So I purified the priests and the Levites of everything foreign, and assigned them duties, each to his own task

Nehemaish 13:15-31

In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, together with wine, grapes, figs and all other kinds of loads. And they were bringing all this into Jerusalem on the Sabbath. Therefore I warned them against selling food on that day.

 I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this wicked thing you are doing—desecrating the Sabbath day? Didn’t your ancestors do the same things, so that our God brought all this calamity on us and on this city? Now you are stirring up more wrath against Israel by desecrating the Sabbath.”

When evening shadows fell on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered the doors to be shut and not opened until the Sabbath was over. I stationed some of my own men at the gates so that no load could be brought in on the Sabbath day. Once or twice the merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside Jerusalem.  But I warned them and said, “Why do you spend the night by the wall? If you do this again, I will arrest you.” From that time on they no longer came on the Sabbath. Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and go and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy.

Remember me for this also, my God, and show mercy to me according to your great love.

Moreover, in those days I saw men of Judah who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab. 

Was it not because of marriages like these that Solomon king of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no king like him. He was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel, but even he was led into sin by foreign women. Must we hear now that you too are doing all this terrible wickedness and are being unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women?”

One of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite. And I drove him away from me.

Remember them, my God, because they defiled the priestly office and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.  So I purified the priests and the Levites of everything foreign, and assigned them duties, each to his own task. 

Why?

Purifying ourselves before the Lord is an important thing. Keep us away from unbelieved marriage, keep the Sunday worship in the church.

Nehemiah let us learn following session, 1)we work has a clear target 2)Plank to do everything, 3)No excuses before others, 4)Always pray to the Lord

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出自申命記，亞捫人和摩押人不可進入神的殿，祭司以利亞實與多比雅結親。第10章他們曾經起誓守約而且簽名。大祭司以利亞實的孫子和外族通婚，猶大的貴冑賣東西，未守安息日，十一奉獻沒有做到等4件事要處理。當時帶頭的首領做這些惡事。

我就斥責官長說：為何離棄神的殿呢？我便招聚利未人，使他們照舊供職。因為生活出問題回去耕種田地。

違反安息日是猶大的貴冑，這些都是棘手的事，他都向神禱告，求神憐憫！因為做這些事都有危險，可能會受到攻擊。只是單單討神的喜悅，不是討人的喜悅！執行公義和律法。

祭司帶頭行惡，有利可圖，於是有樣學樣！異族聯婚影響到十一奉獻，屬靈光景走下坡，猶大人的信仰。異族聯婚影響到十一奉獻，主日敬拜。路得、拉合則是已經信主的，情況不同。

我們也要禱告：我的神啊，求你因這事記念我，不要塗抹我為神的殿與其中的禮節所行的善

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How?

Separate us from this world for we are sons of the Lord!