Finish Line, Finish Well: Final Week in Nehemiah

Well, here we are — 13 weeks later and we’re finishing up the book of Nehemiah. If this is your first verse-by-verse Bible study to complete: congratulations. If you’ve journeyed with me before: thank you. If you were hit-and-miss: it’s okay. We all start somewhere and we’re all going to finish well — together.

This week, we turn the final corner in the book of Nehemiah and there’s actually a break between the dedication of the walls and this chapter. It’s an interesting twist, and there quite a bit of application in this chapter in relation to our sin, Jesus’ redemption, and how we are called to live holy.

I’m right there with you, friend. Fighting the good fight of faith.

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.

• It's commonly believed that Chapter 13 doesn't pick up immediately after the dedication of the walls. In actuality, this chapter was more than likely written after Nehemiah had returned to Babylon and then came back to Jerusalem to check on matters (a year or so had passed).

• A side note: King Artaxerxes – the king Nehemiah gave his word to that he'd return – was no longer in reign. There was now a new king ruling; yet, Nehemiah still kept his word and returned to Babylon. Great lesson there!

• In chapter eight, we read how the people gathered and listened to the reading of the Word. There was also a revelation of how they weren't honoring God's commandments on the Feast of Booths. In chapter 13, they began to see their sin from mingling with the Ammonites and Moabites. Hebrews 4:12 tells us, "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than a double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow, it judges thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

• The word of God is living and active. When you open the Word to study it – is it alive and active in your own heart? If not, examine the soil of your heart and ask God to reveal to you the "block." Spend some time considering how alive and active you are spiritually today!

4 Now before this, Eliashib the priest, having authority over the storerooms of the house of our God, was allied with Tobiah. 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. 

• Remember Tobiah? He was a pain in Nehemiah's neck – a constant discouragement and one who stirred up trouble, trouble, trouble. And here we have the priest (someone who is to be set apart for God's work, just as we are) not only entertaining Mr. Tobiah but providing him a place to live! This is a perfect picture of how we can allow sin to take up residence in our own lives. It starts by just giving that sin a little corner to sit in; but then we begin to move the good stuff out of our lives to make room for its growing presence! It's tragic, but it happens so quickly and subtly. You've probably witnessed someone coming to Bible study faithfully for some time, and then slowly they begin to miss here and miss there. Then, before long, you see a vessel that was once set apart for God being used by the world. "A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough." (Galatians 5:9).

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, 7 and I came to Jerusalem and discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in preparing a room for him in the courts of the house of God. 8 And it grieved me bitterly; therefore I threw all the household goods of Tobiah out of the room. 9 Then I commanded them to cleanse the rooms; and I brought back into them the articles of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.

• Nehemiah came to clean the house. I love how he doesn't mess around with sin – he sees it, addresses it, and immediately puts things back in order.

• I like the way The Message version paraphrases Romans 6:11-14, which talks about our previous life of sin and then our life in Christ: "You are dead to sin and alive to God. That's what Jesus did. That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don't give it the time of day. Don't even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time—remember, you've been raised from the dead!—into God's way of doing things. Sin can't tell you how to live. After all, you're not living under that old tyranny any longer. You're living in the freedom of God." Nehemiah knew there was no room to pity Tobiah or feel guilty for kicking him out.

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. 12 Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil to the storehouse. 13 And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouse 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 considered faithful, and their task was to distribute to their brethren.

• When we studied Ezra chapter five, we also gleaned over parts of Haggai. The issue we see here is similar to what we saw then – a neglected house of God. In Ezra, the people were saying, "it's not time yet" to build the temple – yet their own homes were looking pretty posh. Now, the temple is built, but they have failed to care for it. They have allowed, once again, the things of the world to distract them. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). Think like this: if your body is the temple (a house, essentially) and the Holy Spirit is the resident – what does the inside look like? Like we discussed previously with Tobiah, are we moving the good stuff out to make room for the bad? As we go about our day, talk to people, watch TV, read, work, speak, and so forth – we are bringing in something godly into our temples, or we're bringing in something evil.

• Picture that word or action in a box and see yourself standing at the doorway of your spiritual house holding that box. Now, ask yourself, "Is what I'm getting ready to do or say something I want to move into this house? Is this something I want to unpack and display in my spiritual home?"

14 Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for its services!

• You'll see through the remainder of this chapter that Nehemiah asks God to remember him three times. There's no shame in doing His work and then asking the Lord to remember you – it's when we want the world to remember us that we get into trouble.

15 In those days I saw people in Judah treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them about the day on which they were selling provisions. 16 Men of Tyre dwelt there also, who brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.

17 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, "What evil thing is this that you do, by which you profane the Sabbath day? 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 So it was, at the gates of Jerusalem, as it began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they must not be opened till after the Sabbath. Then I posted some of my servants at the gates, so that no burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day. 20 Now the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice.

21 Then 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!" From that time on they came no more on the Sabbath. 22 And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should go and guard the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day.

• Here, Nehemiah begins naming the actual sins taking place. The main profanity was working on the Sabbath. God had established the Sabbath as a day of rest for the Jews. While all the other nations were working seven days, the Jews were to work six. God knew the importance of rest. He understood our bodies were weak and needed a break. It was also to bring Him glory. As other nations were busy working and trying to bring in income on that seventh day, the Jews were to rest yet still be just as prosperous.

• When I see a godly man or woman at work, they undoubtedly accomplish more than someone concerned with making a name for themselves or achieving a particular position.

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?"

• When I read what Nehemiah did to some of the men (beating them up and pulling out their hair!) I thought it to be a bit extreme. But, if we look at it from Nehemiah's perspective, here's what we see:

• The Jews were told time and time again not to intermarry. We see this commandment given from the period of Moses through the Old Testament (and we talked about it specifically in Ezra 9).

• Yet, they foolishly and intentionally disobeyed God. They made a conscious decision to do what they knew they shouldn't; and, because of that, Nehemiah was righteously angry and gave them a reality check. I like how Nehemiah told the story of King Solomon. Nehemiah may have conveyed that story because of how we justify sin in our lives. When tempted to disobey God, one of the first lies Satan throws at us sounds like this: "Come on, go through with it! Look at so-and-so; they are happy and are enjoying life! Just go on; you've got this." Satan plays to our pride, and he played that card nicely here in Nehemiah 13, too. He probably had those men thinking that it wasn't a big deal to marry a non-Jew. In all his wisdom, Nehemiah reminded the men of King Solomon and how he was the top dog of his time. Still, he disobeyed God by intermarrying, and it brought about a life of sin.

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.

29 Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

30 Thus I cleansed them of everything pagan. I also assigned duties to the priests and the Levites, each to his service, 31 and to bringing the wood offering and the firstfruits at appointed times.

Remember me, O my God, for good!

• The sin was within the priesthood too! Friends, we are His priesthood, just as these Levites were. We must take the approach of driving out the evil in our lives. Nehemiah is a type of Christ. He came in, addressed the sin, and drove it out. That is what our Savior does! Yes, it's painful! I can think of several times where God has told me over and over, "We need to deal with this sin." And I continued to rebel. There have been times where I felt like the Lord took a stick to me and pulled out my hair – but it wasn't because He was ruthless or unloving. It was because He had addressed the issue time and again, and He refused to let me continue in a sin that would contaminate my entire life. Praise God! I look back on those times, and I am so grateful that God dealt sternly with me! Even though it was challenging to go through, I still felt the love of God through those seasons of correction.

• The final words of Nehemiah: "Remember me, O my God, for good!" What great words to end on. If there's anything we can say of Nehemiah, it's that he endured 'til the end! He persevered. He didn't just start the race; this man finished it – and finished strong. I remember how several years ago, I ran a half marathon – in December. Despite all the gear I had on, it was insanely cold, and it was one of the most miserable runs I've ever experienced. My body felt like a solid ice cube, and I could barely move. Fortunately, I had a running buddy (who was running the full marathon). I'll never forget when I saw that finish line about ¼ of a mile away (it was pitch black outside at this point), I just took off in a mad sprint. My friend cheered, "Go, Tiffany, go!" over and over until I made it across that finish line. I could've cared less about the medal and my time – I just wanted a hot latte and heat!

• I'll never forget what that last ¼ mile felt like because I gave it all I had left. And Nehemiah did too. He could've come back 12 years later and just sighed at the state of the city – but he didn't. Instead, he persevered in purifying the people, yet again, because he loved them, and he loved God.

• He persevered and asked God to remember him for his good. And I'm sure the Lord's words were, "Well done." So may those be the words we hear too. Amen and Amen.

You Are Here: Week 11 in Nehemiah

As I mentioned in the first post of this study, we'll continually hear God's still small voice about one critical verb to know and do as a Christ-follower: persevere. This week, we’ll talk about perseverance specifically in the context of dwelling with God and the action it implies.

1 Now the leaders of the people dwelt at Jerusalem; the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to dwell in Jerusalem, the holy city, and nine-tenths were to dwell in other cities. 2 And the people blessed all the men who willingly offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem.

• Even though thousands of Jews traveled out of Babylon to come to Jerusalem, they didn’t all dwell in the actual city of Jerusalem. Despite both the temple and the walls being rebuilt – along with the reestablishment of worship – Jerusalem was still a ghost town. 

• According to Strong’s, the word dwell means “to remain, to marry, inhabit, to sit.” You would think the holy seed (Israel) would want to abide in their holy city. Yet, many heard the beckoning of the outer cities and chose to dwell there instead. 

• There is a clear parallel here between these first two verses and our spiritual lives. Jesus tells us in John 8:31, “If you abide in My word, you are my disciples indeed.” He’s stating that there is an action required of us to stay connected – just like there was an action required of the Jews to move from an outer city into Jerusalem. 

• Where are you dwelling today? Where are you sitting? Have the temptations and neon lights from the outer cities beckoned you to come and “vacation” there? Or, maybe you’re just flirting with the idea of prying open those city gates just to get a glimpse of what’s on the other side. 

• When you go to the mall or downtown areas, oftentimes you’ll find a map with a “YOU ARE HERE” dot or arrow to help you determine your location. Today, spend some time allowing God to reveal to you the truth of where you are today in terms of dwelling with Him. Knowing and accepting the truth is the first step to being in the right location with Christ. I know when I gave this some thought, God showed me how easily distracted I am. I start out focusing on one task and then that leads me to something else and then to something else and before I know it, my day is gone and while I’ve accomplished a long list of to-dos, I haven’t chosen the better part (see Luke 10:42) and spent enough quality time with Him.   

3 These are the heads of the province who dwelt in Jerusalem. (But in the cities of Judah everyone dwelt in his own possession in their cities—Israelites, priests, Levites, Nethinim, and descendants of Solomon’s servants.) 4 Also in Jerusalem dwelt some of the children of Judah and of the children of Benjamin.

The children of Judah: Athaiah the son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, of the children of Perez; 5 and Maaseiah the son of Baruch, the son of Col-Hozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of Shiloni. 6 All the sons of Perez who dwelt at Jerusalem were four hundred and sixty-eight valiant men.

• Notice what the last two words of verse six are: valiant men. This word appears 35 times in the NKJV of the Bible. These were men who were champions, who excelled, who were strong and upright. 

• We studied about valiant men in 1 Samuel and it’s a beautiful adjective to have penned along with your name. We are all called to be valiant men and women of God. Hebrews 11:32-34 says, “And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets:  who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again.” Notice that it says these individuals became valiant in battle. They weren’t necessarily valiant before, but God’s strength equipped them when it was time. In 2 Chronicles 20 it talks about how the Israelites went into battle giving thanks! That is how we become valiant men and women in battle – by giving thanks and praising the Lord, for His mercy endures forever!      

7 And these are the sons of Benjamin: Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ithiel, the son of Jeshaiah; 8 and after him Gabbai and Sallai, nine hundred and twenty-eight. 9 Joel the son of Zichri was their overseer, and Judah the son of Senuah was second over the city.

10 Of the priests: Jedaiah the son of Joiarib, and Jachin; 11 Seraiah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, was the leader of the house of God. 12 Their brethren who did the work of the house were eight hundred and twenty-two; and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah, 13 and his brethren, heads of the fathers’ houses, were two hundred and forty-two; and Amashai the son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer, 14 and their brethren, mighty men of valor, were one hundred and twenty-eight. Their overseer was Zabdiel the son of one of the great men.

15 Also of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni; 16 Shabbethai and Jozabad, of the heads of the Levites, had the oversight of the business outside of the house of God; 17 Mattaniah the son of Micha, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, the leader who began the thanksgiving with prayer; Bakbukiah, the second among his brethren; and Abda the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun. 18 All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred and eighty-four.

19 Moreover the gatekeepers, Akkub, Talmon, and their brethren who kept the gates, were one hundred and seventy-two.

• The names given are associated with those who dwelled in Jerusalem. Just as God knows exactly who dwells with Him, so did Nehemiah (because he conducted a census).  2 Timothy 2:19 reminds us of this very thing: “Nevertheless, the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are His’…”

• What a reassurance to know that no matter how the world labels me, rejects me, or bruises me – I am eternally the Lord’s and cannot be plucked from His hand (John 10:28). Rest in this truth!

20 And the rest of Israel, of the priests and Levites, were in all the cities of Judah, everyone in his inheritance. 21 But the Nethinim dwelt in Ophel. And Ziha and Gishpa were over the Nethinim.

22 Also the overseer of the Levites at Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micha, of the sons of Asaph, the singers in charge of the service of the house of God. 23 For it was the king’s command concerning them that a certain portion should be for the singers, a quota day by day. 24 Pethahiah the son of Meshezabel, of the children of Zerah the son of Judah, was the king’s deputy in all matters concerning the people.

25 And as for the villages with their fields, some of the children of Judah dwelt in Kirjath Arba and its villages, Dibon and its villages, Jekabzeel and its villages; 26 in Jeshua, Moladah, Beth Pelet, 27 Hazar Shual, and Beersheba and its villages; 28 in Ziklag and Meconah and its villages; 29 in En Rimmon, Zorah, Jarmuth, 30 Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages; in Lachish and its fields; in Azekah and its villages. They dwelt from Beersheba to the Valley of Hinnom.

31 Also the children of Benjamin from Geba dwelt in Michmash, Aija, and Bethel, and their villages; 32 in Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah; 33 in Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim; 34 in Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat; 35 in Lod, Ono, and the Valley of Craftsmen. 36 Some of the Judean divisions of Levites were in Benjamin.

• Notice that in verse 20, it talks of “the rest of Israel, of the priests and Levites…”  While there were Levites within the city of Jerusalem serving, there were also those dispersed in around the kingdom of Judah. Why? Because there had to be a ministry outside the walls too. Acts 1:8 tells us that “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Ask God for the Holy Spirit to come upon you so that you can be a light for Him wherever you go! Amen. 

Signed and Sealed: Week 10 in Nehemiah

As you read through this week’s study, may you remember that Christ is the fulfillment of the Law. He came as a man, in perfection, and paid our penalty for sin. Without His death and resurrection, we don’t get to experience life eternal. Let us rejoice!

Now those who placed their seal on the document were:

Nehemiah the 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.

• Not all the people could sign their names to the document – that would've taken forever. So instead, the leaders and heads of the congregation signed on behalf of the Jews. Notice Nehemiah's name was first. He was a godly man and one who indeed led by example. That is what we're called to be, too – living examples of the new covenant. So let's be willing to represent Christ and His nature.

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— 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: 30 We would not give our daughters as wives to the peoples of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons; 31 if the peoples of the land brought 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.

• As I read through these statutes, it made me ever so thankful that Jesus Christ fulfilled the requirements of the law. In the Old Testament, it was "you do X, and God will do Y." So, for example, if the people were obedient in keeping the commandments, God would bless them. And vice versa. But God's plan all along was to show man how he could never be perfect on his own, but that a True sacrifice was necessary to bring about perfection.  

• Hebrews 10:1 tells us, "For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect." Meaning, in the Old Testament, they perpetually offered sacrifices to make man righteous. Still, only Christ's sacrifice made man perfect once and for all.

• You know how it's just human nature to want to "do" something? We have difficulty accepting the simplicity of His grace and often allow our conscience to build a list of dos and don'ts. I encourage you to read the book by Chuck Smith entitled, How Grace Changes Everything. It's one of those that is worthy of re-reading, too, because it will help you shift your mentality from legalism to grace. Praise God that "…by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified" (Hebrews 10:14).  

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.

• Again, we have ordinances listed. These ordinances were an agreement that the people would bring provisions to maintain the house of God. For the Levites themselves to provide all these requirements was too much, but there was more than enough, with everyone contributing a small portion. God has placed a shepherd (pastor/teacher) in each of our lives to guide and lead us in understanding. We should take joy in providing for them, just as they provide for us. 1 Timothy 5:17 reminds us of this: "Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine."

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 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.

• Remember that what's listed here was already expected of the Jews. In Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, we see these ordinances of firstfruits, firstborn, and so forth. Yet, they weren't following what God had already directed.

• In Malachi 3:7-8, Malachi speaks of the Israelites robbing God. "Yet from the days of your fathers you have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them…will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me…in tithes and offerings." Malachi was evident in pointing out the Israelite's sin of not abiding by God's commandments and robbing Him. Fortunately, they later heeded the word of the Lord and repented (as shown here in Nehemiah 10).

• The question is this: How am I robbing God? Most of us would never think of going into the Apple store and stealing an iWatch. But how easily do we deny God of His glory? Isaiah 48:11 tells us how God will not give His glory to another. Anyways, why should He? After all, "He is before all things, and in him, all things hold together" (Colossians 1:17). How quickly are we to exalt ourselves instead of attributing our success to God's enabling power! Choose today to respond in humble repentance, just as the Israelites did, and walk in the meek nature of Christ. Amen.  

Surrounded? Talk With God: Week 4 in Nehemiah

In Nehemiah 4, we’re going to learn about doing God’s amazing work and how to persevere when trouble approaches us.

1 When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, 2 and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, "What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?"

• Ah, the ridicule has arrived. Too often, we look at all there is to do — the heaps of burnt stone around us and we wonder to ourselves how we can ever get it put back together again. Stone by stone, my friend. Stone by stone.

• "…Will they finish in a day?"

  • The Jews were working so diligently and intensely that it seemed as though they were trying to get the job done in one day. You can almost picture in your mind how the men stood, shoulder-to-shoulder, day-by-day, and worked. When others look at our lives, I pray that they see us working with the same devotion as the Jews!

3 Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, "What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!"

• Tobiah made sure to point out that 1) the wall was so low that the fox could climb over it and 2) the building structure was so poor that the weight of a fox could cause it to crumble (John Gill). That's a bit disheartening. As you're pouring your heart and soul into God's work, people come along and poke fun at your little progress and the quality you're producing. But what's next in verse four is so amazing! Listen to how Nehemiah and the Jews respond to the anger and insults of Sanballat and Tobiah:

4 Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. 5 Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders.

• Nehemiah responds not in discouragement, not in anger, not in frustration, and not in heartache. He responds in prayer. When your soul aches, your feelings bruised, and your progress is backhanded by comments – remember Nehemiah. He didn't spend his time formulating a perfect rebuttal to the accusations or immediately dish out a piece of his mind; his response was to talk with God. Isaiah 31:5 reminds us, "A birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also He will deliver it; and passing over He will preserve it."

• Allow God to be your defender the next time scorn comes your way.

6 So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.

• Did Nehemiah pray and seek the Lord as to whether the Jews should continue the work? Negatory. They know what needed to happen: keep working. They prayed that God would take care of their enemies, and they continued what they began. It was not just the act of prayer but the act of continuing the excellent work. 1 Corinthians 15:58 encourages us in saying, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." When the enemy is attacking you, don't back down!

7 But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem's walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. 8 They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. 9 But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.

• The opposition increased after Nehemiah prayed, and the work continued. If you feel as though it's right hook after left hook from Satan, gird up! If he didn't feel you were a threat, then he'd move on to the next victim. What should our response be when the battle heats up? Answer: Prayer and continued to work!

• Nehemiah states what they did: "But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat."

• Don't miss this because it should fire you up! There have been times when I have sensed such an impression to do battle alongside someone else, and things got thick. But when that has happened, God has never failed to stir my heart to the point where it's almost like He's saying, "Let Satan just bring it – because I will rally and will overcome." I love fighting on the right side! In John 16:33, Jesus tells us directly that we are to take courage when tribulation comes, for He has overcome the world!

10 Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, "The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall." 11 Also our enemies said, "Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work." 12 Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, "Wherever you turn, they will attack us."

• These verses are when the Israelites begin looking at the rubble around them versus looking up to the God who defends them. In John 14, Jesus reminds us first thing not to let our hearts be troubled. He repeats that same statement later in the chapter. This repeated phrase is so critical for us to meditate because the Lord knows how easy it is for us to become distracted and begin stumbling over the rubble around us.

13 Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. 14 After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes."

• There's nothing like a great battle cry! Nehemiah assembled the defense and spoke encouragement to the people reminding them of the awesome God they serve and why they're fighting. Be on the lookout for those who are engaged in battle – sometimes, the best thing we can do is earnestly pray for them, remind them of God's awesomeness, and prod them to stay focused on the goal!

15 When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to our own work.

16 From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah 17 who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, 18 and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.

• Oh, this is a remarkable picture of godly work. Held in one hand, we have our trowel and in the other our sword. Of course, these are men doing the building and the protecting, but that doesn't mean women can't engage in battle – just read Judges 4 about Deborah and Jael. These two warrior ladies were significant figures in overcoming the Canaanite forces.  

19 Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. 20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!"

21 So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out. 22 At that time I also said to the people, "Have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night, so they can serve us as guards by night and as workers by day." 23 Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water.

• Be assured: when called to do God's work, He will fight for you. Second Kings 6 is a terrific example of how the Lord surrounds us. When Elisha's servant was troubled by the surrounding Arameans, Elisha prayed his eyes would be open. "Then the Lord opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha."

  • What a deep peace the servant experienced at that moment. David Guzik tells us this, "The previous lack of perception on the part of Elisha's servant did not make the reality of the spiritual army any less real. If there are 50 people who do not see something, it doesn't invalidate the perception of one who does see."

• Even though others see minimal work and people spread out everywhere, you may have the eyes to see what God sees. I speak Ephesians 1:18-21 over your life today as you do His work: "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in his Holy people, 19 and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come." Amen.