Nehemiah 1
Nehemiah 1:1-3
News came to in November/December that things in Israel and Jerusalem were a mess. The distress and reproach convey events that brought great loss and shame to them. This could be opposition, fear or just plain losing sight of the priority. It had been niney years since the decree of Cyrus and the wall was still a mess; we might assume the city was not in any better shape.
Nehemiah 1:4-11
The first response to distress and reproach was to sit down and have a good cry. But this wasn't a selfish cry. The was the cry of a leader weeping over the state of things; weeping for his people. This turned into fasting and prayer as he sought the Lord. It says this went on for many days; this may have been 4 months leading up to Nehemiah 2.
This is the first of twelve prayers in this book. Nehemiah has Deut 30:1-4 on his mind. Nehemiah was a leader among his people. This is on display in his pray when he says 'we' have sinned. He stood with his brethren, interceding and lifting up their collective plight before the Lord. He did not separate himself from those 'other people' who sinned or his fathers. Nehemiah drew hope from the promise of God for those who returned to Him and kept His commandments.
Look for the pattern of Nehemiah's prayer:
- Praise
- Thanksgiving
- Repentance
- Specific request
- Commitment
Nehemiah was cupbearer to the king. This was an important occupation and speaks to the trust placed in him. Nehemiah was a man of impeccable character.
Nehemiah 2
Nehemiah 2:1-3
How did Nehemiah decide when was the right to to speak to the king? It doesn't seem likely that the Nehemiah had not served the king's wine for four months. This may have been the effects of fasting and mourning for 4 months showing in his countenance. He may have been particularly heartbroken that day. It was the first time he was sad in front of the king. It wasn't wise to be sad in front of the king. Those who served the king were to be joyful and pleasing to the king. Nehemiah may have been afraid for losing his job as the cupbearer; but possibly just nervous about making a request to the king.
Nehemiah presents his case in a way the king could feel his concern. He doesn't refer to Jerusalem, Israel or the temple; none of which would be all that important to Artaxerxes. But family tombs, particularly tombs of nobility and royalty were widely respected by the Persians as well as Jews.
Nehemiah 2:4-10
When the king asked Nehemiah what his request was, it must have been music to his nervous ears. Nehemiah said a quick pryer and made his request. This request wasn't just to go, but to be sent. And then Nehemiah got even bolder in asking for letters of protection and lumber from the forest as building material. All this was granted; Nehemiah recognizes this as 'God's good hand' upon him.
How often to we overlook God's good hand on our life? God has called his people to good works and equipped each of us for the ministry for which we were chosen. Are we bold enough to ask, receive and live it out?
A significant amount of time passed between verses 8 and 9. Nehemiah prepared and made the long journey before arriving and giving the governors the letters. We can picture these govenors receiving these official documents from Nehemiah and his military escort from the king. Sanballat and Tobiah were disturbed that the Jews were getting help; especially from the king!
Nehemiah 2:11-16
Nehemiah arrives in Jerusalem 13 years after Ezra. After three days rest, he went out at night with a few men who were probably guards for him. He had told no one what God put in his heart. He simply wanted to survey the state of the wall and gates.
Nehemiah 2:17-20
After the inspection, maybe as soon as the morning after the inspection, he pointed out the current state of things and spoke the vision which God had laid on his heart. With the vision, he speaks of God's hand on him and how God had used the king to bring them to that place and time.
When Nehemiah announced his plan, Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem join in this coalition of ridicule and opposition. They laughed at the thought but them despised them when they understood the seriousness of it. Then they began threaten them with a serious charge. Nehemiah lets them know God was on his side and that they had no share in it – this was a little like, "mind your own business." I like it!
Nehemiah 3
Nehemiah takes us on a counterclockwise tour of the wall and its gates, starting at the northeast corner. The location and extent of Nehemiah's wall is not known. It was somewhere around two to two and a half miles long; enclosing somewhere from 90 acres to 220 acres of land. The descriptions focus on the ten gates of the city:
- The Sheep Gate – probably so named for the place where sheep were brought in for sacrifice. This may have been the location of a sheep market to purchase a sheep for sacrifice.
- The Fish Gate – close to the fish market
- The Jeshanah (meaning old) Gate – near a town named Jeshanah near Bethel.
- The Valley Gate
- The Dung Gate
- The Fountain Gate
- The Water Gate – Near the Gihon spring, the main source of water for Jerusalem.
- The Horse Gate – The easternmost part of the city. This many have been the entrance of the cavalry to the courtyard.
- The East Gate
- The Inspection (or Muster) Gate
While the gates were a place of access they were also the place of vulnerability.
Everyone pitched in to help with one exception, the nobles. Their reluctance to help may have been out of fear of the opponents in a desire to protect the city. The repair jobs seemed to be in front their own property or home so there was maximum ownership in making it the best, strongest and defendable as they could. Eliashib was the grandson of Jeshua, the priest during Zerubbabel's time. We see examples of people with many different skills and crafts pitching in to make the wall complete.
Nehemiah 4
When God's people are about His work, opposition from the enemy will follow. This comes in many forms and fashions. Our job, as a child of God, is to recognize this oppostion for what it is and respond accordingly. There are only two responses to opposition; stop or proceed on in faith. Proceeding on may mean through, over, around or some other way of progressing.
Nehemiah 4:1-2
Sanballat was a governor in Samaria. In stating that he was 'furious and very indignant' we should understand this as extreme, burning anger or one highly offended. He mocked the Jews for what they were trying to do. As we see the positive leadership of Nehemiah, used for God's glory; we also see the leadership of Sanballat used against God's kingdom. He mocks and seeks to sway others to feel the same way. He stirs up hatred for his agenda. Because of our sinful nature, it is easier to follow negative leadership than positive. He speaks with contempt of their walls, sacrifices, the pace and the very idea that they might bring life to the heap of rubble from the past. Sanballat seems to have more of a problem with God and His plan than with these people acting in faith.
Nehemiah 4:3-6
Tobiah comes across as Sanballat's toadie, telling him what he wants to hear and agreeing with everything he says. The sarcasm of Tobiah's statement reflects the contempt for their work and questions their ability to even build a reasonably strong wall.
Nehemiah prays in verses four and five in response to the anger and hostility toward them and their work. Nehemiah's prayer was that God would deal with them. It's not Nehemiah's first priority to fight these men off; but to ask the Lord to turn them around. Their anger would cloud their judgment; their actions would turn against them. Their sin would become their judgment. The builders were God's; the project was God's; the battle, therefore, was God's.
The opposition didn't deter them. They built the wall. They 'had a mind' to do this work. I believe this is God's supernatural provision when these folks responded in faith, trusting in God.
Nehemiah 4:7-9
The leaders from every direction begin to see this wall was going to be completed and they all become equally concerned. This brings them into alliance. All these leaders were not necessarily the best of friends or in aliance for any other cause. But we've always seen partners in darkness; those who otherwise hate each other join forces to fight against God or His people. The same partnerships are visible today. It is their plan to confuse and disrupt this work.
Nehemiah 4:10-12
Judah spots a problem, a weakness, not in the wall but in the resolve. Despair was setting over the opposition; fear and hard work combined to weary them. Suddenly, that which was possible now seemed impossible. Some of the people of surrounding villages that came to help with the wall add to the discouragement by saying they can't escape this opposition; in effect, saying they don't stand a chance.
The enemies are confident in their ability and plan to disrupt the work and kill the people. Their confidence led them to underestimating those they opposed and the God they served.
Nehemiah 4:13-14
A good leader spots these weaknesses and moves to repair the damage. Nehemiah armed some people and assigned them as guards in the most vulnerable places. 'Don't be afraid' and 'remember the Lord' seem to be obvious encouragements. However, those obvious 'truths' often escape our thinking in fear and distress.
Nehemiah 4:15-20
The enemy coalition didn't hold together in the sight of the defenses. The plans fell apart and the resolve of the enemy came to nothing. They were intimidated at this show of force. From then on, half the people worked and the other half guarded the work. This is so with many works of God; some folks do the work, others guard, pray, provide, serve and otherwise support the effort. All is done for God's glory.
It's not hard to imagine workers who were working on this construction project wearing their swords. The message was clear, "We will do what it takes to complete what we've been called to." They listened for the ram's horn as the signal help was needed somewhere. They would rally as one, to the place where the horn was blown. It's commitment and sacrifce; these are the building materials of a servant of God.
Nehemiah 4:21-3
The wall and city was not left unguarded at night. It would have been dangerous for people to be outside the wall. So some guarded while others slept. They even slept in a state of readiness with spear in hand. The only exception was bathing. The last line in the Hebrew is literally, 'a man, his weapon, the waters'. We can take from this that the weapon was still close by, even when bathing.
©2017 Doug Ford
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