WEBVTT - Nehemiah 13

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<v Speaker 1>Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your

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<v Speaker 1>walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Studyheadquarters dot com.

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<v Speaker 1>You're listening to the chapter today Audio Bible. I'm John Stanghy,

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<v Speaker 1>and today we're in Nehemiah chapter thirteen, and we'll be

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<v Speaker 1>reading from the English Standard version. On that day they

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<v Speaker 1>read from the Book of Moses and the hearing of

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<v Speaker 1>the people, and it was found written that no Ammonite

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<v Speaker 1>or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, for

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<v Speaker 1>they did not meet the people of Israel with bread

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<v Speaker 1>and water, but hired balem against them to curse them.

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<v Speaker 1>Yet Our God turned the curse into a blessing. As

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<v Speaker 1>soon as the people heard the law, they separated from

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<v Speaker 1>Israel all those of foreign descent. Now before this, Eliashib,

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<v Speaker 1>the priest who was appointed over the chamber of the

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<v Speaker 1>House of Our God and who was related to Tobiah,

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<v Speaker 1>prepared for Tobiah a large chamber where they had previously

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<v Speaker 1>put the grain offering, the frankincense, the vessels and the

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<v Speaker 1>tithes of grain, wine and oil, which were given by

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<v Speaker 1>commandment to the Levites, singers and gatekeepers, and the contributions

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<v Speaker 1>for the priests. While this was taking place. I was

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<v Speaker 1>not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty second year of Artaxerxes,

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<v Speaker 1>King of Babylon. I went to the king, and after

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<v Speaker 1>some time I asked leave of the king and came

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<v Speaker 1>to Jerusalem. And I then discovered the evil that Eliashib

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<v Speaker 1>had done for Tobiah, preparing for him a chamber in

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<v Speaker 1>the courts of the House of God. And I was

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<v Speaker 1>very angry, and I threw all the household furniture of

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<v Speaker 1>Tobiah out of the chamber. Then I gave orders, and

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<v Speaker 1>they cleansed the chambers, and I brought back there the

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<v Speaker 1>vessels of the House of God with the grain offering

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<v Speaker 1>and the frankincense. I also found out that the portions

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<v Speaker 1>of the Levites had not been given to them, so

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<v Speaker 1>that the levites and the singers who did the work

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<v Speaker 1>had fled each to his field. So I confronted the

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<v Speaker 1>officials and said, why is the House of God forsaken?

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<v Speaker 1>And I gathered them together and set them in their stations.

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<v Speaker 1>Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, wine

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<v Speaker 1>and oil into the storehouses, and I appointed as treasurers

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<v Speaker 1>over the storehouses. Schellemaiah, the priest Zadok the scribe and

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<v Speaker 1>pediah of the Levites, and as their assistant Hainan, the

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<v Speaker 1>son of Zakor son of Madanayah. For they were considered

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<v Speaker 1>reliable and their duty was to distribute to their brothers.

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<v Speaker 1>Remember me, oh, my God, concerning this, and do not

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<v Speaker 1>wipe out my good deeds that I have done for

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<v Speaker 1>the house of my God and for his service. In

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<v Speaker 1>those days, I saw in Judah people treading wine presses

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<v Speaker 1>on the Sabbath and bringing in heaps of grain and

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<v Speaker 1>loading them on donkeys, and also wine, grapes, figs, and

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<v Speaker 1>all kinds of loads, which they brought into Jerusalem on

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<v Speaker 1>the Sabbath day. And I warned them on the day

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<v Speaker 1>when they sold food. Tyrians also who lived in the city,

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<v Speaker 1>brought in fish and all kinds of goods and sold

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<v Speaker 1>them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah in

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<v Speaker 1>Jerusalem itself. Then I confronted the nobles of Judah and

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<v Speaker 1>said to them, what is this evil thing that you

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<v Speaker 1>are doing profaning the Sabbath day. Did not your fathers

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<v Speaker 1>act in this way, and did not our God bring

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<v Speaker 1>all this disaster on us and on this city. Now

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<v Speaker 1>you are bringing more wrath on Israel. By profaning the Sabbath.

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<v Speaker 1>As soon as it began to grow dark. At the

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<v Speaker 1>gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded that the

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<v Speaker 1>doors should be shut and gave orders that they should

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<v Speaker 1>not be opened until after the Sabbath. And I stationed

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<v Speaker 1>some of my servants at the gates that no load

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<v Speaker 1>might be brought in on the Sabbath day. Then the

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<v Speaker 1>merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside

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<v Speaker 1>Jerusalem once or twice. But I warned them and said

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<v Speaker 1>to them, why do you lodge outside the wall. If

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<v Speaker 1>you do so again, I will lay hands on you.

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<v Speaker 1>From that time on, they did not come on the Sabbath.

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<v Speaker 1>Then I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves

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<v Speaker 1>and come and guard the gates to keep the Sabbath

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<v Speaker 1>day holy. Remember this also in my favor, oh my God,

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<v Speaker 1>and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love.

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<v Speaker 1>In those days also I saw the Jews who had

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<v Speaker 1>married women of Ashdod, Ammon and Moab, and half of

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<v Speaker 1>their children's spoke the language of Ashtod, and they could

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<v Speaker 1>not speak the language of Judah, but only the language

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<v Speaker 1>of each people. And I confronted them and cursed them,

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<v Speaker 1>and beat some of them and pulled out their hair.

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<v Speaker 1>And I made them take an oath in the name

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<v Speaker 1>of God, saying you shall not give your daughters to

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<v Speaker 1>their sons, or take their daughters for your sons, or

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<v Speaker 1>for yourselves. Did not Solomon, King of Israel sin on

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<v Speaker 1>account of such women? Among the many nations. There was

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<v Speaker 1>no king like him, and he was beloved by his God,

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<v Speaker 1>and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, foreign

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<v Speaker 1>women made even him to sin. Shall we then listen

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<v Speaker 1>to you and do all this great evil and act

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<v Speaker 1>treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women. And one

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<v Speaker 1>of the sons of Jehoiida, the son of Eliashib, the

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<v Speaker 1>High Priest, was the son in law of Sanballat the Horonite.

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<v Speaker 1>Therefore I chased him from me. Remember them, oh, my God,

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<v Speaker 1>because they have desecrated the priesthood and the covenant of

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<v Speaker 1>the priesthood and the Levites. Thus I cleanse them from

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<v Speaker 1>everything foreign. And I established the duties of the priests

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<v Speaker 1>and levites, each in his work. And I provided for

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<v Speaker 1>the wood offering at appointed times and for the first fruits.

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<v Speaker 1>Remember me, oh my God, for good let's pray. Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>we thank you for your word, and we thank you

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<v Speaker 1>for the privilege of being able to look at it

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<v Speaker 1>together today. And Lord, as we look at this last

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<v Speaker 1>chapter of the Book of Nehemiah, we're grateful for the

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<v Speaker 1>things that it contains. Lord. It's encouraging and motivating to

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<v Speaker 1>see how sincere Nehemiah's commitment to you happened to be.

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<v Speaker 1>He was devoted to you, and he wanted to make

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<v Speaker 1>sure that Jerusalem was a place where your holiness was honored,

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<v Speaker 1>where your name was revered, and where the people obeyed

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<v Speaker 1>your word. Lord, you inspired him to take decisive action,

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<v Speaker 1>and it's clear that his zeal for you was strong. Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>we know that when we look at this, we're given

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<v Speaker 1>a picture of your son, Jesus Christ, and as the

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<v Speaker 1>scripture says that zeal for your house would consume him, Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>we know that we can see a foretaste of that

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<v Speaker 1>in this passage. And we're grateful, Lord for the fact

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<v Speaker 1>that through faith in your son Jesus Christ, we have

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<v Speaker 1>the privilege to be cleansed and made right with you.

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<v Speaker 1>We're cleansed of our sin, we're made holy in your sight,

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<v Speaker 1>and you refer to us as blameless, You justify us,

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<v Speaker 1>you declare us righteous, You make us brand new creations

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<v Speaker 1>in your son, Jesus Christ. We're grateful, Lord that you

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<v Speaker 1>accomplished this. We're thankful for the privilege of being part

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<v Speaker 1>of your family, and we commit this day to your care. Lord.

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<v Speaker 1>We thank you for your presence with us, and we

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<v Speaker 1>pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.