Unresolved Hurts; Unforgiven Enemies
Words of Faith 8-31-26
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2026
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Nehemiah 13
[4] Before this, Eliashib the priest had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God. He was closely associated with Tobiah, [5] and he had provided him with a large room formerly used to store the grain offerings and incense and temple articles, and also the tithes of grain, new wine and oil prescribed for the Levites, singers and gatekeepers, as well as the contributions for the priests. [6] But while all this was going on, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Some time later I asked his permission [7] and came back to Jerusalem. 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. [9] I gave orders to purify the rooms, and then I put back into them the equipment of the house of God, with the grain offerings and the incense.

       After the completion and dedication of the walls in Jerusalem, Nehemiah returned to Persia for a time. When he came back to Jerusalem, he was angered by something he saw going on. I want to look at this event from two perspectives today and then again next week. Today, let’s consider this text from a relational perspective. Next week we will take a different angle on the whole thing.

        When Nehemiah came back to Jerusalem to check on things he found something shocking to him. An unthinkable thing. Tobiah, one of the enemies who had worked so hard to oppose the rebuilding of the wall had found a cozy spot to live inside those walls. A storeroom for tithes had been converted over and Tobiah was living inside!

        This was the same Tobiah who had tried everything possible to stop the rebuilding of the walls, even setting a trap to harm Nehemiah! No wonder Nehemiah was angry! Nehemiah threw him out. It seemed foolish to allow the enemy a place inside the very house he attempted to destroy.

        But notice, again, who is displeased? Nehemiah says: "I was displeased," not God. "I gave the order to purify the rooms," not God— no word from the Lord. No effort was made to reconcile or be at peace with Tobiah. Remember, this man was the man of great prayer who prayed and prayed over the mission at the start, but does not even pray over this decision.

        The response doesn't seem very Christian, does it? Well, of course Nehemiah was not a Christian. Though he was a Godly man and a prophetic leader, we must remember that Nehemiah did not have the teaching or the mind of Christ. So what are we to gather from this lesson?

         On this relational level it is important to recognize that sometimes an enemy is hard to forgive. Sometimes this is true even for Godly leaders! That is why Jesus taught that we are to bless those who curse us, forgive our enemies, and pray for those who persecute us. This is something that only God can do in us.

         Nehemiah's treatment of Tobiah reveals something about our own human condition. It shows us how easy it can be to respond in our flesh rather than in God's Spirit. The truth is that we often cling to the hurts of the past. We tend to pick at the wounds from long ago. We nurse our pain rather than heal. Those who opposed us at one time are often put on a “bad list”.

        The problem with unresolved hurt from the past is that it keeps us from forgiving and moving toward the future. It is more common than we would like to acknowledge. Even the Apostle Paul had difficulty forgiving John Mark after he failed to complete a mission (Acts 15:36 40). Later Paul reconciled and spoke with great fondness toward John Mark (Colossians 4:10, 2 Timothy 4:11, Philemon 24). Perhaps this sort of reconciliation could only come after the work of Christ on the cross.

         So how about you? Is there a Tobiah in your life? Is there an old enemy? Someone who made themselves an enemy to you who you now find infuriating to see in the house of God? Do you find it hard to forgive the enemies of the past? If so, know that you are in good company with great leaders like Nehemiah and the Apostle Paul.

         But also know that it does not have to be that way. God can give you forgiveness, reconciliation, and healing as He did in Paul's life.

Lord, give me the grace to forgive the Tobiahs of my life. Move me past the hurts of the past no matter what it takes. Start a work in me that will heal the wounds of the past and move me toward Your future. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2025
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2025 Jeffrey D. Hoy.