(REFLECTIONS ON Nehemiah 13:1-14 )

For us, a quick turn of a page, perhaps not even a page, just the next line down in Biblical text. However, for Israel the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem in Nehemiah 12 to today’s Scripture in Nehemiah 13, approximately 12 years had already passed.

Nehemiah had already returned to Persia to serve the king. After he requested permission to go back to Jerusalem, he realized that a room in the courts of the house of God had given to Tobiah to use.

Tobiah was an Ammonite and in the Book of Moses it was written than an Ammonite should never be admitted into the assembly of God. Tobiah was also previously an enemy of the Jews. However, likely through marriage, he had been allowed by Eliashib the high priest to occupy a space in the house of God. The following is Nehemiah’s response in returning to Jerusalem:

8 I was greatly displeased and threw all Tobiah’s household goods out of the room. 9 I gave orders to purify the rooms, and then I put back into them the equipment of the house of God, with the grain offerings and the incense.

In addition, Nehemiah wrote,

10 I also learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them, and that all the Levites and musicians responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields. 11 So I rebuked the officials and asked them, “Why is the house of God neglected?” Then I called them together and stationed them at their posts.

Time, what is time? Yes, through the passage of time, the Israelites got comfortable, and rather than being as spiritually focused as they had been during the rebuilding of the temple and wall of Jerusalem, every day life took over. The house of God was once again neglected as the busyness and priorities of life took precedence.

Time, what is time? Time is actually one of the greatest challenges the church and Christians have to deal with. That is because with the passage of time, what was perhaps once a deep passion for God, over time can simmer as everyday life takes over.

How then do we stay spiritually focused? One key is to close the gap between everyday life and our spiritual life. If we are living two different lives, the time will slowly cause our different identities to drift apart. However, if our spiritual life drives our everyday life, then over time there will not be two lives, but the two will become one.

Time, what is time? A reminder to live in His word, live out our worship, and continue to fellowship with His people so that our spiritual life can be the one life that we live.

Pastor Michael Lu
Enduring Word Bible Commentary: Nehemiah 13