Nehemiah 13:19-22- Helping others to honor God

In Nehemiah 13:15-18 we learned how the people of God who had returned from exile violated the Sabbath.  The farmers not only worked to produce wine, but some of them also hauled their grapes and figs to the market and sell them. They also allowed the foreigners from Tyre to conduct their business in Jerusalem. Nehemiah was said to have admonished and reprimanded them. Verses 19-22 then went on to describe the decisive action he took to stop trading activity in Jerusalem on the Sabbath.

Then in verses 19-22. He took some decisive actions to ensure to prevent trading on the Sabbath. He ordered that the gate of the city of Jerusalem be closed before dark before the start of the Sabbath. It would remain shut and be opened only after the Sabbath. In this way, foreign traders could not come in and out of Jerusalem with to sell their goods. He even stationed his own servants  to guard the gate to ensure that no goods could not be brought into Jerusalem. Verse 20 said that  “Once or twice the traders and merchants of every kind of merchandise spent the night outside Jerusalem.” So he warned them not to do so or he would be compelled to use force to stop them. Since then they did not do it again during Sabbath. Nehemiah also appointed Levites to be gatekeepers so that the holy day would be properly observed and sanctified. He then prayed that God would see what had been done and have compassion on them.  

More than just about ensuring the observation of the Sabbath, the passage shows us the kind of person Nehemiah was. He was one who took decisive action to ensure that the  instruction of God was not violated. He would take action to close any gap that would allow the people to dishonor God. At every step of the way, he would say a short prayer indicating his deeply he respects God and wants and want only to please Him.   This is the kind of person we each must be, not only must we seek to live for God but also encourage others to live for Him.