An Ongoing Reformation

As we’ve studied Ezra and Nehemiah over the past 7 months, I have been repeating the background to this part of Israel’s history. First of all, I did that to help those among us who haven’t been with us for the entire journey. This is not a familiar portion of the Old Testament. Secondly, I did it because I recognize that the recollection of dates and of historical events are not a strongpoint for many of us.

If you’ve gotten tired of me repeating the story over and over again, you’ll be happy to know that this is the last time, at least for a while. Today we come to the final portion of the book of Nehemiah.

Israel was destroyed by foreign nations. The people were cast out of their land as a result of God’s judgment for their continued rebellion. But in God’s faithfulness, they have been allowed to return.

Over the course of about 100 years, three different groups of leaders left Persia and helped restore Israel and, in particular, the city of Jerusalem.

Zerubbabel and Jeshua came with the first group around 536 BC. They rebuilt the altar and laid the foundation for the Temple. Then, 20 years later, after the work had paused for a while, the Temple was complete. This is what historians refer to as the Second Temple. The first Temple was the one Solomon built.

Around 458 BC, Ezra the priest and scribe—the expert in God’s law—left Persia for Jerusalem, and he played a major role in turning the people back to the word of God. He brings a reformation through confession, repentance, and obedience.

The third journey back to Jerusalem comes around 445 BC under the leadership of Nehemiah. If you remember, Nehemiah’s heart was broken when he found out that the city was not rebuilt. So, he prayed. And with the blessing of the Persian king, he leaves to help the people rebuild the wall around the city and get back on track with obedience to God’s word.

When we left off the story last time in Nehemiah 12, we saw that the wall was completed, and Nehemiah and Ezra led the people in a joyful ceremony dedicating the completed structure. If this was a traditional movie with a happy ending, this is where the story would have ended. But that’s not what we find as we come to the end of the book.

We find that Nehemiah has had to fulfill his original obligation to return to the Persian palace. Verse 6 tells us that he returned in the 32^nd year of Artaxerxes, which would be around 433 BC. We don’t know exactly how long he was gone, but it long enough for Israel to go right back to her old ways.

I’m sure every mom understands that feeling. You clean a room, you pick up a mess, you deal with an argument among the kids, and before you know it, it all goes back to the way it was. It doesn’t stay fixed. There’s another problem to address, another mess to clean, and another fight to break up.

The final section of Nehemiah’s story is a reminder, not just about Israel’s tendencies, but about the reality of the human condition. For some reason, we live as though one day, we won’t have to deal with sin in our own lives and in the lives of others, but that’s not going to happen this side of heaven. There will always be another mess to clean.

As much as we might want to praise Nehemiah for his leadership, it’s almost as if he wants to say to his readers, “Wait a minute. Don’t get too excited here. All I did was patch some holes, but Israel is still in a serious mess. The work is never finished.”

If you’d like to read mor about the state of Israel during the time Nehemiah was away, you can read the message of Malachi, which is the final book of the Old Testament. You can see what they thought of God and what God thought of them. It’s not a good picture.

But, eventually Nehemiah returned. This would be, then, a fourth journey from Persian to Jerusalem. Nehemiah comes back, and rather than give us a lengthy description, he simply summarizes it at the end of the book.

We’ve already talked about these issues numerous times, so I won’t spend a lot of time doing that, but I do want to talk about Nehemiah’s role one final time.

Specifically, Nehemiah points out three areas that needed to be addressed upon his second arrival. And in each of those areas, we can identify three basic phases of Nehemiah’s work. First, there is an observation. Second, there is a correction, and finally, there is a petition. Observation, correction, and petition. That’s how I’m going to structure our study this morning. And we’ll be looking at each of these phases for each of the problems.

Let’s start with Nehemiah’s observation. He comes back to Jerusalem, and what does he find?

First, he finds a problem concerning the Temple. Look at verse 4—Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, and who was related to Tobiah, [5] prepared for Tobiah a large chamber where they had previously put the grain offering, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil, which were given by commandment to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests.

Eliashib is the high priest. He’s in charge of making sure the Temple worship and the Levites are provided for. But he decided he was going to rent out some space in the Temple to guy named Tobiah the Ammonite.

Does that name sound familiar? He was one of the enemies, along with Sanballat the Horonite, whom we met earlier in Nehemiah in chapters 2, 4, and 6. This was a wicked man who opposed the work of God. He wanted to stop the rebuilding of the wall.

Why did the high priest give him his own room to rent in the Temple? It doesn’t say exactly, but it does say that Eliashib was related to him. So that’s one factor. He cared more about pleasing his in-laws than pleasing God. And apparently, nobody had the courage to stand up to him.

In verse 7, Nehemiah refers to it as the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, preparing for him a chamber in the courts of the house of God.

The high priest took what was holy, and used it for his personal gain. Now, renting out space for some personal benefit is not only evil because it disobeys God’s law; it also robs the Temple of space needed for its own work and workers.

Look at verse 10. Nehemiah’s observation continues—I also found out that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had fled each to his field.

If there’s not enough provision for the Levites in the Temple, the Levites have to leave to try and make a living for themselves. But that was not God’s design. The Temple work was supposed to support them.

Nehemiah arrives in Jerusalem, and this is what he discovers. That’s the first observation—a problem concerning the Temple.

The second observation he makes comes to us in verse 15. Nehemiah sees a problem concerning the Sabbath. A problem concerning the Sabbath.

Verse 15—In those days I saw in Judah people treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. [16] Tyrians also, who lived in the city, brought in fish and all kinds of goods and sold them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah, in Jerusalem itself!

The people are buying and selling on the Sabbath day, which is supposed to be holy. No work was supposed to be done. It was not a day for commerce, but for contemplation.

So, Nehemiah’s observation is that there’s a problem with the Temple, there’s a problem with the Sabbath, and thirdly, there’s a problem with intermarriage. A problem with intermarriage. The people were mixing again with the foreigners around them.

Look at verses 23 and 24—In those days also I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but only the language of each people.

Remember, intermarriage was not a racial issue; it was about religion. It defiled the people. It turned them away from the law of God.

There are immigrant parents today who wish their children could grow up and speak their parents’ language, but this is a deeper problem than that. To lose the Hebrew language, is to lose the ability to read and understand the law of God. It is to erase the biblical heritage of God’s people.

Seeing another fall of the Israelite people, what does Nehemiah do? This moves us to the second phase. He goes from observation to correction.

What does that correction look like? Number 1, it’s emotional. Sometimes, emotions can be a dangerous thing, but there are times when emotions honor God. This is one of those times. Nehemiah feels the wickedness of what’s going on, and he responds appropriately.

Secondly, Nehemiah’s response is practical. He doesn’t just get angry, he takes real action to correct what’s going on.

Number 3, his correction is confrontational. Again, confrontation might be very ungodly most of the time, but Nehemiah reminds us that there is a time and a place for confrontational correction. And in this case, it is for the people of God who have willingly and repeatedly rebelled against the word of God.

Lastly, Nehemiah’s correction is biblical. It’s rooted in the word of God, which is the instrument God has given us to restore us to Himself. Let’s see how these elements show up in Nehemiah’s corrections.

In regard to the problems in the Temple, look at verse 8—And I was very angry, and I threw all the household furniture of Tobiah out of the chamber. [9] Then I gave orders, and they cleansed the chambers, and I brought back there the vessels of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.

Righteous anger rooted in the glory and holiness of God is rare today because honoring God is equated with always being polite and courteous. Nehemiah, on the other hand, throws Tobiah’s furniture out of the Temple chamber. I’m sure it was quite a scene—not what people were expecting that day in the Temple courtyard. Maybe some of the kids are giggling, but the adults know this is a serious step. This is a visible declaration saying, “This is not your place anymore! You don’t live here, Tobiah!” And then Nehemiah he sets up a team to get things back to the way they are supposed to be.

Again, this is not just a man bothered that things aren’t going his way. This is a man zealous for the glory of God, and he knows that the way to bring the people back in this case is not only drastic, but it needs to be rooted in God’s word.

Nehemiah establishes, once again, the biblical pattern for Israelite worship. Verses 11-13—So I confronted the officials and said, “Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their stations. [12] Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses. [13] And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouses Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, and as their assistant Hanan the son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, for they were considered reliable, and their duty was to distribute to their brothers.

Nehemiah makes sure the Levites are taken care of, so they need to work in their own fields. They can be totally committed to the work of leading the people in worship.

Now, the correction to the problem with the Sabbath comes in verses 17-22. Here’s what it says—Then I confronted the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day? [18] Did not your fathers act in this way, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Now you are bringing more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”

[19] As soon as it began to grow dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and gave orders that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. And I stationed some of my servants at the gates, that no load might be brought in on the Sabbath day. [20] Then the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice. [21] But I warned them and said to them, “Why do you lodge outside the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time on they did not come on the Sabbath. [22] Then I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates, to keep the Sabbath day holy.

This is the heart and pattern as before: expose the problem, fix the problem, and take steps to make sure the problem doesn’t come back anytime soon. And you can feel the emotion behind this. You can see how drastic this correction was. He confronted. He commanded. He warned.

The final correction comes in verses 25-31. This is the most drastic of the three. This is the correction to the problem of intermarriage, and what sight to behold it must have been.

Verse 25—And I confronted them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair. And I made them take an oath in the name of God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. [26] Did not Solomon king of Israel sin on account of such women? Among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, foreign women made even him to sin. [27] Shall we then listen to you and do all this great evil and act treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women?” [28] And one of the sons of Jehoiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was the son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite. Therefore I chased him from me. [29] Remember them, O my God, because they have desecrated the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites. [30] Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign, and I established the duties of the priests and Levites, each in his work; [31] and I provided for the wood offering at appointed times, and for the firstfruits.

Why was this such a big deal? Because the corruption had made itself all the way to the top. Even a relative of the high priest had allowed his son to marry a foreigner, a relative of Sanballat.

This is not like today’s society today where children turn 18, and they have the legal right to do whatever they want. This was a society in which fathers had a strong authority over their children’s life. So, if a Jewish son wanted to marry a foreign, idolatrous woman, that son should have been cast out, removed from society. But apparently, no one did anything. To them, this sin was no big deal.

But this was no small issue with God, and so, Nehemiah responds accordingly. He even prays that God would judge them accordingly. That was verse 29—Remember them, O my God, because they have desecrated the priesthood.

And this brings us to the final phase of Nehemiah’s final reforms. He made his observation. He made his correction. And finally, he makes his petition. He ends each section with a prayer.

Look at verse 14. This is the prayer concerning the problems with the Temple. Verse 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 his service.

And his prayer concerning the problems with the Sabbath—that comes at the end of verse 22—Remember this also in my favor, O my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love.

The final petition, the one related to the problem of intermarriage, is the end of verse 30—very similar to the previous ones, but much more brief. These are the closing words of the book—Remember me, O my God, for good.

What’s the point of those prayers? What is Nehemiah asking for? Nehemiah wants God to bless his efforts. He wants the fruit of his ministry to endure, but I don’t think that’s the heart behind these prayers.

I think the heart behind these prayers is to say this: “God, would you, in Your mercy, reward me for the work I’ve done. If there is to be no lasting fruit, do not judge me on the basis of the disobedience, rebellion, and stubbornness of these people. I’ve done what I can. Have mercy on me, O God.”

That’s not a very triumphant note to end on, is it? The book ends pointing us to a simple message that is a frustrating reality. Israel cannot be restored permanently through any human effort. God has used multiple men to lead the people back to God and to His word. But up to this point, no restoration has had any permanent effect. Israel cannot stay faithful to her God and her Redeemer.

So, what’s the lesson here for us today? In terms of our own personal lives, I’m sure we can, once again, glean some helpful reminders from the ministry of Nehemiah.

First of all, as God’s people we recognize that we are called to be holy. So, we should deal decisively with sin in our own lives and in our own spiritual family. We can’t be complacent. We need to take action, even drastic action if necessary. We need to see how easily our lives are pulled into this world, and we need to fight every day to be faithful to the word of God.

Jesus said it like this: If your hand or your eye causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. He was obviously speaking metaphorically, but the point is clear. Do whatever it takes to get away from sin. Put sin to death in your life.

A second lesson we see in Nehemiah’s life is the reminder that what God expects most from us is not something that can be measured according to an earthly standard. God’s measurement of success is faithfulness. Faithfulness. Even if we don’t see the fruit of our work, we need to persevere, knowing that God will reward our efforts. In the Lord, our labor is not in vain.

What a good reminder this is for those of us who are in leadership. Parents, pastors, teachers—God is not going to judge you, ultimately, based on how you kids turn out, or how your students turn out. God is going to judge you based on your faithfulness to His word and His heart. God sees the effort your putting into ministry, and He will reward you.

The final lesson, however, is the most important and foundational lesson. And that is the reminder of how helpless we are as a people. Like Israel, we can’t stay focused on the right things. We lose our way so quickly.

Our fight against sin, and our ministry toward others is meaningless in and of itself. We cannot do it right.

Nehemiah’s final frustration is a frustration that Israel had to live with for over 400 years after he died. When is Israel going to get fixed? How is that going to happen? How are you and I supposed to be fixed?

The answer comes in the gift of God’s only Son. Ezra and Nehemiah’s reformations were temporary. But one day, Israel would receive a permanent restoration. They are going to be changed not from the outside, but from the inside.

One day, they are going to have circumcised hearts. One day, they will get a new heart. These are realities tied to what Jeremiah calls a new covenant. God’s law will be within them, and they will be God’s people.

Jesus came as a greater Nehemiah. His zeal for God’s Temple and God’s glory was even greater. And yet, Israel rejected Him. Instead they put Him to death.

But this horrible rejection of God led to the fulfilment of God’s promise. The death of Jesus Christ was the payment for sin and the institution of that promised New Covenant.

Ezra and Nehemiah’s reforms had no staying power, but as Jesus died, He said, “It is finished.” God’s plan to accomplish redemption was complete. And on the third day, Jesus rose in glory and power, demonstrating what He would accomplish for all His people.

This is what you and I need more than anything else. Our lives are messed up. Our marriages, our jobs. Everything is corrupted, but the worst corruption is in our own hearts. And there’s only one way to fix it—through the death, and the resurrection, and the power of Jesus Christ.

You and I can’t do any of this alone. We need something, we need someone outside of us. We need the sacrifice of Christ applied in our place, the only basis of forgiveness and transformation, and we need the constant work of the Spirit of God to keep us focused on Him.

Jesus is the only way to live a life that God accepts and that pleases Him. Confess your sin. Trust in Jesus. And beg Him to show you mercy. Do it today. Do it every day, and God will begin an amazing work in your life, and He will complete it one day as well.