Listen "Nehemiah 13:1-9"
Episode Synopsis
For context, this portion of Scripture is at the time when Israel was returning from exile and rebuilding the temple of the LORD. Though some were trying to restore the temple according to the design laid out by God, others were still trying to do things their own way. May God bless the reading and hearing of His word.
Nehemiah 13
At that time the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people, and in it they found the passage stating that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, because they had not met the Israelites with food and water, but had hired Balaam to call down a curse against them (although our God had turned the curse into a blessing). As soon as the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all of foreign descent. Now before this, Eliashib the priest, a relative of Tobiah, had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God and had prepared for Tobiah a large room where they had previously stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the temple articles, and the tithes of grain, new wine, and oil prescribed for the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, along with the contributions for the priests. While all this was happening, I was not in Jerusalem, because I had returned to Artaxerxes king of Babylon in the thirty-second year of his reign. Some time later I obtained leave from the king to return to Jerusalem. Then I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done on behalf of Tobiah by providing him a room in the courts of the house of God. And I was greatly displeased and threw all of Tobiah’s household goods out of the room. Then I ordered that the rooms be purified, and I had the articles of the house of God restored to them, along with the grain offerings and frankincense.
Nehemiah 13:1-9 BSBhttps://bible.com/bible/3034/neh.13.1-9.BSB
What did you notice?
Pray for God to give you understanding and read it again.
The following is what I received:
God's ways are perfect. His instruction will lead to His glory and our benefit. Who we do life with is just as important as how we live. Put God before everything, even family.
Taking up residence inside God's Holy temple was wrong. Was the man supposed to make the place common with the objects from his daily life and to make a space for himself, taking away from the purpose and design of the temple of the LORD. Remember that the LORD is holy and His design has purpose. We must not allow ourselves to make common what is set apart by God.
We ourselves are the temple of the LORD, therefore we should try to give space in our hearts only to that which is desirable to the Father, and to follow the Holy Spirit's instruction to the best of our ability, so that we might not sin against Him by taking that which is holy for granted, putting ourselves above His instruction, or polluting the environment that we ask Jesus Christ to occupy.
I pray for application of the principals and direction of God to be made whole in His children.
Father, You are wonderful and Your ways are perfect and good. We have placed our own desires above Your Word. Thank you for letting Jesus Christ, Your Son, pay the debt of all of our sins and for showing us what it means to love. Holy Spirit, please remove everything that doesn't belong, and fill us according to Your will. It's an honor to be allowed to be yoked with our God, and we pray that You don't let us forget it or take You for granted. Father, this is the desire of our hearts, but we pray, may Your will be done, in the name of Jesus Christ we pray, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, amen, amen, amen.
Nehemiah 13
At that time the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people, and in it they found the passage stating that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, because they had not met the Israelites with food and water, but had hired Balaam to call down a curse against them (although our God had turned the curse into a blessing). As soon as the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all of foreign descent. Now before this, Eliashib the priest, a relative of Tobiah, had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God and had prepared for Tobiah a large room where they had previously stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the temple articles, and the tithes of grain, new wine, and oil prescribed for the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, along with the contributions for the priests. While all this was happening, I was not in Jerusalem, because I had returned to Artaxerxes king of Babylon in the thirty-second year of his reign. Some time later I obtained leave from the king to return to Jerusalem. Then I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done on behalf of Tobiah by providing him a room in the courts of the house of God. And I was greatly displeased and threw all of Tobiah’s household goods out of the room. Then I ordered that the rooms be purified, and I had the articles of the house of God restored to them, along with the grain offerings and frankincense.
Nehemiah 13:1-9 BSBhttps://bible.com/bible/3034/neh.13.1-9.BSB
What did you notice?
Pray for God to give you understanding and read it again.
The following is what I received:
God's ways are perfect. His instruction will lead to His glory and our benefit. Who we do life with is just as important as how we live. Put God before everything, even family.
Taking up residence inside God's Holy temple was wrong. Was the man supposed to make the place common with the objects from his daily life and to make a space for himself, taking away from the purpose and design of the temple of the LORD. Remember that the LORD is holy and His design has purpose. We must not allow ourselves to make common what is set apart by God.
We ourselves are the temple of the LORD, therefore we should try to give space in our hearts only to that which is desirable to the Father, and to follow the Holy Spirit's instruction to the best of our ability, so that we might not sin against Him by taking that which is holy for granted, putting ourselves above His instruction, or polluting the environment that we ask Jesus Christ to occupy.
I pray for application of the principals and direction of God to be made whole in His children.
Father, You are wonderful and Your ways are perfect and good. We have placed our own desires above Your Word. Thank you for letting Jesus Christ, Your Son, pay the debt of all of our sins and for showing us what it means to love. Holy Spirit, please remove everything that doesn't belong, and fill us according to Your will. It's an honor to be allowed to be yoked with our God, and we pray that You don't let us forget it or take You for granted. Father, this is the desire of our hearts, but we pray, may Your will be done, in the name of Jesus Christ we pray, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, amen, amen, amen.
More episodes of the podcast United by the Cross
The Character of God in Ezekiel 18
07/11/2025
Father Shape Us
04/10/2025
Romans 8:6 Verse of the day
06/07/2025
God Has The Final Say - Jerry Flowers
01/01/2025
Revelation 22 - The Beginning
25/12/2024
Luke 2
25/12/2024
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.