1. Nehemiah cleans up the temple (1-9)

After the wall was dedicated, Nehemiah made a short trip back to Babylon (6). When he returned to Jerusalem, he found a compromising atmosphere that could not please God. He instigated a thorough-going reform according to the Bible. First, he threw Tobiah the Ammonite out of a room he had occupied in the temple. Tobiah was wealthy and had powerful connections, but Nehemiah didn't care about those things. He acted to please God.

2. Other reforms (10-31)

Nehemiah discovered that the Levites, God's servants, were not being supported; the Sabbath was not being kept; God's people were marrying unbelieving women and many Jewish children couldn't even speak their native language. Nehemiah rebuked them severely, even beating some men and pulling out their hair. Nehemiah lived and worked before God. He restored spiritual order.

Application: Lord, help me to obey your word and not blindly follow cultural customs.
One Word: The real standard of reform