Today's lesson comes from Nehemiah 13: 15-27. Chapter 9 records that on the 24th day of the same month in which Ezra read the law, the people assembled together. There is a recounting of the history of Israel and God's gracious dealing with them. At the end of the chapter, the people make a "sure covenant" with the Lord. The people were in earnest. The dedication of Jerusalem's wall is recorded in 12: 27-43. Nehemiah relates that he had to return to the court of Artaxerxes in Babylon. When he returns to Jerusalem, he finds that the people have broken the covenant that they made with God. He then starts to put things in order.
First, he cleanses the temple (vv. 7-9). Then he restores the portion of the Levites and the support of the temple (vv. 10-14). The lesson today records the keeping of the Sabbath (vv. 15-22) and the putting away of strange wives (vv. 23-27). In Nehemiah's absence, the people had neglected temple worship, crimes and sins increased, people were involved in sorcery, adulteries, false swearing, oppression, and cheating widows and the fatherless. They returned to the custom of mixed marriages. They committed the sin of Sabbath-breaking, which is the main subject of this lesson.
The first section is: "Corrective Measures Taken." Nehemiah took the following corrective action:
1. He drove Tobiah out of the temple and restored it to its proper uses (13: 7-9).
2. He reinstated the priests and Levites (13: 10-14). Services could now be held according to the law.
3. He compelled the people to cease from their heathen marriage alliances (13: 23-28). He showed that Solomon himself had been led astray by marrying heathen women.
The summary points of this section are:
1. Regular worship will assist people from falling back into sin.
2. To walk together, you must be in agreement.
3. We should not be yoked with unbelievers.
The second section is "Sabbath Desecration." (vv. 15,16) The Sabbath was being desecrated in the following ways:
1. They were "treading wine presses." These means they were working crushing grapes into juice.
2. They were "bringing in sheaves." They brought these into the city to thresh and sell on the Sabbath.
3. They were selling "wine, grapes, and figs."
4. Foreign dealers were present from Tyre who were devoted to commerce. They had formed a settlement for the sale of merchandise.
All these evils were closely allied. The desecration of the Lord's house led to the violation of the Sabbath.
The summary points of this section are:
1. We should honor the Sabbath today by our actions and deeds.
2. Allowing people of different beliefs to be in positions of power can drag you into sin.
3. As much as it is possible, we should refrain from commercial work on the Sabbath.
The third section is "Sabbath Reform." (vv. 17-22) Nehemiah's reforms included the following:
1. He started with the leaders, "nobles." Those with higher rank can have a greater influence.
2. He reminded them of the past history with their fathers and what happened when they disregarded the Sabbath. Failure to keep the Sabbath led to other errors.
3. He took action and "commanded that the gates should be shut," and they were "not to be opened till after the Sabbath." He removed the temptation to disregard the Sabbath by restricting access to merchants who did not honor the Sabbath.
4. He threatened and rebuked those that sought to commercialize the Sabbath.
5. He commanded the Levites to guard the gates as they were more appropriate keepers of the city gates.
6. He prayed to God and looked to Him for protection and blessings.
The summary points of this section are:
1. Those with position in the church or status in the community have an obligation to be leaders for the people.
2. You don't catch wellness from others, you can catch sickness. Cut off the source of your temptation.
3. Always remember to pray even following a spiritual victory.
The fourth section is "The Sabbath of Today." The commandment to keep the Sabbath came from God. It is not a Jewish law, but a law that "was made for man," all men. The commandment requires us to observe a day of sacred rest after every six days of labor. Whether it is called Saturday or Sunday depends on when you start the count of day one of the six days of labor. At the end of the sixth day, we are to rest in the LORD.
What does Sabbath observance look like:
1. A day of joy;
2. A day of of rest from bodily toil;
3. A day of worship;
4. A day to avoid unnecessary labor, worldly pleasure, travel, etc.; and
5. A day to study God's Word.
It is a pattern that people and churches that have regressed in their spiritual life started on that road by treating the Sabbath as just another day. Honor God and His Word, and He will honor you.
The summary points for this section are:
1. The command to keep the Sabbath is not just for Jews.
2. Keeping the Sabbath means focusing on God and not yourselves.
3. Failure to keep the Sabbath starts one on a path away from God.
The Golden Text is: "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." (Psalm 119: 11) The Word of God is a treasure to be internalized. This is more than memorization. It involves the molding of desires, ambitions, affections, and personality traits. The psalmist understood the relationship between having God's Word in his heart and the avoidance of sin. Do you?
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