Sabbath, April 12 – Nehemiah 13, Psalms 126 – Additional Reading: Prophet and Kings, Chapter 57, “Reformation”

1. When were all foreigners banned from Israel’s worship services? (Ezra 6:21, Ruth 1:16–17)

2. How should the Christian Church treat those from another culture? (Acts 10:24-29)

3. To what extent should we separate ourselves from the world? (2 Corinth. 6:14-18)

Psalm 126 begins with the words, “When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream” (Psalm 126:1, NKJV). If you’ve ever longed to be delivered from something and finally experience it, you can identify with the theme of this Psalm. God’s people had finally been restored to their land from Babylonian captivity. But returning home would not be without challenges. The book of Nehemiah records the challenges he faced as he helped the people of God transition back to their homeland.

The thirteenth chapter of Nehemiah ends with Nehemiah’s sweeping reforms in his second term as Governor of Judea after his return from a period of absence. Ultimately, the leadership that was left in place had allowed foreigners who were not in line with Israel’s beliefs to infiltrate Jerusalem. The issue was not their ethnicity but rather their beliefs. Foreigners could become part of Israel by conversion, as seen in Ezra 6:21 and Ruth 1:16–17.

Nehemiah’s goal was to renew the spirituality of his people, who had compromised the law of God by allowing themselves to be influenced by foreign mindsets and practices. Eliashib, the high priest, had compromised the holiness of God’s temple by allowing the Ammonite Tobiah to occupy rooms in it. The house of God was neglected because the people were not returning tithes and offerings, which caused the Levites to work in the fields to support themselves. The Jews were breaking the Sabbath by buying goods from merchants on the Sabbath.

There was the continued problem of intermarriage, which was revealed to Nehemiah by the different languages he heard spoken by Judah’s children. This was an indication that the Jews were losing their distinctive identity as God’s people. Again, the problem was the influence of the foreigners’ religion, not their ethnicity.

The influence of the home on children is profound. In this case, intermarriage with pagan or non-God-fearing people caused a division in the household, and the children were affected. Today, our children are nothing less than a byproduct of the union of husband and wife, father and mother, and the values they bring to the home. Our children reflect our home’s values and characteristics (how we act, speak, solve problems, work ethics, view of education, and view of God). What language are our children speaking? Do they know the Bible language? Are they familiar with Bible stories?

The negative influence from foreign countries was challenging for God’s people when they returned to their homeland from captivity. But they seemed to have responded positively to the Word of the Lord. “So it was, when they had heard the Law, that they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel” (Nehemiah 13:3, NKJV). Negative influences from the world we live in today are no less challenging for us than they were for God’s people in Nehemiah’s time. But as we listen to God’s voice daily, we can be strengthened and equipped to overcome the influences that seek to pull us away from Him. I pray that you will spend quality time daily in the Word of God to withstand the influences of this world.