"Casual" means relaxed and unconcerned. We’re familiar with “casual Fridays”. Casual has its place but it also can be a dangerous disposition for an electrician or if we become casual about a relationship that relationship begins to suffer. "Casualty" has “casual” in it and it speaks of the loss of life. Jesus came so we might have and enjoy life in abundance (to the full, till it overflows). John 10:10b (AMP)
We cannot afford to be casual about the fight of faith. It is a fight and if you grow casual in any fight you suffer loss.
The Bible tells us openly about the pains, perils and problems of fallen humanity, and this is on full display in Nehemiah 13 as God’s people had become casual and God’s work became the casualty. In this final chapter of Nehemiah, we see the deterioration of all God had established. The wall had been rebuilt. The work of God had been restored. The reading and teaching of Scripture and worship had been restored. Revival had taken place.
Nehemiah had spent 12 years of his life, devoting himself sacrificially to restoring the work of God. He had moved back to Suza perhaps for two years; we don’t know how long. He was probably called back because of political duties with the King but now he returns to find the people had turned away from God.
Nehemiah 13:6-9 While this was taking place, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king. And after some time, I asked leave of the king 7 and came to Jerusalem, and I then discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, preparing for him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. 8 And I was very angry, and I threw all the household furniture of Tobiah out of the chamber. 9 Then I gave orders, and they cleansed the chambers, and I brought back there the vessels of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense. ESV
Nehemiah 13:10-12 I also found out that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had fled each to his field. 11 So I confronted the officials and said, “Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their stations. 12 Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses. ESV
Nehemiah 13:15-26 In those days I saw in Judah people treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them on the day when they sold food… 17 Then I confronted the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day? ESV
Nehemiah 13:23-26 In those days also I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. 24 And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but only the language of each people. 25 And I confronted them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair. And I made them take an oath in the name of God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. 26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin on account of such women? Among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, foreign women made even him to sin. ESV
Nehemiah’s behavior is not something we try to justify, but his anger is very justifiable
Nehemiah 13:30-31 Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign, and I established the duties of the priests and Levites, each in his work; 31 and I provided for the wood offering at appointed times, and for the firstfruits. ESV
These people stopped giving to God, and started spending on themselves, turning away from sacrificial worship, and turning into self-indulgent spending. Nehemiah was upset and in response he goes back to work restoring sacrificial worship once again.
Sacrificial worship is a purposeful point of resistance to the flesh. You literally have to make decisions against yourself to worship sacrificially. This is why Jesus said we must deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow him. This is the essence of worshiping God. Making God first requires me to be “not first”!
A self-serving perspective always results in the same empty conclusion: relationally, financially, etc. When you refuse to slay the moment of instant gratification, you choose to lose a battle against a diminished future. Make decisions against yourself: budgeting, dieting..
Being consumed with worldly pleasure robs us of the true treasure of God’s Kingdom!
These people went from worshiping God to focusing on all the things they desire. They couldn’t give any time or money to the work of God because they were giving their time and money to self-serving desires.
This is the essence of the self-serving apostate church and Nehemiah wasn’t having it. Most of the time our anger is self-serving from the position of I’ve been hurt, or I’m upset because of inconvenience to me. This is not the basis of Nehemiah’s anger. Not because I didn’t get what I had coming or I got something I didn’t have coming. His anger had to do with unselfish motives that were not self-serving, but born from the desire to honor God.
What is it that makes you angry? What concerns you is a clue to your call. Give some consideration to what is it that makes you angry about you and how can you serve notice on anything country to gods very best in your own life and Legacy. He is a God, who reverses the curse into a Blessing first to?
GP2RL: Take time this week to reflect on Nehemiah’s journey and consider how it applies to your own repenting of anything in your life that isn’t honoring God.
NEHEMIAH: Casual Casualties
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Click here for a downloadable PDF file of this guide.
UNDERSTANDING THE SEASON: Nehemiah is all about rebuilding the ruins of the work of God in our world. God’s people had grown distracted and disconnected from God’s plan for them to be the expression of His Kingdom in the Earth.
Jerusalem had been in ruins since the Babylonian invasion in 586 B.C. Nehemiah lead the third of three returns to Israel after 70 years of exile in Babylon. Even in a state of ruin God was still at work looking for someone who would have a heart to respond to what God was about to do.
This is the condition of the Western church today. Much can be gained by a close examination of Nehemiah’s response in his day. God woke up a fresh movement that brought life but it was met with great challenges. No matter how challenging it was God was always seeing his work through.
God’s work is a work within us as we learn to respond to Him. It is God’s plan is for us to spend time drawing close to his heart and hearing his voice together as a family. This is why we start each meeting with this question first:
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
1. Where are you reading in your Bible and what are you sensing from God?
Before reading, please encourage everyone to consider the deeper encounter of the God of the Word as you read the Word of God together. We are believing for the Holy Spirit to awaken his conversational nature as a result.
FOR GROUP LEADERS: The focus of the day is how we cannot afford to be casual about our faith journey. Consider starting your conversation by asking each person to describe a time when being casual about something came with a cost.
We cannot afford to be casual about the fight of faith. It is a fight and if you grow casual in any fight you suffer loss.
“Casual” means relaxed and unconcerned (casual Fridays), while “casualty” speaks of the loss of life. The Amplified Bible says, “…Jesus came so we might have and enjoy life in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” John 10:10b
Nehemiah had restored the work of God and this community was flourishing. Nehemiah then had to go back to fulfill duties with the king and when he returned to Jerusalem the people had become casual and their faith became a casualty.
Nehemiah 13:10-12 (God’s people had turned away from worship). I also found out that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had fled each to his field. 11 So I confronted the officials and said, “Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their stations. 12 Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses. ESV
Nehemiah 13:30-31 I cleansed them from everything foreign, and I established the duties of the priests and Levites, each in his work; 31 and I provided for the wood offering at appointed times, and for the firstfruits.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
2. DISCOVER: Have each person give a simple 60 second summary of what these verses are saying, En courage people to try not to add insights or application yet. Just simply summarize.
3. DEVELOP: What do you sense God may be speaking to you personally as we focus on these verses?
4. DEPLOY: We are to be doers and not hearers only. What will you do this week in response to what you sense God is revealing in this time together?
Everywhere we go, we bring...
GP2RL: Purpose to connect with someone over coffee or a meal this week.