It Matters Who You Let In

Nehemiah 13:1-14  Click here for Bible Verses

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Nehemiah 13:1-14.  Let’s go!

Nehemiah 13:6-8 (NIV) 
⁶  But while all this was going on, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Some time later I asked his permission
⁷  and came back to Jerusalem. Here I learned about the evil thing Eliashib had done in providing Tobiah a room in the courts of the house of God.
⁸  I was greatly displeased and threw all Tobiah’s household goods out of the room.

On verses 1-9:  While Nehemiah is away in Persia, Eliashib the priest becomes close friends with Tobiah, Nehemiah’s greatest opponent and an unbeliever.  Eliashib even empties out one of the temple storerooms so that Eliashib can stay in the temple.  This was in direct violation of Deuteronomy 23:3-5 which prohibited Moabites and Ammonites who did not worship the Lord from entering the house of God.  It was not until Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem and personally removed Tobiah’s things from the storeroom that the equipment and treasures of the house of God were restored to their rightful place in the store room.

What can we learn from this?

1. It matters who you let into the temple called your life.  When you become so close to someone who does not follow the Lord, it is only a matter of time until you compromise your worship of God and your obedience to His Word.   When you yoke yourself to an unbeliever, the things of God get thrown out and that space is taken over by someone who does not respect or appreciate the things of God.  That’s why God’s Word warns Christians against yoking themselves to unbelievers (i.e. marrying or becoming otherwise so attached to an unbeliever that your life and their life are now inseparably linked).

2. Are there things that are taking up space in your life but that don’t belong there?  Maybe it’s a bad habit that you have.  Maybe it’s a relationship that you know is not God’s best for you.  Like Nehemiah have the courage to remove the things that don’t belong so that your life can be filled with God’s treasures again.

Nehemiah 13:10-11 (NIV) 
¹⁰  I also learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them, and that all the Levites and singers responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields.
¹¹  So I rebuked the officials and asked them, “Why is the house of God neglected?” Then I called them together and stationed them at their posts.

On verses 10-14:  Nehemiah returns to Jerusalem only to find even more injustice taking place:  the people had not been providing financially for the Levites and singers who worked at the temple.  As a result, the Levites and singers had to return to their own fields and work just to survive.  Nehemiah rebukes the officials of the land for neglecting God’s house and breaking their promise in Nehemiah 12 to take good care of God’s house.  Nehemiah deposes the old corrupt leaders and replaces them with God-fearing, trustworthy Levites to take care of the temple storehouse and distribute food and supplies to their Levite brothers.

What can we learn from this?

1. When we are not faithful with the responsibilities entrusted to us, those responsibilities will eventually be taken away from us and given to someone else.

2. So much depends on leadership.  When corrupt leaders lead, the people, the house of God and the city flounder.  When strong, godly leaders lead, the people, the house of God and the city begin to flourish.