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"Men of Tyre dwelt there also, who brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, 'What evil thing is this that you do, by which you profane the Sabbath day? Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.' So it was, at the gates of Jerusalem, as it began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they must not be opened till after the Sabbath. Then I posted some of my servants at the gates, so that no burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day."
(Nehemiah 13:16-19)
Chuck Swindoll asks, "Do you think Nehemiah won many friends among those fellows who had fish outside the gate of Jerusalem and were waiting to bring their product in?" (Source: Swindoll, Hand Me Another Brick, p. 199)
Nehemiah was distraught over the blatant disobedience of the Israelites as they disobeyed God's clear teachings regarding the Sabbath day and keeping it holy. The Sabbath was to be a day of rest, not of buying and selling merchandise in the streets. Therefore, he took a bold stand and shut the city down. It did not matter to him that men from Tyre with their many fish would have to wait at least 24 hours before they brought their goods with them. Fish cannot last that long without water, but Nehemiah was more concerned about offending God than he was about offending men.
The following "Cadet Prayer" is quoted on Sundays in the chapel services at West Point: "Make us choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never to be contented with half-truth when whole-truth can be won. Endow us with courage that is born of loyalty to all that is noble and worthy, that scorns to compromise with vice and injustice and knows no fear when right and truth are in jeopardy." Nehemiah 13: 20-21 states, "Now the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice. Then I warned them, and said to them, 'Why do you spend the night around the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you!' From that time on they came no more on the Sabbath."
Do you have a tough decision to make? It may cost you, but if the Lord has shown you what to do, go for it, and He will provide for you.
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