Nehemiah 13: Reformation of the People...Again.

Read Nehemiah 13:1-3

Opening Prayer Read Nehemiah 13:4-9 Read Nehemiah 13:10-14

Psalm 119:18 Read Nehemiah 13:15-22 Read Nehemiah 13:23-31

BIG Picture: Context

After 12 years in (455 – 433 B.C.; Fensham, 260), Nehemiah returned to Per- sia for a short time. After a while, he was able to go back to Jerusalem. But on his return, he discovered a number of ways the Jews had failed to obey God. They had disregarded the purity of the temple services (vv. 4-9), stopped giving proper compen- sation to the Levites (vv. 10-14), started working on the Sabbath (vv. 15-22), and mar- ried foreign women (vv. 1-3; 23-31).

Brief Background

In Nehemiah 13:14, Nehemiah prayed, “Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out my loyal deeds which I have performed for the house of my God and its services.” The word translated “loyal deeds” (hesed) is elsewhere translated lov- ingkindness (e.g., Ps. 33:5) or faithfulness (e.g., Is. 55:3). In many places it refers to the special covenant love God demonstrates toward his people. Here, Nehemiah se- lects this word to express his affection and unwavering loyalty to the purity of temple worship. His care for the temple and its services reveals his love for God (cf., Fensham, 262).

Sometimes it is difficult to understand why God did not permit Jews to marry women from other nations (foreign women). See “Tough Verse Alert” on the last page.

F. Charles Fensham, The Books of and Nehemiah (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1982). Nehemiah 13: Reformation of the People...Again.

Observation Questions

What book was read aloud (v. 1)? The book of Moses refers to the first five books of the .

What did they discover by reading the book of Moses (v. 1)?

According to v. 2, why did God exclude people who were not Jews from being part of their people?

How did the Jews respond (v. 3)?

Who was the priest at this time (v. 4)?

What did Eliashib do for (v. 5)? In light of vv. 1-3, why do you think Nehe- miah was angry (v. 8)?

Where was Nehemiah during this time (v. 6)?

What did Nehemiah do when he returned according to vv. 8-9?

What else did Nehemiah discover (v. 10)?

What were the Levites forced to do since they were not given their portions (v. 10?)

How did Nehemiah respond to this situation (v. 11)?

What kind of men did Nehemiah choose to be in charge of the storehouses (v. 13)?

What did Nehemiah pray for God to do in v. 14? Nehemiah 13: Reformation of the People...Again.

Observation Questions con.

But that’s not the end of the problems…what else did Nehemiah discover upon his return (v. 15)?

What day were the Jews buying and selling food (v. 15)? Look up Exodus 20:8-11. What did God command the Jews to do on the Sabbath?

According to v. 17, who had failed to prevent the people from disobeying God?

What did Nehemiah warn the nobles that God would do (v. 18)?

In response to this situation, what did Nehemiah do (v. 19)?

What happened to the merchants who wanted to do business on the Sabbath (v. 20)?

But there were even further problems…what else did Nehemiah discover (v. 23)?

In light of the way Nehemiah responded to the intermarriage with foreign people, do you think he was frustrated (v. 25)?

Who does Nehemiah use as an example of someone whom sinned because of foreign women (v. 26)?

What important person had also married a foreign woman (v. 28-29)?

Digging Deeper

In -12, the people are eager to hear God’s law and change their sinful ways. From our study of chapter 13, did they keep this commitment? Nehemiah 13: Reformation of the People...Again.

Digging Deeper con.

Have you ever confessed doing something bad and said you would never do it again? Were you able to keep your commitment? We should pray that God helps us be loyal like Nehemiah—not forgetful like the other Jews.

Marrying foreign women caused the Jews to not love God (see “Tough Verse Alert” below). We need to always be careful that we never love anything more than we love God. We learn to love God by loving others and keeping God’s commandments (1 John 5:3-4).

Take it to Heart Sing His Praise!

Remember me, O Suggested Song of the my God, and have Month: “Day by Day” (see compassion on me Devotion on & 7 according of the for lyrics) greatness of Thy lovingkindness. -Nehemiah 13:22b

Tough Verse Alert: What was so bad about marrying women from other na- tions? Does God forbid all interracial marriage?

In Exodus 34 and Deuteronomy 7, God forbade His people to intermarry with people from the surrounding nations. But He did so because He knew that if they did, their foreign wives would cause them to not love Him anymore. God deserves all worship, and His people must worship Him alone and not the false gods of the surrounding countries.

In response to the second question, the answer is NO! God does not forbid interracial marriage for Christians. Galatians 3:28 says that people of all na- tions are one in Christ.