounts almost to their solution. We are not to make them questions of conversation, not to be eating our own smoking venison and drinking our own foaming wine, and asking how the poor live, and say how shocking it is that so many people should have nothing to eat and drink. That is not moral comment that has any value in it. There is, let us never forget, a way of putting a question that means that we are on the outlook for opportunities, and that the moment the opportunity can be secured it will be realised in the interests of man, in the interests of righteousness. Now all this is in the happiest accord with the Spirit of Jesus Christ. We need not go to the Old Testament for heroic reformers, for fundamental reconstructors of human history. All the men that went before him, who burned with the right spirit, pointed towards One who was coming, whose name is the Son of man, who so loved the world as to die for it, who on his way to the cross made that way the steeper and thornier because he said, Woe unto you, devourers of widows’ houses, plunderers, thieves, hypocrites, whited sepulchres! If he did go to the cross, he might have gone by another and smoother road, but his road was all cross, it was the way of the cross; when he was born he died, when he died he was born. Jesus Christ could not be in our streets without putting searching questions. The Saviour of the world could not see holy things trampled upon without protest at least. Blessed is that people among whom there are many men with loud, clear, resonant voices, who will not let evil pass unchecked, unchallenged, but who, even if they have no means of immediate remedy, will still ask questions, and make their inquiries solemn as the judgment of God. When the Spirit of Jesus Christ comes back to the Church, the Church will rectify social problems, will defend the weak, will secure the rights of the poor, and will show that it is not an organism for the cultivation of sentiment, but an organism whose symbol is the cross, whose baptism is of blood, whose object is to save the world.
Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker
XXIV
THE READING OF THE LAW AND RESETTLEMENT OF THE CITIES
Nehemiah 8-13
In Neh 8 we have Ezra coming on the scene again. The date of this appearance is 444 B.C., and we have not heard from him since 456 B.C. He had dropped out of this history for about twelve years. He must have been called away just after his work in 456 B.C. and after a space of about twelve years returned to Jerusalem. The occasion that called him forth then was the reading of the Law.
We come now to look at the work of Ezra, with Nehemiah sustaining him in his work of reform. The great task of Ezra was the bringing of the law of Moses to Jerusalem and the adoption of that as the law of the land for the people. By this law of Moses is doubtless meant the Pentateuch. Ezra had not produced this book of the law thus far. The time had not been ripe for the reading of the Law and its explanation to the people. But the city was now fortified and organization perfected. Then Ezra went forth and produced this book of the Law. We are told in Neh 8 that the people asked him to bring forth the book of the Law and read it.
Now we have a remarkable scene. It is unprecedented in history. One of the greatest revivals in the world now opened. He proceeded to organize the people. He had Levites and other officers to help him. A great assembly of all the people was convened. A pulpit had been built and Ezra took his place before all the people. He opened the book which was simply a roll. It was the law of Moses, that is, the laws of the Pentateuch. The great meeting went on. The Law was read by Ezra, and it was explained by the Levites.
The effect of the reading upon the people was that they began to weep. Why should they weep? Perhaps the reading was the setting forth of those awful chapters in Deuteronomy where the awful curses upon those who violated this Law were set forth. With their remembrance of what God had already done to them because they had violated this Law, and their remembrance of the sins they had committed, was enough to bring tears. Now Ezra tells them that they are not to weep; that this is a holy day, holy unto the Lord; so they should rejoice and not weep; that it was the joy of fellowship with God that was their strength.
Then follows the story of how they built booths and kept the feast. This was according to the law of Moses that had been read. They lived in these booths during the time of the feast, which was called the Feast of Tabernacles.
As soon as the feast was over the people again assembled. Six hours were spent in this meeting. Three hours in the reading of the Law, and three hours in the confessions of their sins and praying. This is a wonderful revival of religion. Neh 9 deals with confession and prayer. It is the recounting of a series of acts in the drama of redemption. There are three scenes in every act: God’s goodness in caring for his people, the people sinning and turning away from God, and God’s forgiveness and offer of restoration. The people at last read the lessons of their history and learn them well. Neh 9:37 speaks about their present condition: “It yields much increase to the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins; they have power over our bodies and over our cattle, and we are in great distress.” As an effect of this repentance (Neh 9:8 ) they made a covenant and wrote it, and the princes, the Levites and the priests set seal unto it.
Neh 10:1-27 give a list of those that sealed the covenant. These were the leading men of the nation. The rest of Neh 10 tells how they attempted to keep that covenant, how they gave the payment of the tithe regularly, and observed the sabbath. All this was in perfect keeping with the law of Moses. Thus Moses’ law was established in Jerusalem, and Judaism starts off on its great career.
They followed this with two ordinances: (1) They set aside one-third of a shekel for the Temple tax, and provided for the wood to be used in the sacrifice; (2) they instituted measures to increase the population. They wanted more men in the city. Many came to live in Jerusalem. In that way they increased the population considerably. The priests lived there, but not many of the people. We have this statement: “In Jerusalem dwelt certain of the children of Judah and Benjamin.” Of the priests, some of them lived in the city; the majority of them lived in the country villages outside of the city. A large majority of the common people also lived in the cities around Jerusalem.
Now the problem we have to deal with regarding the cities is not how to increase the population, but how to decrease it. People are rushing to the cities and crowding them. The measure that did most to bring the people to Jerusalem was the draft of one out of each ten who volunteered, and these were compelled to come and live in Jerusalem.
Then followed the account of the dedication of the walls. Now the manner of procedure was about this: They gathered together all the Levites, and brought them to Jerusalem. They came together at a certain signal, and the people, all of them that would come, were divided into two companies, Nehemiah at the head of one of the companies himself, and Ezra at the head of the other company. They marched upon the walls. The walls of the city were broad, and there was plenty of room for them to march upon them. They marched thus about the walls, one company one way and the other company the other way. They went on around until they met. This was a joyous occasion, a glorious day. Jerusalem had now been inaugurated as a fortified city, the city of Jehovah, the holy city of Jerusalem.
With that great dedication the first great work of Nehemiah was completed, but he attended to a few other matters, such as the appointment of Temple officers, treasurers, singers, chief singers as in the time of David, the separation of the foreign element, Ammonites and Moabites, from the congregation, and then he returned to Persia by authority of Artaxerxes and remained about one year, after which he returned to Jerusalem and found certain things in bad condition. The people had backslidden. He found that Eliashib the priest had prepared for Tobiah a great chamber in the Temple, where the treasures were kept. Nehemiah finds that he is allied with Tobiah, and casts him out with all the stuff of Tobiah, and cleanses the Temple.
Next, he orders that their portion be given to the Levites. They had failed to bring in all the tithes and the Levites were actually suffering. Nehemiah contends with the rulers saying, “Why is the house of God forsaken?”
Then he enforces the sabbath laws. People were working on the sabbath day. They were bringing in their produce on that day to have it ready for the market the next morning. Nehemiah prohibits that. They came up to the outside of the city walls on the sabbath day and waited there to enter bright and early on the morrow. Nehemiah found this out and put a stop to this also. Next he compels the Jews to put away their foreign wives. Ezra had dealt with that thing before. He went about weeping and bewailing the sins of the people in this matter. Now when Nehemiah came he did not cover himself with his mantle and weep. He cursed them and plucked off their hair and beard, and made them swear that they would not do this thing. He had back of him the authority of the great king. He also chased away the son-in-law of Sanballat. Here was a priest who had married the daughter of his enemy. When Nehemiah found that out he chased him away. We do not know how fast he ran, but he lost no time in escaping. The last item of Nehemiah’s reform is the cleansing of the priesthood, and thus he closes his book: “Remember me, O my God, for good.” He offered what he had done to the Lord and petitioned his kindly regard.
The book of Malachi has its setting right in these last verses of Nehemiah, and reflects the conditions herein set forth in a most emphatic condemnation of these evils.
QUESTIONS
1. How may we account for Ezra not appearing in the history before Neh 8 , and what occasion brought him forth before the people here?
2. Where did the people assemble on this occasion?
3. Who constituted this marvelous assembly?
4. How long did this continue and what was the method?
5. How did the people show their reverence for the Word of God?
6, What was the effect upon the people of the hearing of the Law, why did Ezra suppress their emotions and what did he recommend?
7. What great feast was here reset and how was it celebrated?
8. Describe the fast kept by the Jews, and the prayer which followed.
9. Recite the history from the creation to Abraham as recorded here.
10. Recite their history from Egypt to the establishment in the land as given here.
11. What was their history in the period of the judges according to Nehemiah?
12. What acknowledgment do they make here relative to Jehovah’s dealings with them?
13. Describe the covenant which followed.
14. What the ordinances made here also?
15. What methods did they adopt in populating Jerusalem and the cities round about?
16. Describe the dedication of the walls of Jerusalem.
17. What officers were appointed on this day of the dedication of the wall?
18. What law was discovered concerning the Ammonite and Moabite and what was the result?
19. What was the proof of Nehemiah’s leave of absence from Jerusalem and how long was he away?
20. Upon his return what evils did he find and how did he correct them?
21. What prophet comes in this period and what was his special message?
Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible
Neh 13:1 On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever;
Ver. 1. On that day ] That great fast day, Neh 9:1-2 , &c. Or, after Nehemiah’s return from the court of Persia, Neh 13:6 , so the most expound it.
They read in the book of Moses
And therein was found written
That the Ammonite and the Moabite
Into the congregation of God
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Nehemiah Chapter 13
It was now some time since the remnant had returned. When Nehemiah looks into the practical state, he finds a sorrowful feature – a great departure from the primitive spirit of separation, and I ask you, beloved brethren, whether we have not got to search and see whether it be not so with ourselves. We have continually to watch and to guard. It is not that one does not rejoice at the Lord bringing in, and if the Lord brought in ten times more to His children than are brought in now, for my part I should give God thanks; but I should not be blind to the danger. I should not be blind to the danger that the incoming of tenfold more would bring in tenfold more reason for humiliation – not for the less joy, but for the more watchfulness. And so we find on this occasion that “On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever” (ver. 1) – it was like a new thing: they had not thought of it before – “because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water.”
First principles, you see, they returned to. “It came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.” There it was: they had read it over and over again before. Now they applied it. It is not merely that we want the word, but we want the Spirit of God to make the word living. And now that they found its application they acted upon it. “And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah.” No wonder that there were sources of weakness. We see this man, Tobiah, the standing enemy of the people of God – but mark what has come in. “And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meat offerings” – this man had found a place even in the sanctuary of God, in the house! – “the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests. But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem.”
It would appear that Nehemiah paid two visits to Jerusalem, and that during his absence, there was this departure from first principles. “In the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon, came I unto the king, and after certain days obtained I leave of the king” – that is, a second leave besides the first. The first was in the twentieth year, and this was a dozen years after. “And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God.” Why, there was nothing so serious even when Nehemiah came the first time!
But there is another important principle. What did Nehemiah do? Did he stay away from the house of God? Did he not go up to worship there? It never occurred to him to do such a thing as stop away: nor ought we. Evil in another person is no reason for staying away from the table of the Lord – none whatever; for, surely, if that were a sufficient reason, it would be a reason for all that are righteous, and supposing all that are righteous were to stay away, where would be the Lord’s table? No, beloved friends, it is a false and a bad principle. What is true is this: if there be evil there, look to God that you meet the evil in a good way. Look to God for wisdom to deal with it according to His word. Look to God to strengthen the hands of those that care for the glory of the Lord.
It is not the presence of evil that destroys the character of the Lord’s table, but the refusal to judge it. There might be the most fearful evil: that is not a reason to stay away from the table of the Lord; but if I knew that there was the most desperate evil here at Woolwich, for instance, I should not stay away because of that but come down, perhaps, to help you. If I knew of it, and could help you, it would be my duty to do so – not to come down and do the work for you, but to come down and lay the responsibility upon you to look to God for grace and wisdom to do the work; for you are responsible. And so it was with Nehemiah. He did not stay away because Tobiah had managed, through the high-priest’s influence, to have a chamber in the house of God. But he came to Jerusalem and understood of this evil, and “it grieved me sore.” That was the first effect. “And it grieved me sore: therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber,” for an Israelite was entitled to act: everyone was bound. “Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and thither brought I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meat offering and the frankincense.”
There is, however, this difference now – that God would have the church to act together. For not even an apostle would act alone. When the apostle heard of something fearful at Corinth he did not refuse to write, and he did not say to them, ‘Ye are no longer the church of God.’ On the contrary, he writes most carefully. He says, “To the church which is at Corinth,” and he links them with all the saints that were on earth – “with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours” (1Co 1:2 ). He tells them of the fearful evil that he knew was there, and he says that he has judged what is to be done, but he tells them to judge. His judging would not do: they must judge. They must prove themselves clear in the matter, and this was the way in which God worked in the church. So I press this strongly as being full of instruction, the grand difference, you observe, being this – that the Spirit of God brings in a judgment of evil. We enjoy Christ together. I am not permitted to go to my home and take a bit of bread there and some wine, and fancy that it is the Lord’s Supper: it is no such thing. That is a mere feast of my own that I am devising out of my own heart. But I come and take it in communion, and in true communion open to all the saints of God in the world that are walking according to the Lord; and, doing so, I look to God to work among His people to clear out whatever is inconsistent with that holy fellowship.
That is what Nehemiah did now. He knows and feels their grief, and he acts; only, as I have said, there is individuality of action here, whereas now there must be communion. And he sees everywhere other things very disorderly. He perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been together; “for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field. Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place.” And, further – “In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals. There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day? Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath.”
A very important principle there is here. Now I do not mean to say that we are under the sabbatical law, but what I do say is that we need grace, and that the day of grace ought to be, at least, as important in our eyes as the sabbath was to the man of law. And it would be a very sinful thing, beloved brethren, if we were to take advantage of the Lord’s day for our own selfish purposes. The Lord’s day has a character of holiness beyond the sabbath day. The Lord’s day has a claim of grace upon all the children of grace. May we never forget this. It is not that we are not to use it in the spirit of grace and liberty; but to use it for self is not to use it for Christ. It is to do what the Gentiles would do that know pot God. May we never be like them.
And, further, he draws attention to a still more terrible fact. “In those days also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab: And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod.” Everything was out of course. “And I contended with them.” He seems to have dealt with the greatest severity, “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.” He shows how even Solomon had gone astray through this very thing. Thus there is no thought of taking an example of evil to make light of evil now, but he warns even from the very highest in a day of great weakness. And, further, “one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib, the high priest, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite”; there was no respect of persons – “therefore I chased him from me.” “Thus cleansed I them from all strangers, and appointed the wards of the priests and the Levites, every one in his business: and for the wood offering, at times appointed, and for the first-fruits.”
Thus, I trust, we have seen, a little more clearly and fully, the general scope of this most weighty book.
W.K.
Fuente: William Kelly Major Works (New Testament)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Neh 13:1-3
1On that day they read aloud from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people; and there was found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, 2because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing. 3So when they heard the law, they excluded all foreigners from Israel.
Neh 13:1 they read aloud from the book of Moses The VERB (BDB 894, KB 1128) is a Niphal PERFECT. Whether this is an informal reading like Ezr 8:1-8 or a specifically called for reading like Deu 31:11 the Feast of Tabernacles, is uncertain (cf. Neh 8:4; Neh 9:3).
These two post-exilic books are characterized by a reverence and desire for the word of God. They hear it and they respond in repentance and faith. The trend is set! They are becoming people of the book! At this point the book was about a thousand years old (i.e., depending on the date of the Exodus), but it was still relevant and crucial for their relationship with YHWH. Cultures change but revelation does not!
there was found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God This is a direct reference to Deu 23:3-6, which shows that the Mosaic law was available and well known.
This sounds so racist to us, but two things must be noted.
1. These people had to restore a pure people unaffected by Canaanite or pagan culture and myths.
2. Ruth, David’s ancestor, was from Moab and she is in the line of the Messiah, as is Rachel the Canaanite prostitute!
See Special Topic: RACISM . See Special Topic: Forever (‘olam) .
the assembly of God This is the only place in the OT where the word for assembly, Qahal (BDB 874), and the word Elohim (BDB 43) are placed together. This term Qahal is what the translators of the Septuagint replace with ecclesia, which is the early church’s self-chosen title. This shows they were identifying themselves with the Old Testament people of God.
Neh 13:2 Balaam The account of Moab and Ammon’s (who were relatives of the Jews, cf. Gen 19:30-38) treachery is found in Num 22:3-11.
Balaam seems to be a spokesperson for God (cf. Num 22:8-13; Num 22:18; Num 22:20; Num 23:4-5; Num 23:12; Num 23:16; Num 24:1-2). He honored God, but sought his own personal interest. This whole account is a strange and bizarre event!
1. God’s prophet hurts Israel
2. God says go, but is angry when he does
3. a talking donkey
4. Israel’s sudden turn to fertility worship
However, our God turned the curse into a blessing This is a major theological affirmation and world-view. This has been the history of mankind from Genesis 3. This role reversal concept is so clearly seen in
1. Abraham, Gen 15:12-21
2. Joseph, Gen 45:1-15
3. Moses, Exodus 2
One of the best popular books I have ever read that was such a blessing to my life is Hannah Whithall Smith’s The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life.
Neh 13:3
NASB, TEV
NJBforeigners
NKJVthe mixed multitude
NRSVthose of foreign descent
The term (BDB 786 I) as used in this text, seems to imply a racism on God’s part, but this very same term is used in Exo 12:38 to describe the believing Egyptians who accompanied the Israelites out of Egypt. The term, although literally referring to descent, is used in a religious sense. In Exodus 12 it is used in a positive sense and here in a negative sense.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
On that day: i.e. of which he is about to write.
the book of Moses. See App-47.
was found written = they came to the place or passage (viz. Deu 23:3-6). Not a discovery, but in the course of the public reading (as in Luk 4:17). Compare Neh 8:14.
Moabite (masc). This did not therefore exclude Ruth, a female, though married to Mahlon before Boaz.
congregation = assembly, or muster.
God. Hebrew. Elohim.(withArt.) = the [true] God. App-4.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Chapter 13
On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of all the people; and therein was found written, that an Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever; Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but they hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing. Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude ( Neh 13:1-3 ).
So they’re discovering things all the time in the law of God. As they’re reading the law of God, they’re discovering things and then they’re seeking to inaugurate them. And so reading again, they came across the passage that a Moabite or an Ammonite were not to come into the house of God forever because of the treatment that they gave to the children of Israel when they were coming from Egypt into the Promised Land. They would not allow them to pass through their land. They would not help them with food. King Balak hired Balaam to come and curse them and all. And so God said, “Don’t let them in the house of the Lord throughout all their generations.”
So they separated all the mixed multitude out of them.
Before this, Eliashib the priest, who had the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah ( Neh 13:4 ):
Now Tobiah was this rat who gave Nehemiah so much trouble when he was trying to rebuild the wall, but here the priest was a friend of his.
And so he had prepared for him a great chamber ( Neh 13:5 ),
In the temple a place where they used to keep the meal offerings or all of the wheat for the meal offerings, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, and the new wine and the oil. One of the storage rooms the high priest gave to this guy Tobiah and put his furniture in there. Let it become his living quarters. And here was this guy that gave such a hard time to Nehemiah in the building of the walls and so forth. Now this priest, because he’s his friend, patronizing him and all, gives him a place to live in the temple. And so we read that,
But in all of this time I was not at Jerusalem ( Neh 13:6 ):
When these things were happening. For he had returned back to Persia and he didn’t know that the priest had given this place to Tobiah there in the temple. And so he said, “This time I wasn’t in Jerusalem.”
for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I came unto the king, and after certain days I obtained leave of the king ( Neh 13:6 ):
So after twelve years in Jerusalem rebuilding the walls, setting things up, governing, Nehemiah returned back to Persia. Came back to the king and no doubt gave him reports and all. And after a period of time, and we don’t know how much time, the king of Persia allowed Nehemiah to come back to Jerusalem. And when he got back to Jerusalem, what does he find? But this rat Tobiah that had done so much to hinder the work of God, here he’s got sumptuous quarters right in the temple of God. The priest has given him these quarters. They took out the area where they stored the corn and so forth and they said, “Here, you move right in, you know, Brother Rat.”
And so I came to Jerusalem, and when I found out the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. And it grieved me sore: therefore I tossed all of his furniture out and Tobiah out of the chamber. And I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and brought again the vessels of the house of God, with the meat offering and the frankincense ( Neh 13:7-9 ).
So man, he’s coming back and he’s cleaning house. He finds Tobiah’s set up house, his furniture and all, and man, he just tossed him out with his goods. Put him out.
And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them: for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field ( Neh 13:10 ).
So remember just a little while back, everybody had read the law and they said, “Oh, we’re going to serve God. We’re going to write the covenant. We’re going to sign. We’re going to tithe, you know. We’re going to support the temple. We’ll give the shekel and so forth, their part of the shekel annually. We’re going to do these things. God, we’re going to keep Your law. God, we’re going to keep Your Sabbaths and all.” Didn’t take them long to fall away from that commitment.
Isn’t it interesting how quickly we can turn away from the vows that we have made to God? How easily we can break vows? Now the vows are really made in sincerity. Oh, how many vows I have broken! Growing up as a child, wanting to be better, wanting to be good, wanting to do the right thing. “Oh God, I’m going to pray everyday this week. Oh God, I’m going to live for You this week. Oh God, I’m just going to serve You.” And then it doesn’t come. It doesn’t happen. And the following Sunday night I feel so guilty I’d have to get saved again. And then I’d say, “Oh God, this week is going to be different. Lord, I’m going to really serve You this week.” And I would mean it. I was sincere.
As Jesus said to Peter, “The spirit indeed is willing” ( Mat 26:41 ). And that was so true. My spirit was willing. I loved the Lord. I wanted to serve the Lord. But my flesh was weak. The will to do was with me, but how to perform I could not find. I desired to serve God and with my heart I did serve the Lord. But with my mind, when my flesh, I just couldn’t bring it in. The flesh was weak. But yet in my heart, in my mind, I loved God and I wanted to serve God. And I made so many promises. And I was just like the children of Israel. Making the promises. And, “Lord, we’re going to do it. We’re going to sign. Here we are.”
And I even signed covenants. Every summer camp we had covenant signing up there. I’m going to live a victorious life for Jesus Christ all year long. I’ll never drink. I’ll never smoke. I’ll never go to the devil’s places, the whole thing. And standing around the campfire, tears flowing down my face. “God, this year I’m going to serve You.” The will was there. The desire was there. The problem came in the performance. How to perform. How to do. Oh how I thank God for the day in which I discovered the grace of God. And that the blessings of God upon my life were not predicated upon my faithfulness to my promises or vows. But the blessings of God upon my life were bestowed because He is a God of grace, full of mercy.
And I began to experience then the work of God in my life, His grace, His mercy. Don’t make promises anymore. I found out making promises to God really wasn’t to trust in His grace, but it was to trust in my flesh. I always thought I could do better. And every vow that I made was expressing to God some confidence in my flesh. “Lord, I’m going to do this for You.” And I meant it. But my flesh is weak. I know that in me, that is in my flesh, there doesn’t dwell a single good thing.
So I do not challenge the sincerity of these people when they signed this covenant. “God, we’re going to serve You and all.” But Nehemiah the leader goes and soon the people are back to their old tricks. They are not paying, and thus, the Levites had to all go back out into their fields. They all had to go back and get their jobs again. They had to go to work. And thus, the temple worship was forsaken.
So Nehemiah said,
I contended with the rulers, and I said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place. Then brought all of Judah the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries. And I made treasurers over the treasuries ( Neh 13:11-13 ),
He names those that he made as treasurers.
Remember me, O my God concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof. In those days I saw in Judah some who were treading their wine presses on the sabbath day, and they were bringing in the sheaves, and they were loading down their donkeys; and also their wine, and their grapes, and their figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold these victuals. There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of goods, and they sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem ( Neh 13:14-16 ).
Now they had said earlier, “Lord, we’re not going to buy on the Sabbath and all. We’re going to keep Your Sabbath.” Here they violated that.
So I contended with the nobles of Judah, and I said unto them, What evil thing is this that you do, and profane the sabbath day? Did not your fathers do likewise, and God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet they bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath. And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that they should allow no burdens to be brought in on the sabbath day ( Neh 13:17-19 ).
So Nehemiah, to correct this violation of the Sabbath, ordered in the evening before the Sabbath began, close and lock the gates. And don’t unlock them until the Sabbath is over. Stop the trafficking on the Sabbath day.
Now it is interesting that the Jews actually start closing down on Friday afternoon about two o’clock for the Sabbath, just as Nehemiah established. Before it gets dark, they start taking off now for their Sabbath. About two o’clock in the afternoon they close their shops and also that everything is over. By the time the sun goes down, the family is all gathered in the home and the mother offers her little prayer. She lights the Sabbath candle and they begin then their Sabbath worship. Also there are some areas of Jerusalem where they’re seeking to enforce the Sabbath and they don’t want any cars driven through their area on the Sabbath day. And so they put barricades up in front of some of the streets. So that there are some streets in Jerusalem where you can’t even drive a car on the Sabbath day.
And then there are boys who have their piles of stones. And if you decide that you’re going to drive a car there anyhow, you’ll find your car stoned on the Sabbath day. Now that’s a violation of the Sabbath day to bear a burden, hurl a stone, but they feel righteous in doing it, and they actually stone the cars that would drive through their neighborhoods on the Sabbath day.
Now Nehemiah was forcing the Sabbath. He said, “Close the gates! In the evening before it gets dark go ahead and lock the gates and don’t open them up until the Sabbath is over.”
So some of the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares were lodged outside of Jerusalem [for a couple of weeks] once and then twice. So I testified against them, and I said unto them, Why are you lodging about the wall? if you do this again, I’m going to lay hands on you. From that time forth they did not come anymore on the sabbath. And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy ( Neh 13:20-22 ).
Lord, remember my good deeds.
In those days also I saw Jews that had married wives from Ashdod, and Ammon, and Moab: and the children spoke half the speech of Ashdod, and they could not speak the Jews’ language, but according to the language of each people. And I contended with them, and cursed them, and I smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters to your sons, or for yourselves ( Neh 13:23-25 ).
So Nehemiah’s really straightening things out. Pulling out their hair, cursing them and, of course, going back they entered into a curse. “We’re not going to do this.” And they said, “Let us be cursed if we do this thing.” And they made their vows and said let us be cursed if we violate this, back a couple of chapters. And now they have violated, so he curses them. Because they said let us be cursed if we do it. So he went ahead and cursed them and plucked off their hair and smote them. He’s tough. He said,
Did not Solomon the king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations there was no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin ( Neh 13:26 ).
So one of the greatest problems is outlandish women. And even a guy as wise as Solomon and loved as Solomon was, outlandish women were his downfall. You know, there is something here. Solomon had quite a bit to say about it in the book of Proverbs concerning that woman who flatters with her lips, winks with her eyes. Says, “Come, my husband is on a journey. My bed is all perfumed.” He said, “Don’t go into her house for it is the gate of hell.” Many strong men are destroyed. Solomon was speaking perhaps out of personal experience. As wise as he was, as blessed of God as he was, yet outlandish women. His downfall was women, actually. And it was a curse and it was his downfall. It caused his downfall.
So Nehemiah is reminding them. “Look, you guys, you can’t handle. A guy as wise as Solomon was destroyed by outlandish women and you’re going to be destroyed, too.”
Shall we then hearken unto you and do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying strange wives? And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was son in law to Sanballat ( Neh 13:27-28 ):
Now Sanballat was the other guy. Tobiah was one, Sanballat was the other that gave Nehemiah a bad time.
therefore I chased him out of there. Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites. Thus I cleansed them from all strangers, and appointed the wards of the priests and the Levites, every one in his business; and for the wood offering, and for the times appointed, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good ( Neh 13:28-31 ).
So the story of Nehemiah; very remarkable person, very honorable person. I like him. I like his spirit. I like his spunk. I like his dedication to God, his commitment. It would be fun meeting him. “
Fuente: Through the Bible Commentary
Neh 13:1-3
Introduction
WHOLESALE APOSTASY OF ISRAEL IN NEHEMIAH’S BRIEF ABSENCE
This is one of the saddest chapters in the Bible, for it relates Israel’s prompt rebellion against God’s law as soon as Nehemiah’s back was turned. Of course, Nehemiah once more attempted to get Israel back on the right track, as related in this chapter; but that great effort on his part may also be viewed as a total failure.
Israel obeyed God only so long as some powerful administrator compelled them to do so. The sadness of this tragic failure of the once Chosen People is emphasized by the fact Nehemiah was their last chance to get right in the sight of God.
After Nehemiah, there would be no more prophets until John the the Immerser; their king had been taken away from them by the Lord; and they would never have another; the whole racial nation, with the exception of a tiny “righteous remnant” sank rapidly and irrevocably into that state of `judicial hardening’ foretold by Isaiah. Israel had stopped their ears, closed their eyes, and hardened their hearts; and, from that state of spiritual oblivion, there could be no recovery until the Christ should come; and the vast majority of them failed to seize even that opportunity.
Neh 13:1-3
READING OF THE LAW REGARDING THE EXCLUSION OF AMMONITES FROM THE CONGREGATION
“On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written that an Ammonite and a Moabite should not enter into the assembly of God for ever, because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, to curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing. And it came to pass when they heard the law, that they separated from Israel the mixed multitude.”
“The book of Moses” (Neh 13:1). “This probably meant the entire Pentateuch.”
It is not clear whether this was a special occasion for reading God’s law, or if it was connected with the prescribed reading of it at the Feast of Tabernacles, which might have coincided, almost, with Nehemiah’s return to Jerusalem, following his absence in Persia. To this writer, it appears most likely to have been a special reading of the law arranged at once by Nehemiah upon his return.
We have already noted that every word of Nehemiah is focused upon providing safety for Jerusalem; and the big thing in this chapter is that of Nehemiah’s throwing Tobiah out of the temple; and it could hardly have been an accident that this reading from God’s law was pointed squarely at that sinful treatment of Tobiah, an Ammonite enemy of Nehemiah, and of the Israel of God.
This little paragraph is somewhat of a prelude to the chapter. Neither the reading of God’s law, nor Nehemiah’s entreaties would suffice to correct this abuse. “Judicial proceedings would have to be taken, and the mixed multitude removed by authority.”
E.M. Zerr:
Neh 13:1. That day means the day they had the reading of the law (Nehemiah 8). The Moabites and Ammonites were descendants from Lot. They had some of the same blood as did those descended from Abraham, but were always counted as enemies of God’s people. They were to be permanently rejected from any relation with the congregation. The place where we read this is Deu 23:3-5.
Neh 13:2. The special complaint against these people was their alliance with Balaam, and they also had refused the Israelites the common necessities of life. It was at the time they arrived in the plains of Moab east of Jordan (Numbers 22).
Neh 13:3. The obedience of the people was prompt; it was when they heard the law.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
In this final section we have the account of Nehemiah’s last reformation, After building the wall he had evidently gone back to the court of the king. Twelve years later, seeking permission, he returned, and the last deeds recorded were such as reveal the continued strength and loyalty of the man.
Four abuses confronted him. Without the slightest hesitation, or any sign of weakness in his method, he set himself to correct them. Eliashib, the priest, had given place, within the very Temple of God, to the man Tobiah, who had done so much to hinder the work of building the wall. Nehemiah arrived, flung out the occupant and furniture, and restored the chamber to its proper use. He found, in the second place, that the Levites, instead of being able to devote their whole time to the service of the Temple, had to earn their living, because the people had neglected to bring in the tithe. He contended with the nobles, and corrected this abuse. Moreover, he found that the Sabbath of the Lord was violated, and restored the divine order in this matter. Finally, he found that the people had made mixed marriages again, and with characteristic roughness and force he dealt with the matter. No words can better convey the impression than his own: “I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God.” One can understand Nehemiah’s anger by comparing these abuses, which he had to stop, with the terms of the covenant made by them on the day of dedication (chapter 10).
Fuente: An Exposition on the Whole Bible
Neglect of Religious Duties
Neh 12:44-47; Neh 13:1-14
In Neh 12:44-47 we have recorded the care that was manifested for the worthy maintenance of those who ministered in sacred things. As a result there were glad outbursts of minstrelsy and holy joy. Make room in your life for songs and praises, Psa 33:1. In the opening of Neh 13:1-31 we see how the Word of God cuts like a two-edged sword against evil. Happy are they who attend to its solemn warnings. The law referred to here was Deu 23:3-5. Tobiah was an Ammonite, and it was a scandalous thing that the high priest was not only allied to him by marriage, but had cast out the stores of the Temple in order to make room for him in the sacred edifice. Tobiahs influence was so great that the rest shrank from putting the law of separation into operation against him. When Nehemiah returned from a long sojourn in Persia he cast out all of Tobiahs goods, and restored the chamber to its proper use. If we have given up a chamber in our heart to any Tobiah, we must be prepared to do likewise.
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary
Chapter 13
Vigilance Versus Declension
The striking contrast between the praiseworthy vigilance of Nehemiah in detecting and dealing with various phases of declension, and the continual tendency to drifting away from obedience to the written Word on the part of many of the people, is most marked in this closing chapter.
That serious evils soon developed is well known to the student of Jewish history. These were of two characters. On the one hand the separation truth of Nehemiahs day was soon held in a onesided manner, so that position was everything and condition quite ignored. This resulted in Phariseeism-doctrinally correct in the main, but cold, rigid, and heartless-glorying in separation while ignoring the weightier matters of true piety and godly benevolence. On the other hand there was a re-action against all that savored of the puritanism of those days, so that the mass of the people became careless and indifferent, and, save that idolatry was never reinstated, became as impious as their fathers whose sins had brought the captivity. In all this we may well read a solemn warning, bidding us never separate condition from position, nor piety toward God from grace toward needy men.
Sanctification in its practical aspect is by the truth. Hence it is ever gradual-as the truth is learned in the fear of God. Of this we have a splendid example in the first nine verses. On the very day of the dedication of the wall (for so I understand the opening phrase), that portion of the book of Deuteronomy (chap. 23:3, 4) was read, which we have already quoted in our notes on chapter two, and which commanded that the Ammonite and the Moabite should be excluded from the congregation of the Lord forever because of their iniquitous course towards Israel in the wilderness. This at once led to a closer application of the truth of separation than before. They had previously separated from all strangers; now they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude (ver. 3).
Of Tobiah the Ammonite, who had so bitterly resented the building of the wall in the beginning, and whose wiles had failed to turn Nehemiah aside from his purpose, we have not heard for a long time. Now we get the startling information that Eliashib the priest, who had the oversight of the dwellings of the priests at the house of God, had made a secret alliance with Tobiah during a hitherto unnoticed absence of Nehemiah, in which time he had returned to wait upon the king. The vigilant governors eye being no longer upon him, Eliashib abused his liberty by preparing a great chamber for the un- godly Ammonite, which had been formerly used as a storehouse for the tithes and offerings. Probably this apartment was never occupied by Tobiah, for, ere Eliashibs plan could be fully carried out, Nehemiah returned. Hearing of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God, he was sorely grieved, but acted with his accustomed energy, thwarting the unholy purpose by casting the stuff of Tobiah out of the room and cleansing the chambers, into which he again brought the hallowed vessels with the offerings. What an example for the people; nor do we again read of any effort on the part of Tobiah to get a foothold in Jerusalem.
But another evil soon claimed the returned governors attention. Gods servants were being neglected by a self-seeking people, and unable to support those dependent upon them, the Levites and the singers, who a little before had willingly offered themselves for the service of the house of God, had gone back to their fields, toiling for daily bread. The test, doubtless, revealed a weakness in these men themselves, but it also showed the declining state of the people in neglecting the temporalities of the house of the Lord; so Nehemiah contends with the rulers, and stirs them up to attend to the gathering of the unpaid tithes. This being accomplished, the Levites could attend on their service (vers. 10-14).
A third sign of declension, encroaching upon the former determination to be faithful to God, was evidenced in the laxity of some as to the sanctity of the Sabbath, the Lords holy day, concerning which there had been such particular pledges made. Nehemiah saw some treading wine-presses and engaged in other secular occupations on the Sabbath, even buying and selling and carrying burdens on the day of rest. In vain at first he testified against them. Strangers from Tyre brought fish and other kinds of produce which they offered for sale, and for which they found ready buyers on the Sabbath. Thoroughly aroused, Nehemiah contended with the nobles, the rulers of the people, charging this profanation of the holy day upon them, and reminding them that it was for sin such as this that all the past evil had befallen the Jews and the city of Jerusalem. Yet, he cries indignantly, Ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath (vers. 13-18).
So, with his accustomed energy, he commanded the gates to be shut at sundown, as the Sabbath drew on, and not to be opened till it was past, while guards were set to see that no burden of any kind was brought into the city on that day. Once or twice the merchants and hucksters lodged all night and all day outside Jerusalem, vainly pleading for admission, but Nehemiahs orders were carried out to the letter.
Finally, he threatened them with arrest if they came again with their wares on the Sabbath. Seeing the orders were meant to be carried out, they came no more on the Sabbath.
As polluted, the Levites were then commanded to cleanse themselves, and henceforth maintain a guard over the gates to sanctify the Sabbath day. Thus for the time the evil was again judged and the declension stayed (vers. 17-22).
But not yet could vigilance be relaxed. The flesh was still at work. In spite of all that they had heard and seen, some had been marrying women of Ashdod, Ammon and Moab. They may have excused themselves, as many do now, on the plea that they might lead these women to know and worship the one true God and learn the ways of Israel. But it was all a delusion. Children had been born of these unions, and these children were witness to the corruption that had been brought in. They spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews language, but according to the language of each people (vers. 23, 24). This is ever the fruit of such a yoke in marriage. The children soon follow the ways of the unregenerate parent and use the language of the flesh. Too late is the error realized. Too readily they follow the example and speech of the parent who knows not God.
Again Nehemiahs righteous anger burst forth. He contended with these unfaithful Jews and invoked the solemn judgments of the law upon them, even smiting some, and demanded of all that they swear by God no longer to countenance in any way these mixed marriages, from which only evil fruit could come. He reminded them how Solomon himself had failed so miserably because of this very thing, and besought them to harken unto the law and not expect others to condone their offences (vers. 25-27). No doubt some would speak of his ways as hard and bitter; but sin is hard and bitter; and persistency in it often requires severe measures to put things right. It is often not a sign of spirituality to be placid and sentimentally affectionate. Such behavior frequently tells of a conscience asleep and a soul unexercised. There was a time when the Lord Jesus made a scourge of small cords-a bitter whip-to drive out the traders from Gods house (Jno. 2:15). Pauls language too was cutting and denunciatory when Satans emissaries were seeking to overthrow divine truth; and Gods wrath too shall be poured out without mixture in the cup of His indignation.
Another instance of declension closes both the chapter and the book. The grandson of Eliashib, the high priest, having married a daughter of Sanballat, the man of God, Nehemiah, drives him away from his presence. His grandfathers failure is brought again to mind in the descendants defection.13 Remembering Eliashibs intriguing with Tobiah, we are not surprised to read of his grandsons association with the family of Sanballat. In defiance of all that Nehemiah had been insisting on, this youth had married the guileful Horonites daughter. He was the last with whom the governor had to deal, and he graphically declares, Therefore I chased him from me. We can almost see the indignant countenance of the now aged Nehemiah as he learns of the perfidiousness of the son of Joiada, and we cannot but admire the energy with which the doughty old warrior drives the culprit from his presence-even making intercession in the spirit of Elijah against those who had defiled the priesthood and violated the covenant. Only by such stern measures could they be cleansed from all strangers.
Consistent to the last, Nehemiah appointed the wards of the priests and the Levites, every one in his business; and for the wood-offering, at times appointed, and for the first-fruits. Nothing was too great for his faith, and nothing was too insignificant for his consideration if it concerned the house, the people, or the honor of the Lord his God. This was indeed a faithful man, and one that feared God above many-just such an one as the times demanded, and he held on his way unflinchingly to the end, neither cajoled by flattery nor intimidated by opposition, for to him the approbation of the God of Israel was infinitely more than the good opinion of carnal or natural men.
And so with the prayer, Remember me, O my God for good! the record comes to an abrupt termination, and Nehemiah passes from our view, only to appear again at the manifestation of the sons of God.
If we would learn something of the after-state of the Jews we must turn, as previously intimated, to the last book of the Old Testament, where we learn through Malachis stern charges the low state into which the remnant had fallen; while the Gospels and the Acts give us the solemn sequel and show the children of those returned from the captivity rejecting both the Son of God come in flesh to them, and the Holy Spirit also!
Well will it be for Christians who may read these lines, to lay all to heart, that similar declension may be through the mercy of God averted in the present age of grace. May He grant it for His names sake and the glory of His beloved Son. Amen!
12 Those who are accustomed to the Little Flock Hymn Book might see in No. 235 a typical psalm; in No. 150, an almost matchless hymn; while No. 139 is a good example of a spiritual song.
13 It is not certain, though probable, that Eliashib the high priest is the same as Eliashib the chief priest of verse 4.
Fuente: Commentaries on the New Testament and Prophets
CHAPTER 13
1. The separation of the mixed multitude (Neh 13:1-3)
2. The unholy alliance repudiated (Neh 13:4-9)
3. Nehemiahs action in behalf of the Levites and singers (Neh 13:10-14)
4. Provision for Sabbath observance (Neh 13:15-22)
5. Nehemiahs protest (Neh 13:23-29)
6. His own testimony as to his work (Neh 13:30-31)
Neh 13:1-3. On that day does not mean the same day when the wall had been dedicated. It was a considerable time later, for we read in verse 10 that the Levites had not received their portion. It was different when the wall was dedicated. On a certain day when the law was read again, they came to the passage in Deu 23:3-5, where it is written that an Ammonite and a Moabite should not enter into the assembly of God forever. Obedience followed at once, they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.
Neh 13:4-9. Here we have the first indication of declension, which in Malachis days reached a climax. Tobiah was an Ammonite, and with Sanballat and Geshem had strenuously opposed the building of the wall (chapter 6). Eliashib, the priest, who had the oversight of the chambers of the house of the Lord, had allied himself with the enemy of Jerusalem and prepared for this man a great chamber in the temple. There he had stored his household goods (verse 8). Nehemiah had been absent from the city, paying a visit to the Persian court, and during his absence all this happened. It was probably right after his return from King Artaxerxes in Babylon that the law was read that led to the separation from the mixed multitude, and this in time led to the discovery of the priests alliance with Tobiah. Nehemiah acted quickly, being deeply grieved. He could not tolerate such an alliance and profanation of the house of the Lord. How much greater and more obnoxious are the unholy alliances in Christendom, and the profanation of Gods best.
Neh 13:10-14. During Nehemiahs absence the tithes had not been given, and the Levites and singers had received nothing. In consequence they left the city and the house of God was forsaken. It is possible that the people had been outraged by Eliashibs alliance with Tobiah, and had refused the tithes. Nehemiah set all things in order, and he appointed also treasurers. On his prayer in verse 14 see chapter 5:19.
Neh 13:15-22. Another evidence of the declension which had set in after the spiritual revival was the laxity in observing the Sabbath. Nehemiah saw some on the Sabbath day treading winepresses; others brought all kinds of burdens on the Sabbath to Jerusalem; while still others sold victuals. And men of Tyre sold fish and other wares to the people on the Sabbath. We are sure that during Nehemiahs absence the law of God was no longer read, or they could not have fallen into this evil. All declension begins with the neglect of the Word of God. Then Nehemiah contended with the nobles. What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the Sabbath day? Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? Yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath.
Again, he not only rebuked the evil, but acted energetically, and the Sabbath day was sanctified.
Neh 13:23-29. Alas! the flesh is flesh, and will ever be the same. Some Jews turned back and deliberately married again women of Ashdod, Ammon and Moab. Their offspring talked a mongrel language. Nehemiah acted in holy zeal. He cursed them, smote them and plucked off their hair. And Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, who had made an alliance with Tobiah, had married a daughter of Sanballat, the Horonite. Nehemiah refused to have anything to do with him–I chased him from me.
Neh 13:30-31. The final thing we hear of Nehemiah is his testimony concerning himself and his prayer, Remember me. In the day of Christ in glory, this great man of God will surely be rewarded for his earnest and faithful service.
Fuente: Gaebelein’s Annotated Bible (Commentary)
that day: Some suppose that the events recorded in these verses took place several years after those related in the preceding chapter, while Nehemiah was absent at the Persian court; but the introductory language, on that day, seems rather to imply that they occurred immediately, or at least about that time.
they read: Heb. there was read, Neh 8:3-8, Neh 9:3, Deu 31:11, Deu 31:12, 2Ki 23:2, Isa 34:16, Luk 4:16-19, Luk 10:26, Act 13:15, Act 15:21
audience: Heb. ears
the Ammonite: Neh 13:23, Deu 23:3-5, Isa 15:1 – Isa 16:14, Jer 48:1-47, Eze 25:1-11, Amo 2:1-3
Moabite: Neh 2:10, Neh 2:19, Neh 4:3, Psa 83:7-9, Jer 49:1-6, Amo 1:13-15
Reciprocal: Gen 19:38 – children Gen 35:12 – to Num 22:5 – sent Deu 23:1 – shall not enter Jos 8:31 – as it is Jos 8:34 – he read 2Sa 10:2 – show kindness 2Ki 22:10 – Shaphan 1Ch 19:2 – the children 2Ch 12:13 – an Ammonitess Ezr 7:25 – teach ye Ezr 9:1 – Ammonites Ezr 10:3 – let it Neh 13:7 – in preparing Lam 1:10 – whom 2Co 6:14 – unequally
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
IN SPITE OF these good features, marking the dedication of the wall things were not perfect. On that day they again read in the ‘book of Moses’, and found what had been written concerning their separation from the Ammonite and Moabite, in Deu 23:1-25. This led to a fresh concern as to the way they had failed in obedience, and a fresh separation from ‘the mixed multitude’, and further discovery of how, amongst leaders in their very midst, this instruction had been ignored.
Eliashib, mentioned in verse Neh 13:4, was, as we have seen, a grandson of Jeshua the high priest, and was himself the high priest, as stated in verse Neh 13:28 of this last chapter. So here, in what we may call the headquarters of their religion, was a flagrant violation of their law, for he had entered into alliance with Tobiah, one of the chief opponents of the work of God, and had prepared him a chamber in the precincts of the temple, just where the offerings and other treasures were stored. His dwelling there is even described as ‘a great chamber’. If the visible head of their religious system thus transgressed, what could be expected of the common people?
How this came to pass is explained to us in verse Neh 13:6. Twelve years had now passed since Nehemiah came to Jerusalem with authority to rebuild the city, and he had gone back to Artaxerxes, who had made him the civil governor; hence he was absent from Jerusalem for some time. Having, however, obtained leave of the king to go back, this was the situation that confronted him. It grieved him much and he acted at once, casting out Tobiah’s stuff, cleansing the chamber, and restoring it to its proper use. But what a tragedy was this! Here was a man, who was no priest, having to rebuke and reverse the action of the man, who was ‘the high priest’! This tragedy has, sad to say, often been repeated in the history of the church. There is no guarantee of purity and of obedience to the will of God in officialism. Again and again God has raised up men in low office, or even outside office altogether, to bring about some revival of obedience to His revealed will.
Nehemiah having returned, this incident as to Eliashib evidently stirred him to investigate other matters, and the rest of the chapter gives in detail the painful discoveries that he made. These wrongs and departures from the law are grouped under three main heads. There was first, slackness in providing for the upkeep of the Levites and the singers, and the upkeep of the house of God generally. The people did not want the expense and bother of bringing in their tithes in regular fashion. Second, there were grave and open infractions of the law regarding the sabbath. The people were breaking it themselves and permitting ‘men of Tyre’ and others to trade with them, even in Jerusalem itself: very convenient, no doubt; but flagrantly breaking the law. Then third, there was this repeated tendency to marry heathen wives asserting itself, so soon after a reformation on this point. And this time even more flagrant, for ‘wives of Ashdod’, a Philistine city, were in question as well as of Ammon and Moab.
In this last sin the priestly family was again prominent, as we see in verse 28. The unnamed son of Joiada, grandson of Eliashib, was a great-great-grandson of that Jeshua the high priest, concerning whom Zechariah the prophet had the remarkable vision, which he recorded in his prophecy: Zec 3:1-10. If that chapter be read, we see that a promise was made to him, ‘if thou wilt walk in My ways, and if thou wilt keep My charge’. Whatever the said Joshua (or, Jeshua) did, it is very certain that his descendants and successors neither walked in the ways of God, nor kept His charge. Nehemiah saw this and as to this son of Joiada, he ‘chased him from me’.
We may learn the further lesson that departure from the will and way of God is what we may call, an infectious matter. The chapter begins with Eliashib striking up an alliance with Tobiah the Ammonite and it ends with his grandson making an even more intimate alliance, by marriage, to a daughter of Sanballat the Horonite, who was an even more prominent adversary; since Tobiah is introduced as ‘the servant’, in Neh 2:10. If departure from God and His word starts as only a trickle, it may soon become a torrent. May this also have the effect of making us ‘wise unto salvation’.
Finally let us observe that just as Nehemiah has to record the three grave departures that brought him into violent conflict with many, as he rectified what was wrong, so three times does he call upon God to remember him for good, according to the greatness of His mercy. He did indeed speak of his ‘good deeds’, yet acknowledge that he relied upon ‘mercy’ rather than reward. See verses Neh 13:14, Neh 13:22, Neh 13:31.
Our first impression might be that he was somewhat self-centred, or self-satisfied: but our second thought would rather be, that he was acutely conscious that his strong action to maintain the law of God had brought him into unpopularity and under censure from many. The martyr Stephen said. ‘Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted?’ (Act 7:52). They had persecuted them all, and Nehemiah, though not a prophet, uttering words of censure, had committed many acts of censure, which would have brought on his head more obloquy than words would ever have done.
Nehemiah’s whole commission from God involved controversy, not only from without, but also, and perhaps more bitterly, from within. He was conscious that, if remembered for good of his God, all earthly disparagement would count for little.
Does faithfulness to God involve us today in condemnation from the world, or even worldly believers? Let us then, only aim at being remembered for ‘good’, when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
Fuente: F. B. Hole’s Old and New Testaments Commentary
Neh 13:1. On that day they read in the book of Moses Not upon the day of the dedication of the wall and city, but upon a certain day, when Nehemiah was returned from the Persian court to Jerusalem, from which he had been absent for some considerable time, during which some errors and abuses had crept in. After his return, it seems, he continued the public reading of the law at stated times, probably on the great festivals, when all the people met together, (such as those mentioned chap. 8.,) upon some day of which that portion of Scripture was read (Deu 23:3) which forbids the admission of the Ammonites and Moabites into the congregation of the Lord. The meaning of which phrase is, not that they were prohibited from attending divine worship in the court of the Gentiles, and in their synagogues, but from being admitted to the privileges of Jews, and becoming one body with them by intermarriages. None of the house of Israel, of either sex, were to enter into marriage with any Gentile, of what nation soever, unless they were first converted to their religion; and even in that case, some were debarred from it for ever, others only in part, and others again only for a limited time. Of the first sort, were all of the seven nations of the Canaanites. Of the second sort, were the Moabites and the Ammonites, whose males were excluded for ever, but not their females. And of the third sort, were the Edomites and Egyptians, with whom the Jews might not marry till the third generation. But with all others who were not of these three excepted sorts, they might freely make intermarriages, whenever they became thorough proselytes to their religion. At present, however, because, through the confusions which have since happened in all nations, it is not to be known who is an Ammonite, an Edomite, a Moabite, or an Egyptian, they hold this prohibition to have been long out of date, and that now any Gentile, as soon as proselyted to their religion, may immediately be admitted to make intermarriages with them. See Dodd, and Prid. Con., Ann. 428.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Neh 13:6-7. In the thirty second year of Artaxerxes. Having been governor in Jerusalem twelve years, Nehemiah returned to the king, at Babylon; and after a residence of about twelve months at the Persian court, he again came to Jerusalem. See note on Neh 2:6. And what was his mortification, to find Tobiah, the great enemy of the Jews, possessing a princely chamber in the temple. Yea, and Eliashib the highpriest, married to Tobiahs daughter. Yea, and Eliashibs son married to Sanballats daughter! Fine times while Nehemiah was absent. The highpriest defiled, and his son, who was perhaps the sagon or second priest, equally defiled. How was atonement to be made for the nation? What did our glorious reformer do? Having formerly acted like a hero in building the walls, he now acted like a prince in throwing the goods of Tobiah out of the window, and plucking the mitre from the head of the polluted priest.
Neh 13:10. The leviteswere fled every one to his field. What can ministers do in evil times, when tithes are withheld, and bread denied, but go to schools and fields for bread. Then the overgrowing wickedness of the land, which has robbed the priests of bread, will rob the nobles of their estates.
Neh 13:15. Burdens which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day, making the holy city like our Sunday-morning markets. Mons. Neckar, formerly financier of France, says, the poor have always been oppressed; and if the sabbath should come to be lost, they will then have to work seven days a week as hard as they now work six, and still be as poor. Sir Andrew Agnew, in April 1834, lost his bill for the better observance of the sabbath by a majority of thirty six. Let us devoutly pray that the efforts of Gods people may yet be crowned with success.
Neh 13:19. I commanded that the gates should be shut, an hour after sunset, and not opened till the sun had set the next day. Before that, the Jews could have walked one thousand nine hundred paces from the gate, that is, a sabbath days journey.
REFLECTIONS.
We hail the return of this venerable man from Babylon. His presence revived the church, as rain after a long and parching drought. But how dangerous to be married to the families of Sanballat, and Tobiah! How dishonourable to the servants of God, how uncomfortable to themselves, how injurious to their children, who were likely to learn the language of Ashdod, profane and sinful discourse. No advantages in external circumstances will make such a choice a wise one, where there are not the apparent marks of true religion.
Those who have the interests of religion at heart, will be concerned that Gods ministers may have a comfortable maintenance. No wonder the house of God was forsaken, and his services poorly performed, when the provision of the priests was withheld. It was time for the levites to go to their farms, and pursue any secular employments, when they must starve at Jerusalem. It is the will of Christ that those who preach the gospel should live by the gospel. A scandalous maintenance will often make a scandalous minister; and if ministers have any ingenuousness and gratitude, the more cheerfully their salaries are paid, the better their work will be done.
The profanation of the sabbath is a great and growing evil, and it becomes every wise and good man to labour to redress it. No wonder Nehemiahs righteous soul was grieved, when he saw the sabbath profaned, and made a day of trade and merchandise. It was no wonder that the people of Tyre should be bad; but this is not what the Israel of God, who were just come out of captivity, should have been. We are bound by this law; and those who follow their callings, or as it is expressed in Neh 13:17, sell victuals on the sabbath day, are, I apprehend, criminal, and offend both against the laws of God and our country. The power of religion will always decline where sabbath sanctification is neglected.
Those who desire to promote reformation, should be zealous and resolute, and not be discouraged, though but few should join them, and they should meet with much opposition. Nehemiah had great difficulties to encounter; not only the men of Tyre, whose gain would be lost, but the people of Israel, yea priests and nobles; and yet having both reason and the law of God on his side, he set his face like a flint, and all opposition fell before him. His zeal should enkindle ours, and his success animate our hopes. Vice, if resolutely opposed, is weak; and if we boldly appear on the Lords side, he will prosper us; at least we shall have the satisfaction of having done our duty, and our peace will return into our own bosoms.
Deeds done for the house of God, and the officers and ordinances thereof, are good deeds, and such as he will accept and reward. We should contribute cheerfully towards the building of suitable places of worship, to the support of Gods ministers, which are designed to restrain vice, and encourage virtue and piety. We may reflect on these things with pleasure. God records them in the book of his remembrance; and he is not unrighteous to forget any work or labour of love.
Whatever we do for God and religion, let us remember that we are still unprofitable servants. Nehemiahs humility is as remarkable as his piety and zeal. He pleads no merit; he prays God to remember him, and to remember him for good; to spare him according to the greatness of his mercy. Let us likewise keep up the remembrance of our sinful defects, and our need of Gods abundant mercy. It is he that inclines us to do good, assists and succeeds us in it. To him then let us give the glory, and humbly hope for our reward from the riches of his mercy; always saying with the humble apostle, concerning any thing we do for the service of God, not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
Fuente: Sutcliffe’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Neh 13:1-3. The Separation of the Mixed Multitude from Israel.A fragment inserted by way of introduction to the episode which follows.
Neh 13:1 f. Cf. Deu 23:3-6.
Neh 13:3. The fact that this separation is not undertaken by Nehemiah himself shows that this passage is not part of his memoirs.
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible
SEPARATION FROM MIXTURE
(vv. 1-3)
At this same time, of which chapter 12:27-47 speaks, they read in the Book of Moses that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever come into the assembly of God, because of their hostility against Israel at the first (Deu 23:3-4). They had even hired Balaam to curse Israel, which curse God changed into a blessing. However, the Jews now acted on this instruction and separated themselves from the mixed multitude. Mixtures of believers and unbelievers are also forbidden in the New Testament (2Co 6:14-18). Though much had been done before in seeking to correct the wrongs that had filtered in amongst the people, and though the building of the wall had indicated God’s clear principle of separation from evil, yet evil has a way of intruding itself persistently among the people of God, and must be faced, as it was at this time, when “the mixed multitude was separated from Israel. When there is freshness of faith there will be faithfulness in action, though when faith becomes weak or lax, then evil will re-assert itself.
MORE FAILURE NEEDING CORRECTION
(vv. 4-30)
It appears most difficult to discern the chronological order of the events in chapters 12 and 13, for verse 4 speaks of what had taken place “before this,” and verse 6 tells us that Nehemiah was not in Jerusalem during this time, since he had returned to the king. It may be that the dedication of the wall did not take place until Nehemiah’s return. But we do not need to know the exact order in which events took place, but to seek rather to discern the moral lessons in the order that is given us.
At least it was before the time spoken of in verses 1 to 4 that Eliashib the high priest had prepared housing for Tobiah in a large room that had been used for storing the offerings etc. (v. 5). But Tobiah was an Ammonite (ch. 2:19) who should have been totally excluded from the congregation of Israel (v. 1). How easily it seems people make friends with the enemies of God because they show a nice, friendly attitude! Satan himself knows how to deceive believers by such means.
Nehemiah had at first spent 12 years in Jerusalem before returning to the king. During that time Eliashib should have learned by experience the deceitful character of Tobiah, but like many believers today, he likely thought he was being large-hearted and kind in showing favoritism to Tobiah, possibly thinking that Tobiah would be drawn by this to fully favor Israel. However, when Nehemiah, in returning to Jerusalem, found that Eliashib had so befriended Tobiah, he acted immediately, throwing out all the household goods of Tobiah and giving command to the priests to clean the rooms (vv. 8-9). This was godly, decisive action, reminding us of the prompt action of the Lord Jesus when he found in the temple those who sold oxen, sheep and doves, as well as money-changers. He drove them all out of the temple (Joh 2:14-15).
Then Nehemiah brought back into the rooms the articles that rightly belonged there, with the grain offerings and frankincense. He found also that this indifference as regards the storing of the offerings had led to the neglect of distributing to the Levites the portions that ought to have been given them. Perhaps Tobiah had been appropriating some of this! The Levites had gone back to their own fields for support (v. 10).
Nehemiah strongly censured the rulers for allowing such a state of things. “Why is the house of God forsaken?” he asked them. He did not confine this to one or two leaders, but gathered them together to face this serious matter (v. 11). He spoke with such authority that no one could oppose him, but all Judah was required to bring the tithe of the grain, the new wine and the oil to the storehouse (v. 12. This may well remind us of Paul’s words to the Corinthians after they had promised a year earlier to send monetary help to the poor saints in Jerusalem, but had not done it. He told them, “now you also must complete the doing of it” (2Co 8:11). Judah had been negligent and the rulers had not enforced the law. Nehemiah then appointed as treasurers of the storehouse one priest, one scribe and two Levites, for they were considered to be faithful men (v. 13). All of this surely indicates that God is concerned to have His servants properly cared for, though in the Church of God it is not scriptural to make human appointments for the distribution of support for God’s servants. God Himself, by the power of the Spirit of God, will exercise the individuals He chooses to be concerned about doing such work. He will not fail in caring for His servants, though Israel failed in this responsibility. In verse 14 Nehemiah prayed that God would remember him concerning the good he had done for the house of God. We do not read of New Testament leaders praying in this way, though Paul tells Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only, but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2Ti 4:6-7). He does not ask God to remember him, but declares that God will reward him.
Though Nehemiah asks God to remember him because of the good deeds he had done for the house of God, Paul did not ask for such a remembrance, but rather declares that God will reward him. He had fought the good fight, had finished the race and had kept the faith. (2Ti 4:6-7). Paul writes as one who had learned deeply the true grace of God, while Nehemiah writes from the viewpoint of being under law.
“In those days” (not denoting the exact time), Nehemiah saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath, bringing in sheaves, loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs and many kinds of burdens, bringing them into Jerusalem. Of course this was contrary to God’s law, and Nehemiah warned them against such abuses (v. 15). Also men of Tyre who lived in the area were bringing in fish and other goods to sell to the people of Judah on the Sabbath (v. 16).
Nehemiah rightly blamed the nobles for allowing these things (v. 17). He told them they were bringing added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath (v. 18). They were under law: why were they not keeping the law? Under grace today we have no such obligation, for the Sabbath is not given to us. Rather, the Lord’s Day, the first day of the week, is a special day in some sense. It was the day on which the Lord Jesus was raised from the dead, and the day on which the disciples gathered to break bread (Act 20:7). Our governments give the Lord’s Day some recognition, so that we are generally freed from usual employment, to use the day specially for the Lord. No law demands it, but surely we should be thankful for this opportunity and seek to give the Lord every honor we can apart from any law to require it.
Nehemiah did not stop with merely protesting, however. He commanded that the gates of the city be shut at dusk and not opened till the Sabbath was past. Some servants were also posted at the gates to guard against anyone entering with a burden (v. 19). The merchants were determined to sell their goods as soon as possible and they came and lodged outside the walls overnight. When this happened once or twice, Nehemiah threatened them with arrest if they came again. Thus, they did not attempt this on the Sabbath again (v. 21). Then Nehemiah commanded the Levites to cleanse themselves and to guard the gates on the Sabbath day (v. 22). He was not only dealing with that question on the one occasion, but realized there would have to be constant vigilance to suppress the greed of people. For a second time Nehemiah entreated that God would remember him and spare him according to the greatness of His mercy (v. 22).
Another great distress to Nehemiah was that he saw Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon and Moab, resulting in a mixture in the language of the children. Such marriages were forbidden by law, but just as people are today, the people of Judah were more influenced by their feelings than by principles of truth (v. 24).
Nehemiah reacted by cursing them, striking some of them and pulling out their hair. If one did that today he would likely be faced with a two million dollar lawsuit! He also made them swear by God that they would not give their daughters as wives to the sons of foreigners nor take their daughters as wives for the sons of Israelites (v. 25). It is questionable that making such an oath would make any difference in their subsequent actions, but Nehemiah was concerned that Israel should keep the law. He reminded them that Solomon king of Israel had done just as they were doing, in fact marrying many wives of foreign nationality. They may have used this as an excuse, as though it was fully permissible for them to follow Solomon’s example, but Nehemiah allowed no such excuse, insisting that pagan women caused Solomon to sin. If they claimed to be believers, he says Solomon was a believer, beloved by God, and that fact made it the more shocking that he should sin as he did. He and they should be ashamed of such sin, which Nehemiah calls “this great evil” (v. 27).
Nehemiah then pleaded that God would remember them, but not for their blessing, rather that they would be repaid according to their works. In the case of the sons of Eliashib, they had corrupted the priesthood and God’s covenant concerning it. This was abominable evil in God’s sight.
Thus, Nehemiah cleansed Judah from everything pagan, that is, of foreign influence. This was negative work, but he replaced the evil with what was positive good. He assigned proper duties to the priests and Levites, including bringing the wood offerings and the firstfruits to the house of God at the appointed times (vv. 30-31).
Though Nehemiah had been used by God in a good measure of recovery for the remnant of Israel, yet we see in this last chapter there remained many things calling for correction, and these were signs that the condition of the people was in a state of deterioration. The same is true in the history of the Church publicly. Whatever measure of recovery God allows at any time, it only leads to eventual failure, telling us that the coming of the Lord Jesus is the only real remedy. May we look for this with earnest anticipation. At that time Nehemiah will have the full answer to his final prayer, “Remember me, O my God, for good.”
Fuente: Grant’s Commentary on the Bible
THE DISCIPLINE OF THE CITY
Nehemiah 13
In the closing chapter we learn that the practical holiness of the city can only be maintained by the exercise of a discipline that deals with the different corruptions as they arise. Nor is it otherwise to-day. Without the exercise of discipline according to the word of God, holiness cannot be maintained in the Assemblies of God’s people when once evil has made itself manifest.
The first difficulty the remnant had to meet was the corrupting influence of “the mixed multitude” (1-3). They appear to represent those who in our day would like to stand well with the people of God in the path of separation, and yet maintain their links with corrupt Christendom. In Nehemiah’s day there were Israelites on the one hand and Ammonites and Moabites on the other; but there were also “the mixed multitude,” a class who were neither definitely Israelites nor heathen, but sought to have links with both. The remnant realized from the word of God that not only the heathen were not to be admitted to the congregation of the Lord, but that they could not tolerate those who maintained links with the heathen – the mixed multitude.
The second difficulty was the corruption of the house of God by a leader (4-9). Eliashib uses his position as priest to further the interest of his friend, and thus introduces among the people of God one who brings into the house of God that which is defiling. Nehemiah deals in a drastic way with this evil, wholly undeterred by the high position of the offender. Nothing can be more solemn than for a leader in the Assembly of God to set aside the principles of God’s Assembly to further the interests of a personal friend, and at the same time count upon his position to silence all opposition. Evil of such a character calls indeed for drastic action without respect of persons.
The third trial is neglect of the house of God (10-14). Those who devoted themselves to the service of the house of God were neglected, and hence they were compelled to return to secular work – they “fled every one to his field;” the result being the house of God was forsaken. This appears to have been the direct outcome of the corruption of Eliashib who had introduced, and made provision for, an enemy to the house of God, to the detriment of the true servants of God. Nehemiah is not content with casting out the offender and his defilements, but he re-instates the true servants and sees that provision is made for their need. We too must not be content with excluding those who are false, but must also see that provision is made to maintain the true servants. Moreover it is significant that Nehemiah does not say “Why are the Levites neglected?” as we might expect, but, “Why is the house of God forsaken?” He recognises that the neglect of God’s servants is an indication of that which is yet more serious – the neglect of God’s house.
The fourth difficulty was the desecration of the Sabbath (15-22). When the house is forsaken the Sabbath will be profaned. Instead of being set apart for Jehovah it was used to further the temporal interests of the people and turned into a common day. And in our day those who neglect God’s Assembly will have but slight respect for the Lord’s Day. If like Nehemiah we have the Assembly of God at heart we shall see that we shut the gates against all that would divert us from the Lord’s service on the Lord’s Day (19).
The fifth trial was unfaithfulness to God (23-31). In this particular case it was manifested in the unholy alliances between the people of God and the surrounding nations. In this evil the family of the high priest take a leading part. Again Nehemiah drastically deals with the evil, and thus seeks to maintain the purity of God’s people.
It is noticeable that these disciplinary measures deal not only with those within the city, but also with those without (15), and moreover apply to every class. The priests use their holy office to further the interest of the enemy of God (4). The rulers neglect the house of God (11). The nobles take the lead in profaning the Sabbath (17). And the people form unholy alliances (23). But the faithfulness of one man leads to these evils being dealt with in discipline without respect of persons, and thus the holiness of God’s house is maintained.
In as much as the disciplinary measures relate to all that had returned to God’s Land, and not simply to the dwellers in Jerusalem, it becomes clear they take for granted that the interest of every Israelite is identified with the prosperity of the house; and further that the dwellers in the province are as necessary for the upkeep of the house as those who dwelt within the city. The priests and Levites within the walls may be more directly concerned with the service of the house, but the story makes it abundantly clear that those within the walls were dependent upon those without for their daily food. The picture presents a people united in the upkeep of a house, which is surrounded by city walls to maintain its holy character.
It will also be noticed that in the main the evils dealt with are those which the people had, but a short while before, bound themselves, by a covenant with oath and curse, to avoid. How soon they have to ‘prove their own weakness, and in consequence, the weakness of the law to either improve or restrain the flesh. For the moment these evils are dealt with through the faithfulness of one man. But with the passing of Nehemiah these evils will re-assert themselves until in the days of Malachi they characterise the mass, and the only hope left for the godly is the coming of the Lord. The remnant of Malachi’s day feared the Lord and thought upon His Name, and so we may surely say they surrendered no principle of the house of God, but they made no covenant to maintain the integrity of the house. For them there was no call to make provision for their future good conduct, for they looked to the Son of righteousness to arise with healing in His wings. All behind them was failure, all around them corruption, but all before them glory.
CONCLUDING REMARKS
In closing this brief outline of the Book of Nehemiah a few additional remarks, as to its application to present day conditions, may not be out of place.
In regard to Israel it was God’s purpose to have His house in the city of Jerusalem, in the midst of a people dwelling in His Land. Connected with this purpose are three important principles. With the house there is the thought of God dwelling; with the city God ruling; and with the Nation and the Land God blessing. Where God dwells there God must rule; and when God rules, God blesses. It is thus God’s purpose to dwell in the midst of a redeemed people, ruling over them for their blessing. This purpose will be realised in a day to come.
The Book of Nehemiah presents the story of a remnant of the nation acting in the light of God’s original purpose for the whole nation, while waiting for the future fulfilment in the Millennial day.
To-day the “material” in Israel has its “spiritual” counterpart in the Assembly of God. We know that the Assembly of God is presented as the house of God (1Ti 3:3); and as the city of the living God (Heb 12:22; Rev. 21.). Moreover believers are viewed as “an holy nation” (1Pe 2:9). So that again, we may say, it is God’s thought to dwell in the midst of a redeemed people, ruling them for their blessing. God’s purpose for the Assembly will be fully realised in the heavenly Jerusalem, as it will be for Israel in the earthly Jerusalem.
With the truth before us we are able to realize how far Christendom has departed from God’s purpose for His Assembly. Instead of God dwelling in the midst of a redeemed people, and ruling for their blessing we see a vast religious system in which every principle of God is set aside. It has its most pronounced expression in a great ecclesiastical organisation (composed, for the most part of unregenerate professors of Christianity instead of the redeemed), which, in place of being the habitation of God, will shortly become “the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird” (Rev 18:2). Moreover its rule, instead of being a blessing to man, has corrupted the earth and persecuted the saints (Rev 16:18; Rev 17:24; Rev 19:2).
Further we see that the vast majority of God’s people have been taken captive in this great Babylonish system, though, by the grace of God, a few have been set free by having their eyes opened to see the truth of God’s Assembly as the house of God. The latter have sought to walk in the truth of God’s original thought for the Assembly while waiting for its full realisation in glory.
Such, like the remnant in Nehemiah’s day, find themselves in circumstances of great weakness, faced with opposition and difficulties, and beset with snares. In the face of all difficulties they seek to maintain the holiness of God’s house, the rule of the city, and the blessing of God’s people. However the maintenance of the principles of God’s house would be their first charge; administration, or rule, would follow, and, if rightly used, would be directly under the influence of the house and in harmony with its character and order; therefore for the blessing of God’s people.
It was thus In the Days of Ezra and Nehemiah. The revival of the house under Zerubbabel and others, and the restitution of its order through Ezra, was the first care of the remnant. Later the house was encircled by the city walls, and administration, or rule established in relation to the house. From the first the house was always accessible to every Israelite from every part of the Land, always supposing title and moral suitability, and conformity to the ordinances of the house. There was no question of its being restricted to the few actually dwelling within the city walls. If such had been the case it would have been a grave misuse of the walls, and have falsified the true character of the house by limiting its privileges to a select and self-constituted company.
On the other hand to ignore administration, or rule, consistent with the order and sanctity of the house, would be equally serious, leading to every man doing what is right in his own eyes; the failure to maintain the holiness of God’s house; and the loss of blessing to the people.
Thus we are warned that the holiness of God’s house and the blessing of God’s people, can be equally lost either by ultra-exclusivism on the one hand or latitudinarianism on the other.
If we desire to know God’s mind for the moment in which we live, we shall do well to go over these themes with God, remembering that, while “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,” yet certain scriptures have a very definite message for a day of ruin. Of such scriptures none, perhaps, have a more important place than the Book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament and the 2nd Epistle to Timothy in the New. May God give us grace to diligently seek His mind, in His word, and unreservedly submit to it. Thus only shall we be able to hold fast that which we have that no man take our crown.
Fuente: Smith’s Writings on 24 Books of the Bible
D. The Reforms Instituted by Nehemiah ch. 13
To understand when the events described in this chapter took place, it is necessary to read Neh 13:1-7, not just Neh 13:1. Nehemiah returned to Artaxerxes in 432 B.C. (Neh 13:6). It was customary in the ancient Near East for kings to require their servants to return to them periodically to reaffirm their allegiance. "Some time" later Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem (Neh 13:6). The text does not say how much later this was. The prophet Malachi reproved the Jews in Judah for the same sins Nehemiah described in this chapter, and conservative scholars usually date his prophecies about 432-431 B.C. Therefore Nehemiah may very well have returned to Jerusalem about 431 B.C. Undoubtedly he would have wished to return as soon as possible.
Each of the following reforms dealt with a violation of the covenant these people had made with God (cf. Neh 10:29-32).
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
1. The exclusion of foreigners 13:1-3
Discovery of the law that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of the Lord (Deu 23:3-4) led the leaders to exclude all foreigners from the restoration community.
There are three explanations for Ruth’s inclusion. The best one, I believe, is that unbelieving immigrants from these nations were those denied full rights. This would explain why Rahab, a Canaanite, and Ruth, a Moabite, became citizens. They were both believers. Another explanation is that the use of the Hebrew masculine nouns, Ammonite and Moabite, refer to males exclusively. A third possibility is that the Israelites simply did not enforce this law.
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
THE RIGOUR OF THE REFORMER
Neh 13:1-31
THERE is no finality in history. The chapter, that seems to be rounded off with a perfect conclusion always leaves room for an appendix, which in its turn may serve as an introduction to another chapter. Ezras and Nehemiahs work seemed to have reached its climax in the happy scene of the dedication of the walls. All difficulties had vanished; the new order had been. greeted with widespread enthusiasm; the future promised to be smooth and prosperous. If the chronicler had laid down his pen at this point, as any dramatist before Ibsen who was not bound by the exigencies of prosaic facts would have done, his work might have presented a much more artistic appearance than it now wears. And yet it would have been artificial, and therefore false to the highest art of history. In adding a further extract from Nehemiahs memoirs that discloses a revival of the old troubles, and so shows that the evils against which the reformers contend had not been stamped out, the writer mars the literary effect of his record of their triumph, but, at the same time, he satisfies us that he is in contact with real life, its imperfections and its disappointments.
It is not easy to settle the time of the incident mentioned in Neh 13:1-3. The phrase “on that day” with which the passage opens seems to point back to the previous chapter. If so it cannot be taken literally, because what it describes must be assigned to a later period than the contents of the paragraph that follows it. It forms an introduction to the extract from Nehemiahs memoirs, and its chronological position is even later than the date of the first part of the extract, because that begins with the words “And before this,” {Neh 13:4} i.e., before the incident that opens the chapter. Now it is clear that Nehemiahs narrative here refers to a time considerably after the transactions of the previous chapter, inasmuch as he states that when the first of the occurrences he now records happened he was away in the court of Artaxerxes. {Neh 13:6} Still later, then, must that event be placed before which this new incident occurred. We might perhaps suppose that the phrase “at that day” is carried over directly from the chroniclers original source and belongs to its antecedents in that document, but so clumsy a piece of joinery is scarcely admissible. It is better to take the phrase quite generally. Whatever it meant when first penned, it is clear that the events it introduces belong only indefinitely to the times previously mentioned. We are really landed by them in a new state of affairs. Here we must notice that the introductory passage is immediately connected with the Nehemiah record. It tells how the law from Deuteronomy requiring the exclusion of the Ammonite and the Moabite was read and acted on. This is to be remembered when we are studying the subsequent events.
When Nehemiahs extended leave of absence had come to an end, or when perhaps he had been expressly summoned back by Artaxerxes, his return to Babylon was followed by a melancholy relapse in the reformed city of Jerusalem. This is not by any means astonishing. Nothing so hinders and distresses the missionary as the repeated outbreak of their old heathen vices among his converts. The drunkard cannot be reckoned safe directly he has signed the pledge. Old habits may be damped down without being extinguished, and when this is the case they will flame up again as soon as the repressive influence is removed. In the present instance there was a distinct party in the city, consisting of some of the most prominent and influential citizens, which disapproved of the separatist, puritanical policy of the reformers and advocated a more liberal course. Some of its members may have been conscientious men, who honestly deplored what they would regard as the disastrous state of isolation brought about by the action of Ezra and Nehemiah. After having been silenced for a time by the powerful presence of the great reformers, these people would come out and declare themselves when the restraining influences were removed. Meanwhile we hear no more of Ezra. Like Zerubbabel in the earlier period, he drops out of the history without a hint as to his end. He may have returned to Babylon thinking his work complete; possibly he had been recalled by the king.
It is likely that some rumours of the declension of Jerusalem reached Nehemiah at the Persian court. But he did not discover the whole extent of this retrograde movement until he was once more in the city, with a second leave of absence from Artaxerxes. Then there were four evils that he perceived with great grief.
The first was that Tobiah had got a footing in the city. In the earlier period this “servant” had been carrying on intrigues with some members of the aristocracy. The party of opposition had done its best to represent him in a favourable light to Nehemiah, and all the while this party had been traitorously keeping Tobiah informed of the state of affairs in the city. But now a further step was taken. Though one of the three leading enemies of Nehemiah, the ally and supporter of the Samaritan governor Sanballat, this man was actually permitted to have a lodging in the precincts of the temple. The locality was selected, doubtless, because it was within the immediate jurisdiction of the priests, among whom the Jewish opponents of Nehemiah were found. It is as though, in his quarrel with Henry, Thomas A. Becket had lodged a papal envoy in the cathedral close at Canterbury. To a Jew who did not treat the ordinances of religion with the Sadducean laxity that was always to be found in some of the leading members of the priesthood, this was most abhorrent. He saw in it a defilement of the neighbourhood of the temple, if not of the sacred enclosure itself, as well as an insult to the former governor of the city. Tobiah may have used his room for the purpose of entertaining visitors in state, but it may only have been a warehouse for trade stores, as it had previously been a place in which the bulky sacrificial gifts were stowed away. Such a degradation of it, superseding its previous sacred use, would aggravate the evil in the sight of so strict a man as Nehemiah.
The outrage was easily accounted for. Tobiah was allied by marriage to the priest who was the steward of this chamber. Thus we have a clear case of trouble arising out of the system of foreign marriages which Ezra had so strenuously opposed. It seems to have opened the eyes of the younger reformer to the evil of these marriages, for hitherto we have not found him taking any active part in furthering the action of Ezra with regard to them. Possibly he had not come across an earlier instance. But now it was plain enough that the effect was to bring a pronounced enemy of all he loved and advocated into the heart of the city, with the rights of a tenant, too, to back him up. If “evil communications corrupt good manners,” this was most injurious to the cause of the reformation. The time had not arrived when a generous spirit could dare to welcome all comers to Jerusalem. The city was still a fortress in danger of siege. More than that, it was a Church threatened with dissolution by reason of the admission of unfit members. Whatever we may say to the social and political aspects of the case, ecclesiastically regarded, laxity at the present stage would have been fatal to the future of Judaism, and the mere presence of such a man as Tobiah, openly sanctioned by a leading priest, was a glaring instance of laxity; Nehemiah was bound to stop the mischief.
The second evil was the neglect of the payments due to the Levites. It is to be observed again that the Levites are most closely associated with the reforming position. Religious laxity and indifference had had an effect on the treasury for which these men were the collectors. The financial thermometer is a very rough test of the spiritual condition of a religious community, and we often read it erroneously, not only because we cannot gauge the amount of sacrifice made by people in very different circumstances, nor just because we are unable to discover the motives that prompt the giving of alms “before men,” but also, when every allowance is made for these causes of uncertainty, because the gifts which are usually considered most generous rarely involve enough strain and effort to bring the deepest springs of life into play. And yet it must be allowed that a declining subscription list is usually to be regarded as one sign of waning interest on the part of the supporters of any public movement. When we consider the matter from the other side, we must acknowledge that the best way to improve the pecuniary position of any religious enterprise is not to work the exhausted pump more vigorously, but to drive the well deeper and tap the resources of generosity that lie nearer the heart-not to beg harder, but to awaken a better spirit of devotion.
The third indication of backsliding that vexed the soul of Nehemiah was Sabbath profanation. He saw labour and. commerce both proceeding on the day of rest-Jews treading the winepress, carrying their sheaves, lading their asses, and bringing loads of wine, grapes, and figs, and all sorts of wares, into Jerusalem for sale, and fishmongers and pedlars from Tyre – not, of course, themselves to be blamed for failing to respect the festival of a people whose religion they did not share-pouring into the city, and opening their markets as on any weekday. Nehemiah was greatly alarmed. He went at once to the nobles, who seem to have been governing the city, as a sort of oligarchy, during his absence, and expostulated with them on their danger of provoking the wrath of God again, urging that Sabbath-breaking had been one of the offences which had called down the judgment of Heaven on their fathers. Then he took means to prevent the coming of foreign traders on the Sabbath, by ordering the gates to be kept closed from Friday evening till the sacred day was over. Once or twice these people came up as usual and camped just outside the city, but as this was disturbing to the peace of the day, Nehemiah threatened that if they repeated the annoyance he would lay hands on them. Lastly, he charged the Levites, first to cleanse themselves that they might be ready to undertake a work of purification, and then to take charge of the gates on the Sabbath and see that the day was hallowed in the cessation of all labour. Thus both by persuasion and by vigorous active measures Nehemiah put an end to the disorder.
The importance attached to this matter is a sign of the prominence given to Sabbath-keeping in Judaism. The same thing was seen earlier in the selection of the law of the Sabbath as one of the two or three rules to be specially noted, and to which the Jews were to particularly pledge themselves in the covenant. {Neh 10:31} Reference was then made to the very act of the Tyrians now complained of the offering of wares and food for sale in Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. Putting these two passages together, we can see where the Sabbath-breaking came from. It was the invasion of a foreign custom-like the dreaded introduction of the “Continental Sunday” into England. Now to Nehemiah the fact of the foreign origin of the custom would be a heavy condemnation for it. Next to circumcision, Sabbath-keeping was the principal mark of the Jew. In the days of our Lord it was the most highly prized feature of the ancient faith. This was then so obvious that it was laid hold of by Roman satirists, who knew little about the strange traders in the Ghetto except that they “sabbatised.” Nehemiah saw that if the sacred day of rest were to be abandoned, one of his bulwarks of separation would be lost. Thus for him, with his fixed policy, and in view of the dangers of his age, there was a very urgent reason for maintaining the Sabbath, a reason which of course does not apply to us in England today. We must pass on to the teaching of Christ to have this question put on a wider and more permanent basis. With that Divine insight of His which penetrated to the root of every matter, our Lord saw through the miserable formalism that made an idol of a day, and in so doing turned a boon into a burden. At the same time He rescued the sublimely simple truth which contains both the justification and the limitation of the Sabbath, when He declared, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” In resisting the rigour of legal-minded Sabbatarianism, the modern mind seems to have confined its attention to the second clause of this great utterance, to the neglect of its first clause. Is it nothing, then, that Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man”-not for the Jew only, but for man? Although we may feel free from the religion of law in regard to the observance of days as much as in other external matters, is it not foolish for us to minimise a blessing that Jesus Christ expressly declared to be for the good of the human race? If the rest day was needed by the Oriental in the slow-moving life of antiquity, is it any less requisite for the Western in the rush of these later times? But if it is necessary to our welfare, the neglect of it is sinful. Thus not because of the inherent sanctity of seasons, but on our Lords own ground of the highest utilitarianism-a utilitarianism which reaches to other people, and even to animals, and affects the soul as well as the body-the reservation of one day in seven for rest is a sacred duty. “The world is too much with us” for the six days. We can ill afford to lose the recurrent escape from its blighting companionship originally provided by the seventh and now enjoyed on our Sunday.
Lastly, Nehemiah was confronted by the social effects of foreign marriage alliances. These, alliances had been contracted by Jews resident in the southwestern corner of Judaea, who may not have come under the influence of Ezras drastic reformation in Jerusalem, and who probably were not married till after that event. They afford another evidence of the counter-current that was running so strongly against the regulations of the party of rigour while Nehemiah was away. The laxity of the border people may be accounted for without calling in any subtle motives. But their fault was shared by a member of the gens of the high-priest, who had actually wedded the daughter of Nehemiahs arch-enemy Sanballat! Clearly this was a political alliance, and it indicated a defiant reversal of the policy of the reformers in the very highest circles. The offender, after being expelled from Jerusalem, is said to have been the founder of the Samaritan temple on Mount Gerizim.
Then the social mischief of the mixed marriages was showing itself in the corruption of the Hebrew language. The Philistine language was not allied to the Egyptian, as some have thought, nor was it Indo-Germanic, as others have supposed, but it was Semitic, and only a different dialect from the Hebrew, and yet the difficulty persons from the south of England feel in understanding the speech of Yorkshiremen in remote parts of the county will help us to account for a practical loss of mutual intelligence between people of different dialects, when these dialects were still more isolated by having grown up in two separate and hostile nations. For the children of Jewish parents to be talking with the tones and accents of the hereditary enemies of Israel was intolerable. When he heard the hated sounds, Nehemiah simply lost his temper. With a curse on his lips he rushed at the fathers, striking them and tearing their hair. It was the rage of bitter disappointment, but behind it lay the grim set purpose in holding to which with dogged tenacity Ezra and Nehemiah saved Judaism from extinction. Separatism is never gracious, yet it may be right. The reformer is not generally of a mild temperament. We may regret his harshness, but we should remember that the world has only seen one perfectly meek and yet thoroughly effective Revolutionist, only one “Lamb of God” who could be also named “the Lion of the tribe of Judah.”
The whole situation was disappointing to Nehemiah and his memoir ends in a prayer beneath which we can detect an undertone of melancholy. Three times during this last section he appeals to God to remember him-not to wipe out his good deeds, {Neh 13:14} to spare him according to the greatness of the Divine mercy, {Neh 13:22} and finally to remember him for good. {Neh 13:31} The memories of the Jerusalem covenanters had been brief; during the short interval of their leaders absence they had forgotten his discipline and fallen back into negligent ways. It was vain to trust to the fickle fancies of men. With a sense of weary loneliness, taught to feel his own insignificance in that great tide of human life that flows on in its own course though the most prominent figures drop out of notice, Nehemiah turned to his God, the one Friend who never forgets. He was learning the vanity of the worlds fame, yet he shrank from the idea of falling into oblivion. Therefore it was his prayer that he might abide in the memory of God. This was by itself a restful thought. It is cheering to think that we may dwell in the memory of those we love. But to be held in the thought of God is to have a place in the heart of infinite love. And yet this was not the conclusion of the whole matter to Nehemiah. It is really nothing better than a frivolous vanity, that can induce any one to be willing to sacrifice the prospect of a real eternal life in exchange for the pallid shadow of immortality ascribed to the “choir invisible” of those who are only thought of as living in the memory of the world they have influenced enough to win “a niche in the temple of fame.” What is fame to a dead man mouldering in his coffin? Even the higher thought of being remembered by God is a poor consolation in prospect of blank non-existence. Nehemiah expects something better, for he begs God to remember him in mercy and for good. It is a very narrow, prosaic interpretation of this prayer to say that he only means that he desires a blessing during the remainder of his life in the court at Susa. On the other hand, it may be too much to ascribe the definite hope of a future life to this Old Testament saint. And yet, vague as his thought may be, it is the utterance of a profound yearning of the soul that breaks out in moments of disappointment with an intensity never to be satisfied within the range of our cramped mortal state. In this utterance of Nehemiah we have, at least, a seed thought that should germinate into the great hope of immortality. If God could forget His children, we might expect them to perish, swept aside like the withered leaves of autumn. But if He continues to remember them, it is not just to His Fatherhood to charge Him with permitting such a fate to fall upon His offspring. No human father who is worthy of the name would willingly let go the children whom he cherishes in mind and heart. Is it reasonable to suppose that the perfect Divine Father, who is both almighty and all-loving, would be less constant? But if He remembers His children, and remembers them for good, He will surely preserve them. If His memory is unfading, and if His love and power are eternal, those who have a place in His immortal thought must also have a share in His immortal life.