After the building project was complete Nehemiah returned to his role as the king’s cupbearer. Sometime later though, Nehemiah was given permission to return to Jerusalem to see how things were going. When Nehemiah returned, he discovered some issues that threatened to derail his people back in Judah. They were not external issues like the persecution that they had previously suffered while building the walls. They were internal issues. From a spiritual point of view, Satan, having failed to undermine God’s people from without, was working at undermining them from within. We looked yesterday at the Tobiah incident. In addition to this issue the Jews had given way to commercial pressures and opened the city to trading on the Sabbath. Merchants from Tyre and other nations were coming to Jerusalem to trade, and the Jews didn’t feel that they could afford to miss any commercial opportunity that was offered. So, they forsook the Sabbath which was the one day that they were required to stop and reconnect with what matters most. We should always be wary of a mindset in ourselves that tells us that we ‘can’t afford’ to prioritise God’s purpose. What we cannot afford to do is live with disordered priorities. If we fail to prioritise God’s purpose, we will inevitably waste time, resources and even our lives. May God shape your heart to value most what he most values.
Reflect on your values and where you are investing your time and resources.
Read Nehemiah 13:15-22
