Chapter 57—Nehemiah's Painful Work of Reformation

This chapter is based on Nehemiah 13.

The people of Judah had pledged to obey the law of God. But when the influence of Ezra and Nehemiah was for a time withdrawn, many departed from the Lord. Nehemiah had returned to Persia. During his absence from Jerusalem, evils crept in that threatened to pervert the nation. Idolaters contaminated the very precincts of the temple. Through intermarriage, a friendship had been brought about between Eliashib, the high priest, and Tobiah, the Ammonite, Israel's bitter enemy. As a result of this unhallowed alliance, Tobiah occupied an apartment connected with the temple, which had been used as a storeroom for tithes and offerings.SS 347.1

Because of the treachery of the Ammonites toward Israel, God had declared that they should be forever shut out from the congregation of His people. See Deuteronomy 23:3-6. In defiance of this the high priest had cast out the offerings stored in God's house to make a place for this enemy of God and His truth. Greater contempt for God could not have been shown!SS 347.2

On returning from Persia, Nehemiah took prompt measures to expel the intruder. “I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber. Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and thither brought I again the vessels of the house of God.”SS 347.3

The temple had been profaned and the offerings misapplied. This had discouraged the liberality of the people. The treasuries of the Lord's house were poorly supplied; many employed in the temple, not receiving sufficient support, had left the work of God to labor elsewhere.SS 347.4

Nehemiah set to work to correct these abuses. This inspired the people with confidence, and all Judah brought “the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil.” Men who “were counted faithful” were made treasurers, “and their office was to distribute unto their brethren.”SS 348.1

Another result of mingling with idolaters was a disregard of the Sabbath. Nehemiah found that the heathen merchants coming to Jerusalem had induced many Israelites to engage in traffic on the Sabbath. Some could not be persuaded to sacrifice principle, but many dared openly to violate the Sabbath. “In those days,” Nehemiah writes, “I saw in Judah men treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on asses; and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day ... . Men of Tyre also, who lived in the city, brought in fish and all kinds of wares and sold them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah.” RSV.SS 348.2