Nehemiah 13:1-31 Comments by Stephen Ricker
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Not Everything is Right
Comments for Study 6

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Memory Verse: 13:4
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Outline
ISRAEL'S HISTORY
A TIMELINE FROM BABYLON TO ROMAN CONTROL OVER ISRAEL
A MAP OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRE in 500 B.C.
A MAP OF ASSYRIA
A MAP OF JERUSALEM
A MAP OF THE KINGDOMS OF ISRAEL AND JUDAH
OLD TESTAMENT BOOKS TIMELINE
A LIST OF ISRAEL'S KINGS AND PROPHETS

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CLICK HERE FOR A LIST OF BOOKS THAT ARE COMPLETED.

I. Abuses During Nehemiah's Absence (13:1-5)

Return Time line by Chapters

>1. What did the returnees discover when they read the law? (1-2)

* Nehemiah 13:1-2 "On that day the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people and there it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be admitted into the assembly of God, because they had not met the Israelites with food and water but had hired Balaam to call a curse down on them. (Our God, however, turned the curse into a blessing.)"

* "Ammonite" -The Ammonites were descendants of Lot (Gen. 19:36-38). They lived east of the Jordan and the Dead Sea (Salt Sea). The Israelites were not to destroy them when going to the promised land. Eventually they became an enemy of Israel, trying to take parts of the promised land from Israel.

* "Moabites" -The Moabites were descendants of Lot (Gen. 19:36-38; Deut. 2:9-23). They lived east of the Jordan and the Dead Sea (Salt Sea). David's parents were placed there while Saul was chasing David. They were a cursed people. But Ruth, David's great grand mother was a Moabites and not cursed because she believed in the Lord God by faith.

* Genesis 19:36-38 "So both of Lot's daughters became pregnant by their father. The older daughter had a son, and she named him Moab; he is the father of the Moabites of today. The younger daughter also had a son, and she named him Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the Ammonites of today.

* Numbers 22:4-6 "The Moabites said to the elders of Midian, "This horde is going to lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field." So Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor, who was at Pethor, near the River, in his native land. Balak said: "A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. Now come and put a curse on these people, because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the country. For I know that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are cursed."

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>What does Deuteronomy 23:2-8 say?

* Deuteronomy 23:2-8 No one born of a forbidden marriage nor any of his descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, even down to the tenth generation. No Ammonite or Moabite or any of his descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, even down to the tenth generation. For they did not come to meet you with bread and water on your way when you came out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim to pronounce a curse on you. However, the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam but turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you. Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them as long as you live. Do not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother. Do not abhor an Egyptian, because you lived as an alien in his country. The third generation of children born to them may enter the assembly of the LORD."/p>

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>How did they go beyond what the law said? (3; Acts 10:28)

* Nehemiah 13:3 "When the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all who were of foreign descent."

* Acts 10:28 "He said to them: "You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean."

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>2. What incident seems to be the underlining catalyst of their judgement? (4-5)

* Nehemiah 13:4-5 "Before this, Eliashib the priest had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God. He was closely associated with Tobiah, and he had provided him with a large room formerly used to store the grain offerings and incense and temple articles, and also the tithes of grain, new wine and oil prescribed for the Levites, singers and gatekeepers, as well as the contributions for the priests."

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>Who was Eliashib and Akkadian? (3:1, 20; 28)

* Nehemiah 13:28 "One of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite. And I drove him away from me."

* Akkadian means, "Sin (the god) has healed." According to the Elephantine Papyri from the reign of Darius I, Sanballat was governor of Samaria around 407 BC. He had sons whose names included the term Yahweh, for the God of Israel. Although addressed by his Babylonian name (probably acquired during the Exile), Sanballat was a practicing Jew. His daughter was married to the grandson of Jerusalem's high priest, indicating harmonious relations between Judah and Samaria at that time. Nehemiah referred to Sanballat as the "Horonite," suggesting a connection with Upper or Lower Beth-horon. These cities controlled the major highway between Jerusalem and the Mediterranean Sea. If Sanballat had influence with these towns, he could greatly affect Jerusalem's economy. Sanballat, in league with Tobiah and Shemiah, opposed Nehemiah's rebuilding of Jerusalem. If the Holy City regained prominence, it would erode the powers of the surrounding cities. The struggle appears to have been more political than racial or religious. Papyri from Wadi Daliyeh appear to indicate two later Sanballats also served as governors of Samaria. (Holman Bible Dictionary)

* "Eliashib" - Eliashib is a name of several high priest including the time of David, Ezra, and Nehemiah. In time of Nehemiah Eliashib was a high priest who led in rebuilding the sheep gate in the Jerusalem wall, a gate through which sheep were led to the nearby Temple for sacrifice (Neh. 3:1). His house was built into the city wall (Neh. 3:20). He was the son of Joiakim and the father of Joiada (Neh. 12:10). His grandson married the daughter of Sanballat, who strongly opposed Nehemiah's efforts (28), possibly indicating some tension between Nehemiah and the priestly leaders. He may be the Eliashib whose son had a room in the Temple (Ezra 10:6). His son probably had the same name and like his father administered the Temple storerooms and provided a place for Tobiah, Nehemiah's strong opponent.

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>Who was Tobiah? (2:10, 19)

* Nehemiah 2:10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites."

* Nehemiah 2:19 "But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. "What is this you are doing?" they asked. "Are you rebelling against the king?"

* Tobiah was one of the major adversaries to Nehemiah's rebuilding efforts at Jerusalem, Tobiah was a practicing Jew who lived in a residence chamber in the Temple. He is called an "Ammonite" probably because his family fled to that territory at the destruction of Jerusalem. He enjoyed aristocratic favor and had the title servant bestowed on him by the Persian ruler. He opposed the rebuilding of Jerusalem because it would weaken his political authority in the area. Tobiah allied with Sanballat and Geshem in trying to thwart Nehemiah. )Holman Bible Dictionary)

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>How was Eliashib doubling wrong?

* His family had close relationship to people who opposed God's work.

* His family provided rooms in the Temple to people who were not allowed to even be there.

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II. Nehemiah Returns (13:6-9)

>3. Where was Nehemiah and how might this have been because of his former position? (6)

* Nehemiah 13:6 "But while all this was going on, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Some time later I asked his permission"

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>When he returned what did he call Eliashib's actions?

* Nehemiah 13:7 "and came back to Jerusalem. Here I learned about the evil thing Eliashib had done in providing Tobiah a room in the courts of the house of God."

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>What did he do? (8-9)

* Nehemiah 13:8-9 "I was greatly displeased and threw all Tobiah's household goods out of the room. I gave orders to purify the rooms, and then I put back into them the equipment of the house of God, with the grain offerings and the incense."

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>How did Jesus do a similar thing? (John 2:12-17; Mark 11:15-17)

* John 2:12-17 "After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days. When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!" His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me."

* Mark 11:15-17 "On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: "'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it 'a den of robbers.'"

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III. Reorganization and Reforms (13:10-31)

>4. How had lack of support interrupted the duties of the Levites? (10)

* Nehemiah 13:10 "I also learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them, and that all the Levites and singers responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields."

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>Who did Nehemiah rebuke? (11)

* Nehemiah 13:11 "So I rebuked the officials and asked them, "Why is the house of God neglected?" Then I called them together and stationed them at their posts."

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>Is it still our responsibility to support our local congregation and those who are in service for the Lord for us? (Phil. 4:15-19)

* Philippians 4:15-19 "Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

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>5. What kind of men were responsible for the tithes? (12-13)

* Nehemiah 13:12-13 "All Judah brought the tithes of grain, new wine and oil into the storerooms. I put Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and a Levite named Pedaiah in charge of the storerooms and made Hanan son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, their assistant, because these men were considered trustworthy. They were made responsible for distributing the supplies to their brothers."

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>How had the apostles done the same thing? (Acts 6:2-4)

* Acts 6:2-4 "So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word."

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>6. What did Nehemiah pray?

* Nehemiah 13:14 "Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out what I have so faithfully done for the house of my God and its services."

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>7. What sin did Nehemiah witness? (15-16)

* Nehemiah 13:15-16 "In those days I saw men 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. Therefore I warned them against selling food on that day. Men from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them in Jerusalem on the Sabbath to the people of Judah."

* Exodus 20:8-11 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy."

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>What did he say?

* Nehemiah 13:17-18 "I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them, "What is this wicked thing you are doing--desecrating the Sabbath day? Didn't your forefathers do the same things, so that our God brought all this calamity upon us and upon this city? Now you are stirring up more wrath against Israel by desecrating the Sabbath."

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>It is good to rebuke sin in this way? (Psalm 141:5-6)

* Psalm 141:5-6 "Let a righteous man strike me--it is a kindness; let him rebuke me--it is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it. Yet my prayer is ever against the deeds of evildoers; their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs, and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken."

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>8. What did Nehemiah do to stop the buying and selling on the Sabbath?

* Nehemiah 13:19 "When evening shadows fell on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, 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."

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>Did it work right away?

* Nehemiah 13:20 "Once or twice the merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside Jerusalem."

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>What did he tell those who still tried to buy and sell? (21-22)

* Nehemiah 13:21-22 "But I warned them and said, "Why do you spend the night by the wall? If you do this again, I will lay hands on you." From that time on they no longer came on the Sabbath. Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and go and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember me for this also, O my God, and show mercy to me according to your great love."

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>9. Where did a group of men get wives?

* Nehemiah 13:23-24 "Moreover, in those days I saw men of Judah who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab. 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 of Judah."

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>How did Nehemiah rebuke them?

* Nehemiah 13:25-27 "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 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. Was it not because of marriages like these that Solomon king of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no king like him. He was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel, but even he was led into sin by foreign women. Must we hear now that you too are doing all this terrible wickedness and are being unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women?"

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>Was this the first time that those who had returned from captivity marry foreigners? (Ezra 9:1-2)

* Ezra 9:1-2 "After these things had been done, the leaders came to me and said, "The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices, like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites. They have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, and have mingled the holy race with the peoples around them. And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness."

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>10. What did Nehemiah do when a high priest allow his son to marry a non-Israelites?

* Nehemiah 13:28-29 "One of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite. And I drove him away from me. Remember them, O my God, because they defiled the priestly office and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites."

* "Horonite" -A Horonite was a citizen of Beth-horon or of Horonaim.

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>Why is it important to designate responsibilities?

* Nehemiah 13:30-31 "So I purified the priests and the Levites of everything foreign, and assigned them duties, each to his own task. I also made provision for contributions of wood at designated times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me with favor, O my God."

* 1 Corinthians 3:8 "The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor."

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