Take stock and make the changes to Realign with the Lord.
Nehemiah kept the command of King Artaxerces(2:6) and returned to Babylon after rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. He’d first asked the king’s permission to go back to the city of his forefathers in the 20th year of his reign and returned to him in the 32nd year(13:6). He left Judah and Jerusalem in much better condition than he’d found them.
Some time later I asked his permission and came back to Jerusalem(13:7).
Nehemiah came back to yet another mess and he had to begin to sort it out once again. He seemed so frustrated that he asked God 4 times in the last chapter to ‘Remember all he’s had to do for Him and this people’.
The High Priest, no less, had given Tobiah, one of Nehemiah’s greatest enemies, a room in the courts of the House of God. Nehemiah threw all his goods out of the room and had them(courts) purified and put back into them the equipment of the House of God, with the grain offerings and the incense. 13:9 Are there places in our lives where we should clear out things of the world(outside influences) and bring back the things of the Lord, during these Days of Awe? Nehemiah also had to bring back the tithes and Temple contributions. In Malachi God accused His people of robbing Him, not giving Him what was His. Everything comes from the Lord, we have nothing that wasn’t given to us. Are we giving God His portion/first fruits?
People were desecrating the Sabbath, a holy day to the Lord. He took strong action to see that all trade and work stopped, again people were robbing God of what was rightfully His. Are we withholding our time from God? Time for everything but the Lord?
Intermarriage, mixing with people they weren’t supposed to be joined with. One of the grandsons of the High Priest, was also the son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite, another of Nehemiah’s worst enemies. I drove him away from me… Are we allied with some who oppose God and have no time for Him, who disdain the things of God?
Lastly Nehemiah made provision for the House of God, he wanted the people to be serious in their walk with the Lord and provide for His Temple. The bottom line was the Jews discovered they were nothing without their God and the Church needs to take this to heart. Israel and Judah were small, a minority in the nations and so is the Church in many places today.
Some points for our consideration in these Days of Awe.
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God bless and keep you in these days.