Nehemiah’s Painful Work of Reformation

This chapter is based on Nehemiah 13.

The people of Judah had pledged to obey the law of God. But when for a time they were without the influence of Ezra and Nehemiah, many departed from the Lord. Nehemiah had returned to Persia. During his absence from Jerusalem, evils crept in that threatened to pervert the nation. Idol worshipers contaminated even the sacred temple area. Through intermarriage, a friendship had developed between Eliashib, the high priest, and Tobiah, the Ammonite, Israel’s bitter enemy. As a result of this unholy alliance, Tobiah occupied an apartment connected with the temple, which had been used as a storeroom for tithes and offerings.RR 237.1

Because of the Ammonites’ treachery toward Israel, God had declared that they were to be forever shut out from the congregation of His people. See Deuteronomy 23:3-6. The high priest defied this, emptied out the offerings stored in God’s house, and made a place for this enemy of God and His truth. He could not have shown greater contempt for God!RR 237.2

When Nehemiah returned from Persia, he took prompt action to expel the intruder. “I threw all the household goods of Tobiah out of the room. Then I commanded them to cleanse the rooms; and I brought back into them the vessels of the house of God.”RR 237.3

The priests had profaned the temple and misapplied the offerings. This had discouraged the people’s liberality. They did not give to keep the treasuries of the Lord’s house full; many of the temple workers who had not received sufficient support had left to work elsewhere.RR 237.4

Nehemiah began at once to correct these abuses. This inspired the people with confidence, and all Judah brought “the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil.” Men who “were considered faithful” were made treasurers, “and their task was to distribute to their brethren.”RR 237.5

Mingling with idol worshipers also led the people to disregard the Sabbath. Nehemiah found that the heathen merchants coming to Jerusalem had persuaded many Israelites to buy and sell on the Sabbath. Some could not be lured into sacrificing principle, but many dared to violate the Sabbath openly. “In those days,” Nehemiah wrote, “I saw people in Judah treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. ... Men of Tyre dwelt there also, who brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Judah.”RR 237.6