The Leaders Sin Equals Allows the Peoples Sin (Nehemiah 13)

I say leader here instead of elder, or deacon because all leaders in the church should be and are held to a higher standard. If they are not those they are leading will feel okay with their sin.

there was a person at a church we served in who’s family would start coming to church a couple of weeks before VBS and Christmas. This was so that they could be used in the skits that there mother was over. One time when asked why she didn't come to Sunday evenings her response was I already put in my time. This was a person who was looked up to as a leader in the church.

the ministries that she was involved in rarely showed growth. when she didn't get her way her family left the church and an odd thing happened those ministries started to grow. her sin was stunting the growth of the church as a whole.

How would the leaders of the church react to a member involved in overt sin?

Why is this New Testament command often overlooked by modern congregations?

Do you think Christians should make Sunday a day of rest (similar to the way the Jews rested on the Sabbath)? Why or why not?

Scripture

I have chosen to read this passage from the NLT version because it puts some cultural things into view

Nehemiah 13:1–31 NLT

1 On that same day, as the Book of Moses was being read to the people, the passage was found that said no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be permitted to enter the assembly of God. 2 For they had not provided the Israelites with food and water in the wilderness. Instead, they hired Balaam to curse them, though our God turned the curse into a blessing. 3 When this passage of the Law was read, all those of foreign descent were immediately excluded from the assembly. 4 Before this had happened, Eliashib the priest, who had been appointed as supervisor of the storerooms of the Temple of our God and who was also a relative of Tobiah, 5 had converted a large storage room and placed it at Tobiah’s disposal. The room had previously been used for storing the grain offerings, the frankincense, various articles for the Temple, and the tithes of grain, new wine, and olive oil (which were prescribed for the Levites, the singers, and the gatekeepers), as well as the offerings for the priests. 6 I was not in Jerusalem at that time, for I had returned to King Artaxerxes of Babylon in the thirty-second year of his reign, though I later asked his permission to return. 7 When I arrived back in Jerusalem, I learned about Eliashib’s evil deed in providing Tobiah with a room in the courtyards of the Temple of God. 8 I became very upset and threw all of Tobiah’s belongings out of the room. 9 Then I demanded that the rooms be purified, and I brought back the articles for God’s Temple, the grain offerings, and the frankincense. 10 I also discovered that the Levites had not been given their prescribed portions of food, so they and the singers who were to conduct the worship services had all returned to work their fields. 11 I immediately confronted the leaders and demanded, “Why has the Temple of God been neglected?” Then I called all the Levites back again and restored them to their proper duties. 12 And once more all the people of Judah began bringing their tithes of grain, new wine, and olive oil to the Temple storerooms. 13 I assigned supervisors for the storerooms: Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah, one of the Levites. And I appointed Hanan son of Zaccur and grandson of Mattaniah as their assistant. These men had an excellent reputation, and it was their job to make honest distributions to their fellow Levites. 14 Remember this good deed, O my God, and do not forget all that I have faithfully done for the Temple of my God and its services. 15 In those days I saw men of Judah treading out their winepresses on the Sabbath. They were also bringing in grain, loading it on donkeys, and bringing their wine, grapes, figs, and all sorts of produce to Jerusalem to sell on the Sabbath. So I rebuked them for selling their produce on that day. 16 Some men from Tyre, who lived in Jerusalem, were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise. They were selling it on the Sabbath to the people of Judah—and in Jerusalem at that! 17 So I confronted the nobles of Judah. “Why are you profaning the Sabbath in this evil way?” I asked. 18 “Wasn’t it just this sort of thing that your ancestors did that caused our God to bring all this trouble upon us and our city? Now you are bringing even more wrath upon Israel by permitting the Sabbath to be desecrated in this way!” 19 Then I commanded that the gates of Jerusalem should be shut as darkness fell every Friday evening, not to be opened until the Sabbath ended. I sent some of my own servants to guard the gates so that no merchandise could be brought in on the Sabbath day. 20 The merchants and tradesmen with a variety of wares camped outside Jerusalem once or twice. 21 But I spoke sharply to them and said, “What are you doing out here, camping around the wall? If you do this again, I will arrest you!” And that was the last time they came on the Sabbath. 22 Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and to guard the gates in order to preserve the holiness of the Sabbath. Remember this good deed also, O my God! Have compassion on me according to your great and unfailing love. 23 About the same time I realized that some of the men of Judah had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. 24 Furthermore, half their children spoke the language of Ashdod or of some other people and could not speak the language of Judah at all. 25 So I confronted them and called down curses on them. I beat some of them and pulled out their hair. I made them swear in the name of God that they would not let their children intermarry with the pagan people of the land. 26 “Wasn’t this exactly what led King Solomon of Israel into sin?” I demanded. “There was no king from any nation who could compare to him, and God loved him and made him king over all Israel. But even he was led into sin by his foreign wives. 27 How could you even think of committing this sinful deed and acting unfaithfully toward God by marrying foreign women?” 28 One of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest had married a daughter of Sanballat the Horonite, so I banished him from my presence. 29 Remember them, O my God, for they have defiled the priesthood and the solemn vows of the priests and Levites. 30 So I purged out everything foreign and assigned tasks to the priests and Levites, making certain that each knew his work. 31 I also made sure that the supply of wood for the altar and the first portions of the harvest were brought at the proper times. Remember this in my favor, O my God.

neh.13.1-31

Background of the Passage

The history of God’s people reveals a distressing (if not depressing) truth: heartfelt passion and sincere devotion is often short-lived. Chapter 13 of Nehemiah, the last portion of the Old Testament to be written, is a clear example of this truth. Nehemiah left Jerusalem in the 32nd year of Artaxerxes, about 433 B.C. (see 5:14; 13:6), and returned to Persia as he had promised (see 2:6). During his absence, the people returned to their former ways, led by the high priest Eliashib (vv. 4, 5). In violation of their earlier promises, they failed to separate themselves from their pagan neighbors. They also failed to support the Levites and priests. A third evidence of their spiritual decline was that they consistently violated the laws of the Sabbath. It was during Nehemiah’s absence that Malachi wrote his prophetic book indicting both priests and people for their sinful defection. Possibly having heard of Eliashib’s evil, Nehemiah returned (vv. 4–7) to oversee the needed reforms. His response to the waywardness of the people was swift and severe, reminding us that we must be ruthless in our dealing with sin.

Understanding the Text

What did the Israelites discover when they read the Book of Moses at the celebration, and how did they respond? (13:1—3)

What evil deed did Eliashib do and how did Nehemiah respond? (4-5)

What had lead to encourage Eliashib to do this evil deed? (28)

What turn of events had forced the Levites to work in the fields? (13:10)

What did Nehemiah do in light of the Israelites’ failure to keep the Sabbath holy? (19–22)

Cross Reference

1 Kings 11:1–11 ESV

1 Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, 2 from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the people of Israel, “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. 3 He had 700 wives, who were princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart. 4 For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and did not wholly follow the Lord, as David his father had done. 7 Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem. 8 And so he did for all his foreign wives, who made offerings and sacrificed to their gods. 9 And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice 10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods. But he did not keep what the Lord commanded. 11 Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant.

Exploring the Meaning

How should the example of Solomon have discouraged the Jews in Nehemiah’s time from marrying foreign wives?

How could this be applied to us?

2 cor.

2 Corinthians 6:14–18 ESV

14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, 18 and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”

Read .

Matthew 21:12 ESV

12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.

How did Nehemiah’s grief over the desecration of the temple resemble Christ’s some 400 years later?

verses to consider: Isaiah 56:7; Jeremiah 7:11; John 2:13–17

Read .

Malachi 2:1–8 ESV

1 “And now, O priests, this command is for you. 2 If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. 3 Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it. 4 So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may stand, says the Lord of hosts. 5 My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him. It was a covenant of fear, and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name. 6 True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. 7 For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. 8 But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts,

mala

Does God hold ministers to a higher standard? If so, in what way?

verses to consider:

Summing up

“Every kind of sin, from disorderly conduct to immorality to false teaching, is to be disciplined. And all Christians, from the newest believer to the most experienced leader, are subject to that discipline. To be spiritually healthy and effective in its ministry the church must deal with sin within its own ranks. To trifle with sin, to ignore it under the guise of love, or to fail for any other reason to cleanse the church of it is disastrous.”—John MacArthur

Reflecting on the Text

(Let them answer themselves)

General William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, once told a group of new officers: “I want you young men always to bear in mind that it is the nature of a fire to go out; you must keep it stirred and fed and the ashes removed.” On a scale of 1–10 (with 1 being “dying embers” and 10 being “white hot coals”) what is your spiritual temperature right now?

(Let them answer themselves)

Nehemiah discovered Tobiah, an enemy of the Jews, living in the temple complex! What sinful attitudes or actions have you allowed in your life?

How have close associations with people of the world had a negative effect on your spiritual health?

In what way can you renew your commitment to the priority of worship?

For further study, see the following passages:

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