The Making of a Pearl - Nehemiah 13:1-31

You can see Nehemiah here as soon as he gets back in the town he finds out what's happening.

He froze all Tobias closes his halls all the many ceremonially fumigate rooms of offers that evening want the smell of tow by hanging around the lollygagging around here no dialogue, no maneuvering to make sure the taupe I had some other place to live. No, there was seen in the camp and there was a sinner in the temple and he dealt with both immediately dealt with compromise back to wisdom for the heart. Stephen over the course of the last 15 lessons. We've been working our way through the book of Nehemiah. Now we've come to the end. Nehemiah has grown old, but old age does not mean retirement just when we might expect an elderly Nehemiah to walk away from the trouble of ministry and reach for a rocking chair. He thrusts himself right back into the thick of ministry. Those who think we should retire from God's work at a certain age should read Nehemiah 13 and think again. Nehemiah is still faithfully serving God among the people of Jerusalem and Morgan.

I learned some valuable lessons from his example. Today Stevens calling today's lesson the making of open your Bible to Nehemiah 13 as we get started. Someone a few days ago sent me this at the top are big letters that read the word resignation. This person says an interesting things.

I am hereby officially tendering my resignation as an adult I have decided I would like to accept the responsibilities of a six-year-old again. I want to go to McDonald's and think that it's a four star restaurant. I want to see who can blow the biggest bubble. I want to think M&Ms are better than money because you can eat. I want to drink Kool-Aid and eat Lemonheads with all my friends.

I want to change clothes because they got a little dirty and I want to enjoy every day like it's summer vacation I want to return to a time when life was simple. All you knew was to be happy because you are unaware of all the things that should make you worried or upset. I would be excited about little things again like my new hot wheel jump rope. I want to live a simple life again.

I don't want my day to consist of computer crashes, paperwork, cleaning children, chores, depressing news illness and loss. I want to be in the roller derby. I want to believe the Three Stooges are real. So here's my checkbook, my car keys my credit card bills and my sorrow. One case statements my pager, my cell phone. My PalmPilot okay I'll keep that my fax machine and not least of all my mortgage but I am officially resigning adulthood and if you want to discuss this any further, you're gonna have to catch me first because tag you're it. Activities so see you later alligator after a while.

Well I want to live simple begin to don't you when the waters calm in the breezes pleasant. You know as well as I do that life is like that is the older you get, the more complicated seems life can become. It is simple. In fact, our Lord speaking to a group of grown-ups obviously said that each day has enough trouble all its own. A man who lived anything better. A simple life. Dr. Sumi was his name. I used to have the privilege as a student at Dallas seminary to sit in chapel where he would lead in worship. He pastored for decades and had come to the seminary return there to lead us as the chaplain and I didn't know him closely, but I admired him at a distance he would walk across the parking lot twice a day on his way to dialysis. We knew he suffered greatly but had a great bearing about in. He wrote these interesting words said life on earth would not be worth much if every source of pressure and tribulation were removed, yet most of us rebel against the things that irritate us and count as heavy loss, what ought to be rich again. We are told that the oyster is wiser when an irritating object like a bit of sand gets under the mantle of the shell. He begins covering it with the most precious part of his being. He fashions Pearl the irritation that it was causing is stopped by in crusting it with the pearly formation of his own being. Imagine that, though a pearl is simply a very over tribulation we come today to the final chapter in the memoirs of Nehemiah. A man who has grown older and wiser but a man in whose life pressure and tribulation seems to increase. He is now about 70 years of age and if you turn to chapter 13 is will study in a moment. I think it's incredibly significant that God would choose to end such a dynamic book like this one with Nehemiah handling pressure and struggling with tribulation, but that's reality is in it. This book so wonderfully illustrates the believers life. It isn't necessarily happily ever after, at least not here on earth. Here on earth.

It is never comfortable when you choose to carry across godly living. We learn from Nehemiah is not simply gaining victory over a series of problems and then moving on to new problem sometimes it is battling those issues over and over again and they become more complicated and intense and difficult as time goes on. If if there was ever a time when 70-year-old Nehemiah would be resigning from battle. It would be now if there was ever a time when he would walk away from struggles. It would be now in this last chapter of his memoirs.

If there would ever be a time when he would become disillusioned with the ongoing pressures and tribulations of life, it would be now. You could almost hear him saying I am going to resign. I want life back like it was when I was six, and yet he will in this chapter reveal his greatest faith yet as he endures. I believe his greatest challenges yet before we take one last look at this man's personal diary. I want to make two observations that come directly out of his personal experience. Number one.

Your greatest test of faith is always the next one. Your greatest display of character has yet to happen. So don't rest on your laurels's past victories do not guarantee future victories for any believer.

Your greatest test as a believer may be just around the corner for you. The question is will you retreat from it and you earn and go back and pursue that ethereal simpler world that does not exist or will you stay in your armor and shape even more pearls for the glory of God.

That's what happens here. Let's start with verse one on the day they read aloud from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people, and there was found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the Assembly of God as they did not meet the sons of Israel bread and water, but hired Baylon against them to curse them.

However, our God turn the curse into a blessing.

So when they heard the law. They excluded all foreigners from Israel now.

Prior to this Elias ship priest who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God. Notice, being related to tow buyer you recognize that name had prepared a large room for him were formerly they put the grain offerings, the frankincense, the utensils of the tithes of grain, wine and oil prescribed for the Levites. The singers and the gatekeepers and the contributions for the priests.

But during all this time I was not in Jerusalem for the 32nd year of Artaxerxes, king of Babylon.

I'd gone to the king. After some time. However, I asked Lee from the King and I came to Jerusalem and learned about the evil that allies should been done for tow buyer by preparing a room for him in the courts of the house of God. Now stop for a moment as he put the chronological pieces together, you discover that after Nehemiah had served as governor for about 12 years. He was recalled Babylon and he would back and serve the king again for several years.

There is some disagreement about how long that it could've been his longest 12 were not sure, but perhaps he heard that that old enemy tow buyer was gaining ground once again inside the Temple precinct is old enemy.

Verse nine told us had been given a suite of rooms. The Hebrew is plural. He is actually inside the temple and Ammonite is living on temple grounds. We don't understand the significance or the horror of that violation of the law. Verse four makes it worse. It tells us that he was given this suite of rooms by the high priest who was related to Elisha so you have sand ballots and told via still working behind the scenes. Their names reappear, even in this last chapter, and you have the high priest compromising in effect with the enemy and actually inviting him to stay on the Temple precinct grounds. One author said that inviting the buyer to live in the temple was like dividing a fox to live in the henhouse. He will do damage if allowed to stay. Sometimes my friends that's how the enemy works any works that way even to today worn where's the reminded me by saying that Satan doesn't always fight churches. Sometimes he joins Nehemiah reminds me of our Lord here who brandished a whip, you remember any beat all of the merchants, the Gentile merchants off the temple ground they were supposed to be there. Look at verse eight. This was very displeasing to me, so I threw all of Tobias household goods out of the room that I gave an order and they cleanse the rooms and I return there. The utensils of the house of God with the grain offerings in the frankincense continue see Nehemiah here as soon as he gets back in the town he finds out what's happening. He throws all Tobias closes his furniture is dining room suite is razor his bathrobe everything out onto the street. He just calls all that out in any ceremonially fumigate the rooms as well. Author said evening want the smell of tow buyer hanging around dear friends. Nehemiah handled compromise the same way he handled it in chapter 4 the same way he handled it in chapter 6, you seem handling at the same way. In chapter 13, he handled compromise immediately. He dealt with compromise immediately. No lollygagging around here no dialogue, no maneuvering to make sure the tow buyer had some other place to live. No, there was seen in the camp and there was a sinner in the temple and he dealt with both immediately we don't have the temple today Temple precinct a physical place where you might enter or go to worship God. The Bible tells us in first Corinthians chapter 3 verse 16 that you are the temple of God, you your body for spending 619 says is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

May I ask you a question.

Have you set up a suite of rooms inside that temple for something that does not belong inside the temple of God, you recently decorated a room and invited loss store pride or dishonesty to move in. I encourage you to do what Nehemiah did today deal with it immediately. Keep the temple of God, clean, another situation arises not only compromise with this persistent sin of selfishness. Look at verse 10. I also discovered that the portions of the Levites had not been given them so that the Levites in the singers who perform the service had gone away, each to his own field. Now stop. Can you imagine how Nehemiah must've felt here. I believe there is a volume behind the words. I also discovered can you imagine how discouraging. If you are with us in our last study he saw the people of Israel as they work.

Finishing the process of revival and they all sign this declaration and part of the declaration was that we will get what needs to be given for the house of God for the worship of God.

We will give all that we have to give. Now here's some years later. Nehemiah discovers that they have not kept their word that discovery must've been agonizing sort of like a teacher, perhaps to discover that a favorite student has been cheating like a wife whose husband's promise that he will never drink again. She discovers a bottle hidden away in his closet or a mom or a dad who has heard the promise of a son or daughter that they are cleaned only to discover drugs stashed away in a closet drawer or a spouse who discovers the unfaithfulness of their mate.

That's how he felt.

Nehemiah discovered the unfaithfulness in the dishonesty and the infidelity. The people of God that he loved so dearly. Instead of running. He buckled down for the long haul.

Verse 11. I reprimanded the officials and said why is the house of godforsaken that I gathered them together and restored them to their posts all Judah then brought the tithe of the grain, wine and oil into the storehouses you notice Nehemiah's personal conversation with the Lord in verse 14. Remember me for this. Oh my God, and do not blot out my loyal deeds which I have performed for the house of my God and it's that wasn't all that Nehemiah discovered upon his return to Jerusalem, the sin of materialism accompanied the sin of selfishness. Verse 15 in those days I saw in Judah. Some who were treading wine presses on the Sabbath and bringing in sacks of grain and loading them on donkeys as well as wine grapes, figs, all kinds of loads and they brought them into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day.

Remember, ladies and gentlemen that back earlier they had also said they would keep the Sabbath day holy. So I admonished them on the day they sold food. Verse 16 also men of Tyre were living there who imported fish and all kinds of merchandise and sold them to the sons of Judah on the Sabbath, even in Jerusalem. Then I reprimanded the nobles of Judah and said to them, what is this evil thing you are doing by profaning the Sabbath day did not your fathers do the same so that our God brought on us and on the city all this trouble you are adding to the wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath and it came about the just as it grew dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath. I commanded that the doors be shot that they should not open them until after the Sabbath that I station. Some of my servants at the gates so that no load would enter on the Sabbath day. I love the way that Nehemiah not only deals with the people, but he deals with the source of temptation as well.

Verse 20 oh once or twice.

The traders and merchants of every kind of merchandise spent the night outside Jerusalem will get a couldn't get in. They spent the night right outside the wall there was an attempt the people to go outside the city and buy their wares. Verse 21.

I love this. Then I warned them and said to them, why do you spend the night in front of the wall. If you do so again. I will use force against you. Can you see this 70-year-old man putting his head over the wall and affect.

Knowing that you guys you can even spend the night or if I see you spending the night there, I will come out against you in the name of Jehovah Elohim give you a black eye.

I love the next phrase in verse 21 from that time on they did not come on the Sabbath. We can take that old guy where were you to leave and leave. They did it would mess with him. Verse 22 and I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and, as gatekeepers to sanctify the Sabbath day.

That's interesting to be easy to miss but he adds to their job description as I know what you guys do on on Sunday through Friday around 530 in the afternoon, but on the beginning of the Sabbath or when the sun begins to set on Friday evening through Saturday until about 6 PM on add to your job description you're going to become gatekeeper. I want you to keep those merchants from hanging around the wall.

I want you to shut the gates when you see them coming. Make sure that they cannot get in.

By the way, happens to be the job description of every teacher, Pastor Elder leader parent right here are gatekeepers. Keep even the temptation away as best as you can. I don't how many times I have are apparently what we need to expose our children to the world that is Vallone you protect them as best you can and prepare them you don't expose them. The world will expose itself to them without your help. Your gatekeeper you want to be concerned about what comes into the how but they watch on television what they hear. You are a gatekeeper there listening to voices and they will have to struggle with that as they choose the values of Christianity as their own. But your job is to stay alert, materialism, and the philosophy of this world is a powerful song to our children. I recently read that were confronted with about 2000 commercials every day. 2000 unconsciously filter through billboards, radio, television, magazines, newspapers, the Internet, you name it. The biggest battle is knowing what to do with the things that you have and not wanting even more. I was reading some old notes and there was a story about my kids, my boys, who were six they just had their birthday and we were in the living room and they were counting all their loot they had in a lap full of dollar bills and quarters and they were discounting counting it all.

Sitting there on the couch and we're just watching them and one of my sons suddenly announced I meant to give all of my money to church is my favorite child. By the way, you know, swelled up with pride. Sons got the picture been diverted to the building fund or something without batting an eye. His brother, who just turned six said, not me, spend all mind at the mall. He takes after his when nevermind we take that, but I I remember looking back at the other one, who was now fidgeting.

He had forgotten about the candy counter at the mall and now his commitment was being sorely tested, I wish I had written down what happened next.

I don't know but I thought what a great illustration. Whether you are 16 or 36 or 60, you make a commitment that you will do things in the order of God's priority, and suddenly you hear another voice and that commitment becomes a tough thing to keep well we had to move here on Nehemiah deals with the sin of disobedience. Verse 23. In those days. I also saw that the Jews had married women from Ashdod, Ammon and mob.

I remember getting back in chapter 8, nine, 10, they said we will do that will keep the line pure this Israelites is Jewish people of God but here they go has for their children.

Verse 24. Half of them spoke in the language of Ashdod notice none of them was able to speak the language of Judah. The language of his own people.

In other words, the children are learning the language of their mothers.

They will pick up that time when they picked up the native tongue of these foreign women, which means none of the children were being taught to read Hebrew if they can read Hebrew. They carry the law they carry the law they can obey the law they can obey the law than they are out of the will of God.

You remember all the trouble they had earlier in chapter 8 I believe are understood.

Read the law and none of them can understand it.

And so they spent hours explaining the meanings of the words here in a matter of 10 and 12 years little kids now running around, speaking in Gentile languages.

None of them know Hebrew look at who's in the middle of it all. Verse 28 even one of the sons of Joy Ida, here we go again, the son of Elias ship, the high priest was a son-in-law of Sam ballot.

So I drove him away from me. Josephus the first century Jewish historian tells us that when this grandson of a lash of these crooked priests who, even though they were in the highest places of spiritual leadership did not know or follow God when Nehemiah kicked Elias ship's grandson out of Jerusalem. This boy's name was Manasseh.

He went to join Sam ballot his father-in-law in Samaria and there he established the rival system of worship on Mount Guerra's name that persisted through the time of Jesus Christ. This false worship system by a people known as the Samaritans. Nehemiah spotted the problem and he dealt with both the problem and the problem maker and he dealt with it severely. I like what one man wrote he said in these days when all areas of life are filled with confusion and falling into disorder.

We do well to subject ourselves to the studying refreshing influence of a man like Nehemiah who was specific in his purposes toward God and I like this phrase and who turned wish bones into backbone. Let me tie together with two final thoughts number one God does not provide final victory over sin, but repeated victory over sin. It is the nature of the fire to go out. So it is in our own hearts.

The ashes need to be removed continually.

The coals, stoked, and fresh wood added God will give us not complete and final victory that will come one day. For now he gives us repeated victory over sin. Second of all temptation in the believer's life does not diminish with age grows more clever. So it is best to follow Nehemiah's example here he tackles compromise immediately handles selfishness humbly. He attacked materialism realistically and he dealt with disobedience severely. James Montgomery Boyce wrote in the final pages of his commentary on Nehemiah. These words is realistic. Words, the Christian life is hard work, even the Bible recognizes it as hard work. It is described as a battle race a sacrifice Bible study is hard. Prayer is hard witnessing is hard living a holy life in the midst of temptation is extremely difficult. Jesus Christ promised his followers, not a comfortable life, but across in other words, you can't resign from trouble can retreat to a simpler life. There's no going back. We had best learn how to make pearls out of tribulations. Let me just review what Nehemiah wrote in his final words in verse 31. He said remember me oh my God for good known he was saying is another way of saying Lord I want you you think of me to have good thoughts. I want to live in such a way that I make choices and I determine a lifestyle and I choose a path that ultimately you would be pleased with that was his greatest passion in life that God would be please that's the story of a man in Nehemiah is hard to his face's passion for God, but I want you to know it's been more than just story man. I believe it happens to be a demonstration of the only way to live with that thought in mind we bring to a close. Our series on Nehemiah you been listening to Stephen Davey are Bible teacher on this daily broadcast called wisdom from the heart. We have two special resources for you to know about our producer Seth Davies newest book marvel at the mystery is our featured resource this month. This book would make a great gift for any family with children. It's a book designed for families to read together, and explore and understand the meaning of the incarnation. In addition to Seth's book, Stephen wrote a book on this current series called Nehemiah if you want to go deeper in your study of Nehemiah. This hardback book would make a great addition to your library. Call us today to get information about Nehemiah or marvel at the mystery if you dial 866-482-4253. Thanks for listening.

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