By Pastor Greg
It’s amazing what can happen when a group of people come together with a common vision and a common goal. Doing God’s work enabled those living in Judea to accomplish something marvelous. Taking a city wall that that had been nothing more than a pile of rubble, they transformed it once again into a fortified wall in just 52 days (see Nehemiah 6:15). And the best part is that everyone participated. I know reading portions of the Bible can be a real drag, especially when we come to the listing of names. But what stands out in Nehemiah 3 is that everyone participated in this rebuilding project. Reading through chapter 3 we see that Priests and Levites worked alongside government officials. Temple servants worked with the local merchants and craftsmen. Men and women, people of all skill and trade came together and rebuilt this wall. And their work, by the way, was not as shoddy as Tobiah the Ammonite claimed it would be (Nehemiah 4:3). A portion of Nehemiah’s 2,500 year-old wall still stands today in Jerusalem. So Mr. Tobaih, now shoot off! This is what happens when God’s people do God’s work God’s way.
In spite of the intimidation, trickery, lies, and deception of men like Tobiah and Sanballat, the people of Judah came together and accomplished exactly what God had placed in Nehemiah’s heart; to rebuild the wall and restore honor to the city once again. But Nehemiah didn’t stop at merely rebuilding the wall. The twelve years he spent in Jerusalem as governor, he instituted many religious reforms. Once the two month building project was completed, Ezra returned to his teaching program, and Nehemiah called the people to celebrate the Jewish Festival of Shelters. Revival had come to Judea. And Nehemiah’s leadership sparked enthusiasm for God within the hearts of the people. They even took an oath to uphold God’s commands, and had the leaders sign the document. “Then the rest of the people—the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, Temple servants, and all who had separated themselves from the pagan people of the land in order to obey the Law of God, together with their wives, sons, daughters, and all who were old enough to understand - joined their leaders and bound themselves with an oath. They swore a curse on themselves if they failed to obey the Law of God as issued by his servant Moses. They solemnly promised to carefully follow all the commands, regulations, and decrees of the Lord our Lord” (Nehemiah 10:28-29). Glory Hallelujah Amen. Revival comes when God’s people do God’s work God’s way.
At some point after this revival, Nehemiah returned to Susa, as he had promised the king. However, while he was gone, some things began to unravel back home. And wouldn’t you know it; Tobiah’s name comes up again! But after reading about the revival, the commitment to God, and the oath, doesn’t it seem strange that the people of Jerusalem would allow that trouble maker to stir things up again? Why would the people of Jerusalem tolerate this? Didn’t they know how damaging this could be? Why would they permit themselves to be led astray? And if you’ll turn to Nehemiah 13, you’ll see just how damaging it can be to tolerate troublemakers in your midst (read Nehemiah 13:1-12).
At the center of this was a priest named Eliashib. In the list of name of individuals who helped with the rebuilding work, the first name mentioned is Eliashib the High Priest (Nehemiah 3:1). And at first glance it appears that he was a man in full support of Nehemiah’s vision. But once Nehemiah was gone, Eliashib gives Tobiah a room WITHIN the Temple. In Eliashib, Tobiah found a place for his destructive behavior to take root and grow. And because of this we read that giving had stopped. Eliashib and the rest of the people in Jerusalem tolerated the actions of a sinful man within their midst, and giving decreased.
Of course, if you read further in this chapter, tithing wasn’t the only problem. The bottom line is that the people had gone soft in their commitment to God and in their pursuit of holiness. This problem was not Nehemiah’s fault. The problem existed long before he arrived, and sadly it continued once he left. The people just seemed to be complacent and indifferent about those who would lead them away from holiness.
Perhaps the people in Jerusalem thought that it must be okay for Tobiah to have a special place among them, especially since Eliashib the priest seemed to think it was okay. So if the leaders are not doing anything about it why should they be concerned? But you have to wonder why the people didn’t seem to notice how lax they had become in their holiness. Didn’t they remember the oath they had pledged just a few years before? Surely someone would have noticed that they were being led away from doing God’s work and instead following the practices of the rest of the world. Didn’t someone perceive that all of this started once Nehemiah left and after Tobiah’s influence was tolerated? Had they forgotten that this Tobiah was the same one who lied, threatened, and slandered their work; that he had no desire to see Jerusalem prosper? Why didn’t the people rise up and do something about this?
Jesus asks the same question to the Church in Pergamum and the Church in Thyatira. Why do you tolerate those people that lead you away from holiness; people who are bent on damaging the Church instead of building up the church? Why do you allow them to get away with their ungodly and destructive behavior?
In Revelation Jesus says He will intervene. Nehemiah came back to Jerusalem and took charge to restore holiness and commitment to God’s laws. But what of the Church today? How should a Church respond to this story in Nehemiah? What lesson should it learn? Well, I tell you the truth; a Church needs to realize that its greatest strength is found when God’s people work together, not when a person works for them. The greatest strength is found when that church holds one another accountable to holiness and righteousness; when the church unites together to uphold the teachings of God. The lesson a Church should learn from this section of Nehemiah is that when someone within that church practices sinful, destructive behavior that is not Christ-like or diminishes holiness, the people of that Church should confront it. Yes, the people of that Church, not just leadership. That was the problem in Jerusalem. They had come to depend on Nehemiah to stand against the destructive sinful practices of Tobiah, and did not have the strength or courage to stand against him themselves.
As the first century church began to grow, many times it was necessary for the church to address the unholy destructive behaviors of some members. To the Church in Corinth Paul writes “But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who calls himself a Christian who is sexually immoral, or greedy, or an idolater, or verbally abusive, or a drunkard, or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person”. He says to “Remove the evil person from among you” (1 Corinthians 5:11-13). To Titus Paul instructs “Reject a divisive person after one or two warnings” (Titus 3:10). To Timothy Paul says “Those guilty of sin must be rebuked before all, as a warning to the rest” (1 Timothy 5:20). But above all of this is the call to address these people in love and with gentleness. “Brothers and sisters, if a person is discovered in some sin, you who are spiritual restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness. Pay close attention to yourselves, so that you are not tempted too” (Galatians 6:1). And of course Christ gave us His perfect model in Matthew 18:15-17.
The truth is; when we remain silent against those who are destroying the church, we are, in effect, granting them permission to tear down what God has been trying to build up. Had the people of Jerusalem not allowed Tobiah to influence them away from their commitment to God, Nehemiah never would have had to intervene. But because Tobiah found someone sympathetic and tolerant, he was able to maneuver himself into the very city he was looking to destroy. Divisiveness, unholiness, and slander will not thrive in a Church where there is no soil for it to grow. This is why a Church needs to stand united against those who would lead them astray; against those who would cause divisiveness; against those who would destroy their holiness.
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