Sabbath: Backslidden People
Image © Pacific Press
Read for This Week’s Study: Neh. 13:1-9; Deut. 23:3-6; Neh. 13:10-14; Num. 18:21-24; Neh. 13:15-22; John 5:5-16.
Memory Text: “And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should go and guard the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of Your mercy!” (Nehemiah 13:22, NKJV).
In the interim between chapters 12 and 13, Nehemiah returns to Babylon. Though we don’t know how long he was gone, when he returned (probably around 430–425 B.C). the people were backsliding. Though they had covenanted with God on these matters: first, not to intermarry with idolaters; second, to observe the Sabbath carefully; and, third, to take care of the temple and its personnel by tithe and offerings (Nehemiah 10) — they had violated all three of these promises.
By the time Nehemiah returned, he found them very lax in their devotion to God. The people had stopped returning tithes and offerings, began using temple rooms for other purposes, ceased keeping the Sabbath properly, and even returned to intermarriage with the nations around them. Worst of all, it was the leadership whom he had left behind that contributed to the decline in the Israelites’ relationship with God. It is not surprising that Nehemiah was devastated when he discovered how much had changed. However, instead of accepting it, once again as his character demanded, he acted for God’s glory.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, December 14.
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A rock sitting on top of a hill is said to be in a metastable state. It could sit there forever if it is not disturbed. However it can be dislodged by a small earth tremor and sent sliding down into the valley. Of course the way to change this is to ensure that the rock is bolted on to the hill so that it can withstand the tremors. You will sometimes see this rocks that overhang roads and railways. Giant bolts are inserted into holes though the metastable rock into the ground rock beneath to ensure that they are stable and not metastable,
Many of us as Christians are sitting on the mountain to truth in a metastable state. We are not bolted on, and the tremors of worldly attraction and personal interaction dislodge us from the truth of Christianity. Part of the problem is that we are not interacting with the truth, merely sitting on it. One of the problems that is a recurring one is that we often depend on powerful leaders for our bonding with the truth. The post exilic Jews had that problem. Nehemiah left them for a period of time and they lost their bond with the truth. Is it any different today? How dependent is our Christian experience on a powerful charismatic pastor or media personality?
Paul understood the situation very well:
Amen. Powerful point there, we need to personally be dependent on God and God alone not through church leaders.
What happens to a nation that is blessed by God?
Most of the time it forgets the one who was behind the blessing.
Sin has a way of captivating our attention on self.
Is this not the Great Babylon I have built?
He forgot he was an instrument in the hand of God.
Peter had to deny the Lord three times before his foundation was made strong in the Lord.
So the one who thinks he is standing firm should be careful not to fall.
How often we think I am strong only to find out we fall at the most insignificant situations in life.
Is it interesting marriage plays an integral role in backsliding.
A house divided cannot stand.
Christ will not be the center of focus in a family that is divided.
Sabbath observance is compromised.
Rebellion against the church is manifested among the people.
Examine yourself.
Actions reveal our hearts usually, that was why Nehemiah told them to change their actions, because it revealed their lack of dedication to the LORD.
But there was an even more dangerous situation that Jesus revealed in His day. There were leaders whose actions were 'correct' but whose hearts were self centered not God centered.
That is why Jesus repeated Deut 6:5-6 Love the LORD your God - Ruler - with all your heart, mind, body and soul, and His words - commmands- will be in your heart. Matt 22:37,38.
It is interesting to note that right from the beginning, after Moses had repeated the 10 Words Deut 4:40, he told them that these Words shall be in your heart Deut 6:6.
The LORD's intention has always been to create a new heart in us from which our actions flow. PS 51:6,10