In Nehemiah, chapter thirteen, verse seventeen, God’s people were allowing their business interests and their desire for things of the world to destroy obedience to God’s command to make the Sabbath a day of rest.
The keeping holy the Lord’s Day forms a significant object for their attention that would promote true godliness. Religion never prospers while Sabbaths trodden underfoot. No wonder there was a general decay of religion and corruption of manners among some of God’s people when they forsook the sanctuary and profaned the Sabbath. Those little consider what an evil they do, who profane the Sabbath. We must answer for the sins others led to commit by our example.
Nehemiah charges it on them as an evil thing, for so it is, proceeding from contempt of God and our souls. He shows that sabbath-breaking was one of the sins for which God had brought judgments upon them, and if they did not take warning but returned to the same sins again, they had to expect further judgments. Nehemiah shows courage, zeal, and prudence in this matter for us to do likewise. However, we have reason to think that the cure he wrought was lasting. He felt and confessed himself a sinner who could demand nothing from God as justice when he cried unto him for mercy.
New Testament believers must constantly beware of the temptation to allow the pursuit of riches and success to usurp their desire to honor and worship God as he commands. We must do as Matthew six, verse thirty-three says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” There is a difference between the believer and the rest. God should be the first, and everything else second will fall into place.