After Nehemiah had done everything he came to do in Jerusalem, he went back to his job serving the king in Babylon. Then, after some time (v. 6), he returned to Jerusalem, and he was horrified by what he found they had done in his absence.
Eliashib was the priest who had been appointed over the chambers of the House of God. But he had married the daughter of Tobiah, the Ammonite who tried to make so much trouble for them. (See 2:9-10; 4:2-3; 6:1-4, 5-9, 10-13.)
Now, while Nehemiah is gone, this priest who was one of the leaders in Jerusalem, had married this enemy's daughter; and, as he was in charge of the chambers in the Temple, he cleaned out one of the large rooms so that Tobiah could move in! In the very courts of the Temple!
On that day (that Nehemiah returned) they read aloud from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people, and there was found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. However our God turned the curse into a blessing (13:1-2).
So Nehemiah threw him out! It was displeasing to me, so I threw all of Tobiah's household goods out of the room. Then I gave the order and they [ritually] cleansed the rooms; and I returned there the utensils of the House of God with the grain offerings and the frankincense (vs. 8-9).
And he also found that the priests had not given the Levites and Singers their portions of the tithes, so they had to go out and work their own fields, instead of doing their service for the Lord in the Temple (v.10).
So he restored that all the tithes would be gathered and distributed properly, and he appointed other priests and Levites to handle all this, because they were considered reliable (vs. 12-13).
And he also noticed that they were not observing the Lord's Sabbaths, so he had them shut the doors of the wall for the Sabbath, and he stationed his servants to guard the gates so that no one would go in or out over the Sabbath. And he had to persist in this, as traders and merchants would spend the night outside the wall hoping to sell, and he had to threaten to remove them by force so that they would not come on the Sabbath. And he commanded the Levites to be gatekeepers on the wall, to preserve the Sabbath.
Also, all the other Jews that had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab, had children by them who didn't even speak Hebrew! So it's obvious they weren't being taught about God, but worshipped the idols.
Nehemiah had to remind them that even Solomon, who had no equal among the Nations of the world, and was loved by God to make him the king over Israel; even his heart was led astray by foreign wives.
So Nehemiah found a lot that had gone astray while he was gone, and he again set up a system so that they could maintain it, as he did before when he left. He did everything he could to help the people to be faithful. He was really concerned that God's people would do well and obey His commandments so that they could stay in The Land and prosper, and be God's people.
And he was praying to God throughout this whole book, with everything he was doing to set things straight (1:4-11; 2:4; 4:4-5, 9; 5:19; 6:14; 13:14, 22, 29, 31). He knew that God was with him in all of this, and he naturally was talking with God through it all. And God strengthened him and gave him the wisdom and discernment to know when he was being tricked or deceived, and helped him to work with these wayward children to lead them back into God's ways.
So often we are led astray by the world around us. It seems real, and it seems to affect our lives in many ways. Although we live in this World, surrounded by the World system, we are not to be of this system of the World (John 17:14, 16)--we are citizens of Heaven, and we're just here in this World as though we're away at a boarding school.
We are God's children, here to learn about our Father and how He thought up, designed, and made the Earth for us. To learn how He planned for us to live in this World we made on His Earth, for the few days we are here. When our Graduation Day comes, we will be His adult children, His kings and queens, fully authorized to help Him run His Family Business, His Kingdom.
We have God's Holy Spirit living inside us, right now, in our spirits, to teach us and help us and strengthen us and grow us up into the people He designed us to be.
But the Israelites didn't have God's Holy Spirit in them as we do now. Often they were on their own to try to obey and make righteous choices and decisions. So they went over and over, enjoying God, then forgetting Him, and going their own way, and having problems and troubles, and crying out to God, and He rescues them again, and they enjoy Him again. Over and over.
So we should not be subject to these cycles, as they were. We have no excuse. God's Spirit in us makes us united as one with Him and perfect in love (John 17:23; I John 4:16-17, as He is so also are we in this World). Since God's Holy Spirit is living permanently in our spirits, then we always have Him to help us to love one another perfectly. We just need to listen to Him constantly.
O my Father, thank You for giving us all these stories of how Your people did right and how You made things go well for them, and how they messed up and the problems they had; but they could always return to You. Your arms are wide open to us all, Father.
Your Son came to be one of us, so He could make us fit to live with You. And You extend the invitation to everyone, as You are not willing that any would perish, but that all would come to repentance and let the Lamb of God be their personal Sacrifice (II Peter 3:9).
His Blood, splattered on the sides of His altar, the Cross, does not just cover our sins, but washes them away totally, so that there is not a hint or shadow of a stain of sin on us, but we are cleansed thoroughly, as though we'd never sinned at all. Perfect. Fit to live with You in Your Heaven.
O Father, You have done everything possible and impossible to show us Who You are, and how much You love us and want us. Jesus even prayed, that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the World (John 17:24).
Jesus wanted me to be with Him, and You love me more than I can imagine! I am one of your princesses, who will be a queen when I have graduated this "school." His bride, and He is my Bridegroom.
I pray, Father, for all those who don't know you yet, even in my own family. Please show them Yourself and Your ways, so they also will be among all of us who are praising You and worshipping You and giving You all the majesty and honor and glory, forever and ever.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
