Purify the Rooms

Nehemiah 13; Malachi 1, 2; Acts 4 

“…Here I learned about the evil thing Eliashib had done in providing Tobiah a room in the courts of the house of God. I was greatly displeased and threw all Tobiah’s household goods out of the room. I gave orders to purify the rooms…”

Nehemiah 13:7-9

“’A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me” If I am a master, where is the respect due me?’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name.’…”

Malachi 1:6

Eliashib, grandson of Joshua the high priest, defiled the temple by providing a storage room in the temple for Tobiah the Ammonite. Even though Moabites and Ammonites were forbidden from entering the temple area, Eliashib, the high priest, had allowed them to move in. 

As we consider the ways in which our enemy tries to defile the temple of our bodies, and especially those of spiritual leaders, are we as ‘priests’ in the kingdom of God, making every effort to walk blameless before the Lord?

Which “rooms” need purifying in our lives?

Our lives either give glory to God or show contempt for his name. We, too, bear the name of God over our lives.

“Lord Jesus, cleanse my life from all unrighteousness and purify every room. I repent for defiling my temple with pride, lust, fear, and self, for your glory.”