Volume XVIII, Issue XXIIa: Four Lessons from Nehemiah
The Ministry of Building
A while back I taught a Sunday school class on the books of Ezra, Esther and Nehemiah. They speak of the restoration of Israel after the 70 years of exile. Ezra restored the place of worship by rebuilding the temple. Esther protected the remnant from destruction and Nehemiah rebuilt the protective wall of Jerusalem. Even as they were carried into exile, God had said to the people: “Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon; “Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.” – Jeremiah 29: 4-7.
My God hates destruction. He loves building. In our class I would begin with a modern day person who exemplified the character of Nehemiah. I remember we studied George Washington Carver, who broadened American agriculture, Dr. June McCarroll, who invented pavement markings – the white lines on the highway that keep us safe! There were many other examples.
Nehemiah in particular built with quite a bit of opposition around him. There have always been those who want to tear down. Demolition is all too easy. Building!, that takes planning, resolve and a certain strength of character! That is what we must do today!
Four Lessons from Nehemiah
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We need to focus on God and involve God in the work.
Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.” And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to this good work. (Nehemiah 2:17-18 NKJV) As the Bible says in Rom 8:31-32: “If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”
Like Nehemiah, we need to pray fervently to God for His strength and His wisdom to help us in doing His work. We need to ask God to forgive us our sins so that God can use us (2 Tim 2:21). We need to overcome discouragement by “being watchful and praying” to God as well as carefully and faithfully working out our plans. “…and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion. Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night. (Nehemiah 4:8-9 NKJV)
We cannot compromise with our enemies:- “So I answered them, and said to them, “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.” (Neh 2:20 NKJV).
When we are faced with trials and challenges, we need to look to God for a way to bear with them or to overcome them (I Cor 10:13). God will work out a way for us (Rom 8:28) so that we may be able to overcome disappointments and not be discouraged. “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us”. (Rom 8:37) Nehemiah rallied the people in the face of the threats from their enemies, by asking them to remember our great and awesome God: “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.” And it happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had brought their plot to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work. (Nehemiah 4:13-15 NKJV). (read more)
Rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.
Want to Help Businesses Affected?
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The Current Crisis Requires an Outpouring of Love
The need is great, and looking for ways to help can be daunting. Angelique McNaughton, a regional representative of GoFundMe, has provided a list of Minneapolis businesses affected by the recent riots and/or loss of income due to the COVID-19 crisis. Use care in vetting them and feel free to pass it on across your social networks. “Little by little, a little becomes a lot.” – Tanzanian Proverb (click to help)
