The Reformations Of Nehemiah

By

Prophet Hananiah,

Prophet Mishael

And

Prophet Azariah

Return And Observations

Hananiah: After Nehemiah returned, he kept quiet and silent, and studied the people. God put the spirit of observation in him. He observed everywhere, and knew the weak points. It was the spirit of God that was doing so.

Head: And he started reformations.

Hananiah: Yes!

The Problem Of Foreign Wives

Hananiah: Even so were the people of Jerusalem, until Nehemiah came in and saw that some Israelites came back with the wives they married from various nations of the world. And Nehemiah ordered them to return those wives and their children back to their various countries. He ordered the Israelites, saying, “Separate yourselves!” and the Israelites in Jerusalem obeyed. They did cleansing operation and rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem.

War Till Completion

Hananiah: While they were still building the walls, war broke out.

Head: We read that as the Israelites were building the walls, each person held his sword with one hand. The Israelites rebuilt the walls, until they completed it.

Replacement Of Gate

Hananiah: After rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, the old gate was removed, and a new gate was installed. And the Israelites praised the work, saying, “It is now that Jerusalem is the most beautiful!”

Closure Of The Gates

Hananiah: And Nehemiah ordered that every Sabbath Eve, the gate should be closed. No free entry and no free exit. And he issued warning to all the leaders, who brought goods into Jerusalem on the Sabbath Day, saying,

“Once it is 4:00pm on the Sabbath Eve,

on the Sixthday,

let nobody bring in any goods into Jerusalem,

until the Sabbath is over.

Once you see the gate closed,

do not knock at all.”

Oppositions And Manipulations

Hananiah: Son of man, and the people waged war against Nehemiah. Some were saying, “Who is Nehemiah?” They attacked him with underground manipulations.

Hananiah: Humanity do not know this.

Hananiah: Hmmm! Son of man, even the Israelites were among those manipulating against Nehemiah, because they did not agree to what Nehemiah said. The reason was because their wives from the various nations were encouraging them to go and fight against Nehemiah. The wives said,

“Who is that man?

What is this Sabbath he is nonsensically talking about?

(na akọgheeli)

Instead of our doing business?

Do you not see that we have just returned from exile?

We need to do business,

to become a strong nation and a fortified city!

But this man said, it is what?

Sabbath?!”

They opposed Nehemiah and tried to bring him down, but God did not allow them.

The Book Of Lamentation

Hananiah: The same thing they did to Prophet Jeremiah. Their plan was to strike down Jeremiah, to strike him, to strike him and to strike him down. That was before and why Prophet Jeremiah wrote The Book Of Lamentation.

Head: So, Jeremiah wrote The Book Of Lamentation because of many things going wrong in Israel, against the will of God. he was regretting that the people of God were going out of line – were not doing what they supposed to be doing; no longer abiding in the everlasting Paths Of Righteousness and Covenant System Of Worship.

Hananiah: Yes!

Head: Okay e e!

Hananiah: He was showing the Israelites that the various Saints God sent to them, the Israelites were manipulating against the Saints. And that later, God would turn round and work against the Israelites.

Help From Jeremiah

Hananiah: It was through the help of Jeremiah that Nehemiah know what to do.

With the help of Jeremiah, and his secretary, Baruch, they told Nehemiah what to do.

Have you seen it?

That was how Nehemiah succeeded because experience is the best teacher.

Death Penalty

Hananiah: And Nehemiah did not relent. And he gave an order, saying, “Any person who shall break the Sabbath shall be killed!” And God put power and glory in him and made King Cyrus to support him.

Good And Bad Reports

Hananiah: King Cyrus heard reports that Nehemiah was the person making Jerusalem to go backwards. One group would come and said, “Nehemiah is doing very well. God is using him to do good work in Jerusalem.”

Another group would come and complain to King Cyrus,

“Why do you leave Nehemiah?

If you see the evils that he is committing.

Drive him out or kill him.”

Prayer And Visit Of King Cyrus

Hananiah: Until King Cyrus prayed and God showed him the good works which Nehemiah was doing. And King Cyrus had to travel from Babylon to Jerusalem. He looked, observed, that it was Nehemiah that had the Holy Spirit which himself was seeking for. And the King Cyrus said,

“All the people who refuse to listen to Nehemiah

are not listening to me.

Therefore, the Babylonians will eliminate such people.”

Victory

Hananiah: And God exalted Nehemiah, so that the will of God could be done. That was why every Sabbath Eve, the gate of Jerusalem was closed, until the Sabbath was over.

Head: Even so it should be in all places.

Hananiah: The whole of Jerusalem, no free entry, and no free exit, on the Sabbath day!

The Levites Resume Their Duties

Hananiah: That was not the end. And Nehemiah said, “Any person, who is a Levite, resign from the works outside the Temple.” And he called Levites together and gave their duties to them.

Compulsory Tithes

Hananiah: And Nehemiah commanded the Israelites to bring their tithes, gifts, offerings and burnt sacrifices, and all the things necessary in the house of God. He said,

“The work of the Levites is not the worldly works which they have joined the other Israelites in doing foolishly, (na emegheli). You Israelites must surely bring the tithes, gifts and offerings before God. Any person who failed to bring his tithes shall be fined, penalized.”

And they numbered and registered everybody’s name in the book. When a person brought tithe, he said his tribe, his father’s name and what he brought as tithe. Everybody joined in doing so.

Problems Of Foreign Wives And Children

Hananiah: And Nehemiah saw that what was deceiving the Israelites were the many children they begot by their foreign wives and their various idols. He discovered that the foreign wives and their children came into Israel with various idols. Every morning, people were at various shrines, places and corners, saying this or that incantations, speaking in various languages. And afterwards, after doing all those things, they come with all these into the Temple.

Enlightenment In The Word Of God

Hananiah: And Nehemiah, through the help of Ezra, taught the Israelites what the word of God wanted them to know and do. The Israelites have to separate themselves from their foreign wives and children. The separation, divorce, was started by God Himself, and not by an ordinary human being. It was God the Father that made them divorce their foreign wives.

Battle And Curses

Hananiah: And there was battle again, against Nehemiah. The Israelites were declaring various curses on him, but none was effective. They were raising sands in incantations against Nehemiah, making declarations against him, but God was nullifying all the curses and abuses.

Son of man, some of the Israelites did not like to leave their wives. Some were silently watching to see if the order would be effective and steadfast or not. They were looking for opportunities to attack Nehemiah. Waiting for any person to say that he did not understood what Nehemiah was doing or saying, so that all of them would fall upon Nehemiah, attack and beat him. but God did not allow them.

The Four Great Achievements Of Nehemiah

Hananiah: That makes it four things which Nehemiah did.

Head: Thanks be to God.