Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Tobiah

Nehemiah_Views_the_Ruins_of_Jerusalem's_Walls

Mentioned once in Ezra, we hear much more of Tobiah, the Ammonite, descendant of Abraham’s nephew Lot.  Tobiah had found himself a comfortable home in the temple the Jews had come to restore.  Nehemiah put a stop to that:

And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. And it grieved me sore: therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber. (Nehemiah 13:7-8 KJV)
Much earlier Nehemiah mentioned Tobiah:

When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel. (Nehemiah 2:10 KJV)

Such men exist today – grieved that anyone would seek the welfare of God’s children.  It is doubly sad when these men are found in God’s house.  Christ found some in the guise of Pharisees, leaders of Israel’s synagogues.  It was of these men He spoke  in Matthew:

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. (Matthew 7:15 KJV)

Or, perhaps they are the ones Luke wrote of from yesterday’s verse:

And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him, Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them. (Acts 11:2-3 KJV)

Peter explained his actions, telling the full story of Cornelius’ request and Peter’s visit.  A conclusion was reached:

When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. (Acts 11:18 KJV)

Nehemiah was not as fortunate.  Tobiah rankled him from that first mention in chapter 2 where he was ‘grieved’ and ‘laughed’, to chapter 6 when he was ‘wroth’, through chapter 13 when he was ejected from the temple. There was no peace, and Tobiah had no thought of glorifying God.

Had Tobiah had God in his heart and God’s work as his goal, his differences with Nehemiah would have just been a difference of opinion instead of his working as a stumbling block.

Both Nehemiah and Peter headed God’s words to them and completed the task laid before them.  He expects us to do the same, even though we might have Tobiah’s in our communities.

Oh, my – surely we aren’t Tobiahs!!!

1 comment:

  1. As much as my prayer is oh to be like Thee, my prayer would be oh Not to be like Tobiah, I pray that God will forever keep me close and serving him, until the day he calls me hope with the sound of the trumpet or in death, I hope it is the upper taking calling n not the under taker, good message here sister, enjoyed it. Ever wonder why we have so many followers and few commenters?? Not sure about that one.

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