A True Man and a New Heart: Nehemiah 13.10-22

With God’s protection, strength, and  guidance, the returned exiles have rebuilt the city walls. But more important than a new wall is a community rebuilt by God’s word written, the Scripture. In the final chapter the great need of the people themselves to receive and practice the word is underscored. Despite all the painful lessons of the past, and the advantages of their new beginning, their hearts still wander. Nehemiah must still lead spiritual and moral reform even here in chapter 13.  Like a movie that doesn’t resolve but leaves the viewer wondering what happens to the characters next, the book of Nehemiah ends. In other words, it ends incomplete. It ends with two questions: where can a faithful Israelite, a human living in free devotion to their Creator, be found? And, how can the people of God find power to obey the word of God? These questions bother mind, disrupt superficial religion, and trouble sensitive souls, for more than 400 years. Then the LORD answers them in Jesus true man, and the Spirit heart renewer.

 

Reflection Questions 

 

1. Read the fourth commandment as recorded in Exodus and Deuteronomy. As you compare the two records, what is the same about the reasons given to the Israelites to observe the sabbath? What is different about those reasons? (See Exodus 20.8-11 & Deut 5.12-15).

 

2. We are not the Old Testament, largely Jewish, people of God, whose whole society was oriented around temple, and worship.  We are the multi racial and multicultural  people of God bound by the new covenant, struggling to witness in an agnostic, atheist age where faith practice is no longer central to society. However, some of the underlying reasons for observing a rest day remain relevant. How are the following reasons relevant? 
– the LORD doesn’t want his people living in slave like conditions (Deut 5.15)

– employees need rest (Exodus 20. 10).

– a rest day is ‘to the LORD’ meaning it is a special time to encounter God  (Exodus 20.9-10)

– rest days can be especially important for practicing healing and justice (Mark 3.1-6).

– we need to demonstrate our trust in God, that he will provide for our needs generously freeing us from overwork Exodus 16.21-30.

 

3. As well as deeds of justice and healing, Jesus also modelled deeds of necessity, or duty of care. These were to continue on the sabbath (Mark 2.25-28). How might this model be relevant to a Christian seeking to practice a rest day? 

4. Do some research and explore why in the history of the church Sunday was preferred as a rest day, to the Jewish sabbath (Saturday). 

5. How might the level of power or influence a worker has today, in their workplace, impact their capacity to practice a rest day? 

6. Now Read Nehemiah 13.15-22. Why do you think Nehemiah was so distressed at the returned exiles failure to practice sabbath? 

7. If the returned exiles, near the end of the story of Israel, are still making basic mistakes in their attempt to obey the Lord, where might a heart devoted to God be found?