Third Sunday after Trinity

Father in heaven, we thank you for another Sunday where we can gather as your people,

trusting that whatever we have done this week, whatever failures, whatever hang-ups,

whatever habitual sins we have found ourselves in once again,

whatever fatigue that we may have in doing good, we can come to you and throw ourselves at your feet,

trusting that because of your great love for us and the mercy that you have towards us in Christ Jesus,

that we will be forgiven.

Lord, help us not to be prideful people.

Give us a humble heart.

We pray this in Christ's mighty name.

Amen.

So last week in Nehemiah, before we enter a summer series in the book of Psalms,

specifically the second book of Psalms.

But here's an interesting thing about Nehemiah.

It should have ended in chapter 12.

I mean, it really should have.

If you read the flow of the narrative,

chapter 12 is a fine way to end the book of Nehemiah.

Nehemiah, if you remember, he has heard of Jerusalem's, the destitution of Jerusalem.

He has prayed.

He has waited.

He has fasted.

He has sought the king.

The king gives him leave.

He goes there and starts this building campaign of the walls.

But if you remember, it's not just the walls he's rebuilding.

He's rebuilding the people.

Now there's enemies that come and try to blackmail him and come against him with arms.

But Nehemiah is steadfast and the walls are rebuilt.

And then proper worship is instituted.

And if you remember last week, there was this incredible show of contrition, corporate repentance.

And then the people at the end of it, they purpose themselves to renew the covenant with God.

And chapter 10 is this wonderful chapter of the people of God telling God that they're going to get back in the business of proper worship.

True spirituality.

It continues on in chapter 11 and then chapter 12 where the walls are dedicated and it seems like that's it.

And then chapter 13 comes.

Chapter 13 is quite anticlimactic.

It is also very disappointing.

For we see a people that have been rebuilt only to fall into the same folly once again.

Why not just end it in chapter 12?

Be done with it.

End on a high note.

It's interesting thing about the Bible is that it's not about telling a good story for a good story's sake.

It's about telling the truth and describing the reality of human nature.

So all the reforms and the rebuilding and the renewal that Nehemiah has spent tons of time and tons of energy and tons of money to see happen

has now completely deteriorated.

And now he is in chapter 13 getting wind hearing all of this and he is on his way back to Jerusalem to rebuild, to re-rebuild, to re-renew,

to take what was broken that was fixed now is broken to make fixed again.

And at a certain point when do you just say these people are defective?

At what point do you say they're lost?

That's enough.

How many chances do we give to the people of God?

How many chapter 13s would be in the future if this story continued on and it was written down for us?

Yet in many ways this chapter, it's a fitting end in fact.

Because it shows in a very authentic way how people can so easily compromise deeply held values,

damage their most important relationships,

and tolerate sin that is completely grievous, horribly grievous.

So in short, Nehemiah 13 is a beautiful ending in a way because it's an authentic ending.

And it helps us to understand the nature of even the most well-intentioned human heart.

So, Nehemiah chapter 13, Nehemiah will come back and he'll address many issues,

Nehemiah 13 · chapter mention

but we're going to take a look at three of the issues that he's going to address.

The importance of a godly and holy disposition in worship.

So godly and holy worship.

And that's going to be as he addresses issues around the temple.

The second is the importance of appropriate and consistent rhythms to life and relationship with money.

We see that as he addresses issues around the Sabbath.

And finally, we'll see the importance of a pure and devoted spirituality.

And we'll see that as it pertains to Nehemiah addressing this issue of intermarriage

with the people of God and the neighboring nations around them.

So let's jump right into the first point, verse 4.

If you have a Bible, please follow along.

There's some Bibles still left at the back table.

Excuse me.

And feel free to grab one at any time and follow along.

Nehemiah chapter 13, starting in verse 4.

Nehemiah 13 · chapter mention

So if you remember a few weeks back, when we were reading through Ezra,

the temple had been rebuilt and in it all of the things that pertained to temple worship,

of which the storehouses of the various materials used in worship were presumably built.

These materials were dedicated to the Lord.

And also they were holy for the priests would use them to lead the people in proper worship.

The priests were stewards of all these materials.

And they had one goal, one responsibility above all,

was to lead the people of God into the proper worship of God.

So the temple was a huge deal in Israel.

For it to be rebuilt meant that, in a sense, God was dwelling once again with His people.

If you remember, the temple, the tabernacle before it, but also the Garden of Eden.

It's this idea, this temple is the place where God will dwell with His people.

God and His people dwell together.

It's a central place of corporate worship for Israel.

And it's mediated by this priestly class who were descendants of Aaron, the brother of Moses.

There were very unbending rules around worship.

It's not like somebody from the tribe of Dan or Benjamin could be a priest.

It had to be of the tribe of Levi.

So it was only the Levites.

Now we come to find that all the holiness associated with the temple

and all the promises that were kept, or made, rather, in chapter 10 of Nehemiah

were completely undone.

Look with me, verses 4 to 13 here.

Now before this, Eliashib the priest,

who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God

and who was related to Tobiah.

Where have we heard Tobiah before?

Chapter 2.

Tobiah is one of the enemies of God's people.

He has come right when Nehemiah has come to Jerusalem,

and he is a mocker.

I mean, likely he's of Jewish descent,

but he's also described as an Ammonite.

He is not a person of the people of God.

He is somebody who is a mocker, who is a syncretist,

who likely has worshipped other gods in addition to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

And now we find him where?

In verse 4 and 5?

Verse 5.

That there was a chamber prepared for Tobiah,

a large chamber where they had previously put the grain offering,

the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil,

which were given by commandment to the Levites, singers, gatekeepers,

and the contributions for the priests.

While this was taking place, I was not in Jerusalem.

For in the 32nd year of Artaxerxes, king of Babylon, I went to the king,

and after some time I asked the leave of the king,

and came to Jerusalem,

and I then discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah,

preparing for him a chamber in the courts of the house of God.

Verse 8.

And I was very angry,

and I threw all the household furniture of Tobiah out of the chamber.

Then I gave orders, and they cleansed the chambers,

and I brought back the vessels of the house of God

with the grain offering and the frankincense.

I'll pause really quickly there.

The first thing we see here is that the enemy of God's people

has moved into the very temple itself.

It's a huge problem.

And not just participating in the life of the temple.

He is living, or at least dwelling,

in a chamber that was meant to store the very things

that were used in the worship of God,

and to care for the priests.

It is an affront to proper worship.

It is evil in God's sight.

And we see a few things that have gone wrong here.

First, the sacred things of God

had been treated profanely.

And in this case, with indifference.

No longer was the worship of God as prescribed by the law,

held in high regard, or seen as essential.

Instead, the priest in charge of the matter, Eliashib,

he saw an opportunity to further his own family's wealth.

It says that he is a relative of Tobiah.

Some nepotism going on here.

So he is seeing an opportunity to further his family's wealth

by giving the storehouse of God to the very enemy of God's people.

How does such a thing happen?

Well, clearly, it wasn't Eliashib going in and strong-arming all the priests,

kicking them out, clearing out the area,

then putting Tobiah in there.

The people of God lost interest in the things of God.

The temple ceased to be an essential part of life.

An indifference sunk into the people.

It seeped into their very core.

There's no mention here of the people going up in a rage.

Anger, righteous anger, like we see in Nehemiah.

Eliashib opens up the door.

Tobiah comes right in.

There's an indifference that has seeped into the people of God.

Oftentimes, the greatest damage that can be done in our lives

is caused by indifference, or at least begins with indifference.

Being careless about things that need great care.

Carelessness?

In some ways, what's wrong with it?

I tried it out.

You know, okay, I'm not as hardcore in the religion.

I'm going to use my time for something else.

I mean, I could read scripture.

I could go to church.

I could engage in prayer.

I could fellowship with God's people.

I got other things on my plate.

That's different than saying, curse God.

I'm done with this.

I hate it.

See how indifference, eventually here,

leads to a gradual drawing away of God's people from the things of God.

The temple is not kept holy.

It's neglected.

And now an Ammonite is entering the assembly of God,

and not just any Ammonite, but Tobiah, the enemy of God's people.

The one that looked to cease the building of the walls

was trying to thwart the rebuilding of Jerusalem,

and now he's in the temple.

This, by the way, is not some prohibition against an entire people group.

I mean, we see in verses 1 to 3,

we haven't read it here,

but it essentially says that people read the Bible,

they found that the Ammonites and the Moabites

should not be a part of the assembly of God,

so they kicked them out.

This isn't a racial superiority thing,

or a hatred against the Ammonites and Moabites thing.

What we see here is a great desire for holiness,

but also to weed out the sin of omission.

It says in verses 1, 2, and 3,

the reason why the Ammonites should not enter the assembly of God.

Why?

Verse 2,

For they did not meet the people of Israel with bread and water.

And it continues on,

But hired Balaam against them to curse them.

Now, the Ammonites were the ones who turned a blind eye

to the needs of the people of Israel

on their way to the Promised Land.

And here,

that sin of omission,

that, in a sense,

refusal to help the people of God

is an affront,

an evil thing in God's sight.

Now,

later on,

we'll talk a bit more

in the chapter

when it comes to intermarriage.

But the issue

with this prohibition of God's people

in the assembly of God,

again,

has nothing to do

with their ethnicity,

but rather

their worship of other gods.

If you remember,

the entire story of Ruth

is this beautiful story

of a Moabite woman,

not a Jew,

not an Israelite,

but a Moabite woman

who comes to faith

in the Almighty God

and actually she is found

to be in the very lineage

of Christ Himself.

We don't

interpret one part of the Bible

against another.

What we have here

is a desire for

spiritual purity.

The second thing

that is problematic here

is that the Levites,

the priestly class of Israel,

they're being so neglected

that they have become farmers.

And if you remember,

when God is allotting

the promised land,

all the tribes

get a portion of the land

except the Levites.

The Levites

were to be the priests

and the people

were to give to the Levites

and now they are farmers,

gods,

priests

have become

in a sense serfs.

They don't have

their own land.

There's a great indifference

and evil

that has

sought in,

that seeped in

to the people of God.

And here's the thing,

what we're finding here

is that the people

are choosing

to not trust

God's ways

as good,

but instead

trust their own means

to achieve

their own glory.

they are not giving

to the church.

And this is a,

I've always found

this very difficult

to talk about

in terms of tithing

to the church.

Not saying that

give X amount of money,

but understand that

to give to the church

is to,

not to give to

the Avatan family,

although it certainly

does benefit us,

but it's to give to God.

But more than that,

I mean it can't be

more than giving to God,

but what it does

to you

when you give

is that it reminds you

where your treasure is.

How you spend

your money

is where you

have the most value.

Where you spend

your time

is where you,

will be the things

that you value

the most.

And what you value

the most,

you are willing

to sacrifice for.

You are.

What tithing does,

it reminds us

who is

the number one priority.

what life looks like

under the kingship of God.

It helps us

to put our treasure

in heaven.

So there is a neglect

of godly worship

due to indifference

and it's having

a ripple effect

resulting in making

what is holy

to be profane

and allowing enemies

to be victorious

and making destitute

those whom

they have an obligation

to provide for.

You start to see

that one sin,

one act of indifference,

it starts to unravel

a lot of things.

A lot of people

start to suffer,

a lot of things

start to crumble.

The indifference

is so often rooted

in a self-centeredness

that will only embrace

God in the areas

that we deem

personally beneficial.

God gets neglected

or relegated

so that he is

nothing more

than a good luck charm

or a genie in the bottle

or a means

to suppress

a guilty conscience

but never anything more.

We embrace God

in the areas

that we think

won't cause us

too much

or require from us

too much

but the great irony

in all of this

is that we think

that the very obligations

of God

will cause us

harm

and limit

our ability

to live free lives

but it's the opposite.

Will allow us

to live joyful lives

that will enlargen

our lives.

Will allow us

to love

in ways like God.

Not perfectly like God

but like God.

That light

and life

will be a part

of our very being.

But friends,

if we

think the opposite,

we think that God

will actually

cause us

not to flourish,

we will find ourselves

increasingly

less joyful,

increasingly

less kind

and loving.

We will find ourselves

beginning to be

enslaved

to the things

that we

embrace

as if they

have become

our slave owners

and we are

their slaves.

In the Psalms

it talks about

those

that worship

idols

become like idols.

Blind

and deaf

and dumb.

But when we

worship God

we get to

live out

an existence

that God

himself created.

It's truly

a beautiful thing.

Let me ask you

a question.

Are the people

more or less

joyful and free

with the temple

in disrepute?

Are they more

or less

joyful and free

with an enemy

making his home

in one of the

storehouse chambers

of the temple?

Are the people

more

or less

joyful and free

as they see

the people

that they are

to care for

the Levites

essentially living

a life of

serfdom?

The call

is for godly

and holy

worship

according to

God's word

that will

inevitably

lead us

to have

a life

of flourishing

but also

and this is

where we'll

transition to

the next point

will help us

to have

appropriate

rhythms to

life

that God

has designed

life that

we may have

proper rhythms

that we will

feast and fast

and work

and play

that there's

aspects of our

life where it's

not a grind

non-stop

it will also

help us to have

a right relationship

with money

and we've touched

on that already

but look with me

in verses 15 to 21

in those days

I saw in Judah

people treading

wine presses

on the Sabbath

and bringing in

heaps of grain

and loading them

on donkeys

and also wine

grapes

figs

and all kinds

of loads

which they brought

into Jerusalem

on the Sabbath day

and I warned them

on the day

when they sold

food

Tyrians also

who lived

in the city

brought in fish

and all kinds

of goods

and sold them

on the Sabbath

to the people

of Judah

in Jerusalem itself

then I confronted

the nobles of Judah

and I said to them

what is this evil

thing that you are doing

profaning the Sabbath day

did not your fathers

act in this way

and did not our God

bring all this disaster

on them

and on this city

now you are bringing

more wrath

on Israel

by profaning

the Sabbath

and as soon

as it began

to grow dark

at the gates

of Jerusalem

before the Sabbath

I commanded

that the doors

should be shut

and gave orders

that they should

not be opened

until after the Sabbath

I'll pause there

Sabbath breaking

is a failure

to recognize

that God

is the creator

who delights

in his good creation

and who delights

in goodness

it's also a failure

to recognize

that God

is the redeemer

who provides salvation

not simply

from sin

and brokenness

and evil

but salvation

to enjoyment

and flourishing

and growth

and life

that is why

the triune God

himself invites

people to enter

into the age

to come

to new heavens

and earth

what does he say

enter into my rest

the Sabbath

is a giant

pointer sign

to what will come

for eternity

to rest from work

and rest in order

to worship

and delight in God

is to embrace

his vision

for life

that we would

look to him

for our provision

and declare

with our lives

that there is

a redemption

that awaits

all who put their

faith and hope

and trust

in Jesus

the Sabbath

isn't just a day

off work

for us

which it certainly

is

it is so much

bigger

and grander

and I think

if we have a vision

of what the Sabbath

truly is

then we will see it

as a joy

not necessarily

easy

to participate

in

the people

here see it

as just a day

off

as an inconvenience

why

because I could

be making money

on day seven

you are ruining

my productivity

besides

the Tyrians

are coming

from the north

they have fish

that fish

might spoil

I like my fish

there's

there's aspects

to this

that

that disregard

what the Sabbath

points to

namely God

and his redemption

and his creation

and it

really disregards

God himself

because God

gave the Sabbath

as a gift

to enjoy

making it

an essential

aspect of good

living

the neglect

of the Sabbath

is

will always

result in

a social

physical

and spiritual

breakdown

why

because Sabbath

robs us

of our rest

and friends

you might be

really good

at the grind

but you need

rest

you do

you need to

breathe

and exhale

you need to

enjoy

God's creation

I say this

okay

I'll

time out

this isn't

like a brag

turns out

that planting

a church

is kind of

hard

okay

it's

especially

in COVID

and it's

been a moving

target

and I'll say

this

my family

has suffered

I have

robbed my

family of rest

because

you know

Sunday's coming

I'm sorry

I just

I have to

put in the

time

if you

find yourself

in a promotion

and that

promotion

is something

that is just

requiring

you know

an extra

ten hours a week

an extra

five hours a week

do you have

that in your

margins

to absorb

or will

somebody else

have to

absorb it

for you

will you

not have

the rest

you need

will you

be robbing

from

your family

you know

that's another

thing about

the Sabbath

it's a one

day a week

where a family

gets together

and enjoys

one another

I'll get to a bit

you know

if you're feeling

overwhelmed

we'll talk a bit

more about it

but this

is what the

Sabbath

that has a

vision of

of a family

coming together

if you have

a family

it also means

in a sense

being

wise about

how we

or how we

do not engage

in the economy

is there a

day that you

could not

buy or

sell

a day that

maybe the

day before

you do double

the work

you collect

double the

manna

so that

you have

one day

where you're

not working

or causing

somebody else

to work

but ultimately

by not

enjoying the

Sabbath

you rob

not that you

can rob

God

but you

rob God

from

from

enjoying

him

and him

enjoying

you

I would

just say

that

listen

chapter 13

verses 15

to 23

ought not

to be

copy and

pasted

for today

okay

there's

nuance

to this

but it

ought not

to be

disregarded

either

listen

the

Sabbath

ultimately

is for

our

benefit

what

does

Jesus

say

in

Mark

Mark 2 · chapter mention

chapter

2

at

the

end

the

Sabbath

was

made

for

man

not

man

for

the

Sabbath

so

the

son

of

man

is

Lord

even

on

the

Sabbath

so

how

do

we

enjoy

the

Sabbath

friends

say

we

try

it's

a

moving

target

and we

try

and

next

week

you

have

the

Sabbath

on

Sunday

or

Saturday

or

maybe

works

out

to

have

it

in

the

middle

of

the

week

you

try

you

do

your

best

by

God's

strength

asking

to

prepare

beforehand

to

resist

the

temptations

to

participate

in the

things

that you

could do

any other

day of

the week

but you

try

maybe

to enjoy

the

Sabbath

is to

make sure

that there's

a good

meal

and the

table

is set

and you

enjoy

it

maybe

the

Sabbath

is to

get

if

possible

an

hour

alone

in

solitude

easier said

than done

for some

people here

maybe

it's

to

not

be

a

hermit

and

to

enjoy

people

around

you

it's

the

opposite

maybe

the

Sabbath

is to

learn

how to

be

in the

company

of

people

without

our

phones

without

distractions

but to

enjoy

them

and that

again

is not

easy

so we

try

and we

practice

we

practice

and we

practice

we don't

get

legalistic

about it

and say

I messed

up

it's done

forget

it

but we

keep

trying

our

best

why

because

we

want

to

enjoy

the

Lord

we

we

see

his

vision

for

our

life

and by

his

strength

we will

engage

in that

but

Sabbath

may be

so foreign

and so

difficult

for you

because you

have just

an inability

to rest

because when

you do

pain

may come

be that

physical

or emotional

maybe you've

struggled

with trauma

in your

life

and it's

just

better to

not let

your mind

not hit

pause

on your

thoughts

maybe you

are just

a very

ornery

person

and you

need to

by God's

strength

learn not

to be

so crusty

I don't

know how

the algorithm

works on

YouTube

maybe it's

because

I subscribe

to religious

channels

and Bible

project

videos

and stuff

but one

video came

up this

past week

and it's

a rabbi

in Toronto

I don't

know how

I'm not

subscribing

to him

but listen

it's

the algorithm

okay

but it's

like this

20 minute

clip

and he's

talking

about how

for the

Orthodox

community

there's a

huge problem

with keeping

the Sabbath

with just

non-stop

drinking

they call

it

Kiddush

Club

Kiddush

is like

a blessing

you say

over

a cup

of wine

where people

they'll just

get bombed

I don't know

if that's a

correct

Christian term

but they get

bombed

on the

Sabbath

because

he says

they can't

stand

the prolonged

silence

you know

I can relate

to that

I mean

maybe not

the prolonged

silence

because we

don't have

that so much

at our

house

but just

where we're

not distracted

where the

dopamine

isn't going

crazy in my

brain for

more than

half an

hour

an hour

two hours

would I

be more

or less

loving

and free

would you

be

consider

the

Sabbath

and

practice it

the point

isn't to

give an

exhaustive

list of

do's and

don'ts

but to

understand

what the

Sabbath

is

friends

it's a

gift

from God

to us

it's a

taste of

heaven

just a

little bit

and a

declaration

that one

day we

will enjoy

forever rest

that will

completely

satisfy our

God given

desires

because God

gives his

very self

to us

this is what

Nehemiah is

fighting about

this is what

the people have

forgotten

and we also

see that

Nehemiah is

about a pure

and devoted

spirituality

verses 23

to 28

read with me

in those

days

also I

saw the

Jews who

had married

women of

Ashdod

Ammon

and Moab

and half

of their

children spoke

the language

of Ashdod

and they

could not

speak the

language of

Judah but

only the

language of

each people

and I

confronted

them and

cursed them

and beat

some of

them and

pulled out

their hair

and I

made them

take an

oath in

the name

of God

saying you

shall not

give your

daughters to

their sons

or take

their daughters

for your

sons or

for yourselves

did not

Solomon

king of

Israel sin

on account

of such

women among

the many

nations there

was no king

like him and

he was beloved

by his God

and God made

him king over

all Israel

nevertheless

foreign women

made even him

to sin

shall we then

listen to you

and do all

this great evil

and act

treacherously

against our

God by

marrying

foreign women

foreign women

are in

Jesus'

lineage

okay

so the

issue isn't

with foreign

women

the issue

is how

the introduction

of a faith

or a

philosophy

or an

ideology

into the

people of

God

so that the

people of

God

say I

worship

God

and

how that

destroys the

people of

God

there's more

than one way

to destroy a

city

and this is

one of them

yesterday's

enemies have

now become

today's

marriage partners

and like in

Ezra the

Israelites have

married people

of a different

faith

people from

Ashdod and

Ammon and

Moab

the nations

that have

plagued Israel

from before

they even

entered into

the promised

land

and to

attempt it

to thwart

the rebuilding

of the

wall

again the

issue isn't

with race

or ethnicity

but a

faith issue

the people

are not

worshippers

of God

alone

but God

and

God

and the

gods

of Ashdod

God

and the

gods

of Ammon

God

and the

gods

of Moab

the people

no longer

speak the

language of

Judah

that is to

say that

they have

forgotten

their God

they don't

they don't

know the

words of

scripture

they don't

recall

the Lord

when they

wake up

and when

they go

down

they don't

say

and teach

their children

in their

comings and

goings

on the

highways

on the

byways

they don't

participate

in the

worship

of God's

people

they have

forgotten

God

and Nehemiah

what does he do

he appeals to

scripture again

look at King

Solomon

look at what

he's

he was the

best

people came

from all

over the

known world

he built

the temple

he was

unbelievable

blessed

by God

and yet

he entered

into a

syncretistic

lifestyle

God and

God and

God and

God is a

jealous God

jealous because

there are no

other gods

beside him

so to worship

a false god

is to elevate

something created

over the

creator

we see that

in the book

of Romans

the apostle

Paul spells

that out

in an

incredible way

and it's a

huge offense

to God

but also

he is jealous

because he

desires good

for his

people

and the

worship of

idols or

other gods

or God

and

will not

lead to

our blessing

but our

curse

we are

image bearers

of almighty

God

we are to

reflect his

glory

and when we

worship false

gods we

further mar

and tarnish

what God

has called

holy

us

it is like

having Tobiah

the Ammonite

move into

the temple

that is

us

it is a

desecration

it is not the way

God had intended it

friends we

struggle with this

idolatry is rampant

we don't have

idols

we have talked

about this

a number of

times

but whatever

we put our

trust in

our hope in

that is

apart from

the almighty

God

that is in

addition to

the almighty

God

we find

ourselves

giving into

the God

of

Ammon

and Moab

and Ashdod

and I'll tell you

one thing about

those gods

in the Bible

those gods

they demanded

rape

and detestable

sexual acts

and even

child sacrifices

with a promise

that blessings

were to come

now who is

more free

and enjoying

life and love

the people

who worship

the God

of Abraham

Isaac

and Jacob

that gives

them a day

of rest

that points

to what

eternity

looks like

or the gods

that demand

their very

children

to be burned

for what

for fertility

for a promise

of wealth

in this life

who is more

free

who is enjoying

life more

we may think

we can

find goodness

and flourishing

apart from God

but friends

that is only

because

when we enjoy

goodness

apart from God

it's only because

God gives grace

to the just

and the unjust

he makes it

rain on

the good

and the bad

he gives

common grace

to all people

but make no mistake

idolatry will

tear apart

our families

our communities

our neighborhoods

our very selves

so Nehemiah

enacts these

reforms

I mean

he makes a trip

from Persia

back to Jerusalem

and the man

is on a mission

by the way

the whole bit

about laying

hands on people

and ripping out

their hair

apparently

it is a

prescribed

punishment

thank God

it's not the case

anymore

you know

you guys don't

show up to church

for a week

you see me

on your front door

I'm ready

to pull out hair

not a chance

but Nehemiah

has come

to

to

turn things

around

and it seems

like he did

but we know

that it didn't

last

another Nehemiah

Nehemiah 13 · chapter mention

chapter 13

is just on the

cusp

this is God's

people

this is what

happens

reforms

failures

crying out

to God

reforms

failures

crying out

to God

so where is

the hope

I'll tell you

where the hope

isn't

it's not in

you or me

can't be

because

the best

effort

that the best

of us

in this room

can do

will inevitably

fail

give it 48

hours

give it to

the end of

the week

give it to

Canada Day

being generous

so it's not

in our own

efforts

as important

as our own

efforts are

there's no

hope in

true hope

eternal hope

in self

reformation

only in

the grace

of God

and we'll

just touch

on these

three verses

I didn't

read these

but they're

key

Nehemiah

he says

the same

thing

just about

three times

after each

section

and it's

in verse

14

22

and then

in verse

30 to

31

verse 14

it says

this

remember

remember me

oh my

God

concerning

this

and do

not wipe

out my

good deeds

that I

have done

for the

house of

my God

and for

his service

that's

verse 14

verse 22

says this

then I

commanded

verse 23

no no

verse 22

remember

this also

in my

favor

oh my

God

and spare

me

according

to the

greatness

of your

steadfast

love

and then

again

in verse

30

and 31

thus I

cleansed

from

everything

foreign

and established

the duties

of the

priests

and Levites

each

in his

work

and I

provided

for the

wood

offering

at

appointed

times

and for

the

first

fruits

and then

it

ends

this

this

way

remember

me

oh my

God

for

good

remembering

in the

Bible

is never

just

hey

God

take a

picture

for

later

you know

so you

can

remember

what

I've

done

to

say

God

remember

me

is to

say

God

I

need

your

salvation

now

help

me

now

don't

delay

come

to my

side

come

to my

aid

I

need

your

help

now

I

need

your

grace

and

constantly

Nehemiah

is

trying

by God's

strength