“While all this was happening, I was not in Jerusalem, because I had returned to King Artaxerxes of Babylon in the thirty-second year of his reign. It was only later that I asked the king for a leave of absence so I could return to Jerusalem.
Then I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done on behalf of Tobiah by providing him a room in the courts of God’s house. I was greatly displeased and threw all of Tobiah’s household possessions out of the room. I ordered that the rooms be purified, and I had the articles of the house of God restored there, along with the grain offering and frankincense.”
Nehemiah 13:6-9
Last time we were reintroduced to Tobiah, a leader of the Ammonites, who had previously mocked and sought to sabotage the rebuilding. We found Eliashib, the priest, had given him a storeroom in Temple that had been purposed for tithes, offerings, and utensils needed for worship. Today we see our governor’s whereabouts and response.
“But during all this I was not in Jerusalem, for in the 32nd year of Artaxerxes, king of Babylon, I had returned to the king…”
We first met Nehemiah in Chapters 1 and 2 during the twentieth year of this King Artexerxes’ reign. Now we find out he returned 12 years later and was absent during the time the people were separating from the Ammonites and Moabites, as well as when Eliashib had given Tobiah an unauthorized storeroom in Temple.
Artaxerxes, interestingly, is Artachshasta‘ – a title (rather than name) of several Persian kings. And Babylon is Babel – an Eastern Mediterranean empire and its capital city, Babylonia; The word comes from balal meaning confusion.
I know this isn’t a deep dive into Babylon, but I hadn’t really thought of how this empire, from the time of Jeremiah and Daniel to its mention in Revelation, began with the tower of Babel, making a name for oneself, and the pride of trying to be like God. And this is the empire in which Nehemiah served. Makes me wonder what was different there twelve years later. How had Artaxerxes changed? Who was the cupbearer now? Did Nehemiah jump right back in or was he given different duties?
“And after certain days I obtained leave from the king…”
Here after is qets, and obtained leave is shaal – ask, counsel, on, beg, borrow, lay to charge, consult, demand, desire.
However the circumstances were when he returned, after a bit, he was already asking, desiring to return once again to his ancestral homeland. How do you think King Artaxerxes handled the request? Was he reluctant to grant it? Did Nehemiah indeed have to beg? Was he punished for having to leave again so soon? Had he earned enough relational trust to come and go as needed?
No matter how it happened:
“…I came to Jerusalem and discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah…”
Discovered is bin – discerned, attend, consider, be cunning, diligently, direct, feel; to separate mentally (or distinguish), understand, instruct, have intelligence, know, look well to, mark, perceive, be prudent, regard, teach, think, view, deal wisely. And evil is ra‘ – adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, displeasure, distress; From ra’a’; bad, evil, great, harm, heavy, hurtful, mischievous, misery, sorrow, trouble, wretchedness, wrong.
I directly came to understand the great and harmful evil Eliashib, the priest, had done for Tobiah.
“…in preparing for him a room in the courts in the house of Elohim. And it grieved me bitterly, therefore I threw all the goods of the household of Tobiah out of the room.”
Grieved is ra’a, the root word for evil above, meaning “evil, great, harm, heavy, hurtful, mischievous, misery, sorrow, trouble, wretchedness, wrong.” Bitterly is meod – muchness, force, abundance; diligently, especially, exceedingly, far, fast, good, greatly, louder and louder; vehemence, wholly, speedily, louder and louder, mightily, utterly. Threw is shalak – adventure, cast away, down, forth, off, out, hurl, pluck; to throw out, down or away. All the things is kol keli (utensils). And out is chuts – abroad, field, forth, highway, more, outside street.
“I was exceedingly and vehemently sorrowed, and I hurled away all goods from Tobiah’s house outside.”
Can’t you see this from a movie scene? Enraged at betrayal, jealous for God’s glory, angry with continued idolatry, he takes Tobiah’s things and throws them out.
Do you wonder if Tobiah was there watching? Did he have to hear about it from others? Were all of his goods smashed and ruined? Did the two men come face to face with one another?
“And I commanded them to cleanse the rooms.”
Cleanse is taher – to be bright; to be pure, cleanse, purge, purify. This seems like a good next step after throwing everything out that wasn’t to be in Temple. Cleansing the rooms to once again hold God’s people’s tithes, offerings and utensils.
And that’s just what he did:
“And I brought back into them the articles of the house of God, with the grain offering and frankincense.”
Brought back is shub – to turn back. Once the room was emptied of what didn’t belong, and made bright and cleansed once again, Nehemiah turned back each room in Temple as it was intended, holding the proper elements.
Oh, Church, what is this saying to us? While we all need to make sure our personal temples are cleansed and purified, what of our corporate Body? Of both the need to hurl away what looks nothing like Jesus and embrace what is bright and pure as light and salt in this place?
The truth is, each local body of believers will have a variety of answers for this question. Things in which the culture of their church struggles. So, too, will the broader, western Church have different needs than those in other places. But in individual, local, and universal areas where God’s Spirit sheds light, may we be zealous for His glory as we purge and purify.
And what better time to do business than Lent? Contemplating how the Cross ensured forgiveness and preparing for the Resurrection providing power.
It is a privilege to lean in and be used. May we do so.