Nehemiah 8_13 notes

Nehemiah 8–13

The walls were completed on the twenty-fifth day of the sixth month (6:15). This second half of the book begins on the first day of the seventh month (8:2), and the emphasis is on the people of the city and their dedication to God. The material building was now over. It was time to begin to build the people spiritually.

I.Proclamation of the Word (8–10)

Ezra returned to Jerusalem to assist Nehemiah in the dedication of the walls and the sanctifying of the people. Do not confuse this scene with that in Ezra 3. It is significant that they gathered at the water gate, since this gate symbolizes the Word of God (3:26). The people had an appetite for the Word, for they asked Ezra to bring the Book and preach it. The first day of the seventh month marked the Feast of Trumpets; the tenth day would be the Day of Atonement; and the fifteenth to twenty-second days, the Feast of Tabernacles (see Lev. 23:23–44). Ezra read the Word and explained it for many hours, assisted by the Levites. Verse 8 describes a perfect church gathering: the people all assembled to listen; the Word was exalted; the preacher read and explained the Word so that people could understand it. The people wept at hearing the Word, overcome, no doubt, with grief for their sins. But this was to be a day of rejoicing. They would weep on the Day of Atonement! Ezra commanded them to feast and rejoice; see Ecc. 3:4.

The next day, the leaders met with Ezra and discovered the law concerning the Feast of Tabernacles. They proclaimed this law throughout the land, and as the people obeyed, there was “very great gladness” (v. 17). There is joy in hearing the Word, but greater joy at obeying it. The result of this “Bible conference” (which was held daily for a week, v. 18) was a great convocation of convicted people on the twenty-fourth day of the month. Ezra and the Levites taught the Word for three hours, then led the people in confession and prayer for three hours, and so on throughout the day. The prayer in chapter 9 is a spiritual summary of the OT history of the Jews: the Creation (v. 6); the call of Abraham (vv. 7–8); the Exodus (vv. 9–14); the nation’s wilderness experiences (vv. 15–23); the conquering of the land (vv. 24–25); the period of Judges (vv. 26–29); the period of prophets up to the captivity (vv. 30–31). “Now therefore …” (v. 32) brings us up to Ezra’s day and the need of the nation to repent and confess sin. Note in v. 36 that the Jews admit that the “deliverance prophecies” in Isaiah and Jeremiah did not apply to their return from captivity. They will apply at a future date when God gathers Israel again to Palestine. To say that these OT promises were fulfilled when Israel returned from exile, and are now being fulfilled “in the church,” is to twist Scripture.

Chapter 10 gives the names of the brave and godly people who entered into the covenant with God that day. Little did they realize that their names would be recorded eternally in the Word! In vv. 28–39, we see the people applying the Word to their everyday lives. It is one thing to pray and sign a covenant; it is another thing to separate from evil, straighten out our homes (vv. 28–30), honor the commandments (v. 31), contribute to the house of God (vv. 32–33), and serve God with tithes and offerings (vv. 34–39). Too many “Bible conferences” end with the people stirred and blessed, but not obeying what they have heard.

II.Dedication of the Walls (11–12)

Nehemiah returns now to the story of the walls, which he had interrupted to tell about the spiritual work under Ezra. Everything from 7:5 to 10:39 has been parenthetical. The events in Nehemiah are not given in their exact order. It was necessary to get the Jews to live in the city, for both the good of the city and the glory of God. This, of course, demanded faith. The leaders were dwelling in the city, but now they wanted the citizens to join them, so they cast lots and moved one out of ten into the city. Verse 2 indicates that there were also some volunteers. The numbers in vv. 3–19 total 3,044. If this represented 10 percent of the male population, we can see how small the remnant was in the land. Note the mention of singers (vv. 22–23). The Jews had no song during their years of exile (Ps. 137), but now they had the joy of the Lord as their strength.

The actual dedication of the walls is described in 12:27–47. Ezra and Nehemiah divided the people into two great companies, with Ezra leading one and Nehemiah following the other (see vv. 31, 36, 38). They started probably at the valley gate. Ezra led his company along the east side of the city, then north to the temple area. Nehemiah and his company went straight north and then east, meeting the other company at the temple area. It was a reminder, perhaps, of when Israel marched around Jericho and won a great victory. It was also an opportunity to publicly thank the Lord as they witnessed the work accomplished. Verse 43 indicates that the joy of the city was heard miles away. What a day of dedication that was! When dedicated people unite joyfully to dedicate God’s work, they will always experience God’s blessing.

III.Condemnation of the Wicked (13)

From 13:6 and 7:2 we learn that Nehemiah returned to Babylon for a time, leaving the governing of the city in the hands of his brother. When he returned, he discovered that the people had fallen back into their old ways. Verses 1–3 speak of a cleansing that took place the very day of the dedication, when they separated the heathen wives in the families; see Deut. 23:1–5. Years before, Ezra had faced this problem (Ezra 10). Sin has a way of repeating itself. When Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem, he found that the Jewish men had repeated this sin (vv. 23–31). In fact, even the priests had sinned in this way. It was necessary for this courageous leader to face sin honestly and judge it.

He started at the house of God, where he discovered (v. 4) that the high priest was allied with the Jews’ enemy, Tobiah. (“Allied” perhaps means “related to”; see 6:18 and 13:28.) It is a sad thing when the servants of God compromise with the enemies of God. The priest even gave Tobiah a chamber in the temple and provisions from the temple store, provisions that really belonged to the priests and Levites. Nehemiah lost no time in throwing out Tobiah and his goods, and having the temple chamber sanctified for its proper use.

Another sin was the failure of the people to support their spiritual servants, the priests and Levites. Malachi had something to say about this; read Mal. 3. Nehemiah reproached the people and set up a dependable system for the priests to follow. Note how he asks for God’s help in all his ministry (v. 14).

Sabbath disobedience was another problem. The workers were employed on the Sabbath (v. 15), and the merchants were selling on the Sabbath (v. 16). While we do not believe that the Lord’s Day today is the same as the Jewish Sabbath, we do feel that God’s people ought to set apart the Lord’s Day and use it to glorify Him. Our economic system requires that some people must work on Sunday, but it is far better for workers and the nation if they are allowed to honor the Lord’s Day. Certainly no Christian should use Sunday as a day for shopping or for doing work that can wait. Nehemiah reproved the Jews for dishonoring the Sabbath, and he closed the gates of the city against the Sabbath salesmen. See Jer. 17:21–27 with reference to v. 18.

But note that even the Levites were guilty of desecrating the Sabbath (v. 22). Read Mal. 1–2 and you will see that the priesthood had fallen into shameful sins. Unless the leaders of God’s people set the example, the people will not easily obey God. Of course, it may be that the failure of the people to support the temple (vv. 10–13) forced the Levites into working on the Sabbath to keep themselves alive.

The book closes with three prayers (vv. 22, 29, 31). Nehemiah has done his work, but only God can bless it and keep it going. Nehemiah would one day die, and the people would forget him. But God would never forget him!