The Levites in the Fields
Read Nehemiah 13:10–14. What is Nehemiah seeking to remedy here?
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The singers, gatekeepers, and other temple servants had to go back
to working in their own fields in order to feed their families, because
the work for God was not being supported. The whole tithes-and-
offerings system that was so painstakingly established now lay in ruins.
Nehemiah had to start over. The act of throwing everything out of the
room shows desperation.
“Not only had the temple been profaned, but the offerings had been
misapplied. This had tended to discourage the liberalities of the people.
They had lost their zeal and fervor, and were reluctant to pay their
tithes. The treasuries of the Lord’s house were poorly supplied; many
of the singers and others employed in the temple service, not receiving
sufficient support, had left the work of God to labor elsewhere.”—Ellen
G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 670.
It is fascinating to see that all of Judah came together again and
rebuilt what had been destroyed. The people were on Nehemiah’s
side against Tobiah and Eliashib, because they must have realized
that Nehemiah did everything he could for the benefit of the people.
Additionally, Nehemiah entrusted the temple grounds overseers’ posi-
tions to men whom he considered faithful and trustworthy. They were
given the task of collecting tithes and offerings, making sure the goods
were stored properly, and distributing the resources to the appropriate
parties. In other words, Nehemiah came in and uprooted the corrupt
system of leadership seemingly in one fell swoop.
Although Nehemiah appointed faithful men over the organization of
the temple, the corrupt high priest, Eliashib, did not lose his position,
because it was handed down through Aaron’s descent. His work in the
temple might have been crippled by Nehemiah’s measures of appoint-
ing others over some of the high priest’s responsibilities, but he was
still the high priest.
Nehemiah had prayed, “Remember me, O my God, concerning
this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the
house of my God, and for its services!” (Neh. 13:14, NKJV). What
was so human about that prayer?
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