Rebuilding Broken Lives
Nehemiah 13:1-10
Page 416 in Pew Bibles
Nehemiah 13
1. At that time the book of Moses was read
publicly to the people. The command was
found written in it that no Ammonite or
Moabite should ever enter the assembly of
God,
2. because they did not meet the Israelites
with food and water. Instead, they hired
Balaam against them to curse them, but our
God turned the curse into a blessing.
3. When they heard the law, they separated
all those of mixed descent from Israel.
4. Now before this, Eliashib the priest had
been put in charge of the storerooms of the
house of our God. He was a relative of
Tobiah
5. and had prepared a large room for him
where they had previously stored the grain
offerings, the frankincense, the articles, and
the tenths of grain, new wine, and oil
prescribed for the Levites, singers, and
gatekeepers, along with the contributions
for the priests.
6. While all this was happening, I was not in
Jerusalem, because I had returned to King
Artaxerxes of Babylon in the thirty-second
year of his reign. It was only later that I
asked the king for a leave of absence
7. so I could 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 God's house.
8. I was greatly displeased and threw all of
Tobiah's household possessions out of the
room.
9. I ordered that the rooms be purified, and I
had the articles of the house of God
restored there, along with the grain offering
and frankincense.
10. I also found out that because the portions
for the Levites had not been given…
Rebuilding Broken Lives
Nehemiah 13:1-10
Intruder In
The Temple
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Background Summary
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Photo >
Nehemiah had to go back to his
regular job in the capital working for
the King
Tobiah was an enemy of God’s
people, but he had somehow made an
alliance with Eliashib, the High Priest.
While Nehemiah was away, Eliashib
provided a room in the temple to
Tobiah.
It was set up like a loft apartment…
New York Style Loft Apartment – in Philadelphia
>
www.oldworldwarehouse.com
While these events took place in a tangible,
visible temple, the New Testament
Teaches that You are a Temple
1st Corinthians 6:19, NIV
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of
the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have
received from God?”
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6 Principles of
Temple Intrusion
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1. Omissions Lead to Emptiness
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• Vs. 10 “The portions for the Levites had
not been given”
• Vs. 5 “A large room… where they had
previously stored the grain offerings, the
frankincense, the articles, and the tenths of
grain, new wine, and oil prescribed for the
Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, along
with the contributions for the priests.”
• When they stopped giving, it created an
empty room.
• When we stop doing the things that keep
us connected to God, we get empty.
2. Emptiness Leads to Filling
Ourselves with the Wrong Things
• Vs. 5 “[Eliashib] had prepared a large
room for [Tobiah] where they had
previously stored the grain offerings…”
• Vs. 7 “…Providing him a room in the
courts of God’s house.”
• People can’t handle a vacuum. When
you have an empty room, you have an
open invitation for the wrong people or
things to fill it.
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3. Filling Ourselves with the
Wrong Things is Inviting Intruders
into the Temple
• Vs. 5 “[Eliashib] had prepared a large
room for [Tobiah]”
• 2:10 “Tobiah the Ammonite official”
• Vs. 1 “At that time the book of Moses
was read publicly to the people. The
command was found written in it that no
Ammonite or Moabite should ever
enter the assembly of God”
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3. Filling Ourselves with the
Wrong Things Is Inviting Intruders
into the Temple
• Vance Havner: “Today the world
has so infiltrated the church, we
are more beset by traitors within,
than by foes without. Satan is not
fighting churches – he is joining
them!”
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4. The Wrong Relationships Invite
Intruders into the Temple
• Vs.4 “Now before this, Eliashib the
priest had been put in charge of the
storerooms of the house of our God.
He was a relative of Tobiah”
HL >
4. Wrong Relationships Invite
Intruders into the Temple
• Vs.4 “Now before this, Eliashib the
priest had been put in charge of the
storerooms of the house of our God.
He was a relative of Tobiah”
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•NIV: “Closely associated with Tobiah”
•Other translations: “Allied with”
•Vs. 28 “Even one of the sons of Jehoiada, son
of Eliashib the high priest, had become a son-inlaw to Sanballat the Horonite.”
4. Wrong Relationships Invite
Intruders into the Temple
• Eliashib was being friends with an
enemy.
• Tobiah did not have good plans for
God’s people.
• 2:10 “When Sanballat the Horonite and
Tobiah the Ammonite official heard that
someone had come to seek the wellbeing of the Israelites, they were greatly
displeased.”
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4. Wrong Relationships Invite
Intruders into the Temple
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• 2:19 When Sanballat the Horonite,
Tobiah the Ammonite official, and
Geshem the Arab heard about [the
rebuilding of the walls], they mocked and
despised us”
• 4:7 “When Sanballat, Tobiah, [etc.]
heard that the repair to the walls of
Jerusalem was progressing and that the
gaps were being closed, they became
furious.”
4. Wrong Relationships Invite
Intruders into the Temple
• 6:12 “Tobiah and Sanballat had hired [a
false prophet to intimidate me].”
• Tobiah was always trying to worm his
way into the situation:
– 6:17-19 “The nobles of Judah sent many
letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came
to them. These nobles kept mentioning
Tobiah’s good deeds to me, and they
reported my words to him.”
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• Vs. 19 “And Tobiah sent letters to
intimidate me.”
5. The Inability to Stand Alone
will Attract Intruders
• Vs.6 “While all this was happening, I
was not in Jerusalem, because I had
returned to King Artaxerxes of Babylon
in the thirty-second year of his reign. It
was only later that I asked the king for
a leave of absence”
• Like Eliashib, some of us need
someone constantly standing over their
shoulders to stay on track with God.
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5. The Inability to Stand Alone
will Attract Intruders
• Eliashib knew better
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– As a priest, he knew the Scriptures
– The Scriptures had been read publicly
– Vs. 1 “At that time the book of Moses
was read publicly to the people. The
command was found written in it that no
Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter
the assembly of God”
5. The Inability to Stand Alone
will Attract Intruders
• Eliashib had done better in the past
– He was the first builder of the wall
named
– 3:1 “Eliashib the high priest and his
fellow priests began rebuilding…”
• Eliashib would have been aware of
Tobiah’s repeated treachery
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– And yet…
6. Intruders Come to Stay
• Vs. 8 “…All of Tobiah’s household
possessions out of the room.”
• Tobiah didn’t just throw his sleeping bag
in the corner for a night, he had moved
in, with furniture and dishes.
• The intruders always come to stay and
they are hard to dislodge.
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Responding to Intruders
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1. Root Them Out
– Vs. 7 “I discovered the evil”
2. Deal with Them Decisively
– Vs. 8 “I was greatly displeased and
threw all of Tobiah’s household
possessions out of the room”
3. Seek God’s Cleansing
– Vs. 9 “I ordered that the rooms be
purified”
– 1st John 1:9
Responding to Intruders
4. Get the Right Things in Place
– Vs. 9 “I had the articles of the
house of God restored there”
5. Repeat the Cleansing Process Until
Finished
– Vs. 10 “I also found out that…”
..
Rebuilding Broken Lives