CONFRONTING SIN Nehemiah 13 7/31/16

Through Nehemiah God shows us how to live life in the trenches. He shows us how to face opposition, injustice, and rejection. He shows us how to respond to slander, discouragement, and disappointment. He shows us that we need to continue to pray, plan, and press on. Last week we saw the Jews take an oath before God: 10:30 To not intermarry with the unsaved 10:31 To observe the OT Sabbath regulations 10:32-39 To pay tithes and offerings of all they made 10:34 To supply wood for the sacrifices in the temple 10:39 To not neglect the house of God Nehemiah 13:4-31 takes place 15-20 years after chapter 10. After Nehemiah had been governor of Judea for 12 years he returned to his duties in Persia. He comes back to in chapter 13 and finds the Jews violating every one of the oaths they had made to God in chapter 10. 1. Confronting wrongful relationships 13:1-9 1-3 God had commanded that the Ammonites and the Moabites be excluded because they tried to curse Israel and lead them astray. Cf Deuteronomy 23:3-5; Numbers 22–25 • An exception was made for those who were willing to put away their false gods and accepted the true God of Israel. Cf. 6:21 Ruth is an example of a Moabite who came to saving faith and became a part of Israel. 4-5 While Nehemiah was in Persian, Eliahsib the high priest had made an apartment for in the temple of God. • Tobiah was an Ammonite and an enemy of Israel. 6:1 He had led the opposition to the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. 2:19 He mocked and despised the Jews 4:3 He mocked the building project 6:12 He and Sanballat had hired false prophets to entice Nehemiah to sin. ♦ He had sent letters to Nehemiah trying to frighten him. ♦ He continuously tried to undermine Nehemiah’s authority. • Yet some of the Jews maintained a close relationship with Tobiah. • They kept speaking well of him to Nehemiah. Ch. 6 • They spied on Nehemiah and reported his words to Tobiah. • After Nehemiah returned to Persia, Eliashib the high priest built Tobia an apartment in the very temple of God. 6-9 When Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem and saw what had happened, he took action. • He threw Tobiah’s stuff out into the streets and restored the room to its intended purpose. • At first glance Nehemiah’s response seems extreme. ♦ But he saw the seriousness of the sin. ◊ He recognized it for what it was, “evil”. v. 7 ♦ This sin was direct disobedience to God’s Word and a violation of their oath to God in chapter 10. ◊ They were letting a wolf into the sheep’s pen. ◊ It is like letting a false teacher into Christ’s church. I am sure that Nehemiah’s actions upset a lot of people. • Tobiah would have been upset. • Eliashib would have been upset because he was this was an affront to him. • Tobiah’s friends would have taken up his offense. ♦ “Nehemiah hurt my friend’s feelings.” ♦ “Who does Nehemiah think he is. He didn’t include us in the decision. We should have voted on it.” There is no place for voting when God’s will is clear and His Word tells us what needs to be done. Nehemiah’s response was similar to what Christ did almost 450 years later when He cleansed the temple. Cf John 2:13-17 2. Confronting unfaithful giving 13:10-14 v. 10 The Jews were not obeying the OT Law nor keeping the oath they had made to God in chapter 10. • The Levites had to take secular jobs because the people weren’t giving to support their ministry in the temple. vv. 11-13 Nehemiah confronted the situation directly v. 11a He reprimanded the officials (contended, confronted, rebuked) “You are leaders and you aren’t setting the example.” “You are unfaithful to God.” I am sure that this offended many of them. “What makes him think that he can come in here and talk to us this way.” “Who does he think he is?” v. 11b Nehemiah gathered the Levites to their posts.

2 v. 12 He apparently put the word out for people to start bringing their tithes and offering to the temple again. v. 13 He appointed reliable men to distribute the goods to their the priests and Levites v. 14 Nehemiah looked to God for his reward. Leaders are often called upon to do unpopular things. They will sometimes be misunderstood. Their motives will often be impugned. ♦ They must look for approval to God, not the people. 3. Confronting unobserved Sabbaths 13:15-22 God commanded that the Sabbath was to be set aside as a day of rest and worship. • Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Amos had all warned Israel about the consequences of failing to keep this commandment. vv. 15-16 The Jews had both violated the OT Law and their own oath to God in chapter 10 • Making money became more important to them than obeying and worshiping God. • We are not under the OT Sabbath commandment today. However, when we put work, entertainment, or sports ahead of Sunday worship, it is a good indicator that we are not doing well spiritually in other areas. vv. 17-22a Nehemiah directly confronted them. vv. 17-18 He reprimanded the nobles and reminded them of the past. v. 19 He shut the gates and stationed guards ♦ I am sure this wasn’t very popular with the merchants and the shoppers. vv. 20-21 He warned violators that he would use force if necessary. ♦ He had the authority and resources to enforce his reforms. v. 22a He commanded the Levites to sanctify themselves and the Sabbath. Again we can be sure that Nehemiah faced angry opposition. ♦ We can be sure that his motives and his methods were both questioned. v. 22b Nehemiah calls out to God. • He knows what he did was the right thing. • He also knows that his decision isn’t very popular. He realizes sometimes he must stand alone with God. Nehemiah cared more about God’s approval, and God’s reward than he did about the approval of people. 4. Confronting forbidden marriages 13:23-31 vv. 23-24 Marriage between believers and unbelievers is repeatedly forbidden in the . (Ex 34:12-16; Dt. 7:1-5)

3 • The Bible does NOT condemn interracial marriages. • It DOES forbid intermarriage with unbelievers. ♦ Children of religiously mixed marriages seldom follow God. ♦ He reminded them of what happened to Solomon. • Ezra, Nehemiah, and Malachi repeatedly dealt with the sin of religious intermarriage over a period of 34 years. ♦ - 458 BC ♦ - 444 BC ♦ Malachi 2:11-12- 425 BC? ♦ Nehemiah 13- 424 BC? vv. 25-31 Nehemiah’s response v. 25 He contended with them He cursed them This doesn’t mean that he used profanity, He called upon God to discipline them He struck them and pulled out their hair. cf Isa. 50:6 ♦ This was a sign of disrespect and humiliation. Cf Leviticus 21:5; 2 Samuel 10:1-5; Jeremiah 41:5 He made them swear to stop this sinful rebellion against God. vv. 26-27 He warned them of the consequences of their sin. vv. 28-29 Nehemiah banished the high priest’s grandson who was married to Sanballat’s daughter. ♦ He deserved to be expelled because the priestly line was not to be contaminated by intermarriage. Cf Leviticus 21:6-8,14-15 ♦ Tolerance of evil leads to spiritual and moral decay. v. 30 He purified the priesthood from every foreign object and influence. God’s people are to be distinct and holy in our dress, language, forms of entertainment, and the places we go. v. 31a He arranged that for them to the necessary wood to offer the prescribed sacrifices. v. 31b He again called for God to remember him. cf v. 29 ♦ This is the third time. (Nehemiah 13:14, 22, 31) He sought God’s reward, rather than people’s approval. 5. Truths That Matter a. Right and wrong are more important than feelings . • Nehemiah realized this.

4 • So did when He cleansed the temple. (John 2:14-17) • Jesus felt that there were more important issues than feelings when He confronted the Scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 23:13ff) ♦ Feelings and political correctness were irrelevant when flagrant sin is involved. b. Truth and righteousness are more important than relationships . Matthew 18:15-17 Cf 1 Corinthians 5 • Jesus taught that church discipline is more important than being liked by everyone. The question is, “Do you and I love God, God’s people, and God’s church enough to confront problems?” Am I willing to talk to my Christian friends about sins in their lives that will harm them and dishonor God? • How we confront them depends on the flagrancy of the problem. ♦ Are they sinning out of ignorance or in spite of knowledge? Matthew 18 is progressive 1 Thessalonians 5:14 We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Titus 2:15 These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you. c. Seek God’s reward rather than people’s approval. d. Confront sin in your own life. Proverbs 28:13 He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion. e. Make sure that you will be safe from God’s judgment . 1 Timothy 1:15 It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all . 1 John 4:9-10 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

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