Daily Encouragementنموونە

Leaders who, like Nehemiah, encourage God’s people must be prepared to rebuke them if needs be. This is true in every age. “Correct, rebuke and encourage,” says Paul to Timothy (2 Tim. 4:2).

It is interesting to notice in this passage the areas which called for rebuke, the failures which resulted in neglect of the house of God:

People who had no right were being given a place in the Lord’s house: “I learned about the evil thing Eliashib had done in providing Tobiah a room in the courts of the house of God” (Neh. 13:7).

There had been a lapse in giving: “the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them” (Neh. 13:10).

The Lord’s Day was not being respected: “What is this wicked thing you are doing - desecrating the Sabbath day?” (Neh. 13:17).

There was marriage with unbelievers: “you . . . are being unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women” (Neh. 13:17).

These causes of the neglect of the house of God are remarkably similar to those which can be observed in our day.

Rebuking is lonely work. Nehemiah’s thrice repeated prayer, “Remember me” (Neh. 13:14,22,30), was a call for encouragement from God. The Lord in his great love knows how to answer such prayers.