Key Verse: Nehemiah 10:15-22
The third reformation that Nehemiah brought in the city had to do with the Sabbath. This can be called a priority reform because Nehemiah guided the people to prioritize their works and to keep the Sabbath holy.
Nehemiah found people in Judah treading wine presses and bringing in sacks of grain and loading them on donkeys, as well as wine, grapes, figs and all kinds of loads were brought into Jerusalem on Sabbath. Even though they had enough time to do their work before the Sabbath, their priorities had changed from worship to doing business. They had seen the wrath of GOD coming on their forefathers when they neglected the Sabbath. But, their shift from the word of GOD was gradual, that they took it quite lightly. They found joy in doing business than honoring GOD, by abiding in the laws of the LORD.
Nehemiah reprimanded the nobles of Judah and he gave commands to the people. Nehemiah identified the cause for this as the influence of foreign traders on the city. The steps taken by Nehemiah were:
- Gates to be shut before Sabbath,
- New servants at the gate,
- No goods allowed outside the gates during Sabbath,
- Commands to the Levites to cleanse themselves and to guard the gates.
His priority was to guard his city by cutting the entry of sin into it. Sabbath is holy, but the foreigners may never take it into consideration. So he had to shut the gates. Nehemiah was hard on the merchants who stayed overnight at the gates. When we identify the root cause of a sin, we have to root it out and cleanse the people and the city from it.
Practical Living: Sometimes, the leader has to be stern enough to say no and to guard the people against sin. The leader always gives importance to worship and keeping the commands of the LORD. Sometimes, people may not understand why the leader acted so, but, the steps of the leader are influenced by GOD and it will surely bring spiritual edification in the life of the people.
