Hello, I'm Mel Olsen,
and this is Let God Speak.
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Nehemiah has
successfully rebuilt the wall
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around Jerusalem
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and introduced the
people to the temple worship
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ordained by God.
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He returned to Babylon
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and while he was
away some things changed.
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Today we'll
explore those changes
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and see how he handled
the problems that had arisen.
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On our panel today we have
Nathan Tasker and Blair Lemke.
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Welcome to the panel, gentlemen.
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Good to be here.
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That is good, and let's
just commence with a prayer.
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Heavenly Father, as we come
and discuss Your Word today,
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we open Your book, the Bible,
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and we ask that You
will guide and direct us,
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that we will learn of the things
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that You have written
there for us to learn.
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So bless us as we
share together today
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from Your Word we ask.
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Amen. Amen.
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So Ezra, the
scribe and the priests
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had read the Word of God
to the people in Jerusalem,
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they had responded,
they had confessed their sins
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and they even
acknowledged God in these words,
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and I'm gonna read it
from Nehemiah 9:32, it said,
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"Now therefore,
our God, the great,
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the mighty and awesome God,
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who keeps the
covenant and mercy."
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So they really expressed
what God was like to them,
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so how do they follow up
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this recognition of God, Nathan.
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Well, I'm pleased to report
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that we begin
the story very well.
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Yes.
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If we have a look at
Nehemiah 9:38, it says,
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"And because of all this
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we make a sure
covenant, and write it,
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our leaders, our Levites,
and our priests seal it."
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And in 10:28, it
actually goes through
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and explains that
everybody went through
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and made this commitment.
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It was a group decision
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that they were
going to follow God.
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Yeah, so all of them together,
women, children, families?
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Yeah, there's a little
stairs as men, women, children,
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everybody agreed.
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Very powerful, isn't it?
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Very powerful, so what
did they actually sign up for?
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If you just go on
10:29, it says here,
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"These joined
with their brethren,
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their nobles, and
entered into a curse,"
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or another way of saying
it would be like a promise,
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an oath, "to walk in God's Law,
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which was given by
Moses the servant of God,
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and to observe
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and to do all the commandments
of the Lord our God,
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and His
ordinances and His statutes."
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So it's actually referring back
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to what Moses had
already given the people
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in previous generations,
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they're now going back
and reminding themselves
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and signing up,
we want to continue
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in the footsteps of our
ancestors that followed Moses.
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Yes.
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So Nehemiah is the governor
and the spiritual leader,
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had organized
the temple services
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in a way that he put leadership,
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people into
leadership positions.
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And then he had to
go back to the king
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where he'd come from originally,
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so what happened here?
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And why did he
leave? Why did he go?
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Yeah, it was, the
scripture gives an answer,
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it was really
based on an agreement
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that he'd made with the king,
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so in Nehemiah 2:5,
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it says, "And I
said to the king,
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'If it pleases the king,
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and your servant has
found favor in your sight,
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I ask that you send me to Judah,
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to the city of
my fathers' tombs,
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that I may rebuild it."
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And so Nehemiah had asked
the king to be able to go,
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and then when you have a look
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across there in Nehemiah 13:6,
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at the end of
that chapter it says,
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"For in the thirty-second year
of Artaxerxes king of Babylon,
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I had returned to the king.
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Then after certain days
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I obtained leave from the king."
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And so, he'd
really made the decision,
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he's asked to have time to go,
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and the king had
said, "Yep, go ahead go."
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And then, but then
he had to head back
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because he's made that
agreement with the king
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to go back at a set time.
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So he's back with the
king and then he says,
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"I want to return."
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And the king once
again gives him permission
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to go back again.
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But he has to reinstate
him as governor again as well
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and so he gives
him the permission,
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but when he gets back,
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Chapter 13 of
Nehemiah tells a story
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about what had
happened while he was away.
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So can you just
reflect a little bit
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on what happened there?
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Yeah, it's actually
quite an interesting history
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when the Israelites were
conquering Canaan so to speak.
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They were overtaking
or coming to take the land
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that God had promised them
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and two nations, the
Ammonites and the Moabites
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caused some real
difficulties for them.
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Betraying them,
using, calling Balaam,
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the prophet to
work against them,
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not allowing them to
walk through their lands.
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And so as a result of
this, in Deuteronomy 23:3-6,
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God had actually given
commands for the Ammonites
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and the Moabites
not to have access into,
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not for, God's
people not to work with them
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and not to give them
access into the temple of God.
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And so we
actually see this picked up
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in Nehemiah Chapter 13
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which is the verse
you've asked to read.
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So Nehemiah 13:1-3, it says,
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we find Nehemiah quoting
this passage of scripture
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from Deuteronomy, it says,
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"On that day they
read from the Book of Moses
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in the hearing of the people,
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and in it was found written
that no Ammonite or Moabite
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should ever come
into the assembly of God,
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because they had not met
with the children of Israel
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with bread and water,"
they hadn't given hospitality,
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"but they had hired Balaam
against them to curse them.
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However, our God turned
the curse into a blessing.
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So it was, when
they had heard the law,
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that they separated
all the mixed multitude
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from Israel."
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Yeah.
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So there's enemies
and supporters of Nehemiah
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right there.
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Nathan, can you put
together three of these names
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you've got Eliashib,
Tobiah and Sanballat.
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How do they fit
into this picture?
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I guess we could unpack
them in a bit more detail
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but these three people
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were each
influential in a certain way.
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We have the high priest Eliashib
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who was in charge not only
of the practical operations
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at the temple or
the place of worship
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but also, he was
seen as a spiritual leader
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for the people of God.
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And he had working with him
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two other
gentlemen, Sanballat and Tobiah
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who had been opposing
Nehemiah and causing problems
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and so although
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they are supposedly
allies of God's cause,
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we find out they are actually
not so friendly and helpful.
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Okay, so there's some intrigue
around these three then?
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Can you unpack that a
little bit more for us
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someone as intrigued?
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I'm sorry to say
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that there is a
bit of a dirty laundry
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in this story and I'd
encourage our readers,
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or viewers to
go and have a look,
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but we seem to pick up here
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that the grandson
of the high priest
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had married the
daughter of Sanballat.
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Sanballat, of
course, is a governor
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of the local
territory of Samaria,
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who had been antagonistic
to the returning exiles,
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and this marriage alliance
doesn't seem to be very wise
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or very
favorable to God's people.
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Even Sanballat himself,
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his name means 'The
Moon God has given life'.
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And that name isn't just a
accidental name like George.
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This is a handpicked name
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that this guy has
adopted in adulthood
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and there's now
intermarriage between him
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and the high
priest of God's people.
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So we've got some real
problems and, of course,
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Tobiah had been
very happy to undermine
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and to ridicule and to
accuse to the Persians,
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Nehemiah's work saying
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that these people
have been insubordinate.
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So, big problems here.
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So, you say there were alliances
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that led to trouble, Blair.
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How did Nehemiah handle this?
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Yeah, well, it's
written in scripture
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here in
Nehemiah 13:4-5, it says,
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"Now before this,
Eliashib the priest,
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having authority over
the storerooms of the house
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of our God, was
allied with Tobiah.
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And he prepared
for him a large room,
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where he previously had
stored the grain offerings,
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the frankincense, the articles,
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the tithes of
grain, and the new oil,
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which he commanded to
be given to the Levites."
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And so Eliashib had
prepared a room for Tobiah,
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this Ammonite, which
was strictly forbidden.
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It was against the law
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that we just
read about previously,
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and so verse, if we
pick it up here in verse 7-9,
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we actually find
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that he kind of addresses
the problem front, head on.
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And so in verse 7, it says,
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"I came to Jerusalem
and discovered the evil
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that Eliashib
had done for Tobiah,
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in preparing a room for him
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in the courts of
the house of God."
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This grieved him.
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Verse 8, he says
as much, it says,
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"And it grieved me bitterly,
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therefore I threw
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all the household goods
of Tobiah out of the room.
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Then I commanded
them to cleanse the rooms,
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and I brought back into them
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the articles of
the house of God,
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with the grain offerings
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and the
frankincense and these things."
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And so the enemies of Nehemiah
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had sort to try to overtake his,
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the rulership of the
area and Nehemiah's posture
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was to directly
confront the problem
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and to bring back
reforms, so to speak.
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I guess when I was younger,
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I saw this as a
little bit inhospitable,
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why would it be appropriate
to kick somebody out.
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Some "poor, innocent person"
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that needed
some sort of shelter,
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you know, maybe
a homeless person."
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But if we really
look into the story,
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Tobiah is not a poor,
innocent, homeless person,
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he is
specifically being planted,
00:10:01.86\00:10:04.57
he is planting
himself in the place
00:10:04.60\00:10:07.30
that is supposed
to be God's house
00:10:07.34\00:10:09.60
so that he can directly
undermine the work of God.
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That's right, and,
Blair, you read the words,
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"and it grieved me bitterly."
00:10:15.31\00:10:16.64
Yeah.
00:10:16.68\00:10:18.01
They're pretty emotive
words, they're strong words.
00:10:18.05\00:10:19.38
That's right.
00:10:19.41\00:10:20.75
Why do you think
there was such a strong
00:10:20.78\00:10:22.12
emotive feeling about that?
00:10:22.15\00:10:23.49
Well, I mean as
we read previously,
00:10:23.52\00:10:24.85
it was a direct violation
to the clear commandments
00:10:24.89\00:10:27.16
that God had given His people.
00:10:27.19\00:10:28.69
And so, as Nehemiah is someone
00:10:28.72\00:10:30.66
who was concerned
00:10:30.69\00:10:32.03
with living faithfully
to God's commandments,
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this was
something that grieved him.
00:10:34.20\00:10:35.93
And we actually see this posture
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is not dissimilar to the posture
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that Jesus takes as well.
00:10:39.87\00:10:42.10
In the Book of
John, and in John 2,
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I want to just share with
you briefly a passage here,
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I'm in verses 15 and more,
so we'll read verse 17 here,
00:10:47.41\00:10:50.85
it says, this is Jesus
speaking about His zeal
00:10:50.88\00:10:54.32
for the house of God, it says,
00:10:54.35\00:10:55.68
"When He had
made a whip of cords,
00:10:55.72\00:10:58.25
He drove them out of the temple,
00:10:58.29\00:10:59.62
with the sheep and the oxen,
00:10:59.65\00:11:01.22
and He poured out
the changers' money
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and overturned the tables."
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And look at
verse 17 here, it says,
00:11:03.99\00:11:05.89
"Then His disciples
remembered that it was written,
00:11:05.93\00:11:08.66
'Zeal for Your
house has eaten Me up.'"
00:11:08.70\00:11:11.13
And as you see those similar,
that similar theme there,
00:11:11.17\00:11:13.37
zeal for the house of God.
00:11:13.40\00:11:14.80
Nehemiah had this
zeal for the house of God
00:11:14.84\00:11:17.77
and he wanted to see
it conducted in a way
00:11:17.81\00:11:20.54
that was honorable to God
00:11:20.58\00:11:21.91
and in accordance
with His commandments.
00:11:21.94\00:11:23.55
Yeah, that zeal
for the house of God
00:11:23.58\00:11:25.25
was actually a
Messianic prophecy, wasn't it?
00:11:25.28\00:11:27.08
That's correct.
00:11:27.12\00:11:28.45
And they look
back at that, yes, yes.
00:11:28.48\00:11:30.39
So soon after signing
the covenant to follow God,
00:11:30.42\00:11:33.39
Israel was slipping
back into its old practices.
00:11:33.42\00:11:36.26
Nathan, is there a
warning here for us?
00:11:36.29\00:11:38.59
I'm really sorry to
say that it seems like
00:11:41.76\00:11:44.37
we have a history of
not remembering our past.
00:11:44.40\00:11:48.24
Isaiah 1:3 has a
particular warning for us.
00:11:48.27\00:11:53.68
I'm gonna read here
from the NCV, it says,
00:11:53.71\00:11:59.01
"An ox knows its master
00:11:59.05\00:12:02.32
and a donkey knows
where its master feeds it,
00:12:02.35\00:12:06.49
but the people of
Israel do not know me,
00:12:06.52\00:12:10.03
my people do not understand."
00:12:10.06\00:12:12.66
That's pretty strong, isn't it?
00:12:12.69\00:12:14.03
I don't understand them.
00:12:14.06\00:12:15.40
That's a God who's very sad
00:12:15.43\00:12:16.93
because His own loved
ones are not recognizing Him,
00:12:16.97\00:12:22.34
their God.
00:12:22.37\00:12:23.71
In John Chapter 17, we
have another passage here,
00:12:23.74\00:12:27.01
this is John 17:3,
Jesus words here in red,
00:12:27.04\00:12:32.68
it says, "This is eternal life,
00:12:32.71\00:12:35.22
that they may know
You, the only true God,
00:12:35.25\00:12:38.75
and Jesus Christ
whom You have sent."
00:12:38.79\00:12:42.72
It's seems like if we don't have
00:12:42.76\00:12:44.23
this personal
relationship with God,
00:12:44.26\00:12:46.09
if we don't connect
with Him on a daily basis,
00:12:46.13\00:12:49.46
we could be liable to
be like that ox or donkey,
00:12:49.50\00:12:53.40
that doesn't even
know who's caring for it.
00:12:53.44\00:12:56.00
That's right. Yes, yes.
00:12:56.04\00:12:57.81
So Nehemiah soon discovers
there are things in the temple
00:12:57.84\00:13:00.61
weren't going as well
as they should as well.
00:13:00.64\00:13:02.78
So what steps were
taken here, Nathan,
00:13:02.81\00:13:05.61
to fix up some
problems that had arisen?
00:13:05.65\00:13:09.08
Let's have a look
00:13:09.12\00:13:10.45
at Nehemiah 13:10-11,
00:13:10.49\00:13:16.99
and this is what it says,
00:13:17.03\00:13:18.79
"I also realized
00:13:18.83\00:13:20.16
that the
portions for the Levites
00:13:20.20\00:13:21.86
had not been given to them,
00:13:21.90\00:13:24.37
for each of the
Levites and the singers
00:13:24.40\00:13:26.60
who did the work had
gone back to his field.
00:13:26.63\00:13:29.77
So I contended with
the rulers and said,
00:13:29.80\00:13:31.97
'Why is the
house of God forsaken?'
00:13:32.01\00:13:34.41
And I gathered them together
and sat them in their place.'"
00:13:34.44\00:13:38.55
So in this context
00:13:38.58\00:13:39.91
what's happening
is normally the people
00:13:39.95\00:13:42.42
that are working at the temple
00:13:42.45\00:13:43.79
were supposed to be
supported by their work
00:13:43.82\00:13:46.62
and by the people
that they were serving,
00:13:46.65\00:13:48.66
and in this case
00:13:48.69\00:13:50.26
these spiritual
leaders had been abandoned
00:13:50.29\00:13:52.99
and so they had no choice,
00:13:53.03\00:13:54.36
but to go themselves back
to common work in their field
00:13:54.40\00:13:58.60
to put food on their own table.
00:13:58.63\00:14:00.17
So supported meaning what?
00:14:00.20\00:14:03.24
With foods, with the
income, with the offerings.
00:14:03.27\00:14:08.58
It'll be financial as well as
the actual offerings themselves
00:14:08.61\00:14:13.11
which was sacrificed and
in certain cases divided up
00:14:13.15\00:14:16.52
and eaten by the Levites.
00:14:16.55\00:14:18.65
Okay.
00:14:18.69\00:14:20.02
So what was the result
00:14:20.06\00:14:21.39
after Nehemiah had set
the rulers in their place.
00:14:21.42\00:14:23.63
He's gotten
into them, hadn't he?
00:14:23.66\00:14:25.19
Yes. Yes, he's pretty direct.
00:14:25.23\00:14:26.56
Yes, yes.
00:14:26.59\00:14:27.93
Well, let's read on in
verse 12 and 13, it says,
00:14:27.96\00:14:29.90
"And then all Judah
brought the tithe of the grain
00:14:29.93\00:14:32.93
and the new wine and
the oil to the storehouse.
00:14:32.97\00:14:35.24
And I appointed as treasurers
00:14:35.27\00:14:36.84
over the storehouse
Shelemiah the priest
00:14:36.87\00:14:39.64
and Zadok the scribe,
and of the Levites, Pedaiah,
00:14:39.67\00:14:42.44
and next to them
Hanan the son of Zaccur,
00:14:42.48\00:14:45.18
and the son of Mattaniah,
00:14:45.21\00:14:46.72
for they were
considered faithful,
00:14:46.75\00:14:48.35
and their task was to distribute
00:14:48.38\00:14:50.22
to their brethren."
00:14:50.25\00:14:51.59
And so what Nehemiah
does is he rights the wrongs,
00:14:51.62\00:14:54.29
he reinstates
this financial system
00:14:54.32\00:14:56.73
and begins to
return a faithful tithe.
00:14:56.76\00:15:00.33
Again, returning
to the commandments
00:15:00.36\00:15:02.66
that God had given His people.
00:15:02.70\00:15:04.10
Okay, so
returning a faithful tithe
00:15:04.13\00:15:06.43
seemed to be something
00:15:06.47\00:15:07.94
that was really
important to Nehemiah.
00:15:07.97\00:15:10.84
So what is it about that,
that you felt so strongly,
00:15:10.87\00:15:15.51
you know, he did?
00:15:15.54\00:15:16.98
Yeah, he's, I mean,
00:15:17.01\00:15:18.61
we see this again
and again with Nehemiah.
00:15:18.65\00:15:20.62
He's concerned with
returning to God's commandments.
00:15:20.65\00:15:23.59
He's concerned with
returning to the way
00:15:23.62\00:15:25.49
that God has asked
us to live our lives.
00:15:25.52\00:15:27.69
And so we see here
in Leviticus 27:30,
00:15:27.72\00:15:32.66
we read,
00:15:32.69\00:15:34.03
"And all the tithe of the land,
00:15:34.06\00:15:35.40
whether of the seed of the land
00:15:35.43\00:15:36.77
or the fruit of the
tree is the Lord's."
00:15:36.80\00:15:38.13
It is holy to the Lord.
00:15:38.17\00:15:39.63
So we find here a
commandment to return a tithe,
00:15:39.67\00:15:43.30
and that this
tithe is holy to God.
00:15:43.34\00:15:45.54
And then we see in
verse 44, these, sorry,
00:15:45.57\00:15:48.31
verse 34 of the same chapter,
00:15:48.34\00:15:49.74
"These are the commandments
which the Lord commanded
00:15:49.78\00:15:52.15
Moses to the children
of Israel on Mount Sinai."
00:15:52.18\00:15:55.15
And so it's very clear
00:15:55.18\00:15:56.52
that God has given
a commandment to tithe
00:15:56.55\00:15:58.39
that Nehemiah is
wanting to return to that.
00:15:58.42\00:16:00.89
We also see Numbers,
Numbers 18:21, we read,
00:16:00.92\00:16:05.46
"Behold, I've given
the children of Levi
00:16:05.49\00:16:07.56
all the tithes in
Israel as an inheritance
00:16:07.60\00:16:10.00
in return for the
work which they perform
00:16:10.03\00:16:11.60
the work of the
tabernacle of meeting."
00:16:11.63\00:16:14.04
And so this tithe was
specifically to be used
00:16:14.07\00:16:16.54
for the Levites to support them,
00:16:16.57\00:16:19.54
to allow them to
perform this work
00:16:19.57\00:16:21.68
that they previously
were having to rely on,
00:16:21.71\00:16:24.15
you know, support themselves
through while trying this,
00:16:24.18\00:16:26.75
he's restoring
faithfulness to God's commands.
00:16:26.78\00:16:29.02
Absolutely.
00:16:29.05\00:16:30.39
I'm just
thinking that context too,
00:16:30.42\00:16:32.15
obviously God has
everything at His command.
00:16:32.19\00:16:36.22
And He doesn't
really depend upon humans
00:16:36.26\00:16:38.79
to finance His system,
00:16:38.83\00:16:40.60
and even the Levites themselves.
00:16:40.63\00:16:42.73
I mean, God, God has
ways of taking care of them.
00:16:42.76\00:16:44.83
But I wonder if in this system
00:16:44.87\00:16:48.27
where people were no
longer returning tithe to God,
00:16:48.30\00:16:51.94
they were making it difficult
for God to reveal to them
00:16:51.97\00:16:55.44
that He was
actually taking care of them
00:16:55.48\00:16:56.85
as a nation, as a group.
00:16:56.88\00:16:58.31
And perhaps that is why
00:16:58.35\00:16:59.88
they were so
liable to get distracted,
00:16:59.91\00:17:02.88
because they
weren't able to realize
00:17:02.92\00:17:04.89
and see that God was the one
00:17:04.92\00:17:06.76
that was caring
for them as a nation.
00:17:06.79\00:17:08.59
That's right.
00:17:08.62\00:17:09.96
So, we know
tithe was instituted.
00:17:09.99\00:17:12.59
We have records,
biblical records of it,
00:17:12.63\00:17:14.93
perhaps we don't have
time to go back to those now.
00:17:14.96\00:17:17.60
So we'll just move on
to the next question here.
00:17:17.63\00:17:20.77
And I want to read something
from Malachi about tithe.
00:17:20.80\00:17:24.57
And it's in Malachi 3:10,
00:17:24.61\00:17:27.04
probably the best
known text on tithing,
00:17:27.08\00:17:29.74
that there is, says,
00:17:29.78\00:17:31.11
"Bring all the
tithes into the storehouse,
00:17:31.15\00:17:33.42
that there may
be food in my house,
00:17:33.45\00:17:35.58
and try me now in
this, says the Lord of hosts,
00:17:35.62\00:17:39.55
if I will not open for
you the windows of heaven
00:17:39.59\00:17:42.82
and pour you out such a blessing
00:17:42.86\00:17:45.16
that there will not be
room enough to receive it."
00:17:45.19\00:17:48.06
And so there's a promise
00:17:48.10\00:17:49.43
that goes with this
particular challenge
00:17:49.46\00:17:52.23
of tithe playing here.
00:17:52.27\00:17:54.90
Nathan, what do you think
about the payment of tithe,
00:17:54.94\00:17:59.51
and maybe words associated
with a payment of tithe?
00:17:59.54\00:18:03.01
I guess we can
use different phrases
00:18:03.04\00:18:07.52
in regards to tithe,
00:18:07.55\00:18:08.88
maybe we can pay tithes
as if we're paying a bill.
00:18:08.92\00:18:13.15
Or we can return tithes,
00:18:13.19\00:18:15.02
as if it belongs
to somebody else.
00:18:15.06\00:18:18.16
Or we could talk about,
what's another word to...
00:18:18.19\00:18:22.93
You can bring the tithes
in Like bringing it forward,
00:18:22.96\00:18:26.43
as if it's something
00:18:26.47\00:18:27.80
which is personal and voluntary.
00:18:27.84\00:18:30.34
And I suppose,
from God's perspective,
00:18:30.37\00:18:34.01
I'm pretty sure
He prefers our hearts
00:18:34.04\00:18:36.51
and our attitude
00:18:36.54\00:18:37.88
more than He
depends upon our generosity.
00:18:37.91\00:18:40.75
So, as we're kind
of thinking about this,
00:18:40.78\00:18:43.28
I wonder if we
could be asking ourselves,
00:18:43.32\00:18:45.65
what is the
attitude of my heart?
00:18:45.69\00:18:48.02
Why am I contemplating
00:18:48.06\00:18:50.56
entering into a
relationship with God
00:18:50.59\00:18:52.49
with my time and my possessions?
00:18:52.53\00:18:53.86
What can I do that
connects me to my Creator?
00:18:53.90\00:18:58.73
Yes.
00:18:58.77\00:19:00.14
And it becomes an act of your
voluntary giving, doesn't it?
00:19:00.17\00:19:04.01
And I choose to give to
God and give back to God
00:19:04.04\00:19:07.14
and this is true.
00:19:07.18\00:19:08.51
So Nehemiah comes
back as we've been talking,
00:19:08.54\00:19:11.61
that there are more
parts of the covenant
00:19:11.65\00:19:13.28
that are broken,
00:19:13.31\00:19:14.65
so what else did he find?
00:19:14.68\00:19:16.48
Yeah, it seems that in
addition to the tithing,
00:19:16.52\00:19:19.35
in addition to
some of these other,
00:19:19.39\00:19:20.76
I guess backsliding,
00:19:20.79\00:19:23.73
Nehemiah finds an
issue with the Sabbath.
00:19:23.76\00:19:26.83
And so let's have a
look here in Nehemiah 10:31.
00:19:26.86\00:19:30.97
And in Nehemiah
10:31, it says this,
00:19:31.00\00:19:33.20
"If the people
of the land bought,
00:19:33.23\00:19:35.10
brought wares of any grain
to sell on the Sabbath day,
00:19:35.14\00:19:37.77
we would not buy it
from them on the Sabbath
00:19:37.81\00:19:39.77
or on a holy day,
00:19:39.81\00:19:41.14
and we would forego
the seventh years produce
00:19:41.18\00:19:43.28
and the exacting of every debt."
00:19:43.31\00:19:45.81
And then across in
verse, Chapter 13 in,
00:19:45.85\00:19:49.32
Nehemiah Chapter 13, verses...
00:19:49.35\00:19:52.35
Seventeen? Let's
have a look here.
00:19:55.46\00:19:57.76
Seventeen? Yup 17.
00:19:57.79\00:19:59.83
And it says, "Then I contended
with the nobles of Judah,
00:19:59.86\00:20:03.30
and said to them,
00:20:03.33\00:20:04.67
what evil thing
is this that you do
00:20:04.70\00:20:06.84
by which you
profane the Sabbath day?"
00:20:06.87\00:20:09.60
Did, not your father's do thus
00:20:09.64\00:20:11.57
and, you know,
brought disaster upon them.
00:20:11.61\00:20:14.78
And so we see
this concept of Sabbath
00:20:14.81\00:20:17.05
breaking taking place.
00:20:17.08\00:20:18.41
Working on the Sabbath and
trading on the Sabbath day,
00:20:18.45\00:20:21.65
commerce and things of the sort.
00:20:21.68\00:20:23.02
It was a concern to Nehemiah.
00:20:23.05\00:20:24.39
Yes.
00:20:24.42\00:20:25.75
Did he ever
remind them of the past?
00:20:25.79\00:20:28.96
What happens when
you break the Sabbath?
00:20:28.99\00:20:31.39
All right.
00:20:31.43\00:20:32.76
I mean, the verse
we just read there,
00:20:32.79\00:20:34.13
verse 17, it says, "I contend
with the nobles of Judea,"
00:20:34.16\00:20:37.83
and so we see that
he met the issue again,
00:20:37.87\00:20:40.54
in classic Nehemiah
style, he met the issue head on,
00:20:40.57\00:20:43.94
and he dealt with it as swiftly
and as gracefully as he could.
00:20:43.97\00:20:49.08
And he reminded them of
the failures of the past
00:20:49.11\00:20:52.01
as we just read there.
00:20:52.05\00:20:53.38
You know, in the past,
we've made these mistakes,
00:20:53.42\00:20:54.85
let's return to faithfulness
to God and to His Word.
00:20:54.88\00:20:57.49
All right.
00:20:57.52\00:20:58.85
So besides a straight talker,
Nehemiah is a man of action.
00:20:58.89\00:21:03.12
What other actions did
he take, I mean he's verbal,
00:21:03.16\00:21:05.53
but what else did he do there?
00:21:05.56\00:21:07.80
I guess if I'm looking
at the following verses,
00:21:07.83\00:21:11.33
this is Nehemiah
13:19, 20, 21, and 22.
00:21:11.37\00:21:16.27
In addition to
having a discussion
00:21:16.30\00:21:19.34
about the philosophy
00:21:19.37\00:21:22.01
or the ideology of
the Sabbath keeping,
00:21:22.04\00:21:24.65
it seems like he also made some,
00:21:24.68\00:21:26.98
took some practical
steps to talk to those
00:21:27.02\00:21:29.62
who take care of the
gates, to talk to the traders,
00:21:29.65\00:21:31.89
to talk to the people and say,
00:21:31.92\00:21:33.36
You know what, we have
decided intellectually,
00:21:33.39\00:21:36.56
but let's put some practical
things in place as well,
00:21:36.59\00:21:39.16
to ensure that we as a
people can be honorable.
00:21:39.19\00:21:42.76
If one or two of
us feel a bit tempted
00:21:42.80\00:21:44.30
and want to take a
shortcut somewhere.
00:21:44.33\00:21:46.47
Let's support each
other in solidarity
00:21:46.50\00:21:48.97
and take these steps
00:21:49.00\00:21:51.21
so that we can
corporately as a community
00:21:51.24\00:21:54.14
focus on God's
rather than ourselves
00:21:54.18\00:21:56.18
and our financial
interest on the Sabbath.
00:21:56.21\00:21:58.01
Yes.
00:21:58.05\00:21:59.38
So what did Nehemiah
actually do, physically,
00:21:59.41\00:22:02.22
there on the Sabbath, or
a bit before the Sabbath,
00:22:02.25\00:22:05.72
in fact, closing gates?
00:22:05.75\00:22:07.52
You're talking about verse 19,
00:22:07.56\00:22:08.89
yeah, they're having the
gates closed before dark,
00:22:08.92\00:22:11.36
that's verse 19,
00:22:11.39\00:22:12.73
posting some of his own servants
00:22:12.76\00:22:14.66
so that no
burdens be brought in.
00:22:14.70\00:22:16.93
Verse 20, the merchants
00:22:16.97\00:22:18.33
and the sellers
of all kinds of wares
00:22:18.37\00:22:21.20
lodged outside Jerusalem.
00:22:21.24\00:22:23.77
The
encouragement, because I'm sure,
00:22:23.81\00:22:25.74
trader could have been
coming in from afar saying,
00:22:25.77\00:22:27.91
well, hey, I
come from a long way.
00:22:27.94\00:22:29.88
It's Friday night,
when Sabbath's finished,
00:22:29.91\00:22:31.85
you know, sell a
little bit, I'll move on.
00:22:31.88\00:22:33.21
He's saying, no, you
guys you're your journey,
00:22:33.25\00:22:34.95
get here before sunset Friday.
00:22:34.98\00:22:36.82
Otherwise we'll see you Sunday.
00:22:36.85\00:22:38.75
That's right, yeah, yes,
00:22:38.79\00:22:40.56
he even threaten
those outside the gates.
00:22:40.59\00:22:42.66
Don't come, don't
come from outside.
00:22:42.69\00:22:44.49
Don't bring
temptation into my house.
00:22:44.53\00:22:47.60
So, the Sabbath
was really important.
00:22:47.63\00:22:50.17
So what does
sanctifying the Sabbath
00:22:50.20\00:22:52.77
actually mean here you think?
00:22:52.80\00:22:55.44
Okay, so, the word sanctify
might be a bit of a funny word
00:22:55.47\00:22:59.14
now to speak today,
00:22:59.17\00:23:00.74
but something that is sanctified
00:23:00.78\00:23:03.11
is something that is
special, unique, set apart,
00:23:03.14\00:23:06.31
like a wedding
dress, for example.
00:23:06.35\00:23:08.22
It's the kind of dress
00:23:08.25\00:23:09.58
that is reserved
for a special occasion,
00:23:09.62\00:23:11.65
I wouldn't expect someone
00:23:11.69\00:23:13.02
to do an oil
change in a wedding dress,
00:23:13.05\00:23:14.62
I mean, you physically could,
00:23:14.66\00:23:16.52
but it's really
not the kind of dress
00:23:16.56\00:23:18.69
that is well suited to that.
00:23:18.73\00:23:20.23
So the Sabbath is something
which is a little bit special,
00:23:20.26\00:23:23.43
very special, set apart
for a very specific purpose.
00:23:23.47\00:23:27.07
And people think, well,
it doesn't really matter
00:23:27.10\00:23:29.04
if I change the oil
in my wedding dress,
00:23:29.07\00:23:31.77
no one's going to know.
00:23:31.81\00:23:33.48
But even if you
do a really good job
00:23:33.51\00:23:34.84
and what are you telling
everybody about your wedding?
00:23:34.88\00:23:36.51
You know, what do you
tell everybody about that,
00:23:36.54\00:23:38.18
the significance of
that particular symbol
00:23:38.21\00:23:40.62
of your relationship
00:23:40.65\00:23:41.98
and the Sabbath is a symbol
of our relationship with God,
00:23:42.02\00:23:45.05
reminding us of
His creative power
00:23:45.09\00:23:47.46
and His redeeming power.
00:23:47.49\00:23:48.82
It's interesting, I think
that's really the rationale
00:23:48.86\00:23:51.96
behind verse 15 there,
00:23:51.99\00:23:53.33
which we were
trying to read earlier on,
00:23:53.36\00:23:55.56
where it talks
about, in those days,
00:23:55.60\00:23:57.60
I saw the people of Judah
00:23:57.63\00:23:58.97
trading
winepresses on the Sabbath,
00:23:59.00\00:24:00.34
bringing sheaves.
00:24:00.37\00:24:01.70
They were doing
all kinds of burdens,
00:24:01.74\00:24:03.84
carrying burdens
and I warned them
00:24:03.87\00:24:05.44
not to sell
provisions on this day.
00:24:05.47\00:24:07.61
I think that really,
00:24:07.64\00:24:08.98
coming back to
that is the rationale
00:24:09.01\00:24:10.41
for why this,
00:24:10.45\00:24:12.41
why Nehemiah saw
a need to change,
00:24:12.45\00:24:14.38
there needs to be
something different,
00:24:14.42\00:24:15.95
something set apart,
00:24:15.98\00:24:17.42
as, you know, as
we've been drawing out here
00:24:17.45\00:24:19.02
that really
brings us into a posture
00:24:19.05\00:24:21.59
of holy observance.
00:24:21.62\00:24:24.03
Now, it bring out too
who's benefiting here,
00:24:24.06\00:24:26.33
because the people that
are carrying the burdens
00:24:26.36\00:24:29.36
are the servants,
00:24:29.40\00:24:30.73
the guys making the
money are the managers,
00:24:30.77\00:24:33.13
the managers want
to break the Sabbath
00:24:33.17\00:24:35.17
to make their servants work,
00:24:35.20\00:24:36.60
but the servant according
to the Bible gets a rest.
00:24:36.64\00:24:39.77
So God says to the manager,
give your servant a rest,
00:24:39.81\00:24:43.51
manager says, I don't want to.
00:24:43.55\00:24:44.95
God says, hey,
00:24:44.98\00:24:46.35
it's in
contractual writing here,
00:24:46.38\00:24:48.88
give the servant a rest.
00:24:48.92\00:24:50.25
So this is a
protection for those
00:24:50.29\00:24:51.62
that have been taken
advantage of by their managers.
00:24:51.65\00:24:53.29
Even the animals needed a rest.
00:24:53.32\00:24:54.66
Yes.
00:24:54.69\00:24:56.02
The animals did as well.
00:24:56.06\00:24:57.39
Okay.
00:24:57.43\00:24:58.76
So we know Jesus
worshiped on the Sabbath.
00:24:58.79\00:25:00.46
It was His custom to do
that, to go into the synagogue.
00:25:00.50\00:25:03.77
So He also came
under a lot of scrutiny
00:25:03.80\00:25:07.64
for His
observance of the Sabbath.
00:25:07.67\00:25:09.70
Did He lay down
some principles for us
00:25:09.74\00:25:12.04
that we can take notice
of in the Sabbath worship?
00:25:12.07\00:25:15.24
Yeah, Jesus really made
some major shifts with the way
00:25:15.28\00:25:18.78
that the
religious rules of His time
00:25:18.81\00:25:20.35
were dealing with the Sabbath
and treating the Sabbath.
00:25:20.38\00:25:23.15
We see in Mark 2:27-28,
00:25:23.18\00:25:25.85
that Jesus talks
about the Sabbath
00:25:25.89\00:25:27.59
being made for mankind
and not man for the Sabbath.
00:25:27.62\00:25:30.33
So we're kind of
creating a redefinition there
00:25:30.36\00:25:32.49
of what the purpose
of the Sabbath is...
00:25:32.53\00:25:34.10
So that's to benefit man.
00:25:34.13\00:25:35.60
Correct. That's right.
00:25:35.63\00:25:36.97
Yeah, it's not a
burden, it's a benefit.
00:25:37.00\00:25:39.07
It's a blessing, as with
all of God's commandments.
00:25:39.10\00:25:42.20
We see also in Mark 3:4,
00:25:42.24\00:25:44.64
Jesus does says
00:25:44.67\00:25:46.11
that it's lawful to
do good on the Sabbath.
00:25:46.14\00:25:47.91
He's communicating the
value of acts of compassion,
00:25:47.94\00:25:52.11
acts of love, on the Sabbath.
00:25:52.15\00:25:54.78
Even when we come
to John Chapter 15,
00:25:54.82\00:25:57.45
we see, sorry, Luke Chapter 13.
00:25:57.49\00:25:59.79
In Luke Chapter 13
00:25:59.82\00:26:01.16
we see the story of
the woman infirmity.
00:26:01.19\00:26:03.19
And Jesus talks
about it being lawful
00:26:03.22\00:26:05.63
to relieve
suffering on the Sabbath day.
00:26:05.66\00:26:08.73
So something, I
guess redefinitions
00:26:08.76\00:26:11.40
of how we
approach the Sabbath there.
00:26:11.43\00:26:13.30
Yes. Yeah.
00:26:13.34\00:26:14.67
Yeah, that was, even
the word bondage there,
00:26:14.70\00:26:16.71
free her from bondage.
00:26:16.74\00:26:18.41
So she was
released there, wasn't she?
00:26:18.44\00:26:20.81
So Nehemiah took his
problems to God in prayer.
00:26:20.84\00:26:23.04
That's pretty powerful.
00:26:23.08\00:26:24.41
So why do you think he
asked God to remember him?
00:26:24.45\00:26:27.15
Yeah, we see that
in Nehemiah 13:14,
00:26:27.18\00:26:30.55
he says, Remember me,
00:26:30.59\00:26:31.92
and we see this
crop up three other times
00:26:31.95\00:26:33.69
in verse 22, and verse 31.
00:26:33.72\00:26:36.09
And I think Nehemiah is trying
to call the attention of God
00:26:36.12\00:26:39.73
back on to the fact
that he had come previously
00:26:39.76\00:26:42.66
and had been trying to reform
00:26:42.70\00:26:44.27
and bring everyone back
to the commandments of God.
00:26:44.30\00:26:47.14
And he wasn't necessarily
responsible for the things
00:26:47.17\00:26:49.20
that had happened as a result
00:26:49.24\00:26:50.57
of these other
rulers that had gone,
00:26:50.61\00:26:52.27
but he was just trying
to draw God's attention
00:26:52.31\00:26:54.34
back to the efforts to
return to faithfulness.
00:26:54.38\00:26:56.85
Yeah, so there was
tithing, there was Sabbath.
00:26:56.88\00:26:59.38
There were some of these things
that God wanted to happen.
00:26:59.41\00:27:03.55
Nehemiah brought them
back to their attention,
00:27:03.59\00:27:05.99
drew them closer to the ideal
00:27:06.02\00:27:08.76
that He had set out for
them in the first place.
00:27:08.79\00:27:11.49
So I think that's probably,
our time is just about gone.
00:27:11.53\00:27:15.10
And so Nehemiah was
able to lead his people
00:27:15.13\00:27:17.63
back to worshiping
as God had directed.
00:27:17.67\00:27:20.10
All were blessed by obeying God
00:27:20.14\00:27:22.20
and worshiping
Him on His Sabbath.
00:27:22.24\00:27:24.31
We too are
blessed as we worship God
00:27:24.34\00:27:26.44
who is our Creator and our Lord.
00:27:26.47\00:27:28.84
Thank you for
joining us on Let God Speak.
00:27:28.88\00:27:31.48
You can view all past programs
00:27:31.51\00:27:33.31
and the teachers'
notes on our website,
00:27:33.35\00:27:35.55
3abnaustralia.org.au,
00:27:35.58\00:27:38.52
and you can email us
00:27:38.55\00:27:40.29
on lgs@3abnaustralia.org.au.
00:27:40.32\00:27:44.73
God bless.
00:27:44.76\00:27:46.09