1 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:12,360 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Studyheadquarters dot com. 3 00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 1: You're listening to the chapter today Audio Bible. I'm John Stanghy, 4 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: and today we're in Nehemiah chapter thirteen, and we'll be 5 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:27,800 Speaker 1: reading from the English Standard version. On that day they 6 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 1: read from the Book of Moses and the hearing of 7 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:33,800 Speaker 1: the people, and it was found written that no Ammonite 8 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:37,760 Speaker 1: or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, for 9 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:40,360 Speaker 1: they did not meet the people of Israel with bread 10 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:44,240 Speaker 1: and water, but hired balem against them to curse them. 11 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:48,760 Speaker 1: Yet Our God turned the curse into a blessing. As 12 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:51,720 Speaker 1: soon as the people heard the law, they separated from 13 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 1: Israel all those of foreign descent. Now before this, Eliashib, 14 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:00,480 Speaker 1: the priest who was appointed over the chamber of the 15 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:04,000 Speaker 1: House of Our God and who was related to Tobiah, 16 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 1: prepared for Tobiah a large chamber where they had previously 17 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:12,800 Speaker 1: put the grain offering, the frankincense, the vessels and the 18 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:16,679 Speaker 1: tithes of grain, wine and oil, which were given by 19 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:22,000 Speaker 1: commandment to the Levites, singers and gatekeepers, and the contributions 20 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 1: for the priests. While this was taking place. I was 21 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:29,720 Speaker 1: not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty second year of Artaxerxes, 22 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:33,760 Speaker 1: King of Babylon. I went to the king, and after 23 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 1: some time I asked leave of the king and came 24 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:40,880 Speaker 1: to Jerusalem. And I then discovered the evil that Eliashib 25 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 1: had done for Tobiah, preparing for him a chamber in 26 00:01:45,240 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 1: the courts of the House of God. And I was 27 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:52,160 Speaker 1: very angry, and I threw all the household furniture of 28 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:55,640 Speaker 1: Tobiah out of the chamber. Then I gave orders, and 29 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 1: they cleansed the chambers, and I brought back there the 30 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 1: vessels of the House of God with the grain offering 31 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:06,880 Speaker 1: and the frankincense. I also found out that the portions 32 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:09,520 Speaker 1: of the Levites had not been given to them, so 33 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:12,200 Speaker 1: that the levites and the singers who did the work 34 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:16,120 Speaker 1: had fled each to his field. So I confronted the 35 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:19,959 Speaker 1: officials and said, why is the House of God forsaken? 36 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 1: And I gathered them together and set them in their stations. 37 00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 1: Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, wine 38 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 1: and oil into the storehouses, and I appointed as treasurers 39 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:38,360 Speaker 1: over the storehouses. Schellemaiah, the priest Zadok the scribe and 40 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:42,280 Speaker 1: pediah of the Levites, and as their assistant Hainan, the 41 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 1: son of Zakor son of Madanayah. For they were considered 42 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:49,880 Speaker 1: reliable and their duty was to distribute to their brothers. 43 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:54,960 Speaker 1: Remember me, oh, my God, concerning this, and do not 44 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:57,680 Speaker 1: wipe out my good deeds that I have done for 45 00:02:57,760 --> 00:03:02,320 Speaker 1: the house of my God and for his service. In 46 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:06,600 Speaker 1: those days, I saw in Judah people treading wine presses 47 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:09,480 Speaker 1: on the Sabbath and bringing in heaps of grain and 48 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:14,160 Speaker 1: loading them on donkeys, and also wine, grapes, figs, and 49 00:03:14,200 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 1: all kinds of loads, which they brought into Jerusalem on 50 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:20,959 Speaker 1: the Sabbath day. And I warned them on the day 51 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 1: when they sold food. Tyrians also who lived in the city, 52 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:29,240 Speaker 1: brought in fish and all kinds of goods and sold 53 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:32,120 Speaker 1: them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah in 54 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:36,720 Speaker 1: Jerusalem itself. Then I confronted the nobles of Judah and 55 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:39,280 Speaker 1: said to them, what is this evil thing that you 56 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 1: are doing profaning the Sabbath day. Did not your fathers 57 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 1: act in this way, and did not our God bring 58 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 1: all this disaster on us and on this city. Now 59 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:54,760 Speaker 1: you are bringing more wrath on Israel. By profaning the Sabbath. 60 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:58,040 Speaker 1: As soon as it began to grow dark. At the 61 00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 1: gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded that the 62 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:04,720 Speaker 1: doors should be shut and gave orders that they should 63 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:08,920 Speaker 1: not be opened until after the Sabbath. And I stationed 64 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:11,840 Speaker 1: some of my servants at the gates that no load 65 00:04:12,040 --> 00:04:15,400 Speaker 1: might be brought in on the Sabbath day. Then the 66 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:19,280 Speaker 1: merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside 67 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:22,719 Speaker 1: Jerusalem once or twice. But I warned them and said 68 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:26,760 Speaker 1: to them, why do you lodge outside the wall. If 69 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:29,919 Speaker 1: you do so again, I will lay hands on you. 70 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:34,080 Speaker 1: From that time on, they did not come on the Sabbath. 71 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:38,400 Speaker 1: Then I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves 72 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:41,480 Speaker 1: and come and guard the gates to keep the Sabbath 73 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:46,120 Speaker 1: day holy. Remember this also in my favor, oh my God, 74 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:50,840 Speaker 1: and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love. 75 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:54,920 Speaker 1: In those days also I saw the Jews who had 76 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:59,160 Speaker 1: married women of Ashdod, Ammon and Moab, and half of 77 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:02,240 Speaker 1: their children's spoke the language of Ashtod, and they could 78 00:05:02,279 --> 00:05:05,560 Speaker 1: not speak the language of Judah, but only the language 79 00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 1: of each people. And I confronted them and cursed them, 80 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 1: and beat some of them and pulled out their hair. 81 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:14,240 Speaker 1: And I made them take an oath in the name 82 00:05:14,279 --> 00:05:17,240 Speaker 1: of God, saying you shall not give your daughters to 83 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:20,840 Speaker 1: their sons, or take their daughters for your sons, or 84 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:25,839 Speaker 1: for yourselves. Did not Solomon, King of Israel sin on 85 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:29,400 Speaker 1: account of such women? Among the many nations. There was 86 00:05:29,440 --> 00:05:32,479 Speaker 1: no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, 87 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:37,599 Speaker 1: and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, foreign 88 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:42,200 Speaker 1: women made even him to sin. Shall we then listen 89 00:05:42,279 --> 00:05:44,839 Speaker 1: to you and do all this great evil and act 90 00:05:44,880 --> 00:05:50,320 Speaker 1: treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women. And one 91 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:53,600 Speaker 1: of the sons of Jehoiida, the son of Eliashib, the 92 00:05:53,680 --> 00:05:57,800 Speaker 1: High Priest, was the son in law of Sanballat the Horonite. 93 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:02,920 Speaker 1: Therefore I chased him from me. Remember them, oh, my God, 94 00:06:03,279 --> 00:06:06,720 Speaker 1: because they have desecrated the priesthood and the covenant of 95 00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:11,279 Speaker 1: the priesthood and the Levites. Thus I cleanse them from 96 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:15,279 Speaker 1: everything foreign. And I established the duties of the priests 97 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:19,279 Speaker 1: and levites, each in his work. And I provided for 98 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:23,400 Speaker 1: the wood offering at appointed times and for the first fruits. 99 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:33,640 Speaker 1: Remember me, oh my God, for good let's pray. Lord, 100 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:35,400 Speaker 1: we thank you for your word, and we thank you 101 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:37,680 Speaker 1: for the privilege of being able to look at it 102 00:06:37,720 --> 00:06:40,839 Speaker 1: together today. And Lord, as we look at this last 103 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:43,840 Speaker 1: chapter of the Book of Nehemiah, we're grateful for the 104 00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:48,240 Speaker 1: things that it contains. Lord. It's encouraging and motivating to 105 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:51,880 Speaker 1: see how sincere Nehemiah's commitment to you happened to be. 106 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:54,800 Speaker 1: He was devoted to you, and he wanted to make 107 00:06:54,839 --> 00:06:58,560 Speaker 1: sure that Jerusalem was a place where your holiness was honored, 108 00:06:58,839 --> 00:07:02,480 Speaker 1: where your name was revered, and where the people obeyed 109 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:06,800 Speaker 1: your word. Lord, you inspired him to take decisive action, 110 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:11,400 Speaker 1: and it's clear that his zeal for you was strong. Lord, 111 00:07:11,440 --> 00:07:13,120 Speaker 1: we know that when we look at this, we're given 112 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:16,440 Speaker 1: a picture of your son, Jesus Christ, and as the 113 00:07:16,480 --> 00:07:21,360 Speaker 1: scripture says that zeal for your house would consume him, Lord, 114 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:23,600 Speaker 1: we know that we can see a foretaste of that 115 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 1: in this passage. And we're grateful, Lord for the fact 116 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:30,160 Speaker 1: that through faith in your son Jesus Christ, we have 117 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:33,400 Speaker 1: the privilege to be cleansed and made right with you. 118 00:07:33,880 --> 00:07:36,520 Speaker 1: We're cleansed of our sin, we're made holy in your sight, 119 00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:40,200 Speaker 1: and you refer to us as blameless, You justify us, 120 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:43,920 Speaker 1: you declare us righteous, You make us brand new creations 121 00:07:43,920 --> 00:07:47,040 Speaker 1: in your son, Jesus Christ. We're grateful, Lord that you 122 00:07:47,040 --> 00:07:50,320 Speaker 1: accomplished this. We're thankful for the privilege of being part 123 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:53,320 Speaker 1: of your family, and we commit this day to your care. Lord. 124 00:07:53,360 --> 00:07:55,680 Speaker 1: We thank you for your presence with us, and we 125 00:07:55,760 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 1: pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.