Traitor Within

Nehemiah 13:7b-8 Here I learned about the evil thing Eliashib had done in providing Tobiah a room in the courts of the house of God. ⁸ I was greatly displeased and threw all Tobiah’s household goods out of the room.

Disloyalty is a powerful poison to swallow. No one likes it when they find out that someone has been secretly working counter to the stated goals. Traitors become famous characters in history. I am related to one of those characters.

Back when American History was actually taught in school, there was one man who was despised in our history. It was Benedict Arnold, the traitor! He had been an important military leader at the beginning of the American Revolution. He led American troops in winning several strategic battles in the first years of the Revolution.

Then something happened. He didn’t get the credit for his contributions to the American cause and he began negotiations with the British to change loyalties. And when that happened, he was labeled a traitor, but he escaped to the British side.

But disloyalty and hidden agendas are not something simply from our current political climate or even simply an American experience. Traitors have been around throughout history. They have been part of humanity’s selfish and sinful yearnings.

We read of one such traitor in the pages of our text in Nehemiah. The people of Israel have returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple, rebuild the people’s spiritual foundation and rebuild the wall around the city. But there was a group of people who opposed this rebuilding from the beginning. One of those men mentioned by name as opposing this work was Tobiah the Ammonite.

Chapter thirteen began with the reading of the Law of Moses and discovering that the Ammonites were not to be allowed in the assembly. They weren’t allowed to enter the Temple area because they had rejected the Israelites as the traveled out of Egypt. But as usual, the Israelites overreacted and excluded all foreigners, clearly outside of the intention of the LORD.

But one of those Ammonites had been given a place to live right inside the Temple courts. The close association of the person in charge of those rooms with Tobiah led to the political favor. And this took place outside the sight of Nehemiah who was back in Assyria, resuming his official duties for the king of Persia. When he returned for a visit to Jerusalem he found out about the arrangement.

The result looked just like a modern movie couple’s spat. He threw all Tobiah’s stuff out of the room and had it fumigated. Well, OK, ceremonially purified. And this is exactly what should have happened.

You see, there are right ways and there are wrong ways to honor the LORD. And He gets to set the standards. No Airbnb’s are allowed to be set up in the church. That is the rule. No Ammonites are allowed in the Temple, let alone given a room to live in.

Is loyalty too much to ask for in those who serve? Is it too much to ask that those who serve in the White House aren’t undermining the agenda of the President of the United States? Is it too much to ask the Media to be fair, to cover the accomplishments and not just the Tweets?

I think the LORD could ask us very similar questions. Is it too much to ask that those who name His Name live in line with His Word? Is it too much to ask that He be honored in our lives 24/7 365 and not just on Sunday mornings? Is it too much to ask that He is honored in secret places and public spaces?

You see, there is a traitor in each of us who pops his head out and takes charge on occasion. It is the traitor in us for whom we are responsible. So, when are you going to shoot him as the punishment his actions so rightly deserve?

Paul the Apostle wrote, “I die daily.” John the Baptist said, “He must increase and I must decrease.” Nehemiah was willing to clean house.

But before this happens, we must be willing to face the traitor within. Are you facing him?