October 12, 2026
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Nehemiah and 1 Peter? Here’s today’s reading:
Nehemiah 13 (NIV)
Nehemiah’s Final Reforms
1 On that day the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people and there it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be admitted into the assembly of God, 2 because they had not met the Israelites with food and water but had hired Balaam to call a curse down on them. (Our God, however, turned the curse into a blessing.)…..Continue Reading
Next: 1 Peter 5
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Back: Nehemiah 12
The beginning makes me think of our study in Ruth the Moabitess…who was married into Israel, but demonstrated her allegiance to their God.
“On that day they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people, and in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever come into the assembly of God, because they had not met the children of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing. So it was, when they had heard the Law, that they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel.”
Nehemiah 13:1-3 NKJV
This chapter shows the value of leadership, those who are willing to make sure things are done right and deal with people who do them wrong. It is unfortunate that people can be influenced to do things for money or power but I believe that was behind an enemy of the Jews given a room in the temple. But Nehemiah addresses it directly as he does people not supporting the workers in the temple, conducting business on the Sabbath and marrying foreign wives. These are all things the people had agreed not to do, but without accountability from leadership (those with the vision to do things right), all these things fell apart. May we be faithful to the things we have committed ourselves to do whether there are leaders there or not.
Nehemiah needs to step in and make reforms. The people had begun to disobey many of the fundamental laws in regards to the temple, Sabbath, finances, and even marriage. Really it was a check to put priorities back in line. Typically when we have one area of our life out of line it becomes easier for other things to shift as well. God will definitely help by sending those to give wise counsel or confront us on places we have gone astray like Nehemiah did here but we need to be sure to be open to the correction rather than defensive so we can put our priorities back in line like the people did here.
Nehemiah 12 & 13
Psalm 36; Nehemiah 13
Nehemiah 13
Nehemiah 12 & 13
1 Peter 5
Nehemiah 13