Don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. (James 1:22)
In Nehemiah 13:10–14, Nehemiah faced a problem I’ll call the problem of financial fiasco. I like the way verse 10 begins: “I also discovered.” That tells me that he was looking. A leader keeps his eyes open! Nehemiah discovered something that was wrong:
The portions of the Levites had not been given to them, so that the Levites and the singers who performed the service had gone away, each to his own field. (Nehemiah 13:10 NASB)
In those days, people who served in the temple were called Levites and drew their living from the temple. People who sang there were supported by the people who attended. Worshipers brought offerings of meat and produce from their farms, part of which was given to sustain the temple workers. But Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem and found that the singers and the Levites had to return to their farming in order to eat.
Take note of Nehemiah’s response:
I reprimanded the officials and said, “Why has the house of God been neglected?” Then I gathered them together and stationed them at their posts. (13:11 NASB)
I strongly suspect that Nehemiah raised his voice in this verbal rebuke to the officials. Then he devised a plan for change and immediately put it into operation.
Finally, he prayed:
Remember me for this, my God, and do not wipe out my loyal deeds which I have performed for the house of my God and its services. (13:14 NASB)
I firmly believe in the importance of prayer. Sometimes a prayer is the only appropriate response to certain problems. And then there are situations in which prayer can become a cop-out. When direct disobedience has caused problems, a prayer of repentance is a fine beginning, but only a beginning. Obedience is needed. And that calls for action!
There are times when we traffic in the realm of wrong. When this occurs, God does not expect His child merely to fall to his knees and offer long confessions or petitions. He says in effect, “Get off your knees and go about the business of correcting the wrong.” This is what I find in the story of Nehemiah. And it is applicable for today. It’s all part of taking problems by the throat.
