Bible Verse Handbook

Session #10 - Nehemiah: Model of Spiritual Reformation (Nehemiah 13)

I. THE CALL TO BE REFORMERS: FAITHFUL WITNESSES OF THE TRUTH

C. The wheat (righteousness) and tares (wickedness) mature together at the end of the age 

30  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but   gather the wheat into my barn." (Mt. 13:30)

Jesus is not coming to end the world, but to complete the reformation of it.

  21  whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.  (Acts 3:21)

He will do this by shaking all that can be shaken, so that the works founded on His words alone will "remain" 

26 He has promised, saying, ".I shake not only the earth, but also heaven." 27 Now this.indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made [initiated by the flesh], that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. (Heb. 12:26-27)

24  "Therefore   whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:   25  and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
(Mt. 7:24-25)

D. We have no authority to "bind" in our prayers and public ministry that which "binds" us in our private lives

18  And I also say to you that   you are Peter, and   on this rock I will build My church, and   the gates of Hades shall not   prevail against it.   (Mt. 16:18)

II. THE CONTEXT OF NEHEMIAH'S REFORMS

A•  Jeremiah prophesied that Israel would go into captivity in Babylon for 70 years (606-536 BC) and would then return to Jerusalem

10  For thus says the  Lord : After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place.  11  For I know the thoughts that I think you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  13  And you will seek Me and find  Me,  when you search for Me with all your heart.  14  I will be found by you, says the  Lord , and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the  Lord , and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive. (Jer. 29:10-14)

Isaiah prophesied that they would return to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple when the Persian king Cyrus was in power.

28 He [Cyrus] is My shepherd, and he shall perform all My pleasure, saying to Jerusalem, "You shall be built," and to the temple, "Your foundation shall be laid." ' (Isa. 44:28)

Building the temple complex included building the infrastructure to mobilize worship.

B. From God's point of view, the temple in the past and future is His house of prayer. Isaiah referred to the temple as the house of prayer.

7 For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.
(Isa. 56:7)

12 Jesus went into the temple.13 "My house shall be called a house of prayer." (Mt. 21:12-13)

C. 13  Yes, He shall build the temple of the  Lord . He shall bear the glory, And shall sit and rule on His throne; So He shall be a priest on His throne, And the counsel of peace shall be between them both." 
(Zech. 6:13)

E. Zerubbabel and Nehemiah's reforms were built around a corporate worship center in the temple.

47 In the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah all Israel gave the portions [finances] for the singers and the gatekeepers [support ministries], a portion for each day. (Neh. 12:47)

F. After Nehemiah finished building the walls (445 BC), he and Ezra led the nation to make a covenant with God to obey all His commandments

29  these joined with their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse and an oath to walk in God's Law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the  Lord  our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes:  (Neh. 10:29)

The covenant was signed by the leaders

Now those who placed  their  seal on  the document were: Nehemiah the  [ a ] governor, the son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah,  2  Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,  3  Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah,  4  Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,  5  Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,  6  Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,  7  Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,  8  Maaziah, Bilgai,  and  Shemaiah. These  were  the priests.

9  The Levites: Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad,  and  Kadmiel.

10  Their brethren: Shebaniah, Hodijah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,  11  Micha, Rehob, Hashabiah,  12  Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,  13  Hodijah, Bani,  and  Beninu.

14  The leaders of the people: Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,  15  Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,  16  Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,  17  Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,  18  Hodijah, Hashum, Bezai,  19  Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,  20  Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,  21  Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,  22  Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,  23  Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,  24  Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,  25  Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,  26  Ahijah, Hanan, Anan,  27  Malluch, Harim,  and  Baanah. (Neh. 10:1-27)

The rest of the people expressed their agreement

28  Now the rest of the people-the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Nethinim, and all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, everyone who had knowledge and understanding- (Neh. 10:28)

G. They promised to not marry unbelievers to uphold godly standards in family life

30  We would not give our daughters as wives to the peoples of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons;  (Neh. 10:30)

They covenanted to keep the Sabbath, or to honor "sacred time" with God

31  if  the peoples of the land wares or any grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we would not buy it from them on the Sabbath, or on a holy day; and we would forego the seventh year's  produce  and the exacting of every debt. (Neh. 10:31)

They committed to financially support corporate worship in the temple

32  Also we made ordinances for ourselves, to exact from ourselves yearly one-third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God:  33  for the showbread, for the regular grain offering, for the regular burnt offering of the Sabbaths, the New Moons, and the set feasts; for the holy things, for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and all the work of the house of our God.  34  We cast lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, for bringing the wood offering into the house of our God, according to our fathers' houses, at the appointed times year by year, to burn on the altar of the  Lord  our God as  it is  written in the Law.

35  And  we made ordinances  to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, to the house of the  Lord ;  36  to bring the firstborn of our sons and our cattle, as  it is  written in the Law, and the firstborn of our herds and our flocks, to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God;  37  to bring the firstfruits of our dough, our offerings, the fruit from all kinds of trees,  the  new wine and oil, to the priests, to the storerooms of the  [ d ] house of our God; and to bring the tithes of our land to the Levites, for the Levites should receive the tithes in all our farming communities.  38  And the priest, the descendant of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive tithes; and the Levites shall bring up a tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, to the rooms of the storehouse.

39  For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the grain, of the new wine and the oil, to the storerooms where the articles of the sanctuary  are, where  the priests who minister and the gatekeepers and the singers  are;  and we will not neglect the house of our God. (Neh. 10:32-39)

And to refuse to have unholy alliances or significant partnerships with unbelievers

On that day they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people, and in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever come into the assembly of God,  2  because they had not met the children 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 was, when they had heard the Law, that they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel. (Neh. 13:1-3)

I•  We must insist on these four commands when working for reformation individually or in society.

6  who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the  Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
(2 Cor. 3:6)

J. The signing of the covenant ended with a national celebration

40  So the two thanksgiving choirs stood in the house of God, likewise I and the half of the rulers with me;  41  and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah,  Minjamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah,  and  Hananiah, with trumpets;  42  also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers  sang loudly with Jezrahiah the director.

43  Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and the children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off.
(Neh. 12:40-43)

After this, Nehemiah left Jerusalem to return to his position in Persia staying possibly up to ten years or enough time for the children to grow

6  But during all this I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Then after certain days I obtained leave from the king,

24  And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and could not speak the language of Judah, but spoke according to the language of one or the other people. (Neh. 13:6, 24)

III. REFUSING UNGODLY ALLIANCES IN THE WORK OF GOD (NEH. 13:1-9)

A•  Nehemiah confronted making ungodly alliances or significant partnerships in the work of God

4 Eliashib the priest, having authority over the storerooms of the house of our God, was allied with Tobiah. [an Ammonite] 5 And he had prepared for him a large room, where previously they had stored the.tithes...which were commanded to be given to the Levites and singers.6 But during all this I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes [433 BC]. I had returned to the king. Then after certain days.7 I came to Jerusalem and discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah.8 And it grieved me bitterly; therefore I threw all the household goods of Tobiah out of the room. (Neh. 13:4-8)

This includes ministry or business alliances. Israel had committed to God to not allow people of other faiths to participate in the temple celebrations

On that day they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people, and in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever come into the assembly of God,  2  because they had not met the children 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 was, when they had heard the Law, that they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel. (Neh. 13:1-3)

B•  Sanballat and Tobiah fiercely resisted Nehemiah and God's purpose

But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews.  2  And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish- stones  that are burned?"

3  Now Tobiah the Ammonite  was  beside him, and he said, "Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up  on it,  he will break down their stone wall."

7  Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry,  8  and all of them conspired together to come  and  attack Jerusalem and create confusion. (Neh. 4:1-3, 7-8)

Now it happened when Sanballat, Tobiah,  Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall, and  that  there were no breaks left in it (though at that time I had not hung the doors in the gates),  2  that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, "Come, let us meet together among the villages in the plain of Ono." But they thought to do me harm.

3  So I sent messengers to them, saying, "I  am  doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?"

4  But they sent me this message four times, and I answered them in the same manner. (Neh. 6:1-4)

C. Tobiah gave political and economic favor to nobles of Judah who made pledges to him.

17 In those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah.18 For many in Judah were pledged to him.19 They reported his good deeds before me. (Neh. 6:17-19)

IV. GIVING TO SUPPORT CORPORATE WORSHIP AND PRAYER (NEH. 13:10-14)

A. Nehemiah confronted the lack of financially supporting corporate worship

10 I also realized that the portions [financial support] for the Levites had not been given them; for each of the Levites and the singers who did the work had gone back to his field. 11 So I contended with the rulers, and said, "Why is the house of God forsaken?" I gathered them together and set them in their place. 12 Then all Judah brought the tithe.
(Neh. 13:10-12)

B.Nehemiah demanded that they financially support singers to minister to God as an occupation.

14  And, according to the order of David his father, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their service, the Levites for their duties (to praise and serve before the priests) as the duty of each day required, and the gatekeepers by their divisions at each gate; for so David the man of God had commanded.  (2 Chr. 8:14)

5  As soon as the commandment was circulated, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of grain and wine, oil and honey, and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything.  6  And the children of Israel and Judah, who dwelt in the cities of Judah, brought the tithe of oxen and sheep; also the tithe of holy things which were consecrated to the  Lord  their God they laid in heaps.

7  In the third month they began laying them in heaps, and they finished in the seventh month.  8  And when Hezekiah and the leaders came and saw the heaps, they blessed the  Lord  and His people Israel.  9  Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps.  10  And Azariah the chief priest, from the house of Zadok, answered him and said, 

"Since  the people  began to bring the offerings into the house of the  Lord , we have had enough to eat and have plenty left, for the  Lord  has blessed His people; and what is left  is  this great abundance."

11  Now Hezekiah commanded  them  to prepare rooms in the house of the  Lord , and they prepared them.  12  Then they faithfully brought in the offerings, the tithes, and the dedicated things; Cononiah the Levite had charge of them, and Shimei his brother  was  the next.  13  Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah  were  overseers under the hand of Cononiah and Shimei his brother, at the commandment of Hezekiah the king and Azariah the ruler of the house of God.  14  Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the East Gate,  was  over the freewill offerings to God, to distribute the offerings of the  Lord  and the most holy things.  15  And under him  were  Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah,  his  faithful assistants in the cities of the priests, to distribute allotments to their brethren by divisions, to the great as well as the small.

16  Besides those males from three years old and up who were written in the genealogy, they distributed to everyone who entered the house of the  Lord  his daily portion for the work of his service, by his division, 
(2 Chr. 31:5-16)

39  For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the grain, of the new wine and the oil, to the storerooms where the articles of the sanctuary  are, where  the priests who minister and the gatekeepers and the singers  are;  and we will not neglect the house of our God. (Neh. 10:39)

23  For  it was  the king's command concerning them that a certain portion should be for the singers, a quota day by day.  (Neh. 11:23)

45  Both the singers and the gatekeepers kept the charge of their God and the charge of the purification, according to the command of David  and  Solomon his son.

  47  In the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah all Israel gave the portions for the singers and the gatekeepers, a portion for each day. They also consecrated  holy things  for the Levites, and the Levites consecrated  them  for the children of Aaron.
(Neh. 12:45, 47)

5  And he had prepared for him a large room, where previously they had stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the articles, the tithes of grain, the new wine and oil, which were commanded  to be given  to the Levites and singers and gatekeepers, and the offerings for the priests.

10  I also realized that the portions for the Levites had not been given  them;  for each of the Levites and the singers who did the work had gone back to his field.  11  So 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.  (Neh. 13:5, 10-11)

David provided financially for 4,000 musicians and 288 singers

33  These are the singers, heads of the fathers'  houses  of the Levites,  who lodged  in the chambers,  and were  free  from other duties;  for they were employed in  that  work day and night.
(1 Chr. 9:33)

37  So he left Asaph and his brothers there before the ark of the covenant of the  Lord  to minister before the ark regularly, as every day's work required; (1 Chr. 16:37)

  5  four thousand  were  gatekeepers, and four thousand praised the  Lord  with  musical  instruments, "which I made,"  said David,  "for giving praise." (1 Chr. 23:5)

7  So the number of them, with their brethren who were instructed in the songs of the  Lord , all who were skillful,  was  two hundred and eighty-eight. (1 Chr. 25:7)

C•  The "Levite worship calling" was an occupation that pictured on earth the 24/7 worship that occurs around God's throne based on the revelation of the worth of God.

  8  The  four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:

"Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is and is to come!" (Rev. 4:8)

V. KEEPING THE PRINCIPLE OF THE SABBATH: SACRED TIME (NEH. 13:15-22)

A. Nehemiah confronted their failure to keep the Sabbath.

15 I saw people in Judah treading wine presses on the Sabbath.16 Men of Tyre.brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Judah.17 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said, "What evil thing is this that you do.? 18 Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath". 19 I commanded the gates to be shut.20 Now the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice. 21 I warned them, and said to them, "Why do you spend the night around the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you!" (Neh. 13:15-21)

VI. UPHOLDING GODLY FAMILY VALUES (NEH. 13:23-28)

A•  Nehemiah confronted the failure to uphold God's order in marriage

23  In those days I also saw Jews  who  had married women of Ashdod, Ammon,  and  Moab.  24  And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and could not speak the language of Judah, but spoke according to the language of one or the other people.

25  So I contended with them and cursed them, struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them swear by God,  saying,  "You shall not give your daughters as wives to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons or yourselves.  26  Did not Solomon 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 pagan women caused even him to sin.  27  Should we then hear of your doing all this great evil, transgressing against our God by marrying pagan women?"

28  And  one  of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest,  was  a son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite; therefore I drove him from me. (Neh. 13:23-28)

VII. NEHEMIAH'S PRAYERS: ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE (NEH. 13:14, 22)

14 Remember me, O my God, concerning this [raising money for the singers], and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for its services.22 Remember me, O my God, concerning this [demanding that they honor the Sabbath] also, and spare me according to the greatness of Your mercy! (Neh. 13:14, 22)

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Much of this teaching will be used by the English speaking Pastors in the Africa Training Bible School.(ATBS)

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