Nehemiah 13:15-31 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Nehemiah 13:15-31. Let’s go!
On verses 15-31: Earlier in Nehemiah 10 the Israelites had promised to obey all of God’s commands, including not neglecting God’s house (Nehemiah 10:32-39), not working on the Sabbath day (Nehemiah 10:31), and not marrying unbelievers (Nehemiah 10:30). Here in chapter 13 we see the Israelites breaking each of these commitments. They neglect God’s house by failing to provide financially for the Levites and servants working in the temple (Nehemiah 13:10-11). They desecrate the Sabbath by doing work on the Sabbath day (Nehemiah 13:15-18). They marry unbelieving women from other nations (Nehemiah 13:23-28).
Nehemiah does whatever he can to keep the people from sinning, even if it means shutting the gates on the Sabbath day to keep people from doing business (v19-21) and driving out everything unbelieving and foreign from the priests and Levites (v29-31). Yet it would just be a matter of time before the Israelites would sin again.
What can we learn from this? No matter how much we try, there is nothing we ourselves can do to get rid of sin. No amount of legislation, physical force or coercion can cleanse the sin from a sinner. Something greater was necessary. The Israelites continual regression back into sin points us to our need for a Saviour. That is why God sent a Messiah – Jesus Christ – to save us. He would save us not by enacting new laws for us to obey. Instead Jesus would live the life that none of us could live, a life that satisfied all of God’s commands. Then Jesus would die on the cross to pay for our sins.
Heavenly Father, thank You that what written contracts and laws could never do, Jesus did for us. Through faith in His precious blood shed for us, we are cleansed of our sin. Hallelujah! In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
A Final Word on Nehemiah
This ends our look at the book of Nehemiah. Go back and look at the most impactful lessons you learned from this book.
