When Nehemiah went to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall, Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab (Neh. 2:19) caused numerous troubles. Yet, Nehemiah, understanding that they were only trying to create obstacles, pressed on with his work and successfully completed the wall in just 52 days (Neh. 6:15). After the wall was finished, Nehemiah returned to Babylon. Twelve years later, with the permission of King Artaxerxes, he returned to Jerusalem (Neh. 13:6).
In Nehemiah’s absence, the people of Judah had neglected the temple and its worship. Eliashib the priest had committed a serious offense: he had “prepared a large room for Tobiah where previously the grain offerings, frankincense, vessels, and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil—given by commandment to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers—had been stored, along with the contributions for the priests” (Neh. 13:5).
Because “the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, they had gone back to their fields” (Neh. 13:10). This act of neglect further disrupted the worship and service in the temple.
Eliashib’s actions were a grave sin. Deuteronomy 23:3 explicitly states, “No Ammonite or Moabite shall be admitted to the assembly of the LORD.” Yet, Eliashib had given a prominent space in the temple to Tobiah, a man who had actively opposed the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s wall. Furthermore, this decision displaced the Levites, forcing them to abandon their sacred duties and return to their fields to survive.
When Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem, he immediately acted to restore order. He saw the spiritual compromise and addressed it decisively. All Israelites were separated from those of foreign descent (Neh. 13:3). Nehemiah also rebuked the officials, saying, “Why is the house of God forsaken?” (Neh. 13:11). He gathered the Levites and reinstated them to their proper roles.
This story raises an important question for us today: Who do we keep at the centre of our lives and our churches?
In our service to the Lord, are we bringing in things that offend Him? What worldly or sinful compromises have we allowed to remain in the church or in our personal lives? Similarly, who or what have we pushed out of the Lord’s house to make room for these things?
If we allow too many Sanballats and Tobiahs in our lives, they will hinder our spiritual progress. They will always be stumbling blocks to the work of God.
If we chase after worldly wealth and glory above all else, how can the Lord remain at the centre of our lives?
Our compromises with sin are the greatest stumbling blocks to our Christian walk. If left unchecked, they will only grow stronger and more destructive over time.
Like Nehemiah, let us rise to rebuild what has crumbled in the church today. Let us cleanse it from the filth we often mistake for greatness in this world and make the Lord and His Word the centre of our lives.
-Rev. Dr. James R. Ruolngul
