So I rebuked the officials and asked, “Why has the house of God been neglected?” Then I gathered the Levites and singers together and stationed them at their posts,Then I contended with the rulers, and said, “Why is God’s house forsaken?” I gathered them together, and set them in their place.Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place.Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place.
3 sermons cite this verse
… And then I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, preparing for him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. And I was very angry. And I threw all the household furniture of Tobiah out of the chamber, which is kind of awesome if you ask me. Verse 10, I also found out that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them. So I confronted the officials and I said, why is the house of God forsaken? Verse 14, remember me, oh my God, concerning this. And do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for his service. In those days, I saw in Judah people treading wine presses on the Sabbath. Then I confronted the nobles of Judah and I said to them, what is this evil thing that you were doing? Profaning the Sabbath day, did not our fathers act in this very way? And for that very reason, did not our God bring all of this disaster on us and on this city? …
… not been given to them, so that the Levites and the singers who did the work had fled each to his field. So I confronted the officials, and I said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together and set them in their stations. Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, the wine, and the oil into the storehouses, and I appointed as treasurers over the storehouses Shalamiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, Padaiah of the Levites, and as their assistant Hanan the son of Zechur, son of Mataniah. For they were considered reliable, and their duty was to distribute to their brothers. 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 his service. In those days I saw in Judah people treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain, and loading them on donkeys, and also wine, grapes, figs, all kinds of loads, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them on the day when they sold food. Tyrians also who lived in the city brought in fish and all kinds of goods and sold them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah in Jerusalem itself. Then I confronted the nobles of Judah and said to them, What is this evil thing that you're doing, profaning the Sabbath day? Did not your fathers act in this way? And did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? …
They're not supporting the work of God anymore. So I contended with the rulers and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? I gathered them together and set them in their place. Now they had focused on the city. but they have not focused on the sanctuary. At one time they did. They're still focused on the city, the secular, but not the sacred, not the sanctuary. And so Nehemiah says, you know, you made a commitment back in chapter 10. He didn't say chapter 10 because it wasn't a chapter then, but I'm saying that. And they did. They made a commitment. We're going to support the priests, the Levites, the singers, etc. But they become lax in that. The priests have to go back to their secular job. He rectifies that in verse 14. Remember me, he prays, oh 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. In those days, I saw in Judah some people treading wine presses on the Sabbath and bringing in sheaves and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on Shabbat, on the Sabbath day. …