THE LANGUAGE OF ASHDOD

Bible Reading:
Nehemiah 13: 19-27

Text verse 24. (NIV)
Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod
or the language of one of the other peoples,
and did not know how to speak the language of Judah.

According to Sir Robert Anderson,
Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem for the first time
on the 14th March 445 BC.
He had received permission from the King Artaxerxes,
the King of Persia, to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem
and the Temple in Jerusalem.

Nehemiah was appointed Governor of Judah
and in spite of much opposition he rebuilt
the walls of Jerusalem and the Temple of God.
13 years after his arrival in Jerusalem
the King of Babylon recalled him to the Palace Court in Babylon.
21 years after the date of his first arrival
he returns to the City of Jerusalem.
Much had happened in his absent and he says:

Nehemiah 13: 6-7
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
and came back to Jerusalem .........

The Temple was rebuilt
The Walls were rebuilt.
All that he dreamed of had become a reality
and now he walks down the streets of Jerusalem
a proud man watching and listening to the children
playing and laughing.
But what all had happened during his absence?
Suddenly he stops because he notices, listens:

Nehemiah 13: 24.
Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod
or the language of one of the other peoples,
and did not know how to speak the language of Judah.

Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod
and did not even know how to speak the language of Judah.
(Another Bible Version says: the language of the Jews)

He had placed his life in danger to ensure:
#
That the Temple was rebuilt
#
That the Walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt.
#
That Israel could once again worship their Lord in the Temple.

But as he walked the streets of Jerusalem he noticed
that half the children in the streets of Jerusalem
spoke the language of Ashdod
and could not speak the language of Judah.
Children in the city of Zion should speak the language of Zion
but instead they spoke Ashdod,
the language of the heathen,
the language of the world.

Listen what Nehemiah does:
Nehemiah 13: 25
I rebuked them and called curses down on them.
I beat some of the men and pulled out their hair.
I made them take an oath in God's name and said:
You are not to give your daughters in marriage to their sons,
nor are you to take their daughters in marriage
for your sons or for yourselves.

Instead of the language of the King of Kings,
Instead of the language of the Bible,
they spoke Ashdod the language of the Philistines.
They had forgotten the Word of God.

Deuteronomy 6: 4-7
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.
Love the LORD your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your strength.
These commandments that I give you today
are to be upon your hearts.
Impress them on your children.
Talk about them when you sit at home
and when you walk along the road,
when you lie down and when you get up.

The parents were so busy rebuilding the walls of the city
and rebuilding the temple that they had forgotten
that the cornerstone of any nation is the Children.
What hope is there for the future
if we do not look after our children?

Child abuse is one of the greatest scourges of our time.
The wounds that occur in our homes are the wounds
that cause the most harm to our children.
What example did they give their children ?
What example do we give our children ?

The Apostle Paul said:
Ephesians 5: 18 (NIV)
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.
Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

A Christian walks, talks and acts differently to the world.

Ephesians 6: 4 (NIV)
Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead,
bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

The greatest harm that we can do our children
is not to raise them up in the fear of God.
What example did the children have:
In the Temple they noticed that their parents
raised their hands in worship!
But at home they spoke Ashdod!
Ashdod was a mixture of the language of Judah
and the language of the Philistines.
Not the language of the Philistines
and yet not the language of Judah.
What hope is there for the future?
The soul is lost,
a teaspoon full of Zion
but a plateful of Ashdod!
Half the children playing in the streets spoke Ashdod,
but notice also what had happened in the Temple:

The Temple doors were closed
and Tobiah had made himself at home in the room
where the Tithes were supposed to be stored.
No tithes were received and the Priests
had to go farming to support themselves:

Nehemiah 13: 10 (NIV)
I also learned that the portions assigned to the Levites
had not been given to them,
and that all the Levites and singers responsible
for the service had gone back to their own fields.

They had allowed Tobiah to take up residence in the Temple!
Instead of preaching the Word of God in the Temple,
they allowed Tobiah to dwell in the Temple.

Listen to what Jesus said:
Matthew 21: 13
It is written, He said to them:
My house will be called a House of Prayer,
but you are making it a den of robbers.

Instead of Worshipping God in the Temple on the Sabbath they:
Nehemiah 13: 16 (NIV)
Men from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish
and all kinds of merchandise and selling them
in Jerusalem on the Sabbath to the people of Judah.

Bringing in Fish!
How many people bring in fish on a Sunday
rather then attending the House of God?
Instead of the Father being the Priest in his House,
heathen women taught the Children the language of Ashdod.
Friend, what language are you teaching your Children?
Who is raising your Children?
The TV, are they learning the language of Ashdod
or the language of Zion?
What language are you speaking?
The language of Judah, the language of Zion
or the language of Ashdod.

Remember Peter:
Matthew 26: 73-74 (KJV)
And after a while came unto him they that stood by,
and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them;
for thy speech betrayeth thee.
Then began he to curse and to swear, saying,
I know not the man.
And immediately the cock crew.

His speech gave him away -
He spoke the language of the Messiah!
Now he began to swear and curse -
the language of Ashdod!
It is time we open up these Temple doors!
Are people prevented from entering into the House of God
because we are speaking the language of Ashdod?
It is not time that we throw Tobiah and all his household goods
out of the Temple of God
and put back the proper equipment.
We need to clean the streets and make sure
that the Language of Judah,
the language of Zion is heard once again.
What is your Spiritual, Home Language:
The language of Ashdod or the language of Zion?
The language that you speak will determine
where your children will spend Eternity.

Young person remember Lot:
Genesis 19: 14
So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law,
who were pledged to marry his daughters.
He said: Hurry and get out of this place,
because the Lord is about to destroy the city!
But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.

Young person do you think we are joking
when we speak the Language of Zion ?
What language are you listening too,
the language of Ashdod or the language of Zion ?
They played in the Streets of Jerusalem,
they grew up in a home that knew the Lord of Lords.
Their parents had helped to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem
and the Temple of the most High God.
But they spoke the language of Ashdod!
They did not know the language of Zion!
To enter the Kingdom of God,
you need to speak the language of Zion!
What language are you speaking:
The language of Ashdod or the language of Zion?

Amen