Lesson for August 25, 2013: Sabbath Reforms (Nehemiah 13:4-31)

By Sam E. Stone

The conclusion of the book of Nehemiah emphasizes how reform happens. James E. Smith observes, “Once again the reading of Scripture had driven home to the Jews the obligation to be holy unto Yahweh. The prohibition here enjoined (Nehemiah 13:1-3) was not absolute. It was religious, not ethnic. Those who embraced in faith the God of Israel, like Ruth the Moabitess, could find a very different reception in Israel.”

Nehemiah 13 describes a time somewhat removed from the first chapters. Nehemiah has now returned to Jerusalem from his homeland (v. 6-9). While some feel he had been gone for about 18 months, others think it could have been up to 12 years. Scripture does not tell us.

Support Neglected
Nehemiah 13:10-12
One of the temple requirements that Nehemiah had put in place early on was the use of storerooms to contain the “contributions, first-fruits and tithes” (see 12:44-47). When Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem from Babylon, he discovered that this had been changed. Eliashib did evil when he provided Tobiah with a room in the courts of the house of God (13:7). Prior to Nehemiah’s trip, this area had been used to store the offerings, temple articles, and the tithes. No longer! Upon returning Nehemiah ordered Tobiah’s household goods out of the room and gave orders to purify the area, returning the rooms to their original purpose in the house of God (v. 9).

Nehemiah’s question echoed through the streets of Jerusalem: “Why is the house of God neglected?” By forsaking their duties, the priests had backslidden, not serving in the Lord’s temple. Keith Schoville notes, “Religious leadership in Jerusalem weakened after the departure of Nehemiah, and Ezra may have died; we have no further mention of him in the narrative. This allowed the people to treat lightly the covenant responsibilities they had sworn to fulfill (10:37-39). Acting decisively, Nehemiah called the laboring Levites back to Jerusalem and their duties, even before the flow of contributions returned.”

Sabbath Violated
Nehemiah 13:15-21
All of the Old Testament emphasizes the observance of the Sabbath (see Genesis 2:2; Exodus 16:23-29; 31:14-16; 35:2, 3; Numbers 15:32-36). The prophets warned against desecrating the Sabbath (see Amos 8:5; Isaiah 58:13, 14; Jeremiah 17:19-27). The Sabbath began at sundown on Friday and continued until sundown on Saturday. Nehemiah found, however, that traders were bringing loads of grain, fruit, and other things into the city of Jerusalem during this period. 

He offered a stern warning (Nehemiah 13:15). C. F. Keil observes, “Nehemiah reproved the nobles of Judah for this profanation of the Sabbath, reminding them how their fathers (forefathers) by such acts . . .had brought upon the people and the city great evil.” They were now increasing their guilt, adding to the wrath on Israel.

Nehemiah met this sin head-on. He ordered the gates of the city closed just before dark on the Sabbath. In addition, he stationed some of his own servants at the gates to prevent any people entering with items to sell or trade. As governor, he had the legal (as well as the moral) authority to do this. Those who tried to press their luck and spend the night just outside the wall were given a single warning; “If you do this again, I will arrest you.” They got the message!

Petition Made
Nehemiah 13:22
Once more Nehemiah directed the Levites to purify themselves and then guard the gates to protect the sanctity of the Sabbath. From this point on, no one would be permitted to buy or sell on that day of the week. God’s people were to be a new creation, not falling again into the trap of selfishness and disobedience.

Nehemiah 13:4-31

King James Version (KJV)

⁴ And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah:
⁵ And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests.
⁶ But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem: for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon came I unto the king, and after certain days obtained I leave of the king:
⁷ And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God.
⁸ And it grieved me sore: therefore I cast forth all the household stuff to Tobiah out of the chamber.
⁹ Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and thither brought I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meat offering and the frankincense.
¹⁰ And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field.
¹¹ Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place.
¹² Then brought all Judah the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries.
¹³ And I made treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah: and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah: for they were counted faithful, and their office was to distribute unto their brethren.
¹⁴ Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof.
¹⁵ In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals.
¹⁶ There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.
¹⁷ Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day?
¹⁸ Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath.
¹⁹ And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day.
²⁰ So the merchants and sellers of all kind of ware lodged without Jerusalem once or twice.
²¹ Then I testified against them, and said unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall? if ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on the sabbath.
²² And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy.
²³ In those days also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab:
²⁴ And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people.
²⁵ And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves.
²⁶ Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.
²⁷ Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying strange wives?
²⁸ And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was son in law to Sanballat the Horonite: therefore I chased him from me.
²⁹ Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites.
³⁰ Thus cleansed I them from all strangers, and appointed the wards of the priests and the Levites, every one in his business;
³¹ And for the wood offering, at times appointed, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.

Lesson for August 18, 2013: Dedication of the Wall

Nehemiah 12:27-43

King James Version (KJV)

²⁷ And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps.

²⁸ And the sons of the singers gathered themselves together, both out of the plain country round about Jerusalem, and from the villages of Netophathi;

²⁹ Also from the house of Gilgal, and out of the fields of Geba and Azmaveth: for the singers had builded them villages round about Jerusalem.

³⁰ And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and purified the people, and the gates, and the wall.

³¹ Then I brought up the princes of Judah upon the wall, and appointed two great companies of them that gave thanks, whereof one went on the right hand upon the wall toward the dung gate:

³² And after them went Hoshaiah, and half of the princes of Judah,

³³ And Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam,

³⁴ Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,

³⁵ And certain of the priests' sons with trumpets; namely, Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Michaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph:

³⁶ And his brethren, Shemaiah, and Azarael, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel, and Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God, and Ezra the scribe before them.

³⁷ And at the fountain gate, which was over against them, they went up by the stairs of the city of David, at the going up of the wall, above the house of David, even unto the water gate eastward.

³⁸ And the other company of them that gave thanks went over against them, and I after them, and the half of the people upon the wall, from beyond the tower of the furnaces even unto the broad wall;

³⁹ And from above the gate of Ephraim, and above the old gate, and above the fish gate, and the tower of Hananeel, and the tower of Meah, even unto the sheep gate: and they stood still in the prison gate.

⁴⁰ So stood the two companies of them that gave thanks in the house of God, and I, and the half of the rulers with me:

⁴¹ And the priests; Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets;

⁴² And Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah their overseer.

⁴³ Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.

By Sam E. Stone
The first part of the book of Nehemiah describes the rebuilding of the walls and gates of Jerusalem. This was completed. Today’s text tells about the dedication ceremony of the rebuilt walls that followed. Chapter 12 lists the priests and Levites who had returned to their homeland and now will participate in this joyful occasion. Likely both the Levites and the priests who lived outside Jerusalem were assigned a normal rotation of duties in the temple. On this special occasion, however, additional arrangements were made.

Dedication Participation
Nehemiah 12:31-38
Nehemiah writes again in the first person here as he explains what took place. The starting point for the two groups is not named, but many Bible scholars think that it was likely the Valley Gate. It faced west and overlooked the Central Valley next to the City of David (the oldest section of Jerusalem).

The “main attraction” of the day was the walking along the walls. The leaders and musicians were divided into two groups to give thanks—one going with Ezra, the other with Nehemiah. The participants started in opposite directions around the circuit of the wall (12:31-42). The wall was wide enough for people to walk on it easily. (It was at least nine feet in width, according to one archaeologist.)

Keith Schoville calls the processions “a celebration of the completed work and as such a stimulus to thanksgiving and a means of commitment, dedication, of the whole to God. The chanting of such psalms as 48 (especially vv. 13-14) and 147 would have provided an appropriate accompaniment.”

Many of the distinguished group of priests and Levites who led in this service are named in the text. These worship leaders were accompanied by Ezra, who led one procession, and by Nehemiah, who accompanied the other group walking at the rear. (“I followed them on top of the wall.”)

The writer lists the various musical instruments used in this time of praise and celebration as well. The priests specifically are named as those who blew the trumpets (note also Ezra 3:10). These trumpets are not shofars (ram’s horns) but metal instruments (see Numbers 10:8; 31:6; 1 Chronicles 15:24; 16:6.) The expression musical instruments prescribed by David the man of God may include other instruments in addition to those listed above (Nehemiah 12:27). Some that might have been included are the flute (see 1 Kings 1:40; Isaiah 30:29) and timbrel or tambourine (see Psalm 81:2; 149:3; 150:4).

Dedication Praise
Nehemiah 12:43

The dedication service included great sacrifices as well. While special sacrifices were not required at such a ceremony, they were nonetheless generously given. Such generosity is normal for God’s people! The apostle Paul commended the Macedonian Christians for their generous giving, even when they were actually quite poor (2 Corinthians 8). The apostle explained that “they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will” (v. 5, NIV 1984). The people of Israel did the same.

Ezra had led them in a time of repentance and rededication. Nehemiah had led them in restoring the temple and the Jerusalem wall. Their generosity confirmed their dedication. As at the earlier celebration (Ezra 3:13; 6:16), the songs and shouts of joyous praise were loud. The rejoicing of the thankful crowd could be heard far away

Lesson for August 4, 2013: Feast of Tabernacles

Nehemiah 7:73

King James Version (KJV)

⁷³ So the priests, and the Levites, and the porters, and the singers, and some of the people, and the Nethinims, and all Israel, dwelt in their cities; and when the seventh month came, the children of Israel were in their cities.

 Nehemiah 8:13-18

King James Version (KJV)

¹³ And on the second day were gathered together the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to understand the words of the law.

¹⁴ And they found written in the law which the Lord had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month:

¹⁵ And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.

¹⁶ So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim.

¹⁷ And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.

¹⁸ Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.

By Sam E. Stone
Nehemiah went to Jerusalem in 444 BC. Ezra had been there 13 years at the time of today’s text. Ezra served as a priest, however, while Nehemiah came as the civil governor to rebuild the wall and restore Jerusalem as a fortified city. The opening chapters of the book that bears his name tell how he came to be sent there, and how he proceeded to rebuild the wall. Despite fierce opposition, Nehemiah led the people through this challenging time.

Nehemiah’s list of those who had returned from Babylon became the basis he would use to repopulate the city. James E. Smith explains, “The incorporation of the list here in Nehemiah accomplished two purposes. First, it established the city’s continuity with the past. These people needed to have a sense of their inheritance and their calling. Second, it became the basis for reorganizing the population of Judea (7:5-72).”

Reading the Law
Nehemiah 8:2, 3
For the Jews, the seventh month included three important celebrations: the Festival of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23-25), the Day of Atonement (23:26-32), and the Festival of Tabernacles (Deuteronomy 16:16). The occasion of today’s lesson was the Festival of Tabernacles. Earlier it was known as the “Festival of Ingathering” indicating its relation to harvest time (late September or early October).

To this special assembly, both men and women came, along with their more mature children (all who were able to understand). Keith Schoville describes the location: “The place of assembly was in the square before the Water Gate. It was not in the courts of the temple, but outside the temple compound, virtually in its shadow.”

The beloved priest, Ezra, brought the Law (the first five books of the Bible, also called the Pentateuch) to read to the people. He did not just read a few verses, like a text before a sermon, but instead he read from the entire scroll! The people stood while he read for some six hours—from daybreak till noon. The significance of this service is hard to overestimate. Note that the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

The printed text does not contain all of the details. Verses 4-12 explain that Ezra stood on an elevated wooden platform that was large enough to accommodate 13 other men (v. 4). When he opened the book, the people all stood up. As he praised God, the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Nehemiah (the governor) and Ezra both told the people, “‘This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.’ For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law” (v. 9).

Heeding the Law
Nehemiah 8:13-18
James B. Hoffman points out, “The prominent thing in this paragraph is the thirst of the people to hear the word of God . .  . Not only did the people come to hear Ezra read the law on that following day, but also on every day throughout the Feast of Tabernacles” (v. 18). While most of the people returned to their home for joyous feasting and their daily responsibilities, the heads of all the families continued meeting with Ezra for additional instruction in the Law. These family leaders were responsible for the religious instruction in their households (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).

Evidently a full observance of the Festival of Tabernacles had not always been practiced in the intervening years. Keil reminds Bible students, however, that “the text only states that since the days of Joshua the whole community had not so celebrated it (i.e. had not dwelt in booths).” It does not indicate there was no observance at all during the intervening years. Today’s text shows a strong movement back to the intended purpose for the festival. The temporary shelters were to serve as a reminder of their forefathers’ experience in escaping from Egypt.

The flat-roofed homes in Palestine made it easy for the people to erect a booth on the roof of a house for this festival (v. 16). The feast was observed regularly in Jesus’ time (John 7:2) and is still observed today by the building of booths or shelters, known as “Sukkot.”

In the observance that Nehemiah describes it is important to see that the Lord’s message was taken out into the streets, not kept in the sanctuary. Even as Ezra proclaimed God’s truth by the Water Gate in his time, so believers today must carry the message of hope into the streets, “the highways and byways” of modern life.