Nehemiah 6.15‐7.4 Job Accomplished!
When you complete a task or a project are you the sort of person who then gives yourself a treat? Do you reward yourself upon completion? Task accomplished, pat on back etc. Nehemiah has completed the project of rebuilding the walls – verse 15. What a wonderful achievement and in 7.1 we learn that he proceeded to hang the gates/doors in their place – the task was complete. The walls of Jerusalem had been rebuilt and the gates hung – the city was once again fortified and secure for its inhabitants. Amazing, the walls that had lain neglected for almost two centuries were rebuilt in less than two months. Why? Because the people were galvanised together, they had a strong and courageous leader and they were following the will of God.
Lesson learned – do not underestimate what the people of God can achieve when they have good leadership, stay focused and follow the will of God. Amazing walls can be built in short periods of time.
The result of this is seen in verse 16 – their enemies literally ‘lost their self‐confidence.’ The rapid completion of the building of the walls against such odds and in the face of such opposition could only have been completed with the help of God. Nehemiah gives the glory to God and to God alone for the completion of the rebuilding of the walls and the hanging of the gates of Jerusalem.Read Daniel 4.30. What a contrast? Nehemiah gave all the glory to God but Nebuchadnezzar took all the glory for himself. If you read on in Daniel 4 you see the judgement of God fall on Nebuchadnezzar for his arrogance and pride.
Why is it that as people climb the ladder of success they will pray and seek God’s help but as soon as they seem to reach the pinnacle they take all the glory for themselves? Why do Christian leaders also, sadly all too often, fall into this sin? There is still a battle in our hearts with the old Adam wanting the glory. Throughout all this work Nehemiah has acknowledged God as the source of his strength, as the One who is directing the project, guarding the workers and who has brought them to this point of completion. God is acknowledged at every stage of the building work. From the first report to the last hinge – God is given the praise and the glory.
Lesson learned – God must be given His rightful place, (i.e. First), in every stage of building the kingdom. Why? Because the kingdom is His, we are His (He bought us with the blood of Christ) and without Him we would complete nothing. The completion of the work is a testimony to God’s provision, protection and providence. It has to be acknowledged in public and not just in private. . What is the priority of your heart?
Verses 17‐19 – the opposition continued even after the walls had been rebuilt and the gates had been put in place. Nehemiah is very clear – the nobility are still opposed to his work. He had faced much opposition in rebuilding the walls and now, even when the task is complete, the opposition still attacks. Tobiah keeps up his opposition. Tobiah was a fellow Jew and therefore his opposition and attacks must have hurt Nehemiah deeply because he was supposed to be equally concerned with the glory of God. Do you not find that also? Do you not find that when someone who is a Christian attacks your service or your work for God that it cuts deeply? How often do you find yourself thinking: I thought they were a follower of Christ and they have just assassinated my service for God? It is very painful when the opposition is from within the church fellowship? The most painful opposition is the fifth column opposition and every church fellowship has them. Nehemiah tells us that Tobiah has people within the nobility who feed him fresh information about the workings of Jerusalem so that he can keep up guerrilla warfare consisting of constant intimidation. Tobiah does this by two means – his commercial interests and his family connections. Tobiah used the marriage ceremony as a means of undermining the work of God in Jerusalem. How more sinister can you get than using a God‐ordained gift to attack the work of building the kingdom of God.
You know nothing much has changed in the world today and nothing much has changed within the church either. The enemies of God’s kingdom still use such relationships to intimidate the people of God as they build the kingdom of God.
Lesson learned – just because the project is complete does not mean the opposition will stop. Satan will use all sorts of connections to intimidate leaders in the church and those being faithful. When money is the source of a relationship, as it was with these nobles and Tobiah, the opposition to the kingdom of God being built is soon forgotten. Remember that when you take money from people – and I am not just talking about cash there. Those who are opposed to the building of the walls of Jerusalem will use that connection, that relationship, to continue an underground campaign against God’s work.
7.1 – with the wall complete Nehemiah’s turns now to the physical safety of the people of Jerusalem and he appoints gatekeepers. The gatekeepers would serve as guards or watchmen and in 13.22 they were also entrusted with moral responsibilities for overseeing the observance of the Sabbath in Jerusalem. These men would guard not just the physical well being of the city but also make sure that on holy days the worship of God was a priority and prevent trade taking place within Jerusalem. Let me ask you something: Who have you set as gatekeepers over your life, your family etc? None of us would ever consider allowing our children to go into a swimming lesson if the instructor was not qualified and yet we are quite happy to allow computer games, internet, tv, films, and music all to enter our homes and lives without posting a watchman. You don’t believe me – how many of you parents allow your children to play computer games, or watch films above their age classification? Have you taken time recently to look at their friend’s photos on facebook. Just last week my college tutor told me how horrified he was at the photos his niece, his daughter’s cousin, had posted on her facebook site. Who is being gatekeeper to the hearts, minds, eyes, ears and soul of your children?
Singers – the spiritual need of Jerusalem was worship. Nehemiah appointed singers to lead people in the praise of God, the One who had brought this task to completion. These singers reminded the people of Jerusalem that there was more to life than work and money. Their greatest priority was to ensure that God was at the centre of their life, their family and their community. Nehemiah was aware and alert to the creeping secularisation of Jerusalem. Are you aware of the creeping, in fact rampant, secularisation of society today? Seriously – look around you – a Christian couple are struck off the fostering register in England because they state that as Christians they could not tell a child that homosexuality was a good lifestyle choice. We could go on with that list. Who will take a stand and remind us, remind our children and remind our community that man has a soul, an eternal soul.
Let me say something to you, something which I think we all need to take on board and to take seriously. Instead of criticising those who lead in our organisations, those who lead us in praise and worship, those who teach the faith in your church – we should remember why Nehemiah appointed singers – to remind the people of God of their souls, of their need to worship God and that money/work was not all there was to life.
Levites – what do you feed your mind with? Take a moment and think about what you have put into your mind in the past week. What have you allowed to enter into the mind of your children in this past week? What is feeding your intellect? Nehemiah appointed Levites to teach the people of God the word of God. Parents – what or whom, is teaching your children? What/whom is feeding their intellect?
If the heart is to be inspired to worship then the mind must be informed. Faith is not empty, it is not pie in the sky dreaming. Faith must be built on the knowledge of God as revealed in the Word of God. Are you as concerned with your knowledge of the Word of God as you are about your knowledge of current affairs, of the soaps on television or of value of your house? Are you as concerned that your children know the Word of God as they are that they pass their GCSE’s or A’ Levels or whatever. My friend said to me recently: I would be happy for all three of my children to leave school without a qualification if I knew they loved Jesus and would one day be in heaven. What do you desire for your children above all else in this world? What do you desire for yourself above all else in this world?
Who have you appointed as a Levite in your life? The Sun newspaper! The latest blockbuster film! The latest best selling book! Where does the Bible come in all of this? Seriously – you want to know the worst attended meeting of this fellowship – Wednesday night Bible study and please don’t give me I can’t make it. I am always amazed how we can make night classes, salsa classes or whatever but sitting at the feet of God’s Word is not a priority. Who have you appointed as a Levite in your life?
7.2 – value reliable partners in this work. The longer I walk with Christ the more convinced I become that those you appoint in leadership decide the spiritual well being of a congregation. I want the leaders of the organisations to hear what I am going to say next because this is for you. I know at times you feel undervalued in your church. I know there are times that you feel no one would even notice if you were not there or if you did not do the work you presently do. I know the long hours you put in and the commitment that you give in serving Christ here each week.
If reliability was important to Nehemiah then so was Reverence for God and the things of God. Hanani and Hananiah put God first in their lives and so Nehemiah appointed them to leadership. In fact it was Hanani who had come to tell Nehemiah of the state of the walls of Jerusalem in chapter 1. Nehemiah heaps high praise on Hananiah when he says that he feared God more than most men. Would that not be a wonderful thing to be said of you? If you would be a leader in the kingdom of God then fear God more than men.
7.3 Be on your guard. Nehemiah gave instructions about the security of the gates. Nehemiah knew that just because the walls were built and the gates in place did not mean the enemy would not attack. They needed reliable men to guard the gates and if necessary to shut the gates in the face of the enemies attacks. Have you posted a guard on the gates of your heart and mind?
These verses are filled with challenges from God concerning how we live when we have built the walls and hung the gates on God’s kingdom in our lives and in the lives of others.
These verses give us timely advice about being on our guard as we continue living in the kingdom of God and how we need the gatekeepers, singers and Levites in our lives. It also informs us about being reliable and reverential leaders – so that we can partner with one another in the work of the Gospel. lastly it warns us to keep our guard up because our enemy has not given up the fight just because we have entered into the kingdom of God – through salvation.
Amen.
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