THE LORD SPOKE (July 18)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Nehemiah 13

Righteous indignation! Before "p.c." we used to allow it. There were certain situations that simply could not be tolerated. Like the time Jesus "made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables" (Jn. 2:15). Hardly fits our picture of "gentle Jesus, meek and mild".

Four times in this chapter (Neh. 13:14,22,29,31) Nehemiah calls on God to remember him and each involves actions which most people might not want remembered. Take a look at what he does:

• "I was greatly displeased and threw all Tobiah's household goods out of the room." (Neh. 13:8)
• "I warned them...'If you do this again, I will lay hands on you.'" (Neh. 13:21)
• "I rebuked them and called curses down on them. I beat some of the men and pulled out their hair." (Neh. 13:25)
• "I drove him away from me." (Neh. 13:28)

Webster defines a pagan as "one who has little or no religion and who delights in sensual pleasures and material goals". What Nehemiah was up against was pure paganism - living with no regard for God. It can take various forms but in each case related here it amounted to hedonistic decisions and godless living. Nehemiah's zeal was activated by:

I. The Penetration of Paganism into Sacred Space (Neh. 13:1-14)

Eliashib, the high priest (!), had allowed Tobiah, one of the archenemies of Israel (see 2:10,19; 4:7; 6:1,12,17-19), to move into offices on the Temple Mount. He was "an Ammonite official" and had sided frequently with Sanballat and Geshem the Arab in open opposition to Nehemiah. Eventually he wormed his way into the inner circle of Judean leadership (read 6:17-19). As soon as Nehemiah returned to his duties at Susa, Tobiah got himself a position and set up shop in the Temple compound. When Nehemiah discovered this he physically threw him out. No negotiations!

II. The Perpetuation of Paganism in Sacred Time (Neh. 13:15-22)

When people coming to Jerusalem repeatedly desecrated the Sabbath, Nehemiah's righteous indignation again rose to the surface. Week after week they used God's time to practice their paganism - to pursue material gain rather than setting aside a day of rest. Why do people think they can rob God of the time He requires? This reaches all the way back to Creation and it comes right on down to last week. People think they can't get their work (and play) done in six days so they rob God of His sacred time. It made Nehemiah mad and he made it very difficult for them to continue doing so.

III. The Perversion of Paganism in Sacred Relationships (Neh. 13:23-30)

Messed up marriages! Nehemiah compared his day with the utter confusion of Solomon's (Neh. 13:26). What do you supposed he'd think of our times? Marriage is called "holy matrimony" which is just another way of saying "sacred relationship". It is meant to endure for life. If we don't hate divorce like God does (see Mal. 2:15-16), this canker will destroy us. It made Nehemiah mad and he did something more than just cluck his tongue.

"One who has little or no religion and who delights in sensual pleasures and material goals." Does that sound anything like America today? Does it sound sadly like our churches today? God send us a Nehemiah to knock some heads together!


New Testament: II Timothy 3

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (II Tim. 3:16)

The Bible tells you what’s right and not right (“useful for teaching, rebuking”), how to get right (“correcting”), and how to stay right (“training in righteousness”). It is the source of all proper direction in our lives. The failure to follow it is the explanation for all the mess in the world.

Paul paints that picture with some pretty ugly strokes in the opening verses. We could wish it were different but his description in verses 2-4 sounds a lot like modern America. We’re told that this sort of thing will “worm [its] way into homes” (II Tim. 3:6). We now know how!

Stop and think about it. What in the average home is the source of such things as these:

People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God... (II Tim. 3:2-4).

Can you think of any source known for just such trash? If you wanted to find out more about such things, where would you look? There’s one or more in nearly every home in America.

What an utter contrast is the Bible! God’s Word is sweet to eat, fully-satisfying, corrective in every way, producing the peaceable fruits of righteousness.

Make it, the Bible, the guide of your home and you’ll soon see the difference. Start by making the Bible the central part of your own life. Read it and feed upon it the first thing each day. The results will be most gratifying.

Sing them over again to me,
Wonderful words of life,
Let me more of their beauty see,
Wonderful words of life;
Words of life and beauty
Teach me faith and duty.

Beautiful words, wonderful words,
Wonderful words of life;
Beautiful words, wonderful words,
Wonderful words of life.

Christ, the blessed One, gives to all
Wonderful words of life;
Sinner, list to the loving call,
Wonderful words of life;
All so freely given,
Wooing us to heaven.