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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
NEHEMIAH 13
DEALING WITH BROKEN COMMITMENTS
LESSON #18
MEMORY VERSE: REVELATION 3:3
NEHEMIAH’S FIRST TERM AS GOVERNOR HAD LASTED 12 YEARS. HE THEN RETURN ED TO THE PERSIANCAPITAL IN SUSA TO REPORT TO THE KING. HE WAS IN SUSA FOR A YEAR BEFORE HE AGAIN RETURN EDTO JERUSALEM. CONDITIONS IN JERUSALEM HAD GREATLY DETERIORATED.
PRINCIPLES:
1. EVEN WITH STRONG LEADERSHIP, THE PEOPLE NEED TO MAINTAIN DILIGENCE.
2. A GROUP CANNOT BE LEFT WITHOUT LEADERSHIP FOR LONG
BEFORE THE SITUATION WILL DETERIORATE:
A. REMEMBER MOSES LEFT THE PEOPLE TO GO INTO THE MOUNTAIN TO MEET GOD. WHEN HE RETURN EDTHEY WERE WORSHIPPING THE GOLDEN CALF.
B. PAUL WOULD ESTABLISH CHURCHES, LEAVE THEM ONLY TO HAVE TO WRITE A LETTER TO STRAIGHTENOUT SOME BIG PROBLEM.
READ NEH 13:1-31
THE PEOPLE FAILED TO KEEP SOME OF THE PROMISES THEY HAD MADE IN CHAPTER 10.
THERE WERE FOUR MAJOR PROBLEMS:
1. COMPROMISING COMPANIONSHIP NEH 13:4-9
A. THE MIXED MULTITUDE:
ACCORDING TO NEH 10:28-29 THEY HAD PROMISED TO SEPARATE THEMSELVES FROM THE FOREIGNERS OFTHE LAND AND JOIN WITH THEIR JEWISH BROTHERS.
NEHEMIAH FOUND THAT THERE WERE AMMONITES AND MOABITES IN THE CONGREGATION. THIS WASCONTRARY TO THE LAW OF MOSES (DEU 23:3-4).
MOSES, TOO, HAD PROBLEMS WITH A MIXED MULTITUDE (EXO 12:38 NUM 11:4-6). MANY CHURCHESTODAY HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM.
A MIXED MULTITUDE IS A GROUP OF UNSAVED PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BELONG TO THE FELLOWSHIP OFGOD’S PEOPLE WITHOUT TRUSTING THE LORD OR SUBMITTING TO HIS WILL.
B. THE ENEMY INTRUDER:
FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN THE PRIEST, ELIASHIB, AND OUR OLD ENEMY, TOBIAH, THE TRAITOR.
(REMEMBER TOBIAH SYMBOLIZES SATAN’S DEMONS. ONE OF TOBIAH’S RELATIVES WAS MARRIED TOSANBALLAT’S DAUGHTER. REMEMBER SANBALLAT SYMBOLIZES SATAN.)
ELIASHIB WAS IN CHARGE OF THE TREASURE CHAMBERS, THOSE HIDDEN LITTLE ROOMS ON THE SIDE OFTHE TEMPLE. THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO HOLD THE UTENSILS USED FOR WORSHIP. HOWEVER, HE HADPERMITTED TOBIAH TO MOVE INTO ONE OF THESE ROOMS.
REMEMBER WE DISCUSSED CLEANING OUT THOSE HIDDEN SIN PATTERNS FROM THE SECRET PLACES IN OURLIVES. THE PEOPLE HAD CLEANED OUT THESE SECRET ROOMS, BUT THEY DIDN’T FILL THEM WITH GODLYTHINGS. THEREFORE, TOBIAH MOVED IN.
WE MUST FILL THESE PLACES WITH THE WORD OF GOD, SO SATAN DOES NOT CREATE A NEW STRONGHOLDWORSE THAN WHAT WE HAD BEFORE. (2PET 2:20)
NEHEMIAH CAST OUT ALL TOBIAH’S THINGS.
THEREFORE, RID YOUR LIFE OF THE THINGS THAT SATAN HOLDS ONTO AND SATAN WILL LEAVE. EPH4:27
NEHEMIAH REPLACED THEM WITH THE THINGS OF GOD.
THIS IS A PRIMARY STRATEGY OF SATAN:
TO INFILTRATE FOR THE PURPOSE OF COMPROMISE (INWARD)
WE ARE TO BE SEPARATE 2CO 6:17 EPH 4:27
2. A FINANCIAL FIASCO 13:10-14
THE TEMPLE WAS VIRTUALLY SHUT DOWN DUE TO FORSAKEN PLEDGES TO TITHE EVEN THOUGH THEY HADPROMISED NOT TO FORSAKE GOD’S HOUSE IN NEH 10:39.
THE PRIESTS WEREN’T BEING PAID BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WEREN’T TITHING, SO THE PRIEST HAD TO GOTO WORK IN THE FIELDS TO EARN A LIVING.
WHEN A PEOPLE BEGIN TO DECLINE SPIRITUALLY, IT WILL FIRST SHOW UP IN THE AREA OF TITHESAND OFFERINGS. (MAT 6:21)
3. A SECULARIZED SABBATH 13:15-22
THEY SIGNED THE PROMISE TO KEEP THE SABBATH LAW IN NEH 10:31.
THEY HAD ALLOWED THE CITY GATES TO BE OPENED ON THE SABBATH SO GENTILES COULD ENTER THECITY
AND TRADE. THIS WAS A TEMPTATION TO THE JEWISH BUSINESS MEN TO BREAK THE SABBATH AND OPENTHEIR BUSINESSES.
4. A DOMESTIC DISOBEDIENCE 13:23-31
INTERMARRIAGE WITH HEATHEN THEY HAD PROMISED NOT TO MARRY GENTILES IN NEH 10:30.
NEHEMIAH SURVEYED THE CITY AND SAW WOMEN FROM ASHDOD, AMMON, AND MOAB MARRIED TO JEWISHMEN.
EZRA HAD DISSOLVED THESE MIXED MARRIAGES IN EZRA 10.
IN SOLOMON’S DAY MIXED MARRIAGES HAD THREATENED THE THRONE AND THE KINGDOM.
IN NEHEMIAH’S DAY MIXED MARRIAGES THREATENED THE PRIESTHOOD AND THE NATION.
APPLICATION:
THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL NOT DESTROY THE WORK HE HAS ALREADY DONE IN YOU WHEN YOU SIN, BUTNEITHER WILL HE LET YOU CONTINUE IN WILLFUL, PRESUMPTUOUS SIN. THE PERSON OF NEHEMIAH IS APICTURE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. WHEN HE RETURN ED TO THE CITY AND SAW THE PEOPLE BACK IN SIN,HE DID NOT ANGRILY DESTROY THE WALLS. HE BEGAN TO CORRECT THE SITUATION. THE HOLY SPIRITWILL PRESSURE YOU TO GET YOUR LIFE STRAIGHTENED OUT.
PRINCIPLES OF LEADERSHIP:
[30] DEAL STEADFASTLY WITH WRONG (13:7-14)
-FACE IT HEAD ON WITHOUT COMPROMISE
-CONDEMN IT WITHOUT FEAR OF CRITICISM
-SHOW THE WAY AND WORK TOWARD PERMANENT CORRECTION
-FOLLOW UP WITH PRAYER
BOOK SUMMARY:
REVIEW TWO THEMES
1. REBUILDING THE WALLS OF OUR PERSONALITY
BODY = CITY
SOUL = WALLS
SPIRIT = TEMPLE
MAKING FAITH DECISIONS
CLEANING OUT THE OLD SIN PATTERNS HIDDEN IN THE SECRET CHAMBERS OF THE TEMPLE.
AUTHORITY IN CHRIST = GATES
STRATEGY OF THE ENEMY-SATAN
[1] USES MOCKERY AND RIDICULE (INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL) (4:1)
[2] THREATENS PERSONAL AND GROUP UNITY (OUTWARD AND INWARD)(4:8,10,11,12)
[3] TEMPTS FOR THE PURPOSE OF DECEPTIVE COMPROMISE (OUTWARD)(6:2)
[4] USES PUBLIC GOSSIP AND RUMOR (6:6)
[5] ENGAGES IN A CONSPIRACY OF FEAR (6:10)
[6] USES POLITICAL PRESSURE (6:17-19)
[7] USES INFILTRATION FOR PURPOSES OF COMPROMISE (INWARD)(13:4)
2. LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP GOALS AND PRIORITIES
30 PRINCIPLES OF LEADERSHIP FROM NEHEMIAH
QUALITIES THAT MADE NEHEMIAH A GOOD LEADER:
1. HE KNEW HE WAS CALLED BY GOD.
2. HE DEPENDED ON PRAYER.
3. HE HAD A VISION OF WHAT GOD WANTED TO DO, AND HE HAD A PLAN FOR ACCOMPLISHING THATVISION.NEHEMIAH’S VISION: TO BUILD THE WALLS AND GET THE CITY READY FOR THE COMING OF THEMESSIAH.
4. HE WAS SUBMITTED TO AUTHORITY.
5. HIS LIFE AND HIS WORK WERE ORGANIZED. HE PLANNED HIS WORK AND WORKED HIS PLAN.THEREFORE, GOD BLESSED HIM.
6. HE WAS ABLE TO DISCERN THE TACTICS OF THE ENEMY.
7. HE WORKED HARD.
8. HE LIVED AN EXEMPLARY LIFE.
9. HE SOUGHT TO ONLY GLORIFY GOD.
10.HE HAD COURAGE. LEADERSHIP MEANS YOU MUST BE WILLING TO TAKE RISKS, MAKEMISTAKES, ENDURE CRITICISM, BE MISUNDERSTOOD, SLANDERED AND YET NEVER GIVE UP.
11.HE ENLISTED OTHERS TO WORK.
12.HE WAS DETERMINED.
APPLICATION:
GOD WANTS COMMITTED LEADERS WORKING FOR HIS GLORY.
GOD WANTS COMMITTED PEOPLE BUILDING A MATURE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
DISCUSSION:
HOW ARE YOU PUTTING NEHEMIAH INTO PRACTICE IN YOUR LIFE?
THE END
GOD BLESS YOU!
