MPC, 11th June 2000.Nehemiah 5-7 - Who's a True Blue Jew?
Phil Campbell MPC, 11th June 2000.
There's an old saying that says "You shouldn't judge a book by its cover." And it's true, isn't it?
I hope they're not going to sue me for saying this, but I reckon that's a lesson I learn every time I buy something from CRAZY CLARK'S. Or one of those other bargain shops that are all round the place these days.
You go in there, and there's miles and miles of great looking stuff. And half the price you'd pay anywhere else. Looks terrific. And sometimes it is.
The only trouble is, most of the time it isn't. Most of the time you end up with something that LOOKS THE PART ON THE OUTSIDE. But only lasts five minutes. So you're looking for a screwdriver. And there it is. Nice green plastic handle, shiny blade - and it's a bargain. Half the price of the Stanley Screwdriver at the Hardware shop. So you buy it and you take it home.
And the second screw you try to turn, what happens? The tip of the screwdriver turns instead of the screw. It's a cheap screwdriver cause it hasn't been case hardened. And as soon as it happens you say to yourself, no wonder they call it CRAZY CLARK'S. I must have been CRAZY to buy it. I should have got a REAL screwdriver, instead of something that just LOOKS LIKE ONE on the outside.
See, it's no good just looking the part, is it. The reality's got to go further. It's no good just looking good on the outside if it doesn't go any further than skin deep.
And that's the issue Nehemiah's up against with the Israelites in the passage we're looking at today. The question is, what does it mean to be the people of God? What does it mean to be an Israelite? What does it take to be a TRUE BLUE JEW?
And the answer is, it's got to be something that goes a lot further than skin deep.
REVIEW
Now if you were here last week, you'll know it's a big issue. Because we're looking at a time in history when the Israelites were trying to re-settle Jerusalem. The story is, they've been unfaithful to God, they've been kicked out of the promised land, they've been deported in bulk to Babylon. And now, after 70 years, they're coming back. Jerusalem's in the same sort of shape as DILI is today. And so they've started rebuilding. Most importantly, with the wall.
Nehemiah's their leader. And last week we saw how they all got together and worked at it. Rebuilding the ruined walls of Jerusalem in spite of the mocking of their enemies. They keep at it. Because they're trusting in the promises of God. The promise that if they TRULY repent, if they turn back to God with all their hearts, he'd bring them back to the land he promised Abraham.
And here they are. By the middle of chapter 4 where we left things last week, the wall's up to half it's height.
SUMMARY...
So far, Sanballat and Tobiah, they're the bad guys, so far they've just been taunting. Throwing insults. Verbal intimidation. But now things are getting hotter. And they're planning an armed attack. Which is serious.
But there's something worse than that. And you see it in chapter 5. It's one thing to have enemies on the outside. But it's FAR WORSE... having enemies on the inside. And as you read chapter 5 you see the story. There's a famine. And the rich Jews taking advantage of the poor ones. Who have to mortgage their homes to buy food. Who have to sell their sons and daughters into slavery so they can even survive. It's a terrible situation. And all the while the rich Jews are getting richer. And the wall builders starve.
We'll have a closer look at it in a few minutes. Nehemiah sorts them out.
And then in chapter 6 it's time for more trouble. Trouble from the OUTSIDE again.
And you'll see in verse 1 of chapter 6 Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arab try to set a trap. Nehemiah knows what they're up to; have a look at verse 9. "They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, "Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed." But I prayed, says Nehemiah, "Now strengthen my hands."
And in spite of false prophets, in spite of traps, in spite of traitors, by the end of 52 days the wall's finished. Verse 15 of chapter 6. "So the wall was completed on the 25th of Elul in fifty two days. When all our enemies heard about this and all the surrounding nations saw it, our enemies lost their self confidence, because they reaslied... that this work had been done with the help of our God!"
The walls of Jerusalem are finally finished. But here's the interesting point. City Walls are designed to keep some people in. And some people out. And the city walls of Jerusalem were meant to mark out a boundary. And here's the big question. When it comes to the boundaries of the city of God, when it comes to the gates of Jerusalem, who qualifies to come in? And who do you want to keep out?
Who's the true blue Jew?
FIRST STEP
Well, the first step back in those days was you had to have the right pedigree. That was important. God promised the land to Abraham and to Abraham's descendants. And if weren't a descendant of Abraham, you didn't count.
You can see that if you have a quick look at chapter 7. It's a census. A list of all the families who have come back to Israel. It starts in verse 6. "These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon had taken captive." Here are the people who came back. And it lists them. In detail.
Every family seems to have someone who's a family tree fanatic. I had an aunt like that. And I tell you, we used to stay out of her way. Because all she'd ever talk about was how this one was related to that one, and how great grandmother's sister married great uncles brother in 1897. For some people, that stuff's absolutely fascinating. For the rest of us, it's was about as exciting as a three hour slide show. And it's a bit like that with chapter 7.
But I want you to notice two verses in particular. Verse 61. And verse 64. Because back then, your family tree was the most important thing you could ever have. Your pedigree was sort of like your passport.
And in Verse 61 and 62, it's the story of 642 people who didn't have the right papers.
"The following came up from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer, but they couldn't show that their families were descended from Israel." Wait a minute guys. What do you think you're DONIG... I mean, just have a look at their names. It's the family of Delaiah. The traitors back in chapter 6 who tried to make Nehemiah run away. And the family of TOBIAH. The sworn enemy of Israel. Trying to sneak in the back door.
You can't be too careful. Slightly different in verses 63 and 64. This family of priests. It says in verse 64 that they searched for their family records everywhere. But they couldn't find them. Gee, you think it's bad when you can't find your car keys. These guys can't find their family papers, so they're excluded from the priesthood, it says, as unclean.
To be fair dinkum Jews, you had to have the right family tree. Descendants of Abraham. The true inheritors of the promises of God.
But that's not all. Because in the end, being a true jew means more than just being one on the outside. It means more than just having the right sort of ancestors. That was important. But there's something else that has to go with it.
LIVING LIKE THE PEOPLE OF GOD - Chapter 5
And that's the REAL issue that was facing Nehemiah back in chapter 5. It's not just an on the surface sort of problem. The real problem, what happens if these people of God WON'T LIVE LIKE THE PEOPLE OF GOD?
Turn back to chapter 5 and have a closer look. And you'll see what's happening. Like we saw before, there's a famine. And the rich Jewish nobles and officials are ripping off the workers. There's a huge outcry, and Nehemiah's furious with them. And you can see what Nehemiah says to them in verse 7. He says, "I pondered them in my mind, then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, "You are exacting Usury from your own countrymen."
Usury is UNFAIR INTEREST. Usury is taking advantage of someone else's situation. And profiting from it. And most important of all, if you have a look back at God's covenant, the rules the people of Israel were meant to be living by, the rules that made them different to everyone else, guess what you find. Exodus Chapter 22. USURY is absolutely forbidden. Absolutely clear in black and white. And here are these Jewish leaders who are doing it anyway. Carried away by their own greed.
And Nehemiah can't get over it. I mean, they're struggling to get re-established after 70 years as slaves to the gentile Babylonians. And now their doing the same thing to one another. He says "We've just bought back our Jewish brothers who were sold to the Gentiles. And now you're selling them all over again."
And they're speechless.
So he goes on. Verse 9. "What you're doing is not right! Shouldn't you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our gentile enemies?"
I mean, it's a matter of respecting GOD. Because they're doing exactly what God said not to. And not only that, they're wide open for reproach from the gentiles. Because they can see the way the so called people of God are ripping one another off. And even WORSE THAN THAT. Remember what we saw last week. There's the question hanging right through the book of Nehemiah... because God said, coming home, the whole deal... it hinged on whether the people of Israel were going to REALLY REPENT. From the heart.
So Nehemiah goes on to set things right. And he makes them promise to give everything back, and cancel the interest. Which they do.
And have a look what he says in verse 13. They've taken an oath. And Nehemiah says this. He shakes out the folds of his robe. And he says, "In this way may God shake out of his house and possessions every man who does not keep this promise. So may such a man be shaken out and emptied."
He says, there's NO ROOM HERE for people who are going to ignore the covenant with God. There's no room here for people who are going to treat their brothers like you have been. He says, you're acting worse than the gentiles. And it's got to stop.
And not only that, to SET AN EXAMPLE. By lending his corn without any interest. By making a point of not profiting from the situation himself. And he doesn't even take his salary as governor. Because, he says, the demands on the people were heavy enough already.
See, the point is, having Jewish blood in your veins isn't enough. The people of God have got to live like the people of God. And I guess in the end it's the same with us. The way they're going on is bringing the name of God into total disrepute. In fact, in the end it's exactly what brought Israel UNDONE.
And yet too often it's the same with us, isn't it? Public scandals involving Christians. Over and over again. Hanse Cronje. High profile Christian. High profile BRIBE TAKEN. And people love it. And they sit back and wait for the next one. We need to remember; everything we do, it's got the potential to either bring honour to God. Or reproach. Cause people are just waiting to say, "Ah, those Christians, they're just hypocrites. There's nothing in it. It's all just a sham."
People are WATCHING the way you live. So let them see the fruit of the spirit. Compassion. And generousity. And integrity. Instead of selfishness. And greed.
That's the point, isn't it? And it's the point Nehemiah wants to make as well. He calls it FEARING GOD. Respecting God enough to actually LIVE LIKE IT. Holding God in AWE, so you think about what HE'S GOING TO THINK about what you're doing.
It's a term he uses in verse 9; because that's their problem. You can't be the PEOPLE OF GOD unless you FEAR GOD. And that's what he says; "Shouldn't you walk in the FEAR OF GOD." And take notice of what he says?
And the same thing down in verse 15. Other rulers throw their weight around. Other rulers lived it up and lorded it over the people. But what's Nehemiah say in verse 15? He says, "Out of reverence for God, I didn't act like that. Instead, I devoted myself to work on the wall."
And it's the same when you turn over to the start of chapter 7. The walls are finished. And Nehemiah's looking for someone to guard the gates. And who does he choose? Verse 2. I put in charge my brother Hanani; we met him right back in chapter 1; along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, BECAUSE HE WAS A MAN OF INTEGRITY AND FEARED GOD MORE THAN MOST MEN DO."
We're not talking about a quivering sort of fear here. Not trembling in terror. When the bible talks about the FEAR OF GOD, it's talking about the sort of respect for God's holiness that leads you to a life of integrity. And that's Hananiah. The perfect man for the job. And, you'll notice, among the Israelites he's a rare breed.
And that's the whole problem. Nehemiah's finished his wall. But the trouble is, the enemy is just as much inside as outside. The problem isn't just the guys like Sanballat and Tobiah who are cursing and plotting on the outside. It's the Jews who look Jewish when you check out the family tree; but they're not interested in honouring God.
And like I said, eventually, that's what spells the END for the Israelites. And the start of something new.
John the Baptist, hundreds of years later; face to face with the LEADERS of the Jews. The religious experts. The Pharisees and the Sadducees. And as he calls Israel TO REALLY REPENT, hear what he says... it's in Matthew chapter 3. "When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce FRUIT in keeping with repentance. 9 And don't think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham." He says, "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit... and with fire."
See, the trouble with the true blue Jews was that there were far too few. So it was time for something new. They had their law. But they wouldn't keep it. They did their repenting. But it was only PRETEND. And so God sent Jesus; who deals with our sinful rebellion by DYING FOR IT. In a much bigger version of the sort of sacrifice Nehemiah made... on behalf of his people. And then BAPTISES WITH HIS SPIRIT. Changes our hearts. So that whether you're born Jewish or not doesn't matter any more. And your righteousness, it won't come from taking on the Old Testament law; but through faith in Jesus Christ... to ALL WHO BELIEVE.
Nothing to do with building walls any more. But there's still one thing that's exactly the same. And that it, the sort of people God's looking for to make up his kingdom. Not religious people with a good pedigree. He can make those out of rocks. They're a dime a dozen. And yet there are still people who reckon that's all they need. Like being brought up Presbyterian. Being baptised when you're a baby. Going to church.
Which isn't what it's about. God a people who are RIGHTEOUS RIGHT TO THE HEART. Who honour Him in the way they live. And the way to that righteousness is to TRUST JESUS WITH ALL YOUR HEART. And let him change you from the inside. Baptised by the Spirit. Which was always the promise. So that there's actually a CHANGE in the way we TREAT ONE ANOTHER as Christians. The way you treat your HUSBAND or your WIFE or your FAMILY. The way we resist the sort of temptations that pop up in front of us. Cause people are watching. Our INTEGRITY at work. Because people are watching. To see what the REAL people of God look like.
Can you do that? You want to say, it's too hard. But what Jesus says, is with MY SPIRIT AT WORK, it's NOT TOO HARD AT ALL. So surprise people with your honesty. With your concern. With your love. You go into Crazy Clint's, and everything looks okay on the OUTSIDE. But we're meant to be different all the way through. Because that's the sort of people the people of God were always meant to be.