13:1 This statement is in Deuteronomy 23:3-5.
13:3 “All the mixed multitude” refers to the Ammonites and Moabites, two nations who were bitter enemies of Israel (13:1). God’s law clearly stated that these two peoples should never be allowed in the Temple (Deuteronomy 23:3-5). This had nothing to do with racial prejudice because God clearly loved all people, including foreigners (Deuteronomy 10:18). He allowed foreigners to make sacrifices (Numbers 15:15, 16), and he desires all nations to know and love him (Isaiah 42:6). But while God wants all to come to him, he warns believers to stay away from those bent on evil (Proverbs 24:1). In their celebration and rededication, they had to show they were serious about following God’s law.
13:6, 7 Nehemiah had to return to Babylon in 433 B.C., 12 years after he had arrived in Jerusalem. Either he was recalled by Artaxerxes, or he was fulfilling an agreement to return. It is not known exactly how long he remained in Babylon, but when he returned to Jerusalem (13:7), he found that one of his major opponents in rebuilding the wall, Tobiah, had been given his own room at the Temple. He was an Ammonite (4:3) and thus forbidden to enter the Temple. Eliashib the priest had married Tobiah’s daughter, so Tobiah used his influence with his son-in-law to get this special room. Chapters 2, 4, and 6 tell about Tobiah’s opposition to Nehemiah and Nehemiah’s appropriate action.
13:10 Because the Levites were no longer supported, they had returned to their farms to support themselves, neglecting their Temple duties and the spiritual welfare of the people. Spiritual workers deserve their pay, and their support ought to be enough to care for their needs. They shouldn’t have to suffer (or leave) because believers don’t adequately assess and meet their needs.
13:16 Tyre was a large Phoenician city and port on the Mediterranean Sea.
13:17 God had commanded Israel not to work on the Sabbath, but to rest in remembrance of Creation and the Exodus (Exodus 20:8-11; Deuteronomy 5:12-15). The Sabbath rest, lasting from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday, was to be honored and observed by all Jews, servants, visiting foreigners, and even farm animals. Jerusalem’s busy Sabbath trade directly violated God’s law, so Nehemiah commanded that the city gates be shut and traders be sent home every Friday afternoon as the Sabbath hours approached.
13:24 Ashdod was on the Mediterranean coast, in the region controlled by the Philistines. Ammon and Moab were across the Jordan to the east. These nations were abhorrent to those who knew Israel’s history.
13:25 Nehemiah was filled with righteous indignation at the blatant way the Jews were breaking God’s laws and disregarding the covenant they had previously reaffirmed (10:30). The people had promised not to allow their children to marry pagans. But during Nehemiah’s absence, the people had been intermarrying, breaking their solemn promise with God. Nehemiah’s severe treatment of these people shows the contrast between his great faithfulness to God and the people’s neglect, disobedience, and disloyalty (see also Ezra 10:3).
13:26 Nehemiah used the example of Solomon’s mistakes to teach his people. If one of the greatest kings of Israel fell because of the influence of unbelievers, others could too. Nehemiah saw this principle in Solomon’s example: Your gifts and strengths won’t be of much benefit if you fail to deal with your weaknesses. A tendency to sin must be recognized and dealt with swiftly; otherwise, it may overpower you and bring you down. One of the strongest reasons for reading the Bible is to learn from the mistakes of God’s people.
13:31 Nehemiah’s life story provides many principles of effective leadership that are still valid today: (1) Have a clear purpose and keep evaluating it in light of God’s will. Nothing prevented Nehemiah from staying on track. (2) Be straightforward and honest. Everyone knew exactly what Nehemiah needed, and he spoke the truth even when it made his goal harder to achieve. (3) Live above reproach. The accusations against Nehemiah were empty and false. (4) Be a person of constant prayer, deriving power and wisdom from your contact with God. Everything Nehemiah did glorified God.
Leadership appears glamorous at times, but it is often lonely, thankless, and filled with pressures to compromise values and standards. Nehemiah was able to accomplish a huge task against incredible odds because he learned that there is no success without risk of failure, no reward without hard work, no opportunity without criticism, and no true leadership without trust in God. This book is about rebuilding the wall of a great city, but it is also about spiritual renewal, rebuilding a people’s dependence on God. When we take our eyes off God, our lives begin to crumble.