Nehemia 13:1a,4,7-12,17-18,23,26-27 | Pdt. Paulus Surya
Nehemiah’s Final Reforms (Listen)
13 On that day they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people. And in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God,
7 and came to Jerusalem, and I then discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, preparing for him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. 8 And I was very angry, and I threw all the household furniture of Tobiah out of the chamber. 9 Then I gave orders, and they cleansed the chambers, and I brought back there the vessels of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.
10 I also found out that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had fled each to his field. 11 So I confronted the officials and said, “Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their stations. 12 Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses.
17 Then I confronted the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day? 18 Did not your fathers act in this way, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Now you are bringing more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”
23 In those days also I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.
26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin on account of such women? Among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, foreign women made even him to sin. 27 Shall we then listen to you and do all this great evil and act treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women?”
Tuhan memberkati bangsa Israel dengan selesainya pembangunan tembok Yerusalem, sehingga mereka dapat kembali tinggal di Yerusalem. Namun kemudian mereka mengalami kemunduran rohani karena ada hal-hal yang
menghambat kehidupan mereka. Bagian ini mengajarkan agar kita mengenali dan mengatasi penghalang-penghalang rohani yang menghambat pertumbuhan iman kita. Dalam hal apa saja?
Dalam hal bersikap terhadap pengaruh buruk
Ayat 4-9 mencatat tentang imam Elyasib yang memberi tempat tinggal bagi Tobia di salah-satu bilik di pelataran
rumah Allah. Padahal Tobia adalah orang yang jahat, yang menghalangi pembangunan tembok Yerusalem serta
memfitnah Nehemia dan Allah Israel. Nehemia mengusir Tobia sebagai bentuk ketegasannya terhadap pengaruh yang
buruk.
Dalam hal ibadah kepada Tuhan
Ayat 10-13 mencatat tentang umat Tuhan yang tidak memberi persembahan dengan benar. Mereka tidak memberikan
perpuluhan sehingga pekerjaan Tuhan menjadi terbengkalai. Ayat 14-22 mencatat tentang mereka yang tidak
menguduskan hari Sabat. Hari untuk beribadah kepada Tuhan dipakai untuk berbisnis, yaitu berjual-beli anggur, gandum, ikan, dll (lihat Ibrani 10:25).
Dalam hal kekudusan perkawinan
Ayat 23-31 mencatat tentang umat Israel yang berpasangan dengan orang-orang yang tidak seiman. Hal ini melanggar kebenaran Firman, baik di PL (lihat Ulangan 7:3-4) maupun di PB (lihat 2 Korintus 6:14). Hidup tidak kudus di sini mencakup juga berbagai macam dosa seperti percabulan, perzinahan, terikat pornografi, dll. Setiap orang percaya, menikah ataupun tidak, dipanggil untuk hidup dalam kekudusan sebagai mempelai wanita Kristus yang telah menebusnya.
Ringkasan kotbah Pdt. Paulus Surya, 7 Mei 2023