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Nehemiah chapter 13 we are coming
to chapter 13 and verse 15 this evening. And we read these words, In those
days saw I and Judah some treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and
bringing in sheaves, and lading asses, as also wine, grapes,
and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem
on the Sabbath day. And I testified against them
in the day wherein they sold victuals. They dwelt men of Tyre
also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold
on the Sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. And
I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What
evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day?
Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this
evil upon us, and upon this city? Yet ye bring more wrath upon
Israel by profaning the sabbath. And it came to pass that when
the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath,
I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they
should not be opened. till after the Sabbath. And some
of my servants set eye at the gates, that there should no burden
be brought in on the Sabbath day. So the merchants and sellers
of all kind were lodged without Jerusalem once or twice. Then
I testified against them and said unto them, Why lodge ye
about the wall? If ye do so again, I will lay
hands on you. From that time forth came they
no more on the Sabbath. And I commanded the Levites that
they should cleanse themselves. and that they should come and
keep the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. Remember me, O my
God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness
of thy mercy. Amen. We'll finish there at verse
22 tonight. We trust that God will bless
his word to our hearts. Verse 17 really is the key verse
in this passage where Nehemiah contended with the nobles of
Judah and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do
and profane the sabbath day. Now we find Nehemiah standing
for the sabbath and contending for the keeping of this sabbath
day holy. That's what we want to look at.
At least in some measure I want to really deal tonight with Nehemiah's
stand, not so much the issue of the sabbath breaking, although
we mentioned that in passing, but really his stand for the
Lord on this issue. So that's where the Bible is
open there. Let's just bow in a further word of prayer together.
Father, we pray now that thou wilt bless thy word to our souls. We thank thee for the scriptures.
Lord, when we read a passage like this, we are struck by how
up-to-date thy word really is. And we pray, Lord, tonight that
we might have courage and strength from heaven to stand for the
things of God, just as Nehemiah stood in his day. Lord, we have
been singing already about not being ashamed to own our God.
Lord, let us never be ashamed of Jesus Christ and His Word.
Lord, lead us on with Thyself. When we pray tonight, Lord, as
we ponder these things, that we will be strengthened for the
battle and enabled by Thy grace to live more and more unto Christ
and stand for the honour of Thy Word. Put Thy blessing upon us,
Lord. Put Thy Word into my mouth, I
pray, and fill me now with Thy Spirit. in Jesus' precious name. Amen. There's very good reason
to describe Nehemiah as one of the greatest Old Testament reformers. I say that because when this
man came to Jerusalem and discovered a ruined city and really a careless
population, he almost immediately set about a work of restoration. Not for a moment did Nehemiah
think that the cause of God was unimportant. In fact, if ever
there was a man who gave himself unreservedly, unconditionally
and unceasingly to the cause of God, it was this man whose
name we have before us. He had a glorious vision for
the cause of God in Jerusalem. He did not want the city to be
in reproach. He did not want the enemy to
triumph. He did not want the honour of God to be besmirched.
He did not want to see the people in the midst of distress. and
in the midst of constant defeat. Rather, Nehemiah had a burden
to see the work revived and the work of God restored. But Nehemiah
not only had a vision for the work, as a true reformer he was
also valiant in the work. And nowhere does that truth appear
more clearly than in this final chapter, Nehemiah chapter 13.
Keep in mind that by this stage the walls of the city had been
rebuilt. the enemy had been resisted.
The people had known exceptional times with God. There had been
unprecedented interest in the scriptures and for a time in
the earlier chapters of this book there was very much a work
of God in reviving the hearts of his people. And for a period
of time it seemed as if the Jews in Jerusalem were living close
to God. There was certainly every reason
for them to follow in the ways of God's commandments. And yet
for all of that, it's in this very chapter, at the end of this
rebuilding program, and after those exceptional times with
God, it is in this chapter that Nehemiah is compelled to challenge
sin and confront a spirit of spiritual declension. Nehemiah
chapter 13 really is a chapter of contention. It's a chapter
of battle. A chapter where this man of God
has to earnestly contend for the faith. It marks him out as
a true reformer. According to popular definition,
a reformer is one who, among other things, confronts error,
challenges abuses, and works for an improvement and for change. And it's not difficult to see
Nehemiah fulfilling that role in the city of Jerusalem. These
verses undoubtedly portray him as one of the greatest reformers
in the Old Testament. And we've already noted how he
challenged the spirit of compromise that Eliaship showed in verses
1 through to 9. And then the last time we noted
how he called for a return to the old paths and brought those
Levites who had fled to their fields because their portions
had not been given to them, how he called for them to come back
again and take up the work of God. And you have a record of
that in verses 10 through to 15. But the chapter doesn't finish
there. For in verses 15 through to 22,
this passage that we have read tonight, Nehemiah is back in
the centre of controversy. Now I suppose someone coming
and reading just Nehemiah 13 on his own would imagine that
Nehemiah was never out of controversy. Well, certainly at this time
he is back in the centre of it and this time it revolves around
the desecration of the Sabbath day. I'm not going to go into
all the details of this tonight, but it's enough to note just
a number of things here in passing. Notice how prevalent this sin
really was. Look at verses 15 and 16. It
says, In those days saw I and Judah some treading winepresses
on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves. And then look at
verse 16. Their dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought
fish and all manner of ware, and sold on the Sabbath unto
the children of Israel, and in Jerusalem. There were men of
Judah there, and also some of the area known as Tyre, and they
were involved in the breaking of the Sabbath day. It wasn't
just an isolated case here or there. This had become common
practice. It was a widespread thing for
the Sabbath to be broken. It was a sin that was prevailing.
Notice also how public this sin was. When you look at the opening
verses of verse 15, or the opening words of verse 15, Nehemiah says,
In those days saw I in Judah some treading winepresses on
the Sabbath, bringing in the sheaves, laying the asses, and
there you have a list of activity that was going on in Judah. And
Nehemiah saw it. And I think that's a very interesting
word there in verse 15. In those days saw I. There was
no attempt by the people to hide what they were doing. There they
are treading the wine presses and they're bringing in the sheaves
and they're standing there by the gate of Jerusalem and there's
no shame at all in their sin against the Lord. It's carried
out in the open. And Nehemiah sees what's taking
place. Not only was it a prevalent sin,
but it was also a very public sin. And also how persistent
this sin was. For even in the time when Nehemiah
had the gate shut there in verse 19, some of the merchants and
sellers were still coming to the gate. Still looking for trade. Still ready to break the Sabbath
all over again. You have mention made there in
verse 20, so the merchants and sellers of all kind of wear lodged
without Jerusalem once or twice. And Nehemiah has to intervene
again and tell them that if they don't get away from the wall,
he's going to lay hands upon them. But the point is this,
that they were stubbornly determined to go on in their sinful ways.
And even when there is some measure of legislation brought in there
so the gates would be closed at the darkening down of the
evening time, preparing for the Sabbath, even when that had been
done, They were still there waiting to try and do some kind of business.
A very public, prevalent and persistent sin. I don't think
I really need to highlight the comparison with modern times.
If there's one of the Ten Commandments that men and women feel that
they can break at will, it's the fourth one. How many really
remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy? The Lord's day is just
simply abused and misused by millions. Sabbath desecration
is at pandemic levels. There's really nothing new under
the sun you know. Sometimes we think that we live in dreadful
times and so we do but Nehemiah lived in dreadful times as well.
And yet we find him here and what we need to note in this
chapter is that this dreadful departure from God did not go
unchallenged. Nehemiah was a man who opposed
the breaking of the Sabbath day. And it's that courageous opposition
that I really want to examine in a little closer detail tonight.
The man who had fought so much already. He had already battled
with Eliashib. He had already had to contend
with those who had failed to give the Levites their portions.
And yet he doesn't forget to stand for the Sabbath day. And
that's what I want to look at. Notice with me first of all the
basis of Nehemiah's opposition. Throughout history, There have
been men who have been contentious simply for the sake of being
contentious. They have acted on a personal
whim or a personal fancy and they have fought but they have
fought without good justification. They have argued for a case and
they have tried to defend a cause and really when all was said
and done they had no real grounds for doing so. But that charge
could never be laid against Nehemiah. When Nehemiah raised his voice
in opposition to the sins that appeared in this chapter, he
had every reason to do so. For example, when Elisha made
room for Tobiah, he trampled over the truth of separation.
When the Jews failed to give the portion to the Levites there
in verse 10, they violated the law of the tithes and offerings. And when the people of Judah
labored and traded on the Sabbath day, they disobeyed the fourth
commandment. In all of those cases the word
of God was despised. In all of those instances the
commandments were broken. God's law was profaned and God
was dishonored. And it was that truth that prompted
Nehemiah to oppose what was taking place. He was a man who was jealous
for the word of God. His entire opposition in Nehemiah
chapter 13 was based upon the testimony of the Word of God. Note very carefully here the
words of verse 15. It says, In those days saw I
and Judah some treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing
in sheaves, and lading asses, as also wine, grapes, and figs,
and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on
the Sabbath day. And I testified against them
in the day wherein they sold victuals. Now in verse 15 there
are three specific actions mentioned there. First of all, they gathered
their harvest on the Sabbath. They were treading out the wine
presses there and they were bringing in the sheaves. That has to do
with the harvest, the harvest of the field, the crops that
had grown and they had gathered them in on the Sabbath day. And
then secondly, they used their asses to carry the harvest on
the Sabbath. It speaks in the middle of that
verse that they saw them not just treading wine presses on
the Sabbath and bringing in sheaves, but also they laid them upon
the asses. And then thirdly, they brought
the harvest into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day with the intention
of selling it. It speaks there at the end of
the verse, and all manner of burdens which they brought into
Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. Three things took place that
stood out in Nehemiah's mind. I suppose to many casual observers
those three things were not very much. They're just gathering
in their harvest, I suppose the next argument will be, well we
can't just leave it there, we've got to bring it into town, and
in order to bring it into town we've got to put it on the animals.
And so one thing leads to another, and those who are engaged in
this undoubtedly are going to try and justify their actions,
and think it's all combined and really when all is said and done,
is it really that big an issue after all? Nehemiah didn't look
at it like that, because Nehemiah remembered the word of God. And
in all of those things, those three activities that are mentioned
there in verse 15, in every single one of them there was a breaking
of the law of God. Turn with me to Exodus chapter
34. I want you to follow this very carefully. Exodus 34 and
verse 21. Exodus 34 and verse 21. The Lord is giving laws here
and commandments regarding his people. And in this section he
deals with the Sabbath day. In verse 21 of Exodus 34 he says,
6 days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest.
In earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest. Now mark the
reference there, the Lord doesn't just make a general statement
6 days thou shalt work and on the seventh day thou shalt rest.
He goes on to talk especially about the harvest. In the harvest
thou shalt rest. And yet in Nehemiah chapter 13
and verse 15, it's the time of the harvest, but the people are
not resting. They're bringing in the sheaves.
They're treading out the wine presses. They're doing what they
can with the harvest. And God had said on the seventh
day they were to rest. Then look at Deuteronomy chapter
5 and verse 14. Deuteronomy chapter 5 and verse
14. Remember also that they had burdened
down the animals And they had laid it the asses with these
things. I suppose we could have looked at Exodus chapter 20 also,
but let's look at Deuteronomy 5 and verse 14. The seventh day
is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. In it thou shalt not do
any work, thou nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant,
nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of
thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates, that
thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. The commandment in regard to
the Sabbath was not just for the men who would labour in the
harvest or those who would work, the men or the women or the sons
or the daughters or the maidservants or the menservants but the ox
and the ass and the cattle also were to be given a day for rest. And yet in Nehemiah chapter 13
you find them and they have the animals out and they have them
burdened down with the harvest to take them into Jerusalem.
Again a contravention of the Word of God. And then turn with
me to Jeremiah chapter 17 because when Nehemiah outlines these
problems he mentions the fact that they brought them into Jerusalem
on the Sabbath day. Look at Nehemiah 17 and verse
21. We'll come back to this passage
in a moment or two, but it's important to note the words of
verse 21 of Jeremiah 17. Thus saith the Lord. Now remember
that Jeremiah was a prophet before the 70 years of captivity. So the Jews ought to have known
this message. Thus saith the Lord, Jeremiah 17, 21. Thus saith
the Lord, take heed to yourselves and bear no burden on the Sabbath
day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem. neither carry forth
a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day neither do ye
any work but hollow ye the sabbath day as I commanded your fathers
so very clearly God was saying you are not to carry a burden
on the sabbath day and then he gives a little more detail you
are not to carry it by the gates of Jerusalem And yet you find
in Nehemiah chapter 13 and verse 15 that they brought the harvest
into Jerusalem and the only way they could bring it into Jerusalem
was of course in by the gates themselves. And the point is
this, that God had spoken on this issue. God had revealed
his will concerning his day. He had given very plain commands
as to how the Sabbath was to be observed. And yet when Nehemiah
comes along and he sees this matter, and he sees those who
were treading the wine presses, and he sees the animals there,
and he sees them making their way to Jerusalem, and he begins
to oppose it. He opposes it because of the
Word of God. Nehemiah knew what God's Word
said on these very issues. And on that foundation, he opposed. In other words, because God was
against this Sabbath breaking, Nehemiah was against it also. Nehemiah had remembered the Word
of God. But there was something else.
Not only had he remembered the Word of God and based his opposition
on that ground, he was a man who longed to avoid the wrath
of God. Look at verse 17, Then I contended
with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing
is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day? Did not your
fathers thus? And did not our God bring all
this evil upon us, and upon this city? Yet ye bring more wrath
upon Israel by profaning the sabbath. There is a very telling
statement there. And what Nehemiah is doing in
verse 17, verse 18 especially, is he is giving a little history
lesson. And he's saying to these Jews, did your fathers not do
the very same thing? And look what happened, all this
trouble. And undoubtedly he's referring
to the desolation of Jerusalem. All this trouble has come upon
us and you're doing the very same thing all over again. And
you're going to bring the wrath of God upon us. Now he was on
good ground talking like that. I said we'll come back to Jeremiah
17. Look at what he says in Jeremiah 17 verse 21-23 Thus saith the
Lord, Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath
day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem, neither carry forth
a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye
any work, but hollow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers.
But, verse 23, but they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear,
but made their necks stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive
instruction. Then look at verse 27, But if
ye will not hearken unto me to hollow the sabbath day, and not
to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem
on the sabbath day, then will I kindle a fire in the gates
thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and
it shall not be quenched. What is God saying? If you don't
keep the sabbath If you're going to disobey my command, then this
city will be destroyed. I will kindle a fire in the gates
thereof. And is not the phrase that appears
time and again in the book of Nehemiah, the walls were down
and the gates were burned with fire. And part of that had been
as a result of their breaking the Sabbath day. It had happened before. And Nehemiah
comes along He sees it happening now again and he really argues,
why are you doing this? Are you living to bring the wrath
of God upon us once more? And Nehemiah was a man who recognised
that the Word of God had been forsaken, the honour of God was
in jeopardy and the wrath of God was imminent. And therefore
he opposed this sin of desecrating the Salaf. He was a man who understood
with a very clear perception, a very clear discernment here.
He understood the issue. In fact, what strikes me about
Nehemiah is that he maintained a scriptural attitude to these
things. He realized the evil thing it
was to break the Sabbath day. He uses that kind of language
there in verse 17 and verse 18. He understood the commandment.
He understood the consequences if it was broken and therefore
he opposed the men of Judah. This was no light thing to Nehemiah.
He opposes it on the basis of the Word of God and on the basis
of the wrath of God. Those are things we must never
lose sight of. If there's one public sin that has become more
accepted and more tolerated than any other, it's Sabbath desecration. Men will shudder at the thought
of murder. Some would not commit adultery. There may be no plan
to steal from one another, but when it comes to the Sabbath,
it's open play. It's open play. There's wanton disregard for
the Law of God on the issue of the Sabbath day. Right around
us, right throughout our own country, our own area, there's
a wanton disregard for the Word and the Law of God. And when
that day is broken, and God's commandment is broken it will
result in God's wrath you ever wonder why our nation is in the
state it's in? should it not be traced back
to the breaking of the law of God? and we have got to oppose
that kind of sin because God is opposed to it the basis of
his opposition notice the boldness of Nehemiah's opposition You
see, Nehemiah 13 not only deals with Nehemiah's scriptural attitude
towards the sin, it also deals with his strong action against
the sin. Look at verse 15. He says, In
those days, he goes down the list and he mentions what he
sees and then at the end of the verse he says, I testified against
them in the day wherein they sold victuals. Verse 17, Then
I contended with the nobles of Judah. That word testified there
that is mentioned in verse 15 and you'll find it again in verse
21 it literally means to admonish or to protest it actually has
the idea of reiterating something going on and on and on about
it and verse 17 he has the word contended I contended with the
nobles of Judah that means to hold a controversy with the word
we looked at last time which means to wrestle or to grapple
with and then look at verse 21 Then I testified against them,
that's these merchants and sellers, and said unto them, Why lodge
ye about the wall? If ye do so again, I will lay
hands on you. And from that time forward came
they no more on the Sabbath. And wherever you look at those
statements in verse 15, verse 17, and verse 21, it's clear
that Nehemiah was both courageous and extremely earnest in his
protesting about this sin. He didn't just ignore it. He
didn't deliver a mild rebuke. He didn't come with a gentle
admonishment. He stood for the glory and the
honour of God with all his heart to the extent that he actually
threatens he will lay hands on them and move them out of the
way. They are going to persist with
the breaking off the Sabbath. And that gives you a glimpse
into the character of this man and his boldness for God. Nehemiah
was not ashamed to uphold or defend the word of God. He wasn't
ashamed to uphold or defend the word of God. While the men of
Judah discarded the law, Nehemiah defended it. He spoke boldly
of this sin as an evil thing. An evil thing. Something that
profaned. And it was clear that he was
identifying himself with the words of God. That's how God
viewed this Others had despised the law. They had refused God's
Word. They were trampling over it.
But Nehemiah had a burden to keep it. He wasn't ashamed. He wasn't ashamed of the Old
Testament Scriptures. He's a man who's willing to stand
up for the truth of God's Word. God's standard was his standard. And it didn't matter that he
was the only one. or at least it seems he was the
only one to raise a voice against it. It's like the three Hebrew
children there in Daniel chapter 3 when they refused to bow before
the great image that Nebuchadnezzar had built. It didn't matter to
them that half the country was bowing before the image. They
were not ashamed of the word of God. And they were men who
were willing to stand even though very few others would stand with
ready to uphold God's Word even though it was unpopular. That's how it ought to be with
us Christians. How many believers do not want to be seen to hold
to the standard of God's Word. It's easier, I know, just to go with the tide. It's
easier to become accustomed to what's taking place. easy to
get so used to seeing the Sabbath day broken that it barely causes
her to have thought any more. Oh for grace to uphold God's
word not only on the issue of the Sabbath day but on every
issue. That ought to be our standard and let's not be ashamed of it.
Notice also that Nehemiah was not ashamed to stand against
his fellow countrymen. Throughout the book Nehemiah
had to stand against the enemies of the Jews. Men like Sambalat
and Tobiah and Geshem the Arabian. You may call those men his external
enemies. Men from without Jerusalem. Men
from different nations. But in Nehemiah chapter 13, his
contention is not with those men. His contest is with the
Jews themselves. Look at verse 15. It says, In
those days I saw in Judah some treading wine presses on the
Sabbath. And then verse 16, their dwelt
men of Tyre also then which brought fish and all manner of ware and
sold on the Sabbath day unto the children of Judah and Jerusalem. So it's the men of Judah that
Nehemiah now has to contend with. In verse 17 it says, I contended
with the nobles of Judah Now that's a very interesting phrase,
a very interesting reference there to the fact that he has
to deal with the men and the nobles of Judah Because if you
turn back to Nehemiah chapter 1 and verse 2 Nehemiah chapter
1 and verse 2 you discover that when he was in Shushan that Hanani,
one of his brethren, came he and certain men of Judah And
he asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped which were
left of the captivity and concerning Jerusalem. So the men of Judah
are involved right at the very commencement of this work of
restoration. They are the men who brought
the report to Nehemiah. They are the men who told them
of the great difficulty, the great affliction. And while they
were there, he sits down and he mourns and weeps. And these
men are there, they know the love this man has for the city.
They know how God has touched his heart. And right from the
very beginning of this entire program of rebuilding, the men
of Judah are there with Nehemiah. And yet now he has to come and
challenge them. He has to contend with those
who on a previous occasion had stood with him. It may be that there were natural
ties here, bonds of friendship. Maybe even family relations involved. But Nehemiah is still willing
to stand for God. He's still willing to stand for
God. He doesn't allow those natural ties to influence his faithfulness
to God. That's where Eli, the old priest,
went horribly wrong. in 1 Samuel chapter 2 when reports
were brought to him that his sons were acting wickedly around
the temple and despising the sacrifice of God. He heard what
was taking place and he didn't restrain them. Eli did not restrain
his children and God charged him in verse 29 of 1 Samuel 2,
You have honored your sons before me. You've thought more of your
family. You've thought more of your children
than you have of me. And you ought to have stopped
them in their sin. But you didn't. Nehemiah could not have been
charged with that. Here were the men of Judah. The nobles of Judah. And yet he still speaks to them
and challenges them over this sin of Sabbath breaking. What
a lesson there is there for us. You know, it's easier to stand
against sin when it's out there somewhere. Much easier to lift up a voice
of protest when the sin involves what we would term the enemies
of the gospel. But we must stand against sin
wherever it appears. In the land, in our homes, in our own lives. I was thinking
of those words of Christ in Mark chapter 9. I think this is a
parallel of thought that runs into the New Testament here.
Mark chapter 9 in verse 43, when he says, If thy hand offend thee,
cut it off. It is better for thee to enter
into life male than having two hands to go into hell, into the
fire that shall never be quenched. And then verse 45, if thy foot
offend thee, cut it off. It is better for thee to enter
halt into life than having two feet to be cast into hell, into
the fire that never shall be quenched. If thine eye offend
thee, verse 47, pluck it out. It is better for thee to enter
into the kingdom of God with one eye than having two eyes
to be cast into hell fire. The Lord is talking there about
radical surgery, not literally now, but he's talking about radical
surgery. And if our hand-offend us if
we give ourselves to something that's against God, then we've
got to cut that off and cut it out. It's a painful thing. He's not talking there about
dealing with someone else's sin now. He's talking about our own sin. Here's
Nehemiah, and I can only speculate that it was a very difficult
thing for him to do. Go to the nobles of Judah and talk to them
about this sin. Contend with him. Enter into
a controversy with him. But he wants to be loyal to God. And if sin appears in our own
lives, let's enter immediately into a controversy with it. Let's
not be ashamed to stand against it wherever it appears. Nehemiah
was not ashamed either to bring about a reformation in regard
to the Sabbath. We look at verse 19 through to
21. He commands that as the dusk comes down before it's dark that
the gates should be shut. They shouldn't be opened until
after the Sabbath. And he sets some of the servants at the gates
so there should be no burdens brought in there. And then when
these other men, they're still coming and he says I'll put hands
on you and he removes them away. And he passes legislation what
Nehemiah does here, he passes legislation to hinder the breaking
of the Sabbath day. Verse 22, I command the believites
that they should claim themselves that they should come and keep
the gates to sanctify the Sabbath day. He passes legislation that
impacts upon every inhabitant in Jerusalem in regard to the
Sabbath day. Very good sense here, if the
gates were shut the opportunity to trade was lessened. and the
Sabbath would be kept. If he passes a law, he commands
that something is put in place that impacts upon all the people
in order to keep the Sabbath holy unto God. You know there
are some people who say they can't legislate for these things.
There are some who argue they can't impose biblical standards
on a godless society. Just look where that has led
us to. civil partnerships, shops open on a Sabbath day, Sunday
sport, a generation grown up that's been raised on a dial
of immorality and has been robbed of its innocence. God's law is
for society. The Ten Commandments are to be
kept and that's the kind of reformation we really need to see. Nehemiah
doesn't apologise for the law of He's not ashamed of it. He's a man who's got boldness
for God. And that's the kind of boldness
we need. In a world that's just awash with sin. In a world where
the enemy has come in like a flood, sweeping and swirling around
us in every hand. Let's not be ashamed of Christ.
But let's boldly stand in contempt for him. Notice lastly and quickly
the benefit of Nehemiah's opposition. Not only the basis of it and
the boldness of it, notice the benefit of it. Look at verse
21. Then I testified against him and said unto them, Why lodge
ye about the wall? If ye do so again, I will lay
hands on you. And then ye have this statement. From that time
forth came they no more on the Sabbath. His protest was effectual. They came no more on the Sabbath.
A terrible wrong had been put right. At least this issue has
been addressed. It's interesting to read the
comments of Matthew Henry. He said that we have reason to
think that the cure he wrought was lasting. The reason why Matthew
Henry thinks that is because of the very particular reference
to the Sabbath day you find in the New Testament. Even when
the disciples were rubbing the ears of corn in their hands,
the scribes and pharisees were coming along and saying you have
broke the Sabbath day. And Matthew Henry is of the opinion that
what happened here in Nehemiah's day was still very much to the
fore in the days of the New Testament. Whether that's true to that extent
or not, this is clear. When Nehemiah testified against
the man, when he contended against this issue, he came no more on
the Sabbath day. And the gates were closed. And
the Sabbath day at least in regard to the actions of society, the
Sabbath day was kept. He closes the whole issue with
prayer in verse 22, Remember me, O my God, concerning this
also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy. I believe where there is a prayer
we ought to pray that God would spare our nation according to
the greatness of his mercy. It's mercy that we need in these
times, mercy that we would have strength to stand for God, and
mercy that our nation would turn back from this course of awful
rebellion, awful wickedness, awful corruption, and honour
God's day as God's day ought to be honoured. It started off
with just, and I remember protesting against this at home in Londonderry. shops opening just a couple of
Sundays before Christmas. And now it's just a free-for-all.
Protesting against the public houses opening at all on Sunday.
And now they're talking about 24-hour opening. And the thin
age of the wage comes in. And the nation runs in the way
of sin. May God have mercy on us. and
may God keep us. May He, according to the greatness
of His mercy, spare us in these days of grave declension. May
God bless His word to our hearts tonight and give us courage,
courage to stand for Jesus Christ. We're going to get straight down
to prayer. I trust that God will write His word upon our souls
and let's pray tonight that God would remember our nation. We
think of our own time here. And it wasn't so many months
ago we were picking up the very same issue. Let's pray that God
would intervene. God is still on the throne. And
Nehemiah's testimony, his contention was used by the Lord to bring
about something of a reformation.
Standing for the Sabbath
Series Series on Nehemiah
| Sermon ID | 3260685755 |
| Duration | 42:27 |
| Date | |
| Category | Prayer Meeting |
| Bible Text | Nehemiah 13:15-21 |
| Language | English |
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