The Continuing Battle Against Sinful Practices
Or… The Downward Spiral of Compromise
Nehemiah 13:1-31
Rodeo Road Baptist Church
November 17, 2014
Disclaimer: Each sermon in this series on Nehemiah was written with both commentary help and referencing from time to time information from sermons and illustration found on Sermon Central. In most cases I tried to be faithful in giving credit to the author but I acknowledge that I was not consistent in that endeavor. So any similarity to other older posted sermons on this web site are due in part to the quality of their work and the timelessness of the truth they shared originally. There was no intentional intent to use without credit any material in these sermons that were first delivered by other pastors.
Introduction
Lessons from Nehemiah on Restoring Broken Places
The first part of the Book of Nehemiah was focused on rebuilding of the wall.
1. A Man with a Broken Heart (1:1-11)
2. Knowing When You Need Help (2:1-20)
3. Working Together to Fix Broken Places (3:1-32)
4. Surprise! Not Everyone Is On You Side (4:1-23)
5. Restoring the Integrity of Leadership (5:1-19)
6. Perseverance: A Key to Finishing Strong (6:1-19)
The second part of the Book of Nehemiah dealt with rebuilding of the faith of Israel.
7. Restoration of Worship (8:1-18)
8. Repentance and Restoring a Covenant of Faithfulness (9:1-38)
9. Why is a Written Covenant so Important (10:1-38)
10. Living Outside My Comfort Zone (11:1-36)
11. The Continuing Battle Against Sinful Practices (13:1-31)
Melvin Newland states, “Now, Nehemiah has returned to Susa, to serve King Artaxerxes. We are not sure how long the time period is that he is in Persia, but it does seem to be a considerable amount of time. As we come to our text today, our final study of Nehemiah, we see that Nehemiah is returning to Jerusalem. And what he discovers is that, “While the cat’s away, the mice will play!”
The promises the people have made under Nehemiah’s supervision are compromised.”
Nehemiah 13:6 While this was taking place, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king. And after some time I asked leave of the king
I. How much influence does your unchurched friends have on your values and behavior?
Nehemiah 13:4-9 Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, and who was related to Tobiah, prepared for Tobiah a large chamber where they had previously put the grain offering, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil, which were given by commandment to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests. While this was taking place, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king. And after some time I asked leave of the king and came to Jerusalem, and I then discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, preparing for him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. And I was very angry, and I threw all the household furniture of Tobiah out of the chamber. Then I gave orders, and they cleansed the chambers, and I brought back there the vessels of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.
Do you remember Tobiah?
• 2:10 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant heard this, it displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel.
• 2:19 they jeered at us and despised us and said, "What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?"
• 4:3 "Yes, what they are building—if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!"
• 6:19 And Tobiah sent letters to make me afraid.
and I then discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, preparing for him a chamber in the courts of the house of God
Deuteronomy 23:3, 4 "No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the LORD. Even to the tenth generation, none of them may enter the assembly of the LORD forever, because they did not meet you with bread and with water on the way, when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you.
What does Nehemiah do? He says in vs. 8, "I was greatly displeased and threw all Tobiah’s household goods out of the room." Not only that, but vs. 9 states, "I gave orders to purify the rooms..." The word "purify" really means, "fumigate." He didn’t even want the smell of Tobiah around.
1 Corinthians 15:33 Do not be deceived: "Bad company ruins good morals."
2 Corinthians 6:14-15 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?
The first step down the slippery slope is to compromise to the Word of God in your personal actions and relationships
II. Would the work of ministry be able to continue based upon you stewardship?
Nehemiah 13:10-13 I also found out that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had fled each to his field. So I confronted the officials and said, "Why is the house of God forsaken?" And I gathered them together and set them in their stations. Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses. And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouses Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, and as their assistant Hanan the son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, for they were considered reliable, and their duty was to distribute to their brothers.
Keeping the Standard a Sermon shared by Paul Decker
At the end of Nehemiah 10, we find this statement made by the people, “We will not neglect the house of God.” Now note again, verse 11, “Why is the house of God forsaken?” Clearly, it is a promise that the people failed. It is here we need to be reminded that… 1. Sin is never an isolated incident; it always has implications that reach beyond one’s self. The sin of Eliashib had many implications. The Levites were dependent on the faithful support of the people, but when Tobiah moved in, the support dwindled. The grain, oil, and incense the Levites needed were thrown out, and thus they had no supplies to work with, nor were there salaries paid. Since they were not adequately supported, they had to go to work in the fields to earn a living for themselves. The Levites were despondent and singers were silenced. The spiritual life of the nation was is in a shambles. You see… 2. When we become indifferent to God’s Word, we become secularized.
When leadership fails, both clergy and lay leaders the congregation will stop supporting financially the work of ministry. Churches never have money problems; they have obedience problems.
Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The second step down the slippery slope is breaking spiritual promises because we start looking at men rather than looking to God
III. Does Sunday have any special meaning or is it just another day of the week to you?
Nehemiah 13:15-21 In those days I saw in Judah people treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them on the day when they sold food. Tyrians also, who lived in the city, brought in fish and all kinds of goods and sold them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah, in Jerusalem itself! Then I confronted the nobles of Judah and said to them, "What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day? Did not your fathers act in this way, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Now you are bringing more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath." As soon as it began to grow dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and gave orders that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. And I stationed some of my servants at the gates, that no load might be brought in on the Sabbath day. Then the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice. But I warned them and said to them, "Why do you lodge outside the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you." From that time on they did not come on the Sabbath.
Hebrews 10:23-25 Let us continue to hold firmly to the hope that we confess without wavering, for the one who made the promise is faithful. And let us continue to consider how to motivate one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another even more as you see the day of the Lord coming nearer.
In a certain mountain village in Europe several centuries ago, a nobleman wondered what legacy he should leave to his townspeople. At last he decided to build them a church. No one saw the complete plans for the church until it was finished. When the people gathered, they marveled at its beauty and completeness. Then someone asked, "But where are the lamps? How will it be lighted?" The nobleman pointed to some brackets in the walls. Then he gave to each family a lamp which they were to bring with them each time they came to worship. "Each time you are here the area where you are seated will be lighted," the nobleman said. "Each time you are not here, that area will be dark. This is to remind you that whenever you fail to come to church, some part of God’s house will be dark." -- Church Bulletin Bits
The third step down the slippery slope is abandoning the worship of God and accountability through essential relationships with the Body of Christ
IV. Looking ahead, based upon what we are doing today, where do you see the next generation headed?
Nehemiah 13:23-28 In those days also I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but only the language of each people. And I confronted them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair. And I made them take an oath in the name of God, saying, "You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. Did not Solomon king of Israel sin on account of such women? Among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, foreign women made even him to sin. Shall we then listen to you and do all this great evil and act treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women?" And one of the sons of Jehoiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was the son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite. Therefore I chased him from me.
Judges 2:10 And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD or the work that he had done for Israel.
The last step down the slippery slope is a lost generation who knows nothing of the things of the Lord or a biblical worldview.
Conclusion
DON’T COMPROMISE – A hunter raised his rifle and took careful aim at a large bear. When he was about to pull the trigger, the bear spoke in a soft soothing voice, "Isn’t it better to talk than to shoot? What do you want? Let’s negotiate the matter."
Lowering his rifle, the hunter replied, "I want your fur coat."
"Good," said the bear, "that is a negotiable item. I only want a full stomach, so let us sit down and negotiate a compromise."
They sat down to negotiate and after a time the bear walked away, alone.
The negotiations had been successful. The bear had a full stomach, and the hunter had his fur coat! Compromise does not pay; it’s never worth it.
