How best to deal with temptation (Neh 13:15-22)

Over two years ago, we used to get a neighbouring cat come over to visit. Although I am more of a dog person, it was hard to resist her cute little face and ingratiating ways. I drew the line at her coming into the house, but as summer arrived, it became increasingly difficult to keep her out when the sliding doors were open to the garden. I usually had the net curtains drawn across and it was hilarious to watch the cat trying to peer in and then enter. One morning we had a veritable battle of wills as she repeatedly attempted to come in. First, a tentative paw would stretch from beyond the net curtain into the room, only to be withdrawn, when I firmly said ‘No!’. After a few tries she eventually made her way in, and I forcefully had to put her out. Turning her back to me on the deck and swishing her tail offended, she sulked there for a while before stalking off.

The nature of temptation and how to deal with it

Humorous as this incident is, I am reminded of it as I think of our passage. Like cats who can be so hard to resist, temptations are often alluring, as well as persistent. What we read in this closing chapter is nothing new, yet it is disheartening how the exiles find themselves doing the very things that they earlier promised to avoid including breaking the Sabbath (Neh 10:31). Nehemiah takes decisive action by closing the gates the night before and puts guards in place so traders cannot come in and set up shop (Neh 13:19). Yet, we read that some merchants persist and camp outside perhaps hoping to put up their stalls outside the city walls (Neh 13:20). Once again, Nehemiah resolutely draws the line and threatens to remove them forcibly if they try these tactics again (Neh 13:21). His attitude is an example of how temptation needs to be dealt with firmly; a soft approach only lands us in trouble.

Sabbath in the exiles’ world

Sabbath practice is alien to us today, of course, though a generation ago many Christians had strong convictions about what was acceptable to do on the Lord’s day. Yet, making the Sabbath such a central issue is understandable in the exiles’ context. For one thing, it was a sign of God’s covenant and breaking it was a serious offence (Exod 31:12-17). It was also important because it set Jews apart and strengthened their identity as God’s people. On the other hand, the fact that the exiles were part of a foreign empire and constantly rubbed shoulders with non-Jews placed enormous pressure on them to assimilate. Not only that, observing Sabbath put them at a commercial disadvantage if they did not work or trade on that day as there would have been others who did (the Tyrians were Phoenician merchants coming from the area north-west of Judah; Neh 13:15-16).

Examining our hearts

In a post-Christian world where the Church no longer has a dominant voice in society and in how life operates, the pressure to conform to prevailing standards is also strong for us Christians. Parents sometimes disappear from church services for weeks because their children participate in sports on Sunday, others are pushed into work that day to keep up with expectations in their jobs, while still others do shopping on Sunday for pleasure or convenience. Yet not everyone agrees that we should make an issue of these things since we do not have a law that specifically prescribes what can and cannot be done on a Sunday. Nevertheless, the choices we make do say something about our priorities so that these examples demonstrate how easily we may be squeezed into the mould of the world around us (Rom 12:2, Phillips).

The key to examining ourselves is Nehemiah’s comment that what the exiles were doing contributed to bringing God’s judgment on them (Neh 13:18 cf. Jer 17:27; Ezek 20:23-24). The Sabbath was not the only reason why Israel was banished from the land, but it was one of several aspects that indicated a people turned away from the Lord. When we think about our lives it is worth asking what our actions and choices say about our heart. Are we seeking Him or seeking our own desires and aims? And when we recognise that we are drifting away from God, are we willing to deal with temptation without giving it a foothold?

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