11.4 Nehemiah Cleans House

Some time later I asked his permission and came back to Jerusalem. Here I learned about the evil thing Eliashib had done in providing Tobiah a room in the courts of the house of God. I was greatly displeased and threw all Tobiah’s household goods out of the room. I gave orders to purify the rooms, and then I put back into them the equipment of the house of God, with the grain offerings and the incense.

I also learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them, and that all the Levites and singers responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields. So I rebuked the officials and asked them, “Why is the house of God neglected?” Then I called them together and stationed them at their posts.

All Judah brought the tithes of grain, new wine and oil into the storerooms. I put Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and a Levite named Pedaiah in charge of the storerooms and made Hanan son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, their assistant, because these men were considered trustworthy. They were made responsible for distributing the supplies to their brothers.

Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out what I have so faithfully done for the house of my God and its services.

(Nehemiah 13:6-14)

Nehemiah was the John Wayne of Jerusalem. He didn’t mess around with sin; He dealt with it decisively. He threw Tobiah out, bleached the place and restocked the room with what was supposed to be in there. When he found out that the people weren’t tithing and that the Levites and singers had to resort to farming to feed their families, he brought in new leadership.

Now we know why the temple storerooms were available for Tobiah. The people had stopped giving to the house of God. (That’s broken commitment #3 in case you’re counting.) There’s a message here for us. If we aren’t giving to the Lord, our flesh will take up that space in our heart. I’m talking about all three tithes – time, talent and treasure.

You might as well give them to the Lord. If you keep them for yourself, they won’t bless you. There will never be enough time. You’ll be frustrated in your talents, and your treasure will evaporate. God’s only asking us for a small amount, and He lets us keep the rest.

8.6 Pure vs. Impure

These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. (Nehemiah 7:64)

Verses 4-63 of chapter seven list the exiles who returned. The list ends with Nehemiah’s note that those who could not prove their family lineage were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. Some of them may have been in the priestly line, but Nehemiah took no chances. Better safe than sorry, so he made some tough decisions and cut down the list of those who had access to the inner parts of the temple.

If the people in this metaphor represent our thoughts, Nehemiah’s example serves to instruct us to be ruthless about what we allow to pass through our minds and into our hearts. Only the pure should be allowed access. If it’s questionable, throw it out. There’s a good chance it’s from the Enemy.

2 Corinthians 10:5 says,

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

We have a responsibility to evaluate every thought of dubious origin. Where did it come from? From our spirit or our flesh? From God or from Satan? If it came from the latter, it’s got to go. A single thought can be the beginnings of a stronghold for the Enemy.

8.1 Assigning Gatekeepers

My temptations are my masters of Divinity.

–Martin Luther

After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed. I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most men do. (Nehemiah 7:1-2)

As soon as Nehemiah had the walls up, he turned his focus on the temple and made sure that all the important jobs were filled. One of the most critical responsibilities belonged to the gatekeepers, who were to protect the temple by controlling what was allowed into it.

There are actually two types of gatekeepers: those assigned to the temple and those assigned to the city gates. Gatekeepers made sure that only good things were allowed in and that bad things were kept out. By following this simple principle, the city and the temple were protected. If the gatekeepers compromised their leadership role, they endangered the temple, the city and all those within it.

For us, it’s important to guard both our hearts and our minds from attacks by the Enemy. Your gates, as you may remember from the introduction, include your ears, your eyes and your mouth. Things come into your city (i.e., your mind) through your eyes and ears, and things leave your city through your mouth.

If we allow the Enemy past our gates, he can do untold destruction to our hearts and minds. Maybe you remember the story about another city whose gatekeepers compromised when deciding what to allow in the gates.

5.15 Warrior – Wallbuilder

From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me. (Nehemiah 4:16-18 )

I love Nehemiah! He was a warrior as well as a wall-builder. Because of the threat of his enemies, he had half the men working and half watching for any sign of attack. They were well armed with spears, shields, bows and armor. Those who had to go and get materials carried stones in one hand and swords in the other. They were ready for whatever Sanballat tried to throw at them. Meanwhile, the enemy was losing precious opportunity as the wall grew taller and taller.

We should do the same. It would be nice if we could just build our walls in peace, but we live in the middle of enemy territory. 2 Corinthians 4:4 tells us that Satan is the “god” (little g) of this world. We’re on his turf, attempting to free as many of his prisoners as possible. Only warriors are sent behind enemy lines. We’ve got to build our walls and stay vigilant at the same time.

But there is an added degree of difficulty. We’re not fighting a conventional war. As the Scripture tells us:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12)

We fight against an invisible Enemy. That sounds impossible, but God tells us how to defeat him in the next verse:

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:13-18 )

Like Nehemiah’s men, we should be well armed and prepared for battle every day. Pray on each piece before you begin your day, and they will give you victory when you are tempted.

5.7 Post a Guard

So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.

But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the men of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat. (Nehemiah 4:6-9)

Nehemiah now had the wall rebuilt to half its original height – an amazing accomplishment in a short amount of time. Sanballat began to get worried, so he gathered some allies and plotted with them about stopping the building. In addition to Tobiah and Geshem, Sanballat now has the Arabs, the Ammonites and the men of Ashdod on his side. Nehemiah knew about their scheming, so he prayed and posted a guard both day and night.

Are you praying for your sexual purity? Is anyone else? Who do you know that could join you in the fight?

How about posting a guard to protect you from attack? This can take many forms. It could be your wife, who uses some of the strategies mentioned earlier. It could be a buddy, who points out to you when you are letting your guard down. It could be an internet content filter that prevents you from going places you shouldn’t go online. It could be the act of blocking the adult movies in your hotel room as soon as you check in.

Whatever it is, you need it. When Satan realizes that you are closing the gaps in your wall, expect him to intensify his attack. Gaps being closed means less opportunity for Satan to gain access to your heart. Prayer is your best weapon. Guarding yourself against temptation is your second best. Even though your walls are going up, do not get complacent. An unguarded strength is your greatest weakness (more about that later).

2:1 Nehemiah’s Prayer: A Short History of Israel’s Temple Problems

Nehemiah: Chapter 1

The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah:  In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. 

They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace.  The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” 

When I heard these things, I sat down and wept.  For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.  Then I said: 

“O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel.  I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s house, have committed against you.  We have acted very wickedly toward you.  We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses. 

“Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’ 

They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand.  O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name.  Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.

I was cupbearer to the king.  (Nehemiah 1:1-11)

Israel had God’s blessing more than any other nation in history.  Rescued from slavery in Egypt with jaw-dropping miracles, cared for in the wilderness by God’s providing hand, brought into the Promised Land with unbelievable military victories…Israel had every reason to honor and serve God all the days of their lives. 

But just like most of us, Israel had a short memory.  Before the grass started to grow on Joshua’s grave, the people of Israel began to marry foreign peoples and serve their gods.  They forgot the mighty miracles God had done for them and exchanged the genuine for the counterfeit.  God showed incredible patience for several hundred years, allowing Israel to repent, return to Him and then relapse into sin over and over again. 

Finally, God allowed Israel to suffer the consequence of their disobedience.  In 586 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquered Judah and deported large numbers of Israelites, spreading them throughout his kingdom.  When Israel rebelled under Nebuchadnezzar’s yoke, he returned and attacked two more times, finally destroying the temple and taking all its riches back to Babylon. 

Years later, Persia defeated the Babylonians and took over many of their territories.  Unlike the Babylonians, the Persians were comfortable with allowing those they conquered to remain in or return to their homelands.  So in 538 B.C., Cyrus of Persia decreed the return of the Jews to Israel, where they began to reconstruct the temple.  They completed it 23 years later, though it was a far cry from Solomon’s glorious temple that Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed. 

While having the temple rebuilt was cause to celebrate, the Jews knew how vulnerable it was with no walls to protect it.  All around the city of Jerusalem, the walls were still broken down and the gates had been burned with fire. 

1:2 Preface: A Different Approach

The book of Nehemiah is a great story that has much to teach us about courage, leadership, faithfulness to God’s call and more.  Without discounting any of these approaches to the book, I would like to approach it from a different perspective.  Consider the book of Nehemiah as a metaphor, as a vivid word picture of God’s plan for spiritual purity in our lives.  To unlock the metaphor, you only need a few simple keys. 

Nehemiah / Jesus and the Word of God
Nehemiah serves as a picture of Jesus and the Word of God.  Like Nehemiah, the Word is the initiator of change.  It first convicts us and leads us to weep over the condition of our spiritual walls.  Then, it encourages us to do something about it.  The Word inspires us to build and directs us as we work.  It transforms the rubble of our lives into strong walls.  Once they are up, the Word calls us to obedience and a higher standard of living.

The parallels between Nehemiah and Jesus are incredible.  Nehemiah was cupbearer to the king, which meant that he sat at the king’s right hand and tasted the wine first to check for poison.  He showed his complete devotion by being ready and willing to give up his life.  Nehemiah left the king to do his work in a far away land, returned to the king for a short time and then went back to govern the people.

Jesus sits at His Father’s right hand, and He showed His complete devotion to the Father and to us by drinking from the poisoned cup that grieved Him so much in the Garden of Gethsemane.  But instead of saving the life of the king, He saved ours.¹ Jesus came to earth but has now returned to the Father.  One day, He will return to govern His people here on earth.

Ezra / the Holy Spirit
Whenever you see Ezra in the book of Nehemiah, he’s bringing the Word of God to the people.  He is most prominent when Nehemiah steps out of the spotlight and lets him lead, but we can assume that he is with the people at all times helping them build the walls.  When Nehemiah returns to King Artaxerxes, Ezra stays as the spiritual leader of the people. 

What a great picture of the Holy Spirit!  In the early days of the Church, He took over for Jesus as the presence of God on earth after Jesus had gone to be with the Father.  Since then, He has always been with believers.  He is ever-present to help us understand and apply the Word of God, and He is our Friend and Helper as we build our spiritual walls.

King Artaxerxes / God the Father
I don’t want to take the metaphor too far.  Artaxerxes was a pagan king in Persia, after all.  But he does provide an image of God the Father, who sends both Jesus and the Holy Spirit to us to help us walk in godliness.  Without Artaxerxes’ approval and royal provisions, there would have been no rebuilding of the walls. 

The Temple / Your Heart
In reading Nehemiah, whenever it talks about the temple, substitute your heart.  In Old Testament times, God met with his people in first the Tabernacle and then the temple.  More accurately, He met with the high priest in the center of the Tabernacle or temple in a place called the Holy of Holies.  It was a small inner room where only God’s designated high priest was allowed to enter.  The room was separated from the rest of the temple by a thick, intricately woven veil.  The high priest was only allowed to enter once a year on the Day of Atonement and only after performing rituals of purification and dressing in a garment designed by God himself.

When Jesus died on the cross, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom.  Christ’s sacrifice eliminated the need for ritual and the intercession of one mortal man for many.  We can now enter the King’s throne room boldly, knowing that we have the righteousness of Christ and that Christ is now our Intercessor, our High Priest.  When God meets with us, it isn’t in a building; it’s in our hearts.  He has removed our heart of stone, and given us a heart of flesh.  (Ezekiel 11:19)

Jerusalem / Your Mind
When David became king over the united kingdom of Israel and Judah, conquering Jerusalem (it was held by the Jebusites) was his first priority.  He knew how critical the city was to the strength of his rule, and he immediately built up the area around it from the supporting terraces inward.  From that time on, Jerusalem became the city at the center of God’s holy and chosen people.

This city, where the king lived, created policy and law, judged the law and carried out the business of the kingdom, represents your mind.  It’s where you make decisions, consider information and make judgments.  It’s the seat of your emotions, your intellect and your will.  It’s the Enemy’s prime target, because he knows that he can reach our heart only by getting into our heads.

The Inhabitants of the City / Your Thoughts
Nehemiah interacts with many people inside Jerusalem.  Some are good; some are bad. Nehemiah struggles to turn the bad to good throughout the story.  He seeks to only allow the pure (those who could clearly show their lineage) into the priesthood where they will minister in the temple, and he excludes those considered to be impure.  Despite his efforts, he finds that some of the people are loyal to his enemy Tobiah, who you will learn, represents our flesh.

Your thoughts are often difficult to control, but the bad thoughts can be limited by guarding your gates (see below) and making sure that you allow in more good influences than bad.  By bringing all your thoughts captive before Christ and making them obedient to Him (2 Corinthians 10:5), you will gain victory over your private thought life.

The Walls / Your Relationship with Christ
Walls in Old Testament times were essential to a city.  They provided protection for the city and its people.  They were the chief obstacle that the enemy must conquer in order to defeat a city.  They gave a city time to see an attacking enemy and prevented the enemy from launching a sneak attack.  Walls exposed an attack before it could get to the heart of the city.  When the walls were down, anyone who passed by could plunder the city and take the best of its treasures.  A city without walls became a scorn to its neighbors.  (Psalm 89:41)

In Psalm 51:18, David asks God to “build up the walls of Jerusalem.”  He wasn’t asking for God to literally build the walls; the walls of the city were already built and strong.  David was asking God to strengthen the people spiritually so that his sin with Bathsheba would not become a stumbling block to them.

Your walls represent the health of your relationship with Christ. They are the boundaries you have set up around your heart and mind to protect them.   Throughout your walk with Christ, your walls can go up and down, depending upon the strength of your relationship with Him.  If your walls are strong and tall, the Enemy is much less likely to attack you.  After all, there are plenty of Christians out there whose walls are rubble.  Why waste effort trying to overcome a city with strong, well-defended walls when you can easily take the next city, which has no walls at all? 

The Scripture says, “Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.”  (Proverbs 25:28)  Without your walls, you have no ability to resist temptation.  You can’t stop looking at women’s bodies or pornography or your neighbor’s wife.  You don’t want to act out sexually, but you have no defenses to prevent it.  You promised God this time would be different, but it’s hopeless; you just can’t stop yourself.

Because I want to be clear, your walls do not signify whether or not you are a Christian.  It’s your heart (your temple) that determines if Christ is Lord of your life.  Provided you believe that Jesus is Lord and you accept the gift of His death as payment for your sins, you are a Christian.  The condition of your walls indicates the quality of your walk with Him.  There are many Christians with weakened walls in disrepair.  They are still going to heaven, but they are missing out on God’s incredible purpose for their lives.  We’ll talk about how to build your walls a little later.

The Gates / Your Eyes, Your Ears & Your Mouth
The gates of a city were the means of allowing things in and out of the city.  Gates were guarded diligently to ensure that only things beneficial to the city were allowed in.  Otherwise, what was allowed in could corrupt the city, bring down the walls and even destroy the temple.  Elders presided at the gates and judged the complaints of the people.  Gates represented the authority of the city.  If the gates were conquered, the city was conquered.  The gates were the most vulnerable part of the city.

Your gates are your eyes, ears and mouth.  Through the eyes and the ears, we take in information, sights and sounds.  Through the mouth, we pass on information, praises, curses…

Sexual purity and godliness are simply about choices.  What you choose to allow in your heart and mind through your gates determines the condition of your heart and mind, and the condition of your heart and mind often determines what comes out of your mouth.