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Nehemiah
Written by Dr. Lester Hutson

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Studies in Nehemiah                                                                                                                              Lesson 24

BACKSLIDING AND IT'S CURE

Part 2

Nehemiah 13:1-31

Introduction.

       Nehemiah 13 lists three distinct ways by which these Israelites turned from God into backsliding. In each case, these people had made a specific promise or oath to God that they would honor Him specifically in these areas. Obviously they did not keep their covenant with God. In these people, all of us who know the Savior can see ourselves. Not one of us has ever lived up to all that we expected to be. Not one has ever kept every promise of faithfulness to God.

       These people broke their promises to God, and they broke them in reverse order of their original commitments.

I.     THEY VIOLATED THEIR OATH TO HONOR THE HOUSE OF GOD. Neh. 13:1-14

       A.    These people had made a covenant with God and promised to honor Him with their substance and never to neglect His house. Neh. 10:32-39

       B.    The leadership backslid by failing at sanctification. Neh. 13:4-5,7

       C.    The whole company of people backslid by allowing the house of God to be polluted.

       D.    Nehemiah took immediate and decisive action to correct this situation.

II.    THEY VIOLATED THEIR OATH TO CONDUCT THEIR BUSINESS ACCORDING TO GOD'S PRINCIPLES. Neh. 13:15-22

       A.    They had made a covenant with God and promised to honor Him in their business practices. Neh. 10:31

              1.    The regular Saturday sabbath was to be a day of rest. Exodus 20:8-11 Never were they to conduct business on a Saturday and earlier these people of Nehemiah had solemnly promised that they would not do so. They said that even if others brought goods and desired to buy, sell or trade on a sabbath day that they would refuse to participate.

               2.    This promise extended to "any holy day." There were many other holy or sabbath days in addition to the regular Saturday sabbath. Lev. 23 They promised to honor God in their business practices on all of these occasions.

               3.    The land was not to be farmed on the seventh year. Exodus 23:10-11. Lev. 25:4They had promised God that they would honor His command in this matter.

               4.    They had also promised to honor God's teachings regarding debt. Usury on loans was strictly forbidden and all debts were to be structured so that they could be cleared in a timely manner. Deut. 15:1-3

                             Earlier they had dealt with this very issue. They knew that violation of God's teachings on this matter was a serious offence. Neh. 5:7-10

                      Study notes.

                             Have you purposed to honor God in your business practices? Name specific ways you have done so. Have you determined to pay your debts? On time? Conduct yourself "Christian" in a business dispute? Always be honest with money?

       B.     By the time Nehemiah returned from Shushan, the Saturday sabbath was being treated as any other day. Neh. 13:15-16

               1.    Commerce was flourishing. Not only were outsiders like "men of Tyre" bringing in their wares, the "children of Judah" were doing business with them as though nothing was wrong with the practice.

              2.    Not only did the offence extend to trade on the

                      sabbath days, Nehemiah observed the people of Judah doing various kinds of manufacturing and other types of work on the sabbath.

               3.    The sabbath was primarily a day of rest and not worship. It, as a part of the Law, was fulfilled in Christ. Romans 10:4 Since then, believers are not obligated to keep the law, including the sabbath. That does not mean that many of the teachings of the Law should not be kept.

                      a.     Murder was forbidden before the law and during the Law, and even though the law has been fulfilled, murder is still wrong and forbidden.

                      b.    The principle of a day set aside to honor God is still just as viable as ever. The first day of the week (Sunday) is the day of Christ's resurrection Mat. 28:1-6 and that was the day observed in the Bible for church assembly and worship. Acts 20:7. 1 Cor. 16:2 The Bible clearly says that believers are "not to forsake" regular assembly. Heb. 10:24-24

                                    Any time one lets work take him/her away from respect for the Lord's day of worship and regular assembly with God's people, backsliding has already begun. Inevitably is worsens. Very often, given a little time, the effects of failure to respect God's day of worship and neglected assembly with His church, even because of business obligations, begin to appear in the marriage, home life, personal habits, attitudes and most other areas of life.

                             Study notes.

                                    On a scale of one to ten, how important is it to you to not let your business life interfere with your time and service in the house of God?

                      c.     Besides the need of God's people to subjugate business obligations to faithfulness of worship and service in His house, they should be faithful in all other areas of business.

                                    The business practices of God's people should be noted for hard work Eph. 4:28, honesty Rom. 12:17, justice and equity Lev. 19:36 and integrity Job 2:3.

                             Study notes.

                                    On a scale of "A" for excellent and "F" for failing, how do you grade your business life in light of obedience to God's word on the issue?

                      d.    The reasoning of scriptures is that a believer's walk with God will be reflected in his daily affairs of life, including his business. 2 Cor. 5:17 Whenever there is a violation of Biblical teachings on business practices, that person has backslidden from God.

                             Study notes.

                                    Name specific business practices have you observed in believers that told you they were backslidden?

       C.     Nehemiah reminded these people of the past sufferings they and their forefathers had known as a direct result of previous sin and backsliding. Neh. 13:18

               1.    The history of the evils and suffering in Jerusalem as a direct result of sin is legendary. Consider 2 Chronicles 36 and the Lamentations.

                             The book of Nehemiah begins with a grim view of Jerusalem and these people had see it. Neh. 1:2-3; 2:12-17

               2.    Nehemiah reminded them that more sin would bring more wrath.

                             It would seem that God's people would learn something from their sins and the consequences that follow. Very few do. Most of us repeat them again and again with the same or intensifying grievous results. The principle stated in Gal. 6:7 always works.

                      Study notes.

                             Discuss answers for the failure of each generation to learn much from the generations before them.

       D.     Nehemiah dealt decisively with the outright rebellion against God's way. Neh. 13:19-22

               1.    He confronted the leaders with the evil that they were allowing to continue. Neh. 13:17

                             The leadership should never allowed this situation to develop. They were especially accountable. Heb. 13:17 Usually there is a direct link between backsliding in the ranks and failure in leadership. In churches, it is usually poor preaching, failure to take care of administrative affairs, failure to attend pastoral duties, a rather cavalier or egotistical attitude in the pastor, laziness or some other such leadership deficit that produces rank and file backsliding.

                             Nehemiah knew where the core of the sore was and started there.

               2.    To insure that the evil stop, Nehemiah commanded that the city gates be shut during the sabbath. No merchants and no trafficking was allowed in the city. Neh. 13:19

                             He didn't vacillate. He decisively took definitive steps to stop the evil that was producing the decay. There is a time when talk is not enough. Strong and decisive action is needed immediately. There is no need to talk and make excuses when God's word is clear and one is in violation of it.

               3.    Some of the merchants defied Nehemiah and lodged just outside the gates. Neh. 13:20

                             There are those who will, in spite of all efforts to reach them, defy the clear teachings of God and the truth on an issue. Consider Ecclesiastes 8:11.

               4.    When they defied him, Nehemiah took whatever steps necessary to stop the rebellion. Neh. 13:21

                             Nehemiah threatened to exercise physical force against those who rose in outright rebellion.

                             Church discipline against certain rebellious offenses 1 Cor. 5:1-5, 10 and an appeal to civil lawmen against those who would destroy church property, disrupt services or harm worshipers are sometimes necessary in the work of the Lord.

       E.     Once he stopped the evil practices, Nehemiah restored proper sanctification and order. Neh. 13:22

               1.    He cleansed the Levites.

                             He restored the leadership to godliness.

               2.    He fortified the gates.

                             He took measures to prevent repeated backsliding and sin.

               3.    He sanctified the sabbath.

                             He put them in compliance with the teachings of God.

       F.     Nehemiah again appealed to God remember him and to protect him. Neh. 13:22

III.   THEY VIOLATED THEIR OATH THAT THEIR CHILDREN WOULD NOT MARRY THE LOST. Neh. 13:23-31

       A.    In their earlier covenant with God, they had promised "that we would not give our daughters unto the people of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons." Neh. 10:30

       B.    The ramifications of backsliding on this point are profound.

               1.    The Jews (God's people) had intermarried with the Philistines, Ammonites and the Moabites (heathens who did not embrace the true God). Neh. 13:23

                             Verse 28 reports that this evil had reached even the priest's house. One of the sons of the high priest had married a daughter of Sanballet who was one of the most vicious of all of the enemies of God and His work. In so doing they defiled the priesthood and the integrity of the whole priestly system. Neh. 13:29

                             God's word leaves no doubt on this issue. In no age are believers to intermarry with unbelievers. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. Even so, this is one of the most commonly committed and commonly accepted sins within the ranks of Christianity.

               2.    Soon after these marriages, confusion became evident. Verse 24 mentions the language problems that quickly developed. In verse 26 Nehemiah cited Solomon as evidence of the mounting sin to which such marriages lead. As great and godly a man as Solomon was and in spite of his strength, Nehemiah makes the statement, "nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin."

                      a.     There is a spiritual parallel to the natural language problem mentioned here. Those who embrace the true God of the Bible and His ways will always be at odds with those

                             who do not. The ways of God run counter to those of other belief systems on almost all issues such as origins, sin, morality, ethics, redemption, child-rearing, the purpose of life and eternity. Amos 3:3 asks, "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" The answer is an obvious "No." That being true, marriages of this sort are doomed to one of two directions. There will be either (1) constant division or (2) compromise and surrender on the part of one or the other.

                      b.    The second alternative is the one cited by Nehemiah. With Solomon as his illustration case in point, he warns these Jews of the inevitable path into deeper and deeper sin and turning from God that intermarriage initiates.

               3.     The sad part of wrong marriages is not effect it has on the immediate couple. That couple simply opens the flood gates. Their marriage says "No" to God and that the compromise of truths necessary to the existence of such a relationship is not important. Bystanders get the message, especially their children and usually they go a step farther. Their departure from God and His ways escalates and is greater with each new generation.

                             Nehemiah's message is clear. It was really Solomon who initiated the turning from God into the heathenism that ultimately resulted in the fall of Samaria to the Assyrians and in the Babylonian captivity of Judah, the ruin of the entire nation.

                             Sin, including a wrong marriage, seldom looks so bad and wrong at the beginning. Wise men and women would do well to look down the road a few years, to the children and even the grandchildren. A mature harvest is not always a pretty sight.

                      Study notes.

                             Have you observed marriages between believers and non-believers? Discuss some of the long-term results.

       C.     To correct this great evil Nehemiah again took decisive action.

               1.    He confronted the ones who were responsible and dealt with them in a way that left no doubt about the magnitude of this sin. Neh. 13:25

               2.    He made them swear that it would not happen again. Neh. 13:25

               3.    He chased away the heathen son-in-law to the high priest. Neh. 13:28 He also separated all of the polluted ones from the rest. Neh. 13:30

               4.    He restored cleanliness, proper order and proper worship. Neh. 13:30-31

       D.     He again asked God to remember him for good. God always does remember. Ecclesiastes 12:14.

Conclusion.

       It is noteworthy that these people violated their oaths to God in reverse order of their having made them. The last thing they promised was to honor the house of God, but the first thing they did was dishonor the house of God. Once they backslid here, backsliding in the other areas was inevitable. It always is. In this age, any time one's concern and care for the Lord's church grows weak, quality of life for that one begins to crumble in every other area.

Study notes.

       Have you observed this phenomenon? Discuss.

"It Does Make a Difference What You Believe"