Nehemiah 2:11-20.
Lessons from rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem in troublous times.
The wall speaks of protection. Without it we are left open to the attacks of the enemy. We are unprotected and defenceless, spiritually and physically.
In the story, Nehemiah figures as a leader of a great spiritual strength and with a gifted character. A great man of God whose heart was dedicated to God's plans and purpose.
Why was the wall destroyed and Jerusalem left in a derelict state?
In chapter 1:4-11 Nehemiah gives an account of why those evils came upon Jerusalem and God's people.However, we read in Ro.11 that God did not abandon His people and nation. His promises to His people never fail in the pathway of obedience. In Dan.9:25, God's plan and promise was stated clearly.
When God wants to do something, He first finds a man. Nehemiah was God's man at a key position in the court of the Persian king. We sometimes think that God does only emergency things when everything else has failed. The cross was no such plan, because God had it in His heart from the foundation of the world. God's timing is always perfect, executed not to our own ways and understanding-Is. 55:8.
Nehemiah. with authority from the king arrived at Jerusalem and found devastation. Undaunted he set at work without any committees to help him and without any Church to raise any funds for the rebuilding project. He only had God to lean upon. God knew all about what it involved. God revealed to Daniel long before Nehemiah arrived to rebuild, 'The street shall be built again and the wall'. In a similar way, God knew all about the Cross. It was planned by God and at the right time Christ came into this world-Gal.4:4.
A rare event also takes place in Judea. The Jewish leadership willingly decides to rebuilt and assist Nehemiah. But later on problems and discord arise among the people. Nehemiah presses on with the work and it is completed in record time. But the enemy was was busy too. As long as the Jews did nothing, there was no opposition. When Sanballat and Toniah heard about the rebuilding they were grieved, but this did not stop Nehemiah.
There will always be times of discord in the Church and we cannot always blame Satan for this. There are defects in the characters of believers, but when God works these problems are overcome in the attitude of love.
Notice now the strategy of Satan:
1. The weapon of ridicule.
2. The weapon of confusion.
3. The weapon of dicouragement.
1. What did this really involve? Just being around and ridiculing the people at work.
Believers should have a sense of responsibility, what ever they do should be done unto the Lord. We should do everything well to please the Lord. not ourselves. Ridicule is directed at our own self esteem and whenever we feel that we do things because of our own abilities and talents, pride will creep in.
Satan knows this problem and directs his ridicule knowing that it will hurt. Nehemiah knew who was behind this redicule and did not retaliate or got discouraged. His eye was on God, 'Hear oh our God, for we are despised'.
2.Having failed with the weapons of ridicule, Satan now tries to bring confusion upon the workers and the work of rebuilding. What is Nehemiah's response? 'We made our prayer to our God and set a watch against them day and night'. A frontal attack from the enemy brings a double response from the people of God. It is a cry to the Heavenlies and a constant watch against the enemy on the earth.
Confusion is a scheme Satan often tries to bring in the Church. Not so much of a direct attack upon a person but an assault upon the mind. The result- different ideas and ways of how things should be done , setting person against person. Eventually the work of God comes to a halt.
Nehemiah stands firm, his eye is on God. He may not have discerned the issues brought by Satan but he is not distracted from the work of God. The work continues in spite of these problems and it is finished.
Unity of mind may not always be possible in the Church, but unity of purpose is desirarble.
3.We are not sure how much of this was of the people. We cannot underestimate the nature of the problem. Too much work, physical exhaustion, a hopeless task and much more. This is the opportunity for Satan to magnify the problem and make a mountain out of a molehill, but faith diminishes them. Remember Caleb? 'If God is with us.....'
When we focus on the physical side of things, despair is around he corner. The rubbish was a huge amount, but it was what was once useful material, now of no use. The same in a Church. What was once useful, now it is an impediment and became an obstacle to progress. We need to remove it if we want to move on. No amount of despair will clear it, only a mountain of Faith. Again Nehemiah
presses on, not as if the problem did not exist but with the strength and wisdom. They built willingly , in cooperation and unity. Under threat of attack they share the responsibility of work and be ready to defend.
The work is finished and we hear no more of Sanballat and Tobiah, but of Nehemiah with a simple petition at the end 'Remember me oh my God for Good.'
