3When the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all who were of foreign descent.
We have a tendency to push to extremes. The Law said that only two groups of people were to be excluded from the assembly of God, but the people rejected all foreigners, even those with a legitimate place under the Law. As we read this chapter, we find that the people had made surface, short term changes in their lives, probably motivated by an emotional moment in time. But rarely do these kinds of decisions last long term. Now as Nehemiah has again traveled to the Land of Promise, he finds that they have not followed through on their commitments. They made some surface changes, but the deep seated changes were not made. And this was true of the leaders and of the people. In some cases profit had become more important than obedience. Obedience for the long haul is what the Lord is after. He wants permanent change in our lives, change that reflects His character. Temporary changes made in the heat of an emotional experience are not the solution. These kinds of changes need to be converted into deep conviction. That happens through repeated exposure to the Word and repeated recommitments. When we resist the urge to sin, we reinforce our commitment. Reinforce some commitments today! Obey. Spend some time in the Word. Share with another person who you are becoming in Christ. Share the struggles and the triumphs.
The Arnold Journey 