V.1-3 When the Word of the Lord was read, it was found that no Ammonite or Moabite was ever to come into the congregation of the Lord. As soon as they heard this, they acted on it, and separated themselves from the “mixed multitude.” This wasn’t the first time they did this separating. About 11 years before, in Nehemiah 9:2,2And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers. (Nehemiah 9:2) they had realized they had been mixing in with the world around them. Satan’s most successful trap is to lead us back into friendship with unbelievers. We’ve mentioned the wall of separation in this book often. May we realize what it means for us today.
V.4-9 Hard to believe this would happen. Eliashib was the very first one to build when the wall was commenced in Nehemiah 3. He, a priest, had actually given that room to Tobiah; one of those active enemies! Nehemiah was very upset so he cast out everything that belonged to Tobiah and cleaned out that room and restored it to its proper use. Thank God for faithful men!
V.17 Nehemiah speaks to the nobles, because they had no regard for the Sabbath.
V.21 Now he speaks to the merchants because they also failed to honor the Sabbath.
V.25 Again he speaks to some of the Jews, who had taken heathen wives, and reminds them that this was one of the very things which caused king Solomon to fail so badly. Was it right for Nehemiah to reprove so much? It was. He was contending for that which was right in the sight of the Lord. Let us remember that the Word of God is given to us to read and to obey (Read Jude 33Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. (Jude 3)). Four times Nehemiah prays, “remember me, O my God” — they are his last words.