Keep God's Temple Holy

  Keep God’s Temple Holy

 

Nehemiah 13: 1-14

 

Introduction

The message of Neh 13: 1-14 is as relevant today as it was in Nehemiah’s day. The original situation reveals the message of the principles governing God’s people and God’s house as holy unto the Lord

 

1. Holiness as Separateness

The basic principle is that of the nature of holiness. Holiness means separateness and distinct difference. Verses 1 and 2 indicate that the Law of Moses commanded that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be admitted into the assembly of God. For further information, read Dt 23: 3-6. The reason given in v. 2 is that they had not met the Israelites with hospitality but with opposition, during the exodus and entry into the Promised Land.

 

Nu 22-24 records that in fear of Israel, Moab hired Balaam to curse Israel. In addition, Nu 25 says the women of Moab seduced the men of Israel into ritual sexual immorality.

 

Moab was East of the southern pat of the Dead Sea. The Ammonite territory was N of Moab. There apparently was a bond between the two neighbours, who were partners in crime. However, we do not have an explanation of what Ammon had done to Israel. The explanation may be in their origin.

 

Genesis 19: 37 reports that the Moabites were descended from Lot through incest with his elder daughter. According to Gen 19: 38, the Ammonites were descended from Lot through incest with his younger daughter. So both the Ammonites and the Moabites were related to Israel, who were descended from Abraham, uncle of Lot; and of course related to each other. It was therefore reasonable for Israel to expect from both groups some kindness and hospitality. But they refused to feed Israel and instead opposed them.

 

The Believer should not be surprised at the rejection of relatives who are unsaved.

 

Verse 3. When the people heard the law that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be admitted into the assembly of God’s people, they excluded from Israel all such people—an act of significant, radical obedience.

 

Behind this regulation and practice is the principle of purity and holiness. God included in His family only those persons who would not corrupt His people but instead promote their purity. To further understand it, we need to look further at the background.

 

Ex 12: 37-38 says that in the exodus from Egypt about 600,000 men left, plus women and children. A mixed multitude also went up with them. These unbelievers who attached themselves to God’s people were a constant source of problems. For example, Numbers 11: 4 records that the rabble who were among them had greedy desires and apparently influenced the Israelites to complain against God. Rabble is an

 

apt term for the non-Israelite mixed group of people who followed he Israelites out of Egypt, pointing to a recurrent source of complaints and trouble in the camp. Those who did not know the Lord and His mercies incited those who did know Him to rebel against Him

 

[NIV footnote].

 

No doubt they were the prime movers toward the worship of idols and ritual prostitution by God’s people. There is no evidence that they ever took God genuinely as their God. Otherwise God would have admitted them to Israel. Ruth the Moabitess was admitted to Israel’s assembly. But note what she had done. Naomi said to her, Go back to your people and your gods. Ruth responded, Your people will be my people and your God my God. She even swears by the Lord.

 

But if pagans insist on rejecting God, Believers must separate themselves from them—that is, regarding relationships where the unbeliever can influence the inner life of the Believer. In 2 Co 6: 14-17 is a principle well established in Scripture, one which we ignore or violate to our own peril and possible destruction.

 

Some Christians tend to react to this principle. Just remember that God is Love and His commands are statements of love, principles established for our protection. God does not want for us what is good. He has provided for us His best! But this is the only way to enjoy it.

 

2. Consequences of Violation of Holiness

Note the message of vv. 4 and 5. Eliashib the priest had been put in charge of the store-rooms of the house of God. However, he had a bond with Tobiah the Ammonite. It was an emotional bond, perhaps a legal bond. Tobiah the Ammonite was governor of a neighbouring area, East of the Jordan. He apparently felt politically threatened by Nehemiah and chose to become a sworn enemy.

 

If Eliashib was in fact the highpriest, then v. 28 has his grandson marrying the daughter of Sanballat who was comrade-in-crime with Tobiah. This bonded Tobiah with Eliashib. Tobiah convinced Eliashib the priest to provide him personal space in the holy temple of God, which he was not allowed to even enter. The priest of God installed in the house of God the enemy of God. Yet the priest of God should have known the law of God that no Ammonite was allowed in the house of God.

 

Not only so, but to accommodate Tobiah, he had to throw out God, effectually, by excluding all the tithes and offerings that were supposed to be stored in the same space [v. 5]. So God’s pure purposes and provisions are replaced by paganism. The consequence was the weakening of worship and the spiritual life of God’s people, especially of the leaders of the church [v. 10].

 

We must never allow in God’s place any interest but God. This applies to the Believer, the church, the church buildings and property. Under no circumstances should pastor or church compromise with secular leaders, with sinners of any kind, with sin of any colour.

 

3. Restoration after Violation

In angry response, Nehemiah took very radical action to cleanse the temple.

1. He threw out Tobiah and his furniture

2. He had the temple rooms purified, to get rid of the evil influences of the pagan enemy and replace them with the holy influence of God

3. Having emptied the rooms of the enemy’s properties, he replaced them with the valuables of God—the equipment of the house of God, with the grain offerings and the incense—v. 9. He provided proper staff [v. 13], men of honesty and integrity

4. He restored the spiritual leadership [v. 11] and the worship life of God’s house.

 

Nehemiah is a great example to non-ordained Believers. He was a political, government leader functioning as a spiritual leader and reformer. We should go and do likewise.

 

The action of Nehemiah has a parallel in Jesus’ cleansing of the temple. He took a whip and drove the Tobiahs out of the temple, along with their animals and merchandise, overturning the tables of the money-changers and salesmen. He said to them, Get these out of here! It is written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ‘den of robbers.’ How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market! Jn 2: 14-16; Mt 21: 12, 13. It also parallels the cleansing of the temple by King Josiah [2 K 23: 1-7] and by the Maccabees, commemorated today in the Feast of Dedication, or Hanukkah.

 

There are at least two reminders here for us.

1. Personal. The Word of God says you are the temple of the living God—2 Co 6: 16—and God’s Spirit lives in you. Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you—1 Co 6: 19. Do not allow any Tobiah, anything pagan or sinful, to take up residence in your body, your mind, will, emotions, desires, heart or spirit. Never allow anything anti-God to take the place of God in your life.

 

If there is any evil in you, let Christ cleanse you by your confession and His forgiveness, His washing and sprinkling of His blood, purifying you from the inside out. Take action to throw out of your life any source of pollution: music, literature, magazines, computer, TV, friends…and replace them with Godly counterparts. Allow no vacuum in your life. Throw out Tobiah’s furniture and put in God’s holy provisions and equipment.

 

2. Congregational. How should we use the church facilities? Is ours simply a community building? We need to take the position that God’s building must be used only for programs and purposes that promote the Gospel of Christ and the worship of our God. That is, our facilities are to be used according to the nature of the God to whose glory we dedicated them, set them apart for His exclusive use—purposes that glorify the eternal God. This is how Jesus saw it.

 

If God’s house is used for something secular, it may mean something holy is being neglected. God has not provided for any vacuum in ministry. God has so much work to be done in the world that empty areas of time and space indicate ministry areas being neglected, or at least opportunity being missed. Everything the church does, everything the facilities are used for, must be clearly and immediately related to God’s purposes. The house of God is holy and must never be used for any unholy purpose.

 

This is clear all through Scripture. The tabernacle, the Temple, utensils, furnishings, priestly vestments, priests, Levites, temple/tabernacle areas are all holy and to be used only by those who are engaged in worship of Jehovah or service to God. Even the unsaved, such as Ammonites and Moabites, were forbidden participation in the assembly of God’s people. That is why Jesus cleansed the Temple. Did Jesus change this principle? Note Acts 5: 12, 13.

 

Nehemiah 13 shows that the use of God’s house for non-holy purposes was based on a tragic compromise.

 

Conclusion

Neh 13: 1-14 reminds us of God’s principle of holiness of people and property—both to be faithfully kept holy and never violated. In case there is any violation, the holy must be cleansed and restored, rededicated to God, without any further violation or compromise. Jehovah is a jealous God, a God of holiness and principle!

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