PURIFY THE LIFESTYLE

Passage: Nehemiah 13:15-31

Key verse: 22

NIV

15 In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, together with wine, grapes, figs and all other kinds of loads. And they were bringing all this into Jerusalem on the Sabbath.(A) Therefore I warned them against selling food on that day. 16 People from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them in Jerusalem on the Sabbath(B) to the people of Judah. 17 I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this wicked thing you are doing—desecrating the Sabbath day? 18 Didn’t your ancestors do the same things, so that our God brought all this calamity on us and on this city?(C) Now you are stirring up more wrath against Israel by desecrating the Sabbath.”(D)

19 When evening shadows fell on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath,(E) I ordered the doors to be shut and not opened until the Sabbath was over. I stationed some of my own men at the gates so that no load could be brought in on the Sabbath day. 20 Once or twice the merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside Jerusalem. 21 But I warned them and said, “Why do you spend the night by the wall? If you do this again, I will arrest you.” From that time on they no longer came on the Sabbath. 22 Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and go and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy.

Remember(F) me for this also, my God, and show mercy to me according to your great love.

23 Moreover, in those days I saw men of Judah who had married(G) women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab.(H) 24 Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or the language of one of the other peoples, and did not know how to speak the language(I) of Judah. 25 I rebuked them and called curses down on them. I beat some of the men and pulled out their hair. I made them take an oath(J) in God’s name and said: “You are not to give your daughters in marriage to their sons, nor are you to take their daughters in marriage for your sons or for yourselves.(K) 26 Was it not because of marriages like these that Solomon king of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no king like him.(L) He was loved by his God,(M) and God made him king over all Israel, but even he was led into sin by foreign women.(N) 27 Must we hear now that you too are doing all this terrible wickedness and are being unfaithful to our God by marrying(O) foreign women?”

28 One of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib(P) the high priest was son-in-law to Sanballat(Q) the Horonite. And I drove him away from me.

29 Remember(R) them, my God, because they defiled the priestly office and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.(S)

30 So I purified the priests and the Levites of everything foreign,(T) and assigned them duties, each to his own task. 31 I also made provision for contributions of wood(U) at designated times, and for the firstfruits.(V)

Remember(W) me with favor, my God.

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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

15 In those days I saw in Judah people treading winepresses (A)on the Sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, (B)which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And (C)I warned them on the day when they sold food. 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! 17 (D)Then I confronted the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing that you are doing, (E)profaning the Sabbath day? 18 (F)Did not your fathers act in this way, and did not our God bring all this disaster[a] on us and on this city? Now you are bringing more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”

19 As soon as it (G)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 (H)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 (I)that they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates, to keep the Sabbath day holy. (J)Remember this also in my favor, O my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love.

23 In those days also I saw the Jews (K)who had married women (L)of Ashdod, (M)Ammon, and (N)Moab. 24 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. 25 (O)And I confronted them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair. (P)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 (Q)Did not Solomon king of Israel sin on account of such women? (R)Among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was (S)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 (T)act treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women?”

28 And one of the sons of (U)Jehoiada, the son of (V)Eliashib the high priest, was the son-in-law of (W)Sanballat the Horonite. Therefore I chased him from me. 29 (X)Remember them, O my God, because they have desecrated the priesthood (Y)and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

30 (Z)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 (AA)for the wood offering (AB)at appointed times, and for the firstfruits.

(AC)Remember me, O my God, for good.

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Footnotes
  1. Nehemiah 13:18 The Hebrew word can mean evil, harm, or disaster, depending on the context
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

The Israelites quickly returned to a lawless lifestyle. Nehemiah reinforced the Sabbath law by banning people from buying and selling on the Sabbath and by keeping the gates closed and guarded on the Sabbath so that foreign merchants would not enter the city for business (19). Nehemiah ordered the Levites to purify themselves first and guard the gates (22). Spiritual leaders must be awake and alert to fight against the influence of the world.

Mixed marriage and the cultural and spiritual influence the foreign mothers had on the children (24) was another issue Nehemiah severely delt with (25). Even the high priest had his grandson marry a daughter of Sanballat the Horonite, who opposed the work of God (2:19). Nehemiah drove him out of his position (28).

Nehemiah as a leader built a new system to uphold spiritual authority. The restoration of God's people began with rebuilding the temple and the wall. They read the Law and had a new decision to obey his commands. However, the Israelites’ failure to sustain their decision shows that the restoration of people can only be achieved from a personal level when each one works to keep their heart pure and honor God.

Prayer: Father, I have a desire to be right before you, but I am too weak to keep up. Please give me a pure heart and restore my life in you.

One Word: Purify yourself and guard the gates.