In this last chapter of this amazing book of Nehemiah, this godly man was indeed involved in restoring, “resetting”, and even rebuking the people of Jerusalem for their wayward behaviors after a twelve year departure by Nehemiah who returned to the King Artaxerxes as his cupbearer for a time.
There will never be a time in our lives when we won’t need exhortation, admonition and correction. As one who has walked with the LORD for over 44 years, I know for a fact that I’m in need of the LORD and all of the ways He brings correction, guidance, and discipline to me.
This happens when I read the Scripture and trials that enter into my life with the LORD’s stamp of approval. But like with Israel, the LORD’s intent is for my good, and for His glory!
So, let’s get into this last chapter and see what the LORD will tell us!
If this is your first time checking out this study on Nehemiah, you can start with this link to CHAPTER One.
~ PART ONE ~ ~
NEHEMIAH 13:1-3
1 On that day they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people, and in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever come into the assembly of God, 2 because they had not met the children of Israel with bread and water but hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing. 3 So it was, when they had heard the Law, that they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel.
“On that day…” Which day is being spoken of here?
From the Annotated Bible Notes we have the following:
On that day. Rather, 'At that time,' (as NEH 12:44)
The occurrences recorded in this chapter are separated from [the previous chapter] by about twelve years. During Nehemiah's absence great abuses had crept in; Tobiah the Ammonite having a chamber allotted to him in the Temple, in opposition to the law. He therefore casts out the goods and purifies the chamber (13:1-10). He enforces the collection and right use of the Temple revenues (11-14), the due observance of the Sabbath (15-22), and the separation from heathen women (23-31).
We’re seeing a twelve year gap then between Chapter 12 and here in Chapter 13. During those twelve years there was a serious degrading of the spiritual condition of the people in Israel. The LORD brought Nehemiah back to deal with it, and deal with it he does!
Notice the tact and the sensitivity that Nehemiah employs as he grabs Tobiah’s stuff and just tosses it out into the streets. This is not a man who deals in half-measures or with situations by compromise! He literally cleans house!
In today’s world, people would look at this passage and cry, “Racism!!” But this is hardly the case. It’s pointed out why the Amorites (and Moabites) would never be welcome in the land of Israel or have any “heritage or right or memorial in [the city of] Jerusalem” (NEH 2:20):
GOD was pronouncing a judgment on the Ammonites and the Moabites:
DEUTERONOMY 23:3-6Check out this study that addresses Balaam and his dealings.
3 "An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter the assembly of the LORD; even to the tenth generation none of his descendants shall enter the assembly of the LORD forever, 4 "because they did not meet you with bread and water on the road when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you. 5 "Nevertheless, the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam, but the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you. 6 "You shall not seek their peace nor their prosperity all your days forever.
As the Law was read to the Jewish people, they once again separated themselves from the Gentiles that dwelled with them, just as they had done before (NEH 9:2). I believe that the first time they did this, the separation was total. But again, this is twelve years later and apparently the Gentiles came back and infiltrated the land once more.
By type, this is how it is for Christians who rid their lives of sin; vigilance is necessary, because if we are not diligent, sinful tendencies will return and bring trouble, just as these Amorites caused problems in the city of Jerusalem.
By process of sanctification, we grow in Christ-likeness and tendencies toward sinful ways diminish.
NEHEMIAH 13:4-5
4 Now before this, Eliashib the priest, having authority over the storerooms of the house of our God, was allied with Tobiah. 5 And he had prepared for him a large room, where previously they had stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the articles, the tithes of grain, the new wine and oil, which were commanded to be given to the Levites and singers and gatekeepers, and the offerings for the priests.
Some commentators state that there was some family relation between Eliashib the priest and Tobiah, and thus favoritism for this Ammonite. But there was no love for Jerusalem occupied with a considerable population of Jews by this Ammonite (NEH 2:10). Apparently, he offered the use of a sizeable apartment that was supposed to be a receptacle for grain, wine and oil for the purposes of offerings of first fruits.
NEHEMIAH 12:43-44
43 Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and the children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off. 44 And at the same time some were appointed over the rooms of the storehouse for the offerings, the firstfruits, and the tithes, to gather into them from the fields of the cities the portions specified by the Law for the priests and Levites; for Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who ministered.
The fact that this religious leader had some connection, even an allegiance with Tobiah, this enemy of Israel, indicates rank corruption. This priest was not listed with those who were in covenant by faith with the LORD (NEH 10). When even the institutions of religion that should promote holiness are in league with ungodly men, corruption will spread all the quicker throughout society.
NEHEMIAH 13:6-9
6 But during all this I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Then after certain days I obtained leave from the king, 7 and I came to Jerusalem and discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in preparing a room for him in the courts of the house of God. 8 And it grieved me bitterly; therefore, I threw all the household goods of Tobiah out of the room. 9 Then I commanded them to cleanse the rooms; and I brought back into them the articles of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.
The old expression comes to mind, “When the cat’s away, the mice will play.” Nehemiah, upon returning to Jerusalem discovered the wickedness that had occurred during his absence. Think about all the hard work Nehemiah had accomplished for the LORD his GOD. Think about how satisfied he must have felt upon seeing the task completed; this beloved city restored.
Remember his reaction at the beginning of our account, when he learned from his cousins that Jerusalem was still in ruins?
NEHEMIAH 1:4
So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
His love and care is abundantly obvious here; so, after having this city restored, only to see the corruption seeping back into the city must have been infuriating, as well as heartbreaking for him!
Nehemiah was so incensed that he wasted no time in dumping all of Tobiah’s belongings out in the street! He then ordered the rooms to be cleansed (2 CHRON 29:5,15-16,18). And he did it without apology! This is the same kind of radical behavior that our LORD calls us to when it comes to the things in our lives that cause us to stumble into sin:
MATTHEW 5:29-30Of course, the LORD was not endorsing self-mutilation, because chopping off hands and plucking out eyes does nothing to a sinful heart, which is where the problem lies. But the idea of cutting away anything and everything in our lives, even things as precious to us as our eyes and hands, needs to be severed from us without apology, without remorse.
29 "If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 "And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
And that was only the beginning of the effrontery:
NEHEMIAH 13:10-12
10 I also realized that the portions for the Levites had not been given them; for each of the Levites and the singers who did the work had gone back to his field. 11 So I contended with the rulers, and said, "Why is the house of God forsaken?" And I gathered them together and set them in their place. 12 Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil to the storehouse.
Not only was there defilement of Gentile occupation in the place strictly reserved for the people of the Promised Land, the Jew, but there was obscene neglect of those who ought to have received ministry – namely, the Levites, the singers – that didn’t receive their rightful portion of blessings (“grain, new wine and oil; NUM 35:2; NEH 10:37).
The LORD states that a workman is worthy of his hire (MATT 10:10), both in the physical aspect and the spiritual – that is, full-time pastors who have enough responsibilities in the church, that he hasn’t time afforded to earn his wages outside of the church. The apostle Paul addresses this:
1 CORINTHIANS 9:6-11NEHEMIAH 13:13-14
6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working? 7 Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock? 8 Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also? 9 For it is written in the law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain." Is it oxen God is concerned about? 10 Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. 11 If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things?
13 And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouse Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah; and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were considered faithful, and their task was to distribute to their brethren. 14 Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for its services!
These treasurers are not unlike the seven deacons in ACTS 6, where they also distributed to the needs of the church. As with those deacons being of “good reputation, filled with the Holy Spirit and wisdom”, these treasurers were faithful.
When given a position of authority or power, the person selected must be faithful to the task for which they are appointed. They cannot be self-serving or abusive of that power. We see rank abuse of power in our nation these days, what with exposure of the corruption in our Federal government. This is why servants of GOD must be filled with the Holy Spirit and wisdom – to prevent any abuse of power in the church.
And if corruption in our government is obvious, here in 2025, it’s just as obvious in the church at large! Too many pastors or staff leaders have embezzled funds from the church treasury. Too many sexual offenses, too many promotions of false ideologies and doctrines.
What does Scripture say?
1 PETER 4:17We have seen a lot of exposure of the church here in America and abroad, starting predominantly in the late 80’s and early 90’s, all the way up to more recent times. Now that that’s happened, we are looking at those who “obey not the Gospel” – our nation as a whole, and our government in particular, and the corruption that’s evident there.
For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?
NEHEMIAH 13:15-16
16 In those days I saw people in Judah treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them about the day on which they were selling provisions. 16 Men of Tyre dwelt there also, who brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.
Nehemiah notices that he once again must bring rebukes and correction to the Jews who are in violation of the Sabbath.
Remember in the days of Moses, when Israel was freed from Egypt? They were in the desert, when after the giving of the Ten Commandments, a man was out there gathering sticks (presumably to build a fire) on the Sabbath.
GOD had made it clear, that NO WORK was to be done on the Sabbath – and please take note of Who said this: it was GOD Almighty, Ruler of Heaven and Earth! The One that angels, cherubim and seraphim prostrate themselves and cover their faces with their wings for the intensity of the glory of GOD.
Does GOD take His rule seriously? Because He is holy, almighty, and truth personified, YES! He does! This is why that man was executed for his crime – what?! For picking up a bunch of lousy sticks?
The crime wasn’t about the sticks! It was about defying the command of GOD! The Hebrews could pick up sticks any six days of the week, without judgment falling on them! The LORD simply stated that on the Sabbath, no work was to be done.
This was not only for the glory of GOD in that His people would be loyal to Him, but also for the good of man: taking one day of seven to rest is good for us!
Yet here, we see the longsuffering of GOD towards the Jews in the days of Nehemiah. No one was struck dead – but judgment of a sort came regardless!
~ PART TWO ~ ~
NEHEMIAH 13:17-18
17 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, "What evil thing is this that you do, by which you profane the Sabbath day? 18 "Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath."
One of the reasons why the Babylonian judgment on Israel came upon the Jews was because of their greed. In working the land the seventh year (which was to be a “land sabbath”), they desired that extra year of profits.
Yet the LORD instructed them, that He would see to it that the sixth year of harvest would be bountiful enough to provide for them during the land Sabbath. And that He would prosper His people if they obeyed the land sabbath by abundance in the first year after the land Sabbath.
But the people of Israel, in addition to worshiping the false gods of the pagan nations, ignored the Land Sabbath. GOD’s patience in waiting for them to repent wore thin after more than one hundred and fifty years! Judgment came. Jerusalem was destroyed, and the Temple razed. The kingdom of Israel was cast down. The Time of the Gentiles began and continues to this day, wherein the Gentile nations, not Israel, are ruling the world. Not until Christ the King returns and the Beast and his legions are defeated will the Time of the Gentiles end. Then Christ will establish His Kingdom on the throne of his father David (LUKE 1:32-33) and Israel will be raised to prominence in the world!
How tragic that the Jews in Nehemiah’s day were repeating the same offenses that brought judgment and ruin on Israel to begin with! Doesn’t that sound like our sin nature however? How many times, after GOD bestows His grace upon us, forgiving us of our sin, and we fall back into those same patterns of perdition!
This is why it’s so vital to abide in Christ (JOHN 15), to walk in the Spirit (GAL 6:8) and to deny self (MATT 16:24). There simply is no other way to ultimately defeat the sin nature – no support group, no 12 Step program, no theoretical practice (these might offer some superficial help, but can’t deal with the root problem of sin in our lives).
The Jewish people, if they were to remain true to GOD, would have to acknowledge the Law and its single power to condemn sin, provide the necessary blood sacrifices according to Levitical law and await with faith and hope for the arrival of the Messiah (as did Abraham; JOHN 8:56) Who Himself will pay the incredible price for the sins of the world (ISA 53; JOHN 1:29).
NEHEMIAH 13:19
So it was, at the gates of Jerusalem, as it began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they must not be opened till after the Sabbath. Then I posted some of my servants at the gates, so that no burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day.
The LORD Jesus Christ stated, “the night is coming when no man can work” and that He Himself is “the light of the world” (JOHN 9:4-5). Obviously for reasons of security, Nehemiah ordered that the gates to Jerusalem be closed, and not to open until after the Sabbath.
We do well to close our ‘gates’ in this spiritual night that we face, as we witness the increasing darkness of evil and iniquity. This is not to say we are to become cloistered hermits, shut off from the rest of the world – we most certainly are to interact with the people of this world, but not allow ourselves to be influenced by their sinful practices. The LORD Jesus ate and drank with sinners – why? To affirm their identities? To comfort them in their sin? To condone their lifestyles? No…
When the Pharisees accused Christ of keeping company with sinners, He set them straight:
MARK 2:17We are to have a godly impact in this world, for the glory of GOD and in obedience to Christ’s command to preach the Gospel to everyone, with the LORD working alongside us – or more accurately, us working alongside Him (MARK 16:15,20)!
When Jesus heard it, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.
As saints, we are to be insulated from the world, but not isolated!
The Psalmist said, “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me” (PSA 101:3).
He made sure that nothing wicked entered into his ‘eye gates’. Likewise, we need to guard our own, along with our ear gates. We need to shut them against the spiritual darkness that ever and always seeks entrance to defile and destroy.
It’s a matter of maintaining spiritual security. Yet when we open our gates, it’s in reception of the Messiah, Who is our Sabbath rest, the Light of the world and our beloved LORD and Savior!
NEHEMIAH 13:20-21
20 Now the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice. 21 Then I warned them, and said to them, "Why do you spend the night around the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you!" From that time on they came no more on the Sabbath.
“Lead us not into temptation” is the cry of our hearts to the LORD; that is, safeguard us from opportunities of oppression at the hand of our enemy, Satan. “Make no provision for the flesh,” says apostle Paul, but be empowered by letting the Spirit of Christ rests upon us:
ROMANS 13:14
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
Nehemiah was taking temptation away from the people of Israel. The proximity of those who waited to do trade with the Jews on the holy day of Sabbath was too, too close (just outside the walls of Jerusalem in fact). Scripture elsewhere states that buying and selling on the Sabbath is wrong (JER 17:22; NEH 10:31).
The LORD “put sin away” for us judiciously (HEB 9:26), paying the penalty Himself (so we don’t get charged for the crimes we’ve committed!). Let us therefore put away sin, and even provision for sin as did Nehemiah for Jerusalem, in the practical sense. By the liberty we have in Christ, we are freed from sin, and able to walk in the Spirit (no longer spiritual cripples! GAL 5:1,13-14).
NEHEMIAH 13:22
And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should go and guard the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of Your mercy!
If we are to do sanctified work, we must first be sanctified ourselves. Too much ministry happens with polluted ministers who are not walking in righteousness and endeavoring to grow in holiness. The Levites cleansed themselves first. Only then could they go about guarding the gates and sanctify the Sabbath day.
Gates unguarded might be overcome by those who “climb up some other way” which thieves typically do (JOHN 10:1). We must be mindful of our gates, to ensure that the notorious don’t gain access – those spiritual, demonic thieves that desire to “kill, steal and destroy” (JOHN 10:10).
Nehemiah wanted to make sure he kept his accountability before GOD clear and in right standing, not counted among the transgressors of his fellow Jews and of the surrounding Gentiles (PSA 119:10; 140:1; PROV 4:27). The LORD sees the righteous in “the midst of a perverse and crooked nation” and knows how to deliver the godly and reserve the unjust for judgment (2 PET 2:9):
PHILIPPIANS 2:15We are indeed washed by the blood of the LAMB and are redeemed; we are also to wash daily in the Holy Word of GOD that cleanses us from our contact with the filthy ideologies, disreputable agendas, desires of iniquity, and the allure of lewd attractions (EPH 5:26).
that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
Let’s take note of the LORD’s words to Peter on the night of His betrayal:
JOHN 13:6-10The one who has been completely bathed doesn’t need a full bath again, but just have those parts that are soiled. In this context, it’s the feet that need washing, because those are in contact with the world (and dusty roads get feet in sandals dusty), though the rest of the body had already been cleansed.
6 Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, "Lord, are You washing my feet?" 7 Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this." 8 Peter said to Him, "You shall never wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." 9 Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!" 10 Jesus said to him, "He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you."
We need not be washed in the blood of the LAMB again, as our sins were judged once and for all at the Cross. But we do need to confess sin (1 JOHN 1:9) and have our minds purified from the daily contact we have with a sinful world and all of its pollutions (2 PETER 2:20a).
NEHEMIAH 13:23-27
23 In those days I also saw Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. 24 And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and could not speak the language of Judah, but spoke according to the language of one or the other people. 25 So I contended with them and cursed them, struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, "You shall not give your daughters as wives to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons or yourselves. 26 "Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, who was beloved of his God; and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, pagan women caused even him to sin. 27 "Should we then hear of your doing all this great evil, transgressing against our God by marrying pagan women?"
This was in clear violation of the Word of GOD to not intermarry with the Gentiles in order to maintain their national identity and keep the Jewish nation pure and loyal to the LORD GOD and not stray to get involved in the worship of pagan gods.
Take a look at the life of Solomon in his older years! Not only did he marry Gentile women (having more than one wife – that always causes trouble!) but he built shrines and temples for their gods!
Nehemiah’s reaction seems rather severe – smacking them around and yanking out hair, but it seems that the people didn’t remember their promise regarding the Law and this serious this matter (NEH 10:28-30)!
To reiterate what was said before, what Nehemiah did physically, the LORD Jesus instructed us in a spiritual sense:
MATTHEW 5:29-31Anything we would count as precious to us (our eyes, our hands) but leads us into sin, we must cut off, lest it overcome us and lead us into perdition. While this admonition is towards those in need of repentance, the principle is still the same for the saints: cut off anything that draws you into sin. Don’t compromise, cut! If we don’t do this, the saint will be overcome by sinful influences that will staunch spiritual growth to a standstill!
29 "If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 "And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
NEHEMIAH 13:28-31
28 And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was a son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite; therefore, I drove him from me. 29 Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites. 30 Thus I cleansed them of everything pagan. I also assigned duties to the priests and the Levites, each to his service, 31 and to bringing the wood offering and the firstfruits at appointed times. Remember me, O my God, for good!
Thus, Nehemiah went after Sanballat’s son-in-law, Joiada (a very corrupt and compromised Jew!) and cut him off from any dealings with Jerusalem! In just this same way, we are to cut off anything in us that hinders spiritual progress – even if it isn’t something outright sinful, but something that consumes your time better spent on spiritual growth. This is what sanctification is about – “I must decrease, He [Christ] must increase”!
The ultimate and triumphant transformation of the nation of Israel is yet ahead of us. But on that Day when they see their Messiah King Face to face, they will as a nation repent, and receive their Messiah and the salvation He brings to them!
May we likewise, continue to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, not allowing ourselves to be conformed to this world!
For more on this, check out The SIMPLE And SERIOUS GOSPEL Of SALVATION – PART II – The SANCTIFIER Is The SAINT’s FIRE!
Having completed our study in NEHEMIAH (a two year endeavor!) we will go next into the Book of JOSHUA! How exciting is that?!
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