WHY HAS THE HOUSE OF GOD BEEN NEGLECTED?

“Therefore, I rebuked the officials, saying, ‘Why has the house of God been neglected?’ I gathered the Levites and singers together and stationed them at their posts.” (Nehemiah 13:11 HCSB)

Empty cathedrals with spires of stone reaching into the sky—merely tourist attractions now, where once the people of God met to celebrate life in Christ—abound in Europe and England. They are mausoleums, haunted by the specters of past glory, now departed. This is not limited to a foreign land, but more and more, the rotting corpses of decaying church houses dot the hillsides of America. Those that are not abandoned are converted to become apartments, art studios, barns, shops, sports bars, and such. Imagine—a place meant to lead to the conversion of the culture has instead been converted by the culture!

If the house of God has been neglected, it is easy to seek a scapegoat. The favorite would be, “the times in which we live,” and we blame the wickedness of the world. We point the finger outside the church house, when we should look in a mirror instead.

The truth is—the world has been rotten since our human parents took a bite of the forbidden fruit. Paganism was pervasive in the first century AD, when the church was planted. Those early saints faced intense persecution, but still they thrived. How bad was it in those days? Here is how a contemporary writer of the era described the spiritual conditions:

“For God's wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse. For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles.

Therefore God delivered them over in the cravings of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves.

They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served something created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen.

This is why God delivered them over to degrading passions. For even their females exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.

The males in the same way also left natural relations with females and were inflamed in their lust for one another. Males committed shameless acts with males and received in their own persons the appropriate penalty of their error.

And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a worthless mind to do what is morally wrong. They are filled with all unrighteousness, evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, and unmerciful.

Although they know full well God's just sentence—that those who practice such things deserve to die-they not only do them, but even applaud others who practice them.”

The writer was the Apostle Paul, in Romans 1:18-32. He offered no excuse for the church’s failure to grow. He didn’t need to. They were a living church in a dying world—a flower blooming in a desert.

So, what’s the problem? The question posed by Nehemiah demands an answer. Why has the house of God been neglected? This chapter offers some answers.

We observe first, THE CAUSES OF THIS NEGLECT. There are at least four implied.

PEACE WAS SUBSTITUTED FOR SEPARATION.

“At that time the book of Moses was read publicly to the people. The command was found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, because they did not meet the Israelites with food and water. Instead, they hired Balaam against them to curse them, but our God turned the curse into a blessing.

When they heard the law, they separated all those of mixed descent from Israel. Now before this, Eliashib the priest had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God. He was a relative of Tobiah and had prepared a large room for him where they had previously stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the articles, and the tenths of grain, new wine, and oil prescribed for the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, along with the contributions for the priests.

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.” (Neh.13:1-9)

When Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem he discovered that Satan had infiltrated the sanctuary. Eliashib had been willing to compromise. He had been placed in charge, but allowed Tobiah—an enemy of God’s work throughout Nehemiah’s era—to take up residence in the Temple’s chambers. Tobiah was an Ammonite, whom the law of God expressly forbade entering, much less residing in God’s house.

Why did Eliashib do it? We see that they were relatives. I would suppose they were in-laws, for if blood kin, then Eliashib would have been excluded from the Lord’s work also. The word may also mean, “allied with” and that could be the sense of their connection. The obvious thing is that Eliashib was a sell-out. He believed in peace at any price. It was Rodney King theology, “Can’t we just get along?”

Unity is a precious thing and to be sought. Jesus prayed that His church might experience it—but not at the cost of truth. That is too steep a price. The same chapter—John 17—where Jesus prays for the unity of His followers, we find He also prays for their sanctity—and that happens by truth. If we compromise our convictions, it has cost us too much.

Nehemiah’s response is to fumigate the place! It is a forceful action and some would brand him a fanatic. Not so—but he was wholly committed to a Holy God.

“Do not be mismatched with unbelievers. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? What agreement does Christ have with Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

And what agreement does God's sanctuary have with idols? For we are the sanctuary of the living God, as God said:

I will dwell among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.

Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord; do not touch any unclean thing, and I will welcome you.” (2 Cor.6:14-17)

Another cause for neglecting God’s house was PLEASURE WAS SUBSTITUTED FOR STEWARDSHIP.

“I also found out that because the portions for the Levites had not been given, each of the Levites and the singers performing the service had gone back to his own field. Therefore, I rebuked the officials, saying, ‘Why has the house of God been neglected?’ I gathered the Levites and singers together and stationed them at their posts. Then all Judah brought a tenth of the grain, new wine, and oil into the storehouses.

I appointed as treasurers over the storehouses Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, with Hanan son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah to assist them, because they were considered trustworthy. They were responsible for the distribution to their colleagues.

Remember me for this, my God, and don't erase the deeds of faithful love I have done for the house of my God and for its services.” (Neh.13:10-14)

The people were too busy providing for their own comfort to give to God’s work. They were all about pleasing themselves rather than providing for ministry. Materialism had gripped their hearts. Covetousness had consumed them.

Did you hear about the nightmare a fellow had? He dreamed that God multiplied his offering by ten and expected him to live on it! That would be scary for some of us!

When we don’t give, the mission of the church to reach the world is not funded. When we aren’t faithful stewards, the ministries God has called us to will be hindered. When we aren’t generous, the facilities God has blessed us with to offer a witness to the world of life and strength, instead testify to illness and impotence.

Yet a third cause of neglect suggested is PROFIT WAS SUBSTITUTED FOR SERVICE.

“At that time I saw people in Judah treading wine presses on the Sabbath. They were also bringing in stores of grain and loading [them] on donkeys, along with wine, grapes, and figs. All kinds of goods were being brought to Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I warned [them] against selling food on that day.

The Tyrians living there were importing fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah in Jerusalem. I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them: ‘What is this evil you are doing-profaning the Sabbath day?

Didn't your ancestors do the same, so that our God brought all this disaster on us and on this city? And now you are rekindling [His] anger against Israel by profaning the Sabbath!

When shadows began to fall on the gates of Jerusalem just before the Sabbath, I gave orders that the gates be closed and not opened until after the Sabbath. I posted some of my men at the gates, so that no goods could enter during the Sabbath day. Once or twice the merchants and those who sell all kinds of goods camped outside Jerusalem, but I warned them, ‘Why are you camping in front of the wall? If you do it again, I'll use force against you.’ After that they did not come again on the Sabbath.

Then I instructed the Levites to purify themselves and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy.” (Neh.13:15-22)

It was more important to them to make a dollar than to worship their God. The Sabbath had just become another day.
Are we guilty of turning a holy day into a holiday? While it is true that we are no longer under the Jewish law to keep a Saturday Sabbath observance, the principle of setting aside one day in seven for worship and rest is older than the law of Moses, and is part of the rhythm of creation that God pronounced, “Good!”

In the New Testament, Sunday is “The Lord’s Day,” and is set aside for regular observance. It celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Who rose on the first day of the week. It is seen also in the New Testament as a day to set aside the offerings and to bring them as a token of our devotion of all our time, talent and treasure to the Lord. Every day is His day, but to set aside one day in particular is a reminder of this truth.

A fourth cause for neglect is witnessed: PASSION WAS SUBSTITUTED FOR SANCTIFICATION.

“In those days I also saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or [the language] of one of the other peoples but could not speak Hebrew. I rebuked them, cursed them, beat some of their men, and pulled out their hair. I forced them to take an oath before God and said: ‘You must not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters as wives for your sons or yourselves! Didn't King Solomon of Israel sin in matters like this? There was not a king like him among many nations. He was loved by his God and God made him king over all Israel, yet foreign women drew him into sin.

Why then should we hear about you doing all this terrible evil and acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?’

Even one of the sons of Jehoiada, son of Eliashib the high priest, had become a son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite. So I drove him away from me.

Remember them, my God, for defiling the priesthood as well as the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

So I purified them from everything foreign and assigned specific duties to each of the priests and Levites.

I also arranged for the donation of wood at the appointed times and for the firstfruits.

Remember me, my God, with favor.” (Neh.13:23-31)

The passions of their flesh and not the precepts of their Father were how they decided whom to marry. They were governed by sensuality and not Scripture. This is the way of the godless and not the will of God—and always leads to disaster.

It certainly did for Solomon. It would be no different for home life in Nehemiah’s day. Why do we think we can violate God’s plan and escape the same fate?

Let me be direct—if you as a child of God marry a child of the Devil, you get the Devil as a Father-in-law! There is no such thing as missionary dating! Happy marriages are made in heaven. This isn’t to say that physical attraction isn’t important, but remember that beauty is only skin deep—wickedness is all the way to the bone.

This leads me to note THE COST OF THIS NEGLECT. It cost a lot to do the right thing, but it costs much more to do the wrong thing. Four painful prices are paid.

OUR WALK IS DEFILED. Faithful fellowship with the saints can help you stay on the highway of holiness, but neglect of it can take you down the interstate of iniquity. I have often seen backsliding begin with erratic worship attendance. Before long this slackness leads to moral slippage and a soiled soul.

OUR WORK IS DENIED. We can’t do all the work that we need to do because the ministries of the church are not supported through our participation or with our possessions. God’s work should never have to cease because we are too consumed with self-interest. In Nehemiah’s day, the priests’ portion was being denied causing them to leave the Lord’s work and labor in their gardens to feed their family (v.10).

It wasn’t that manual labor was “beneath them,” but rather it distracted their attention and drained their energy from what God had called them to do. This is why a pastor ought to be paid.

Some think that a preacher is paid for his work, but rather he gets a paycheck to enable him to do his work. He works for God, not the congregation. He serves at the Lord’s pleasure for eternal reward and not material gain. What his salary does is enable him to be free from employment demands outside the ministry and he can meet his family obligations unfettered by concern. We partner with him as we provide for him and spiritually profit through him.

OUR WITNESS IS DAMAGED. The Sabbath was a special Jewish institution. It was a sacred day meant to testify to the Gentile world of their relationship with God. This was to arouse their curiosity and hopefully lead the pagans to conversion. The Jews were to be different to make a difference. When an unbelieving neighbor sees me walk out my door in my Sunday clothes, a Bible under my arm, and consistently drive week after week to the house of God, it is something they can’t ignore.

OUR WAY IS DARKENED. When the lights are turned off in the church house because of neglect, a nation is headed for darkness. Is it twilight in America? A spiritual darkness had engulfed Europe, and we are following the same disastrous course.

But, to end on a positive note, we see THE CORRECTION OF THIS NEGLECT. There are four course corrections that correspond to the causes of neglect.

We correct neglect by EXALTING RIGHTEOUSNESS.

“I was greatly displeased and threw all of Tobiah's household possessions out of the room.” (v.8)

Nehemiah took a stand for truth. He ended the compromise.

We correct neglect by EXACTING RESTITUTION.

“Therefore, I rebuked the officials, saying, ‘Why has the house of God been neglected?’ I gathered the Levites and singers together and stationed them at their posts. Then all Judah brought a tenth of the grain, new wine, and oil into the storehouses.” (v.11-12)

They settled their debt. They stopped robbing God. The Lord promises that our material generosity will bring spiritual prosperity (see Malachi 3:7-12).

We correct neglect by EXPERIENCING REVELATION.

“At that time the book of Moses was read publicly to the people. The command was found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, because they did not meet the Israelites with food and water. Instead, they hired Balaam against them to curse them, but our God turned the curse into a blessing.

When they heard the law, they separated all those of mixed descent from Israel.” (v.1-3)

They were reminded of the Word of God. Instead of lowering the standard to the level of their experience, they were called to raise the level of their experience to the standard of God’s revelation.

We correct neglect by EXHIBITING REPENTANCE.

“Even one of the sons of Jehoiada, son of Eliashib the high priest, had become a son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite. So I drove him away from me.

Remember them, my God, for defiling the priesthood as well as the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

So I purified them from everything foreign and assigned specific duties to each of the priests and Levites.

I also arranged for the donation of wood at the appointed times and for the firstfruits.

Remember me, my God, with favor.” (v.28-31)

They moved beyond talk to action. We might call them extreme. The fact is that if you have cancer, you want it cut out, no matter how drastic the surgery—and sin is such a malignant thing. What Nehemiah did so forcefully is not any different than what Jesus did to the moneychangers in the Temple.
If we neglect the house of God, then God will neglect us. If we remember our duty then God will remember us with delight.

Make Nehemiah’s passion yours, “Remember me, my God, with favor.” (v.31)