Text: Nehemiah 13:14
It is natural for us to prefer that others remember us favorably. But what would we want God to remember about us? Four times, Nehemiah asked God to remember him for something. What were they? We are going to see what we can learn from the four things Nehemiah wanted to be remembered for.
He Did Not Take the Governor’s Food Allowance (Nehemiah 5:14-19)
- Nehemiah served as governor, but he was different from the ones who came before him – they burdened the people with excessive taxes, but he refused to do this because he feared the Lord; rulers should recognize their place before God (Romans 13:4)
- Application: Do not exercise your liberty at the expense of your brethren (1 Corinthians 8:4, 7-9, 13) – we must be motivated by love in all that we do (1 Corinthians 16:14); we must place the well-being of others ahead of ourselves (Romans 15:1-2), especially their spiritual well-being
He Restored the Tithes to the Levites (Nehemiah 13:10-14)
- Nehemiah discovered that the Levites had not received the tithes due them, so they went home – he did not reprimand them; they had a responsibility to provide for their families (cf. 1 Timothy 5:8); instead, he reprimanded the officials for their neglect, which resulted in God’s house being forsaken; Nehemiah restored the tithes and appointed men to distribute them properly
- Application: Support those who are serving the Lord (3 John 8) – an obvious application is in the support of preachers (1 Corinthians 9:14), but it is not limited to that; stimulate one another to good deeds (Hebrews 10:24-25) and equip the saints for service (Ephesians 4:11-12, 16)
He Restored the Sabbath (Nehemiah 13:15-22)
- Nehemiah saw that some were violating the Sabbath law (cf. Exodus 20:8-11) – he reprimanded the nobles for their sin, and reminded them of God punishing their fathers; he refused to allow the traders to come into the city
- Application: Hold fast the pattern found in the New Testament (2 Timothy 1:13) – we must obey all that the Lord has said (Matthew 28:20) and not practice lawlessness (Matthew 7:21-23); take a stand so that people will learn/recognize the truth (1 John 2:19)
He Forbid Mixed Marriages (Nehemiah 13:23-31)
- On this last one, Nehemiah mentioned a few things, some of which have already been covered – he “purified them from everything foreign”; mixed marriages were condemned (Deuteronomy 7:3-4); children were not being raised as they should, and this corrupted society as a whole
- Application: God’s people must be a peculiar people (1 Peter 2:9; 2 Corinthians 6:17) – do not be bound together with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14-16); do not allow yourself to be influenced by the world (1 Corinthians 15:33)
Conclusion
- Nehemiah wanted God to remember him “for good” (Nehemiah 13:31) – if we do good, God will remember us for that (Ezekiel 18:21-23); if we do not, God will remember our evil deeds (Ezekiel 18:24)
- If we want God to remember us for good, we must obey Him in all that we do
