Introduction
In this session, we focus on Nehemiah 13:1-14, including the details of his return to Jerusalem to address the Israelites’ backsliding and his bold, corrective reforms. After a period of absence, Nehemiah returns to find the people slipping back into old patterns of spiritual compromise. He discovers that the High Priest, Eliashib, has given Tobiah (a pagan enemy of God) a room inside the Temple, and that the Levites have abandoned their posts because the people stopped supporting them financially.
Objectives
By the end of this session, the learner will have:
- identified the “Tobiahs” we permit into our spiritual lives and
- assessed our dedication to supporting the church community.
- Understood that the Levites abandoned their posts because the people stopped supporting them financially.
- Appreciated that Nehemiah returned a second time to Jerusalem to cleanse it of compromise
Outline
- Tobias was given a space in the temple
- Levites abandoned ministry due to lack of support
- Nehemiah returns a second time
Group Study Time
Nehemiah 13: 1-14
Connecting
- Gather with two or more people for a community discovery bible study session.
- Start with a heartfelt prayer, inviting God to guide and bless your understanding.
- Explore the passage by reading it at least twice, using different Bible versions if available, then retell the story together as a group.
- Reflect and share the challenges and blessings you experienced from the previous study.
Comprehending
- Read Nehemiah 13:1-9. What does it reveal about foreigners allowed in the temple? Why do you think Tobiah, the enemy of the Jews, was permitted in the temple? Why do you believe the Israelites reverted to sin so quickly after the great revival in previous chapters?
- How can we unknowingly permit ungodly influences (modern-day “Tobiahs”) into our lives or the church?
- Read Nehemiah 13:10-14. What does it say about the Levites not receiving their support? What reform did Nehemiah establish? How are failing to financially support God’s house and neglecting spiritual duties connected?
- How do Nehemiah’s bold, decisive actions challenge your perspective on how we should handle sin?
Committing
- Engage with the Bible—read, study, memorize, meditate, pray, listen, and live it out.
- List three lessons you have learnt as an agent of change that you would like to put into practice and teach others about.
- Take time and worship Jesus with the attributes revealed about Christ.
- Use the SPACEPETS model, to assist you in putting God’s word into practice. Look for:
- Sin to confess
- Promise to claim
- Attitude to change
- Command to keep
- Error to change
- Prayer to make
- Example to copy
- Truth to obey and
- Something praiseworthy
Communicating
- Identify one person you can connect with and share the valuable insights and lessons you gained from this session.
- Reach out to a new believer—either in person or by phone—and pray with them to support them through their challenges, including any concerns about attending church.
- Create a new group and guide others through this study to help them grow in their understanding.