God's people are being rebuilt as a community that belongs to him. They gathered on the first day of the month to listen to God's word being read and applied to them. They responded to it with humbled conviction and with comprehending joy.
This passage begins with the next day, presumably when most of the people have gone to their homes to prepare food and to send some to those without. But the instruction continues, with the heads of the families (v.13). They were responsible before God for training their families and it was vital that they had further teaching which would then be passed on to others.
1. Doing the Word of God
What is very conspicuous in this passage is that the people immediately obey the word that the hear. That comes out very clearly when you compare vv.14,15 & vv.16,17. They did not merely listen to the word, they did what it said. James would have been proud of them!
And, in contrast to earlier generations, they kept the feast as God meant it to be kept. Not since the days of Joshua had that been done. At other times, the actual pracitce of living in booths was treated quite lightly. The people kept the feast but more by way of token gesture.
God's word, rightly understood and applied to ur own day, is to be followed in all its detail. We must not be content with token gestures but with genuine obedience. To obey is better than sacrifice; really doing what God has said scores highly over going through the motions.
It is a precious thing, both to God and to us, when we read his word or hear it preached and respond to it straight away and do as it says. It quickens desire and resolve to live for him.
Which raises the question, Why do we so often fail to do what God says? Let me make the following suggestions:
- We've lost the connection between God's grace and our obedience - gratitude is to be a prime motivation for obedience in the Christian life, gratitude for the grace of God that saves.
- We've misunderstood the connection between God's grace and our response, thinking that grace means we can live as we please ("God forbid").
- We forget how holy God is and how much he hates sin; we would owe him obedience simply because he is God, even were there no grace.
- We are hardened through sin's deceitfulness and presume we can flaunt with sin at no cost to ourselves. We can't.
2. The Blessing of Doing the Word of God
The fact that they obeyed is very important but what they did is also crucial. God's commands are not aimless or simply there for the doing but rather form part of his purpose for us and for our good and blessing. That works out here in at least 3 ways:
i) Past & Present - The feast that they were to celebrate as a community linked the present with the past in a way that was intended to strengthen their faith and encourage them in their present day experience in difficult days.
It reminded them of the great events of the exodus and the time that the people lived in booths in the desert. Though so much had occurred since, culminating in the trauma of the exile, they were so clearly still God's people with a great heritage in the covenant promises of God.
To be stable people with maturing faith, we need to know our link with the past. As Paul told the church at Rome, "Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of hte scriptures we might have hope". We're to come to scripture with that perspective.
ii) Past & Future - The link to the past gave them "strength for today"; it was also to give them "bright hope for tomorrow". God's purposes for his people didn't terminate with them. The city of Jerusalem was to remain significant in the Lord's plans as the people awaited the Messiah and the true exodus in him.
In Luke's writings we see something of the significance of the city. He of all the NT writers uses the word most often - 60% of all its occurences are in Luke-Acts which form 26% of the NT. So you can see how interested Luke is in the city.
But why such interest? Because it is where the Messiah will come to die to save his people (movement in Luke) and it is to be the place from which the gospel will be taken into all the world (movement in Acts). The people of Nehemiah's day couldn't have known the detail but this feast would have contributed to their sense of God's purposes for his world being focussed in this place.
And so it gave them hope for the future, a hope that we share in the gospel. The meal we share, which reminds us of those awesome events that took place just outside Jerusalem, points us with hope to God's glorious future, when Jesus returns.
iii) No Continuing City - But they were not to be complacent in that hope. Keeping the feast in all its detail reminded them that "here we have no continuing city". In their situation, having just completed the walls, the feast would warn them not to put their faith in walls but in the God who promised to be a wall of fire around his people, the builder of a better city. It would speak to them of the transitory nature of their life in this world.
We need similar reminders. We can live comfortably in this world and in essence that's ok, we ought to receive God's blessings with gratitude. But we must be careful; in this world we are "aliens and strangers".
We no longer belong to the world in its rebellion against God. We must be careful therefore to make sure that we put our trust firmly in God and not in the gifts he gives. This life is very transitory; only God and his kingdom will last. It is in him that we find our "solid joys and lasting treasures".
I'm sure they were proud of their achievement in rebuilding the wall in such a short time and we may be too of some of the things we've done. But we must be careful. Our achievements are not a solid basis of hope for the future; God's faithfulness alone is.
3. The Joy of Doing the Word of God
The people obeyed God's word, straight away, and would know the blessing of doing so. But notice that their obedience was accompanied by great joy (v.17). That is how it should be in the Christian life. John reminds his readers that God's commands are not burdensome to us; rather, they are to be a delight for us, as they were to the psalmist in Ps.119.
That's not saying that obedience is not sometimes hard and costly. Invariably it is; we shouldn't expect it to be otherwise. But it is precisely as we embrace the demands of discipleship that we are able to share the joy of our Lord Jesus who "for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, scorning its shame" (Heb. 12:2).
And where is Jesus now? That verse in Hebrews goes on to say that he "sat down at the right hand of the throne of God". He entered glory as the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. He calls us to walk the same path of discipleship, not simply with those of Nehemiah's day and other great heroues of the faith, but following him and with him as our sustaining guide.
We've heard God's word together. Will we be "doers also" of it? May he help us to honour him and to know his blessing and joy.
Tuesday, 11 July 2006
Nehemiah 8:9-12
The walls of Jerusalem have been rebuilt; now it's time to rebuild the people of God within those walls. Foundational to that rebuilding was the teaching of God's Word, in particular its focus on the grace of God in their becoming his people and their history as such. And so the people listened together to the reading of the book of the law of God, given to Moses.
It is very clear from what we saw last time that the people were very serious in their attitude towards God and to his Word. There was a move of God among them, causing the people to ask for his Word to be read.
In this passage, we see something of the impact that God's Word made on them as they listened to it being taught. And we need to remember that they sat and learnt together. God was addressing them, not simply as individuals, but as his gathered people.
1. Humbled & Convicted of Sin
The first reaction of the people to hearing God's Word is to break down and weep. As the word was read, explained and applied, they were humbled and convicted of their sin.
There would be much in what they had heard to convict them. How they were to love the Lord and cleave to him; how they were to keep free from idols; how they should love each other and keep themselves pure. And, perhaps most powerfully of all, the emphasis on the amazing grace of God and his utter faithfulness in the face of his people's sin and failure.
To humble and convict of sin is an intrinsic part of the ministry of God's Word and Spirit. But we must remember that the Lord wounds in order to bring healing, that he humbles us in order that he might then raise us in his time.
Although the experience of humbling is not a pleasant one, it is necessary and ultimately a blessing. The psalmist discovered this in his dealings with the Lord. As he reflected on God's Word in Ps.119, he speaks of being afflicted by the Lord but for his good:
"Before I was afflicted, I went astray but now I obey your word...It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees...I know O Lord that your laws are righteous and in your righteousness you have afflicted me." (vv.67,71,75).
When the Lord humbles us through his word, it is for our good and our restoration and rebuilding as his people. At times, we need to be humbled over personal sin; at other times, we need to be addressed as a church and brought low before God. But always his purpose is to restore and then use us for his glory's sake (cf. Peter & also David in Ps. 51:12.13).
2. The Primacy of Joy
To be humbled and convicted is part of the Christian life. But it is interesting to see that Nehemiah and the Levites are quick to quieten the people and to turn them from weeping to joy. Why is that?
The reason given to the people is that "This day is sacred to the LORD" . The regulations that the Lord had given his people, which had just been read to them, specified this day as a day for a sacred assembly, with trumpets sounded (Lev. 23:24; Num. 29:1). A sacred day was a day on which they would specifically recall what God had done in grace and power for his people.
Yes, there was a place in their experience, as in ours, for humbling and repentance. But there is a bigger picture to bear in mind, of God and his purposes of grace. To be convicted of sin is a vital part of Christian experience but the dominant note is to be rejoicing in God and in what he has done.
Grief over sin is never to be an end in itself but is to lead to renewed joy in God and service to him. That is what is being conveyed to the people here. In the weakness of their sorrow over sin, in the frailties of their flesh, they are to know that "the joy of the LORD is [their] strength" (v.10).
The people are being brought back to the centrality of God and his gracious purposes towards them. And in the light of that, they are urged to go home and to enjoy the bounty of the promised land, as a tangible expression of those purposes toward them (v.10).
Shouldn't we do the same? Aren't we called to enjoy the Lord and his salvation and the blessings we have in him? It is surely a travesty when we live our lives in a low state, constantly going over our sin and failure but never making it to the larger picture of the restoring grace of God.
God's Word made a great impact on these people. It brought them to tears of repentance but it also lifted them into the joy of the Lord's salvation. Nehemiah and the Levites explained how this was to be a sacred day, applying God's Word to them.
And "all the people went away...to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them" (v.12). Such is the value of learning God's Word together.
3. Sharing the Fruits of Salvation
But notice too how Nehemiah emphasises here their duty toward each other. They are to go away and feast in response to God and his glory and grace. But they are not to neglect the needs of others.
It would be almost criminal for some of the people to be excluded from this visible celebration of God's mercy due to lack of food and provisions.
One man has said, "There can be no conscientious exultation in the plenty of God's world while brothers and sisters go needy". This was clearly felt by the churches in the NT who sent gifts to Jerusalem when they heard there was suffering there among the Lord's people.
It has application to our own response to the need among the Lord's people in the world, not simply for material provision but for trained Bible teachers and pastors for the churches.
In so many ways, we are challenged about whether we will personally enjoy the blessings of salvation and ignore others or whether we will be ready to share God's good gifts with others, as we are able. That is clearly something for every church to consider but each church can only do so as its members respond personally.
What I mean is that the church does not generate funds by itself. It is only as we give that the church will have resources to share with others. If we're truly glorying in the Lord and enjoying his salvation then we will surely want to look for ways in which others will be able to share along with us.
Conclusion
They were humbled under God's hand as his Word was read and taught and they were led to great joy and celebration as they understood that word and its wider context of God's grace and purposes. Its impact on them was considerable.
But did it lead to thoroughgoing obedience? That is the true test of whether we have really heard God's Word. James tells us we're deceived if we hear the word and then do nothing about it. The answer of vv.13-18, which we'll look at in detail next time, is 'Yes, they did'. There lies the challenge for us this morning.
It is very clear from what we saw last time that the people were very serious in their attitude towards God and to his Word. There was a move of God among them, causing the people to ask for his Word to be read.
In this passage, we see something of the impact that God's Word made on them as they listened to it being taught. And we need to remember that they sat and learnt together. God was addressing them, not simply as individuals, but as his gathered people.
1. Humbled & Convicted of Sin
The first reaction of the people to hearing God's Word is to break down and weep. As the word was read, explained and applied, they were humbled and convicted of their sin.
There would be much in what they had heard to convict them. How they were to love the Lord and cleave to him; how they were to keep free from idols; how they should love each other and keep themselves pure. And, perhaps most powerfully of all, the emphasis on the amazing grace of God and his utter faithfulness in the face of his people's sin and failure.
To humble and convict of sin is an intrinsic part of the ministry of God's Word and Spirit. But we must remember that the Lord wounds in order to bring healing, that he humbles us in order that he might then raise us in his time.
Although the experience of humbling is not a pleasant one, it is necessary and ultimately a blessing. The psalmist discovered this in his dealings with the Lord. As he reflected on God's Word in Ps.119, he speaks of being afflicted by the Lord but for his good:
"Before I was afflicted, I went astray but now I obey your word...It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees...I know O Lord that your laws are righteous and in your righteousness you have afflicted me." (vv.67,71,75).
When the Lord humbles us through his word, it is for our good and our restoration and rebuilding as his people. At times, we need to be humbled over personal sin; at other times, we need to be addressed as a church and brought low before God. But always his purpose is to restore and then use us for his glory's sake (cf. Peter & also David in Ps. 51:12.13).
2. The Primacy of Joy
To be humbled and convicted is part of the Christian life. But it is interesting to see that Nehemiah and the Levites are quick to quieten the people and to turn them from weeping to joy. Why is that?
The reason given to the people is that "This day is sacred to the LORD" . The regulations that the Lord had given his people, which had just been read to them, specified this day as a day for a sacred assembly, with trumpets sounded (Lev. 23:24; Num. 29:1). A sacred day was a day on which they would specifically recall what God had done in grace and power for his people.
Yes, there was a place in their experience, as in ours, for humbling and repentance. But there is a bigger picture to bear in mind, of God and his purposes of grace. To be convicted of sin is a vital part of Christian experience but the dominant note is to be rejoicing in God and in what he has done.
Grief over sin is never to be an end in itself but is to lead to renewed joy in God and service to him. That is what is being conveyed to the people here. In the weakness of their sorrow over sin, in the frailties of their flesh, they are to know that "the joy of the LORD is [their] strength" (v.10).
The people are being brought back to the centrality of God and his gracious purposes towards them. And in the light of that, they are urged to go home and to enjoy the bounty of the promised land, as a tangible expression of those purposes toward them (v.10).
Shouldn't we do the same? Aren't we called to enjoy the Lord and his salvation and the blessings we have in him? It is surely a travesty when we live our lives in a low state, constantly going over our sin and failure but never making it to the larger picture of the restoring grace of God.
God's Word made a great impact on these people. It brought them to tears of repentance but it also lifted them into the joy of the Lord's salvation. Nehemiah and the Levites explained how this was to be a sacred day, applying God's Word to them.
And "all the people went away...to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them" (v.12). Such is the value of learning God's Word together.
3. Sharing the Fruits of Salvation
But notice too how Nehemiah emphasises here their duty toward each other. They are to go away and feast in response to God and his glory and grace. But they are not to neglect the needs of others.
It would be almost criminal for some of the people to be excluded from this visible celebration of God's mercy due to lack of food and provisions.
One man has said, "There can be no conscientious exultation in the plenty of God's world while brothers and sisters go needy". This was clearly felt by the churches in the NT who sent gifts to Jerusalem when they heard there was suffering there among the Lord's people.
It has application to our own response to the need among the Lord's people in the world, not simply for material provision but for trained Bible teachers and pastors for the churches.
In so many ways, we are challenged about whether we will personally enjoy the blessings of salvation and ignore others or whether we will be ready to share God's good gifts with others, as we are able. That is clearly something for every church to consider but each church can only do so as its members respond personally.
What I mean is that the church does not generate funds by itself. It is only as we give that the church will have resources to share with others. If we're truly glorying in the Lord and enjoying his salvation then we will surely want to look for ways in which others will be able to share along with us.
Conclusion
They were humbled under God's hand as his Word was read and taught and they were led to great joy and celebration as they understood that word and its wider context of God's grace and purposes. Its impact on them was considerable.
But did it lead to thoroughgoing obedience? That is the true test of whether we have really heard God's Word. James tells us we're deceived if we hear the word and then do nothing about it. The answer of vv.13-18, which we'll look at in detail next time, is 'Yes, they did'. There lies the challenge for us this morning.
Nehemiah 8:1-8
The passage we're beginning to look at this morning is really at the heart of the book of Nehemiah. In the earlier chapters, we've seen the walls of Jerusalem being rebuilt and in ch.7 saw the community beginning to be rebuilt. That theme dominates the latter half of the book and this chapter, along with ch's 9 & 10, are central to that rebuilding.
1. The Desire for Renewal (v.1)
The chapter is set just a few days after the completion of the walls and opens with the people calling for "Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses" (v.1). Something new is happening among God's people. God is moving among them and there is a great seriousness present. This move towards renewal and reformation is not primarily a man-directed event; there is no indication here that the people were organised by their leaders into making this request. It is spontaneous upon completion of the walls and is clearly an instance of the Lord making his people willing in the day of his power.
Reformation and rebuilding in the church demands the great seriousness of God's people but human effort alone will not prevail. Such seriousness is a product of God's Spirit at work. We must take our responsibilities seriously and we must ask the Lord to work among us. It isn't either/or; it is both/and.
2. The Covenant Renewed
Why do the people ask Ezra to bring out the book of the law, which in all probability was the book of Deuteronomy? It has been often noted that God's Word holds a central place in this chapter. That is certainly true and we'll look more closely at that later on. But the people are not interested in it simply as a piece of holy writing. They are concerned with what God says to them through it. It is a book of covenant and these people are eager to renew their covenant with the Lord.
The whole of ch.8-10 are a record of covenant renewal and it all begins here with the reading of the law. Why was this book so central to that theme? As you read through Deuteronomy you see the following themes emerge:
- The history of God's dealings with his people, especially how he called them in grace. He initiated this relationship, not them.
- The Lord's perseverance with a sinful people; his faithfulness is truly amazing!
- The people are given laws to obey to express their relationship with the Lord; those laws are summed up in the command to love the Lord and to love their neighbour as themselves.
- The covenant is established by the Lord but they will only know the blessing of it as they obey his word. To disobey will bring punishment, as expressed in the curses upon them.
Here, in this book, is the essence of their relationship with the Lord. For the nation to be rebuilt, the fundamentals must be re-established and embraced afresh. The wickedness of the nation had brought about the exile. They had been restored to the land by God's grace and for the sake of his purposes of salvation for the world.
We need to often remind ourselves of the basis of our relationship with the Lord: it is by grace alone, through his love in Christ. We are to be committed to him and are to obey him in love. He is the reason we exist and his purposes of grace and salvation come first.
This is a very special event and is akin in many ways to times of revival in the history of the church which we need to pray for today.
But it is also right to point out the same themes are stressed weekly in the covenant meal that we share together, as we remember our Lord Jesus and his blood of the new covenant shed for the remission of our sins, forming a people for himself, to be celebrated until he comes and all God's people saved. God's covenant is at the heart of the church's life.
3. The Priority of God's Word
But it is very important to recall that the Lord has not simply instituted a meal to remind us of these things; he has appointed pastors and teachers in the church for the preaching of his word. God's Word is to be an abiding priority in the life of the church. And we see here that it was so for this people.
Their commitment here to God's Word is very impressive. The reading of the book was attended by all who were able to understand and they "listened attentively" (v.3) for 6 hours! That was quite a sermon! (The book of Deuteronomy is a collection of messages spoken by Moses). Their eagerness to hear is also shown in the fact that Ezra stood on a special platform and all the people stood to listen.
Their example is a real challenge to us. How important do we see God's Word to be? Is it important in our daily lives? Is it central to how we see church life?
A great debate rages as to how church should be done in the 21st century; whatever we think on that, God's Word is not an optional extra. It is to be central because Jesus is central, because by his Word the Lord speaks of his grace, he teaches us how to live before him and equips us for service in his world as we reach out to others.
It is because God's Word is so vital that great care was taken to make sure the people understood what was read to them.
'Making it clear' in v.8 can mean that the Levites translated it to the people or that they made plain what was being said. However you translate that phrase, the whole verse is crystal clear: the Levites helped the people grasp the meaning and the application of the words they heard.
This ministry of explaining and applying is very close to what is done today through sermons, small group studies and so on. Such ministries are vital to the health of the church and so the progress of the gospel.
Here is the crying need in many developing countries. The gospel is making progress but there is a dearth of trained Bible teachers. The church's task is not simply gaining converts but making disciples, teaching them to obey all that God has said.
And I want to stress in closing what is so obvious in the text, that the people learnt together. Why is that? Because being a Christian, living as a child of God, is not a private thing. He calls us into his family and we are to live as a family.
His word has so much to say to us about life together as the church. We must hear together because we have a mutual responsibility to love one another, fervently, from the heart.
And learning together is also about mutual accountability. We hear and learn together and, as we do, so it becomes clear that we are in this together, that we all have a part to play in letting "the Word of Christ dwell in [us] richly, as [we] teach and admonish one another with all wisdom" (Col. 3:16).
Lastly, learning together is a source of mutual encouragement as we seek to serve the Lord, loving him and our neighbour. On our own, we easily slip back and want to give up. The writer of Hebrews encourages his readers not to do that but rather to "encourage one another and all the more as you see the day approaching". May God give us grace to do so. Amen!
1. The Desire for Renewal (v.1)
The chapter is set just a few days after the completion of the walls and opens with the people calling for "Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses" (v.1). Something new is happening among God's people. God is moving among them and there is a great seriousness present. This move towards renewal and reformation is not primarily a man-directed event; there is no indication here that the people were organised by their leaders into making this request. It is spontaneous upon completion of the walls and is clearly an instance of the Lord making his people willing in the day of his power.
Reformation and rebuilding in the church demands the great seriousness of God's people but human effort alone will not prevail. Such seriousness is a product of God's Spirit at work. We must take our responsibilities seriously and we must ask the Lord to work among us. It isn't either/or; it is both/and.
2. The Covenant Renewed
Why do the people ask Ezra to bring out the book of the law, which in all probability was the book of Deuteronomy? It has been often noted that God's Word holds a central place in this chapter. That is certainly true and we'll look more closely at that later on. But the people are not interested in it simply as a piece of holy writing. They are concerned with what God says to them through it. It is a book of covenant and these people are eager to renew their covenant with the Lord.
The whole of ch.8-10 are a record of covenant renewal and it all begins here with the reading of the law. Why was this book so central to that theme? As you read through Deuteronomy you see the following themes emerge:
- The history of God's dealings with his people, especially how he called them in grace. He initiated this relationship, not them.
- The Lord's perseverance with a sinful people; his faithfulness is truly amazing!
- The people are given laws to obey to express their relationship with the Lord; those laws are summed up in the command to love the Lord and to love their neighbour as themselves.
- The covenant is established by the Lord but they will only know the blessing of it as they obey his word. To disobey will bring punishment, as expressed in the curses upon them.
Here, in this book, is the essence of their relationship with the Lord. For the nation to be rebuilt, the fundamentals must be re-established and embraced afresh. The wickedness of the nation had brought about the exile. They had been restored to the land by God's grace and for the sake of his purposes of salvation for the world.
We need to often remind ourselves of the basis of our relationship with the Lord: it is by grace alone, through his love in Christ. We are to be committed to him and are to obey him in love. He is the reason we exist and his purposes of grace and salvation come first.
This is a very special event and is akin in many ways to times of revival in the history of the church which we need to pray for today.
But it is also right to point out the same themes are stressed weekly in the covenant meal that we share together, as we remember our Lord Jesus and his blood of the new covenant shed for the remission of our sins, forming a people for himself, to be celebrated until he comes and all God's people saved. God's covenant is at the heart of the church's life.
3. The Priority of God's Word
But it is very important to recall that the Lord has not simply instituted a meal to remind us of these things; he has appointed pastors and teachers in the church for the preaching of his word. God's Word is to be an abiding priority in the life of the church. And we see here that it was so for this people.
Their commitment here to God's Word is very impressive. The reading of the book was attended by all who were able to understand and they "listened attentively" (v.3) for 6 hours! That was quite a sermon! (The book of Deuteronomy is a collection of messages spoken by Moses). Their eagerness to hear is also shown in the fact that Ezra stood on a special platform and all the people stood to listen.
Their example is a real challenge to us. How important do we see God's Word to be? Is it important in our daily lives? Is it central to how we see church life?
A great debate rages as to how church should be done in the 21st century; whatever we think on that, God's Word is not an optional extra. It is to be central because Jesus is central, because by his Word the Lord speaks of his grace, he teaches us how to live before him and equips us for service in his world as we reach out to others.
It is because God's Word is so vital that great care was taken to make sure the people understood what was read to them.
'Making it clear' in v.8 can mean that the Levites translated it to the people or that they made plain what was being said. However you translate that phrase, the whole verse is crystal clear: the Levites helped the people grasp the meaning and the application of the words they heard.
This ministry of explaining and applying is very close to what is done today through sermons, small group studies and so on. Such ministries are vital to the health of the church and so the progress of the gospel.
Here is the crying need in many developing countries. The gospel is making progress but there is a dearth of trained Bible teachers. The church's task is not simply gaining converts but making disciples, teaching them to obey all that God has said.
And I want to stress in closing what is so obvious in the text, that the people learnt together. Why is that? Because being a Christian, living as a child of God, is not a private thing. He calls us into his family and we are to live as a family.
His word has so much to say to us about life together as the church. We must hear together because we have a mutual responsibility to love one another, fervently, from the heart.
And learning together is also about mutual accountability. We hear and learn together and, as we do, so it becomes clear that we are in this together, that we all have a part to play in letting "the Word of Christ dwell in [us] richly, as [we] teach and admonish one another with all wisdom" (Col. 3:16).
Lastly, learning together is a source of mutual encouragement as we seek to serve the Lord, loving him and our neighbour. On our own, we easily slip back and want to give up. The writer of Hebrews encourages his readers not to do that but rather to "encourage one another and all the more as you see the day approaching". May God give us grace to do so. Amen!
Nehemiah 7:1-73
Under Nehemiah's leadership, the walls of Jerusalem have been rebuilt. That was very significant in terms of their visible identity as the Lord's people, as well as for protection. But being the Lord's people is more than symbols; they need to construct a community that is alive to God, walking in his ways.
The second half of the book is going to be concerned with that and this chapter shows us the first steps that Nehemiah took to rebuild the community.
1. Just the Job! (vv.1-3)
In vv.1-3 people are given significant tasks to do in Jerusalem:
i) Gatekeepers, Singers & Levites - The first group mentioned are the city gatekeepers. Nothing surprising in that; the gates needed to be guarded. But why singers and Levites too?
The answer to that question takes us back to the heart of why the city was being rebuilt. It wasn't simply to be a place for the people to live but the centre for their worship and witness. To put singers and Levites in place showed that Nehemiah knew that and was anxious to act upon it.
Their life on earth was to centre upon the Lord. He was the reason that Jerusalem existed at all. The people of God are for the praise of God. That's still the case today. The church is not here for its own sake but for the glory of God. Mission is not an end in itself but is for God's glory as the nations are blessed in him. All we do must be tested by this.
No doubt some of the details of city life were fairly mundane and not so obviously 'spiritual'. And church life today is like that too. But there was and is a bigger picture to keep in mind: God and his glory, God and his purposes.
The people would need to be led and encouraged in their praise and in their life of obedience (as ch.8 shows). So the singers and Levites were appointed to serve. Being a church is not about a commercial enterprise but about faith and love. And so the Lord has appointed pastors and teachers and given gifts to the body for the building up of the whole.
ii) Jobs for the boys? Nehemiah's next move may seem at first sight to be less spiritual and more political. Anticipating his return to Susa, he appoints his brother and Hananiah to positions of influence and responsibility in the city. Is this a case of job's for the boys? Were they his cronies?
The text itself shows us how to see this. Hananiah was put into that position because of his spiritual qualities. "He was a man of integrity and feared God more than most men do" (v.2). Nehemiah is not concerned to build a dynasty for himself and his friends; he is seeking first God's kingdom and so he appoints men of integrity and spiritual maturity.
And when you look at the NT the same truth comes through over & again. Leaders are to be appointed in the church on the basis not simply of gifting but of character and maturity. Nothing is more vital for the health of the church than that her leaders be men of the right spiritual calibre.
iii) Home Guard - But notice that city life is not just about Levites and leaders; it's about 'ordinary' folk doing their part by way of guarding the city walls. Nehemiah was very practical in his instructions about the home guard and they included "residents of Jerusalem" doing their part.
All of us are in the 'home guard' of the church. And, yes, we may well resemble Dad's Army at times but it is vital that we grasp hold of this. We all have a part to play in maintaining the purity of the church, in life and witness.
How we live at home, how we deal with others at work, how we interact in the community is vitally important. We are God's holy people, set apart for him. We live in dangerous times where truth is under attack. We must be concerned about that, pray about that and do what we can where we can to preserve truth and life.
2. Just a List? (vv.4-73)
So much for the first 3 verses...what are we to make of the next 70? Maybe you were bored when we read it or even thought it was wrong to inflict such a reading on the church. But we must be careful. All scripture is God-breathed and is useful, able to build us up and equip us as the Lord's people. We must be careful that we don't despise or become impatient with God's Word. It is we who are to submit to it, not it to us.
If you look back to Ezra ch.2 you'll see that this is virtually a carbon copy of what we have there. It is a list of those who returned from exile in Ezra's day. It is a record that Nehemiah finds and uses as he sets about repopulating the city. That is his concern and a number of important points emerge from the list in terms of that purpose.
i) Identity & Continuity - Part of what this list did was to create a sense of identity and continuity among them as the people of God. Despite the exile, they were still connected to the great events of the past, they were still identified with the Lord's great deeds of salvation on behalf of his people. This list affirmed their identity as his people in a hostile world.
We have a history too as God's people. The church didn't just appear in a clear blue sky one day! We're part of the historic work of God to save a people for himself. The history of God's people, in the Bible and since, is exciting and faith affirming. This is who we are - God's people, the latest in a long line.
ii) True Israelites - And that sense of identity also clarified and reinforced that they were distinct from their neighbours. We've seen before that Nehemiah refused to compromise with those of other faiths and this list is clearly a way of showing who is part of the true Israel, that is in terms of their descent. He is determined to keep the people pure.
This is another timely reminder to us that we must be careful in our definition of what a Christian is. It may not be fashionable, even in Christian circles, but what a person believes really does matter. It's not about a kindly disposition towards some idea of God but of genuine faith in Jesus as the Son of God, come in the flesh, to die on a cross for our sins.
It isn't arrogant to hold to that, nor is it out of some kind of twisted religious bigotry and hatred. Rather, it springs from a concern for the glory of God and out of love for a world lost in sin that has no other hope. We must not go soft on this, for God's sake and for the world's sake.
iii) Lessons Learned - In this list that there is a determination to learn the lessons of the past, in particular the sin of the past. In the days before the exile, God's regulations for temple worship was trampled and disregarded. But vv.64f show a new concern for purity and obedience to God's law. Sin matters; God's Word matters. We need to learn from our own past failures and endeavour to live in true obedience.
iv) The Grace of Giving - Lastly, this list reminds us that those who returned from exile, who saw that the Lord was at work, who had a vision for God's glory, were excited at what he was doing and had the grace of giving. It was yet another evidence that God was with them. Can we see God at work today, here and elsewhere? Does it excite us? Do we want to be part of what he is doing? Then ask him to show you how you can give, not just money but yourself, for his glory's sake. Amen.
The second half of the book is going to be concerned with that and this chapter shows us the first steps that Nehemiah took to rebuild the community.
1. Just the Job! (vv.1-3)
In vv.1-3 people are given significant tasks to do in Jerusalem:
i) Gatekeepers, Singers & Levites - The first group mentioned are the city gatekeepers. Nothing surprising in that; the gates needed to be guarded. But why singers and Levites too?
The answer to that question takes us back to the heart of why the city was being rebuilt. It wasn't simply to be a place for the people to live but the centre for their worship and witness. To put singers and Levites in place showed that Nehemiah knew that and was anxious to act upon it.
Their life on earth was to centre upon the Lord. He was the reason that Jerusalem existed at all. The people of God are for the praise of God. That's still the case today. The church is not here for its own sake but for the glory of God. Mission is not an end in itself but is for God's glory as the nations are blessed in him. All we do must be tested by this.
No doubt some of the details of city life were fairly mundane and not so obviously 'spiritual'. And church life today is like that too. But there was and is a bigger picture to keep in mind: God and his glory, God and his purposes.
The people would need to be led and encouraged in their praise and in their life of obedience (as ch.8 shows). So the singers and Levites were appointed to serve. Being a church is not about a commercial enterprise but about faith and love. And so the Lord has appointed pastors and teachers and given gifts to the body for the building up of the whole.
ii) Jobs for the boys? Nehemiah's next move may seem at first sight to be less spiritual and more political. Anticipating his return to Susa, he appoints his brother and Hananiah to positions of influence and responsibility in the city. Is this a case of job's for the boys? Were they his cronies?
The text itself shows us how to see this. Hananiah was put into that position because of his spiritual qualities. "He was a man of integrity and feared God more than most men do" (v.2). Nehemiah is not concerned to build a dynasty for himself and his friends; he is seeking first God's kingdom and so he appoints men of integrity and spiritual maturity.
And when you look at the NT the same truth comes through over & again. Leaders are to be appointed in the church on the basis not simply of gifting but of character and maturity. Nothing is more vital for the health of the church than that her leaders be men of the right spiritual calibre.
iii) Home Guard - But notice that city life is not just about Levites and leaders; it's about 'ordinary' folk doing their part by way of guarding the city walls. Nehemiah was very practical in his instructions about the home guard and they included "residents of Jerusalem" doing their part.
All of us are in the 'home guard' of the church. And, yes, we may well resemble Dad's Army at times but it is vital that we grasp hold of this. We all have a part to play in maintaining the purity of the church, in life and witness.
How we live at home, how we deal with others at work, how we interact in the community is vitally important. We are God's holy people, set apart for him. We live in dangerous times where truth is under attack. We must be concerned about that, pray about that and do what we can where we can to preserve truth and life.
2. Just a List? (vv.4-73)
So much for the first 3 verses...what are we to make of the next 70? Maybe you were bored when we read it or even thought it was wrong to inflict such a reading on the church. But we must be careful. All scripture is God-breathed and is useful, able to build us up and equip us as the Lord's people. We must be careful that we don't despise or become impatient with God's Word. It is we who are to submit to it, not it to us.
If you look back to Ezra ch.2 you'll see that this is virtually a carbon copy of what we have there. It is a list of those who returned from exile in Ezra's day. It is a record that Nehemiah finds and uses as he sets about repopulating the city. That is his concern and a number of important points emerge from the list in terms of that purpose.
i) Identity & Continuity - Part of what this list did was to create a sense of identity and continuity among them as the people of God. Despite the exile, they were still connected to the great events of the past, they were still identified with the Lord's great deeds of salvation on behalf of his people. This list affirmed their identity as his people in a hostile world.
We have a history too as God's people. The church didn't just appear in a clear blue sky one day! We're part of the historic work of God to save a people for himself. The history of God's people, in the Bible and since, is exciting and faith affirming. This is who we are - God's people, the latest in a long line.
ii) True Israelites - And that sense of identity also clarified and reinforced that they were distinct from their neighbours. We've seen before that Nehemiah refused to compromise with those of other faiths and this list is clearly a way of showing who is part of the true Israel, that is in terms of their descent. He is determined to keep the people pure.
This is another timely reminder to us that we must be careful in our definition of what a Christian is. It may not be fashionable, even in Christian circles, but what a person believes really does matter. It's not about a kindly disposition towards some idea of God but of genuine faith in Jesus as the Son of God, come in the flesh, to die on a cross for our sins.
It isn't arrogant to hold to that, nor is it out of some kind of twisted religious bigotry and hatred. Rather, it springs from a concern for the glory of God and out of love for a world lost in sin that has no other hope. We must not go soft on this, for God's sake and for the world's sake.
iii) Lessons Learned - In this list that there is a determination to learn the lessons of the past, in particular the sin of the past. In the days before the exile, God's regulations for temple worship was trampled and disregarded. But vv.64f show a new concern for purity and obedience to God's law. Sin matters; God's Word matters. We need to learn from our own past failures and endeavour to live in true obedience.
iv) The Grace of Giving - Lastly, this list reminds us that those who returned from exile, who saw that the Lord was at work, who had a vision for God's glory, were excited at what he was doing and had the grace of giving. It was yet another evidence that God was with them. Can we see God at work today, here and elsewhere? Does it excite us? Do we want to be part of what he is doing? Then ask him to show you how you can give, not just money but yourself, for his glory's sake. Amen.
Nehemiah 5:1-19
So far we've seen this small community serving God with vigour in the face of great opposition, which hasn't gone away. But this chapter brings before us another difficulty that impacts on faithful and fruitful service for the Lord and that is the life that the Lord's people live together.
You might think that facing a common enemy would be all the cement their relationships needed and it is a fact that during times of national crisis, people pull together. But though there is much to be admired at such times, people are still people, fallen and sinful. And the same pressures that bring people together can also cause them to act unhelpfully. That is just what we see in this chapter.
Not only is this a common factor in all of human life, it can also sadly be so in church life. Whilst the oppression and threats of ch.4 could harm the people and halt the work, the threat in this chapter is even greater: it could split the community apart completely, such that they were no longer recognisably living as the family of God.
1. Exploiting Their Brothers (vv.1-5)
The problem in Jerusalem at this time was the exploitation of the weak and vulnerable by those who were more financially secure. Poor people couldn't work to get grain (v.2); others were having to mortgage their fields to get grain (v.3); others were having to borrow money and sell their children into slavery to finance their debts (vv.4,5).
But the great shame about this exploitation is that it was being done by those who were "of the same flesh and blood" (v.5). Right at the heart of what was supposed to be a united people there was a great rupture and a great outcry is raised against it (v.1).
The way this chapter reads, these problems may have existed for some time but the special circumstances of rebuilding the wall have brought them to the fore. The situation now is much more urgent and the people's needs desperate.
The situation that Nehemiah faced in ch.4 was explosive and called for great wisdom and tenacity. This problem will need no less wisdom and resolve. How does he tackle it?
2. Call to Repent and Relieve (vv.6-13)
His response is recorded for us in v.6ff. He was "very angry". There is such a thing as righteous anger and Nehemiah shows it. Here is something that, because it strikes at the heart of their community life, strikes at the glory of God that is to be manifest among his people. They had pulled together and bought back their brothers (v.8) only to enslave them!
We need to be careful when we're angry, that we don't sin (cf. Ps 4:4) but there is something wrong if we're not stirred up when God's name is slighted by the actions of his people.
In his anger, Nehemiah determines to face the nobles and officials with their sin. Here is something that cannot go unchecked or the whole enterprise, rebuilding for God's glory, will come crashing down.
His focus, as he faces them with it, is again upon how they should walk before the Lord and in his presence. They should "walk in the fear of...God" and so avoid the reproach of their enemies. They had been treating the Lord and his ways with a casual disregard. That must stop. He is the Lord; he is to be revered and honoured.
We all do well to examine our lives by this word. Are we walking in the fear of God, wanting to honour him and careful not to bring dishonour to his name?
Nehemiah faces them with their sin and demands that they act to restore what they have taken from their brothers. They are not only to feel bad about their sin, they're to do something about it too.
Having been stunned into silence at first (v.8), that's just what they decide to do (v.12). His words have wounded them in order to bring healing to the community. Their repentance would be the occasion of renewal for their life together.
And this wasn't an empty promise designed to get Nehemiah off their backs. They say 'Amen' to his warning of judgement should they fail to restore what they had taken and then get on with it straightaway (v.13).
Here is genuine repentance in action! If something is wrong in our relationships, it needs to be put right and it needs to be done now. It isn't incidental; it really matters to the progress of the gospel. A lack of love and unity amongst us as the Lord's people is a denial of the truth that God is one and God is love.
Whether we're prepared to act on this is the true measure of how much we fear the Lord and want to see him honoured. Our actions must speak as loud as our words.
3. Nehemiah: An example to follow (vv.14-19)
You may have noticed that Nehemiah was also one who had loaned money to his brothers (v.10) but it seems clear that he and his men were not taking advantage of their brothers in doing so. And the final section of this chapter shows us that Nehemiah led the community by example.
Here is a passage that is especially full of relevance to church leaders but it relates to all of us too. Examples are given in order that they might be followed!
i) In vv.14-18 we see that Nehemiah, although entitled as the Governor to receive a certain level of support, refused to take it from the people. He was conscious that those before him had placed a heavy burden on the people and their assistants had lorded it over them (v.15).
In the NT we see the Apostle Paul doing just this too. In 1 Cor 9:7-12a he affirms the right of the worker to receive his wages; as an apostle he could expect to be supported by the churches. Yet he goes on to say that "we did not use this right". He and his friends refused support in order not to be a burden to them.
And he says that this is his reward in preaching the gospel and they couldn't take it from him! As with Nehemiah, it was the responsibility of the people to provide for his needs and his privilege to forego it.
ii) As well as refusing what was due to him, we also see that he lived in a very generous way. Many ate at his table (vv.17,18) yet, in spite of this, he never took his allowance. As the Lord's people, we are to be generous and eager to give and to serve. In his second letter to the church at Corinth, Paul encourages their giving by mentioning the churches of Macedonia who had given "beyond their ability".
Why did Nehemiah act like this? Out of reverence for God and out of concern for his people who had to carry heavy burdens. Here is a man who loves God and loves his neighbour and so his life has the quality it does. (His prayer in v.19 is not for a reward to match his own giving but is a way of claiming that he has acted rightly and from right motives.)
His example points us to the greatest example of all, our lord Jesus. He held nothing back for our sakes; will we do likewise for him and his glory?
You might think that facing a common enemy would be all the cement their relationships needed and it is a fact that during times of national crisis, people pull together. But though there is much to be admired at such times, people are still people, fallen and sinful. And the same pressures that bring people together can also cause them to act unhelpfully. That is just what we see in this chapter.
Not only is this a common factor in all of human life, it can also sadly be so in church life. Whilst the oppression and threats of ch.4 could harm the people and halt the work, the threat in this chapter is even greater: it could split the community apart completely, such that they were no longer recognisably living as the family of God.
1. Exploiting Their Brothers (vv.1-5)
The problem in Jerusalem at this time was the exploitation of the weak and vulnerable by those who were more financially secure. Poor people couldn't work to get grain (v.2); others were having to mortgage their fields to get grain (v.3); others were having to borrow money and sell their children into slavery to finance their debts (vv.4,5).
But the great shame about this exploitation is that it was being done by those who were "of the same flesh and blood" (v.5). Right at the heart of what was supposed to be a united people there was a great rupture and a great outcry is raised against it (v.1).
The way this chapter reads, these problems may have existed for some time but the special circumstances of rebuilding the wall have brought them to the fore. The situation now is much more urgent and the people's needs desperate.
The situation that Nehemiah faced in ch.4 was explosive and called for great wisdom and tenacity. This problem will need no less wisdom and resolve. How does he tackle it?
2. Call to Repent and Relieve (vv.6-13)
His response is recorded for us in v.6ff. He was "very angry". There is such a thing as righteous anger and Nehemiah shows it. Here is something that, because it strikes at the heart of their community life, strikes at the glory of God that is to be manifest among his people. They had pulled together and bought back their brothers (v.8) only to enslave them!
We need to be careful when we're angry, that we don't sin (cf. Ps 4:4) but there is something wrong if we're not stirred up when God's name is slighted by the actions of his people.
In his anger, Nehemiah determines to face the nobles and officials with their sin. Here is something that cannot go unchecked or the whole enterprise, rebuilding for God's glory, will come crashing down.
His focus, as he faces them with it, is again upon how they should walk before the Lord and in his presence. They should "walk in the fear of...God" and so avoid the reproach of their enemies. They had been treating the Lord and his ways with a casual disregard. That must stop. He is the Lord; he is to be revered and honoured.
We all do well to examine our lives by this word. Are we walking in the fear of God, wanting to honour him and careful not to bring dishonour to his name?
Nehemiah faces them with their sin and demands that they act to restore what they have taken from their brothers. They are not only to feel bad about their sin, they're to do something about it too.
Having been stunned into silence at first (v.8), that's just what they decide to do (v.12). His words have wounded them in order to bring healing to the community. Their repentance would be the occasion of renewal for their life together.
And this wasn't an empty promise designed to get Nehemiah off their backs. They say 'Amen' to his warning of judgement should they fail to restore what they had taken and then get on with it straightaway (v.13).
Here is genuine repentance in action! If something is wrong in our relationships, it needs to be put right and it needs to be done now. It isn't incidental; it really matters to the progress of the gospel. A lack of love and unity amongst us as the Lord's people is a denial of the truth that God is one and God is love.
Whether we're prepared to act on this is the true measure of how much we fear the Lord and want to see him honoured. Our actions must speak as loud as our words.
3. Nehemiah: An example to follow (vv.14-19)
You may have noticed that Nehemiah was also one who had loaned money to his brothers (v.10) but it seems clear that he and his men were not taking advantage of their brothers in doing so. And the final section of this chapter shows us that Nehemiah led the community by example.
Here is a passage that is especially full of relevance to church leaders but it relates to all of us too. Examples are given in order that they might be followed!
i) In vv.14-18 we see that Nehemiah, although entitled as the Governor to receive a certain level of support, refused to take it from the people. He was conscious that those before him had placed a heavy burden on the people and their assistants had lorded it over them (v.15).
In the NT we see the Apostle Paul doing just this too. In 1 Cor 9:7-12a he affirms the right of the worker to receive his wages; as an apostle he could expect to be supported by the churches. Yet he goes on to say that "we did not use this right". He and his friends refused support in order not to be a burden to them.
And he says that this is his reward in preaching the gospel and they couldn't take it from him! As with Nehemiah, it was the responsibility of the people to provide for his needs and his privilege to forego it.
ii) As well as refusing what was due to him, we also see that he lived in a very generous way. Many ate at his table (vv.17,18) yet, in spite of this, he never took his allowance. As the Lord's people, we are to be generous and eager to give and to serve. In his second letter to the church at Corinth, Paul encourages their giving by mentioning the churches of Macedonia who had given "beyond their ability".
Why did Nehemiah act like this? Out of reverence for God and out of concern for his people who had to carry heavy burdens. Here is a man who loves God and loves his neighbour and so his life has the quality it does. (His prayer in v.19 is not for a reward to match his own giving but is a way of claiming that he has acted rightly and from right motives.)
His example points us to the greatest example of all, our lord Jesus. He held nothing back for our sakes; will we do likewise for him and his glory?
Nehemiah 6:1-19
1. More Pressure!
As this small community struggle to rebuild the ruined walls, as a testimony to God and as a focus for their identity as his people, they faced much opposition, as we saw in ch.3. They had to be resolute and faithful. The earlier threats were seen off but their enemies have not gone away.
In this chapter there are further threats to the community, focussed upon Nehemiah as its leader. In particular, three strategies are employed by their enemies:
i) Trapped Through Talk - As the work nears completion, no less than four times Sanballat and Tobiah ask Nehemiah to meet with them. The implication is clearly that it is time to sort things out and to reach some kind of honourable agreement.
That is a very tempting offer. Very few people enjoy constant tension in relationships and, from a Christian perspective, we're told to do our best to live in harmony with others.
Nehemiah turns them down. Four times. Why? Because he can see through their deception. They're real intention is to harm him, not to discuss how they can peacefully coexist.
We really do need to heed our Lord's words that we must be "as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves". As believers we ought to be a blessing to the communities where we live, not a source of needless trouble. But we also need to be careful that we don't get drawn into positions of compromise through the desire to live at peace with others.
Peace that compromises the gospel is not peace, it's poison.
ii) Stirring Up Trouble - Having failed to draw Nehemiah into open compromise, they threaten to stir up trouble for him by making it known to the king that the rebuilding is more sinister than it seems and that they are rebelling against the state.
Those who want to stir up trouble for churches and Christians have many options open to them. This is one of them and in some places it can be a very potent weapon, claiming that the existence of the church can be a threat to society.
Often in the media, as debates are conducted over important issues that believers are concerned about, this point is often made, although perhaps with greater subtlety. It is said that all Christians are intolerant of others and want to force their religion on others and become a kind-of thought police.
Those kind of points need to be rebutted but often the way to do that is to simply show that they are, in fact, nonsense. Which is just what Nehemiah does here. He doesn't trouble himself with dealing clause by clause with the claims; he calls their bluff by calling them nonsense.
Again, he sees through their schemes. They want to frighten them and weaken their attempts at rebuilding (v.9). His reply should help to thwart their plans. But notice again Nehemiah's trust in God and reliance on him. They're trying to weaken their hands so he prays that God will strengthen his hands!
He's got to do what he can, on the ground, to deal with the attacks but unless the Lord strengthens him and the builders, all their resolve will be to no avail. They are vulnerable people and they need the Lord to protect and strengthen them. Action must always go hand in hand with prayer.
iii) Enemies Within - But not only did Sanballat and Tobiah attack from the front, they also had a man in the community. They used him to try to trick Nehemiah into open sin and so to ruin his standing with the people. If they succeeded here, the whole community would effectively fall apart.
This man, Shemaiah, feigned fear by staying indoors and tried to frighten Nehemiah and get him to go with him to the temple as a place of refuge. For Nehemiah to have gone into that part of the temple would have been sin. He wasn't a priest and must not go there.
But, again, Nehemiah is wise to their schemes and refuses to go. It's interesting that, although he knows exactly what's going on, Nehemiah doesn't openly say so but simply bats back the words of his enemies. He's being as wise as a serpent!
And it isn't just Shemaiah who's compromised by connections with the enemies. Vv.17-19 show that there were many who through marriage had a loyalty to Tobiah and acted on that, causing further trouble for Nehemiah.
For these people, such ties were stronger than the fact that they belonged to the people of God. We must be careful that we don't allow natural relationships to have precedence over the Lord's people and the Lord's work.
So in all sorts of ways, Nehemiah and the people were put under pressure to give in and give up. But they withstood the opposition through a combination of wisdom and faith, acting rightly and trusting God.
Verse 14 then tells us how he looked to God for judgement on Sanballat and Tobiah. He wasn't going to take things into his own hands. True justice comes from the Lord and it is to him he looked. If they refused to repent of their sin then they would face the Lord's anger. And Nehemiah left it at that.
2. Finished! (vv.15,16)
Despite all the struggles, both in terms of the work itself, their own relationships and the pressure from their enemies, the people actually finished the work in 52 days. Their enemies were quite distraught and fearful at this because it was a clear testimony that "this work had been done with the help of [their] God".
The gospel will make progress in this world, whatever the hardships that must be faced, however strong the opposition. That is something we can be sure of and rejoice in. Here is a book to encourage our own labour in the Lord, knowing that, as then, it is not in vain, because he is the Risen Lord who has all power and authority to act on behalf of his church.
3. Keeping On
As we close, I want to mention two things briefly:
i) The struggle never stops. Look how the chapter ends: Tobiah continues to harass Nehemiah, even when the wall is built. There is a salutary lesson for us here. The Christian life is an unremitting, unrelenting struggle. It will be worse at times and better at times but it will always be there. We must be ready for it.
ii) The building doesn't stop. They had the walls and gates in place; houses were next on the list. But even more necessary was the building of the community, which the book now moves on to. The framework of temple and walls was there; what they needed to do was flesh it out in lives that glorified God. The same is true for us. The framework of salvation is in place; what we must do is get on with the daily business of loving and serving the Lord and others. May he help us to do so. Amen!
As this small community struggle to rebuild the ruined walls, as a testimony to God and as a focus for their identity as his people, they faced much opposition, as we saw in ch.3. They had to be resolute and faithful. The earlier threats were seen off but their enemies have not gone away.
In this chapter there are further threats to the community, focussed upon Nehemiah as its leader. In particular, three strategies are employed by their enemies:
i) Trapped Through Talk - As the work nears completion, no less than four times Sanballat and Tobiah ask Nehemiah to meet with them. The implication is clearly that it is time to sort things out and to reach some kind of honourable agreement.
That is a very tempting offer. Very few people enjoy constant tension in relationships and, from a Christian perspective, we're told to do our best to live in harmony with others.
Nehemiah turns them down. Four times. Why? Because he can see through their deception. They're real intention is to harm him, not to discuss how they can peacefully coexist.
We really do need to heed our Lord's words that we must be "as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves". As believers we ought to be a blessing to the communities where we live, not a source of needless trouble. But we also need to be careful that we don't get drawn into positions of compromise through the desire to live at peace with others.
Peace that compromises the gospel is not peace, it's poison.
ii) Stirring Up Trouble - Having failed to draw Nehemiah into open compromise, they threaten to stir up trouble for him by making it known to the king that the rebuilding is more sinister than it seems and that they are rebelling against the state.
Those who want to stir up trouble for churches and Christians have many options open to them. This is one of them and in some places it can be a very potent weapon, claiming that the existence of the church can be a threat to society.
Often in the media, as debates are conducted over important issues that believers are concerned about, this point is often made, although perhaps with greater subtlety. It is said that all Christians are intolerant of others and want to force their religion on others and become a kind-of thought police.
Those kind of points need to be rebutted but often the way to do that is to simply show that they are, in fact, nonsense. Which is just what Nehemiah does here. He doesn't trouble himself with dealing clause by clause with the claims; he calls their bluff by calling them nonsense.
Again, he sees through their schemes. They want to frighten them and weaken their attempts at rebuilding (v.9). His reply should help to thwart their plans. But notice again Nehemiah's trust in God and reliance on him. They're trying to weaken their hands so he prays that God will strengthen his hands!
He's got to do what he can, on the ground, to deal with the attacks but unless the Lord strengthens him and the builders, all their resolve will be to no avail. They are vulnerable people and they need the Lord to protect and strengthen them. Action must always go hand in hand with prayer.
iii) Enemies Within - But not only did Sanballat and Tobiah attack from the front, they also had a man in the community. They used him to try to trick Nehemiah into open sin and so to ruin his standing with the people. If they succeeded here, the whole community would effectively fall apart.
This man, Shemaiah, feigned fear by staying indoors and tried to frighten Nehemiah and get him to go with him to the temple as a place of refuge. For Nehemiah to have gone into that part of the temple would have been sin. He wasn't a priest and must not go there.
But, again, Nehemiah is wise to their schemes and refuses to go. It's interesting that, although he knows exactly what's going on, Nehemiah doesn't openly say so but simply bats back the words of his enemies. He's being as wise as a serpent!
And it isn't just Shemaiah who's compromised by connections with the enemies. Vv.17-19 show that there were many who through marriage had a loyalty to Tobiah and acted on that, causing further trouble for Nehemiah.
For these people, such ties were stronger than the fact that they belonged to the people of God. We must be careful that we don't allow natural relationships to have precedence over the Lord's people and the Lord's work.
So in all sorts of ways, Nehemiah and the people were put under pressure to give in and give up. But they withstood the opposition through a combination of wisdom and faith, acting rightly and trusting God.
Verse 14 then tells us how he looked to God for judgement on Sanballat and Tobiah. He wasn't going to take things into his own hands. True justice comes from the Lord and it is to him he looked. If they refused to repent of their sin then they would face the Lord's anger. And Nehemiah left it at that.
2. Finished! (vv.15,16)
Despite all the struggles, both in terms of the work itself, their own relationships and the pressure from their enemies, the people actually finished the work in 52 days. Their enemies were quite distraught and fearful at this because it was a clear testimony that "this work had been done with the help of [their] God".
The gospel will make progress in this world, whatever the hardships that must be faced, however strong the opposition. That is something we can be sure of and rejoice in. Here is a book to encourage our own labour in the Lord, knowing that, as then, it is not in vain, because he is the Risen Lord who has all power and authority to act on behalf of his church.
3. Keeping On
As we close, I want to mention two things briefly:
i) The struggle never stops. Look how the chapter ends: Tobiah continues to harass Nehemiah, even when the wall is built. There is a salutary lesson for us here. The Christian life is an unremitting, unrelenting struggle. It will be worse at times and better at times but it will always be there. We must be ready for it.
ii) The building doesn't stop. They had the walls and gates in place; houses were next on the list. But even more necessary was the building of the community, which the book now moves on to. The framework of temple and walls was there; what they needed to do was flesh it out in lives that glorified God. The same is true for us. The framework of salvation is in place; what we must do is get on with the daily business of loving and serving the Lord and others. May he help us to do so. Amen!
Nehemiah 4:1-23
In these past weeks and in the last few days, much has been said about the need (or otherwise) to bring in legislation to deal with religious hatred. Once again, our studies in God's Word are very timely! For here in this chapter we have an account of religious hatred and the right response to it. It is also a chapter that forces us to face up to some difficult biblical material.
As we've said before, our approach to the OT must be to see it through the lens of the NT with Jesus at the centre. We need to bear in mind the whole flow of salvation-history and ensure that the lessons we draw are appropriate for our own context.
1. The Reality of Opposition
We've already seen in ch.2 that the work will not go unopposed and here the enemies of God's people make their stand. The work that has been going on has greatly angered them (vv.1,7). Evil hates and is furious over the progress of God's good work. So they 'up the anti' and do their best to stop the work.
We're reminded many times in scripture that we are involved in a battle and will encounter opposition in this life. But the lesson to learn is that, first and foremost, "our struggle is not against flesh and blood" although it may present and channel itself in that way. Our battle is "against the rulers, against the authorities against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12). It was the same in N's day, but becomes much plainer in the NT.
The upshot of this is that our weapons and tactics must be appropriate for the battle - but we'll come to that later! For now, let's just acknowledge that we're in a battle, not for land or money but for the glory of God's name and the hearts, minds and souls of lost men and women. It is not a battle that can be legislated for by Govts, much though we value basic freedoms.
Notice too the approach adopted by Sanballat and his cronies. At first, they try to discourage the workers by ridiculing them and their work. Their words are harsh & hurtful; whoever said that 'sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me' was brave but wrong. Words are powerful and can wound deeply.
But when that seemed not to work, they escalated their attack with threats of violence (v.11), even using some of the Jews to unwittingly carry their propaganda (v.12). If words failed to stop the work, they were not afraid to use force.
We need to learn that the devil has many schemes and tactics that he can use, that he is a subtle foe and sometimes unsubtle too. We need to learn that fear of man can be a potent weapon in stifling Christian work and witness, be it fear of violence, of ridicule or of being passed over for promotion at work.
Our enemy is skilled and brutal. We need to recognise that.
2. The Impact of Opposition
The opposition faced by the Jews was real and it had a real impact on them. They were in the midst of a very difficult task. They had begun well but now, halfway through, the taunts of their enemies and the threat of violence combine to discourage them in their work (v.10).
I think we can all sympathise with them. The work was hard enough as it was, without all these threats. Living a godly life and seeking to win others to the Lord are hard enough tasks without the devil's schemes to contend with.
With enemies within and without, we can all too easily grow discouraged and dejected. Opposition is real and we know it, just as these did. We must expect to have to deal with setbacks of all kinds.
3. The Response to Opposition
But the greatest lessons of this chapter are how to respond to the opposition which is real and damaging. There are 3 things I want to mention from the example of Nehemiah here, as we remember that the weapons of our warfare are not worldly but mighty through God to bring down strongholds:
i) Prayer - Nehemiah prayed about the situation. That doesn't surprise us, we know he's a man of prayer and we want to be the same too. He gives the burden to the Lord in prayer and that enables him to give himself to the Lord in service.
In Ephesians 6 Paul teaches on the need for prayer in the spiritual battle, exhorting the believers to "pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests". He was aware of just how vital prayer is in the warfare we face. May the Lord help us to be that aware too.
But we need to deal with how Nehemiah prayed (vv.4,5). His prayer is a problem for many, even commentators. Some might even say that in these troubled times when many are trying to dampen down the fires of religious conflict that words such as these are explosive. How should we deal with them?
What we see here is quite similar to some of the (imprecatory) psalms where the psalmist prays for God to deal with his enemies. There are a number of things we can say:
i) Nehemiah's great concern in this work is not personal but for God's name to be glorified;
ii) frequently the language of such prayers is metaphorical rather than literal;
iii) our own hatred of sin and desire for justice may not be what it should be; judge not the Lord by feeble sense!
iv) ot is not wrong to pray for justice and vindication; evil needs to be dealt with;
It is on that last point that we need to remember where we are in salvation history in this book and then look forward to the coming of Jesus and his own response to evil and opposition.
Not for a moment did Jesus connive with evil, nor did he fail to denounce it and those who steadfastly opposed him ('woes' on the Pharisees et al). But, uniquely, Jesus is the one who combined perfect hatred for sin with a willingness to bear its consequences on behalf of his enemies. In Jesus, prayer for judgement on sin is met with his own self-giving for sin.
So we pray for success in the gospel, for God's kingdom to come in the hearts & lives of men & women. But it still remains that one day, all who are unrepentant will join the devil and his angels in a place of endless destruction. And that will be a just reward for their evil. To pray for God's kingdom to come is also to pray for that time. It isn't wrong to want God's creation to be rid of sin and for justice to prevail. But how we should long for people to be saved!
ii) Faith - Closely allied to his praying is Nehemiah's trust in God and his encouraging of the people to trust him. A number of times he tells them not to fear, to remember the Lord, knowing that "our God will fight for us" (vv.14,20). We must take up the shield of faith and continue to work, despite opposition.
iii) Work - Which is exactly what we see here. Faith in God goes hand in hand with continued hard work and with common sense precautions against attack. Cromwell famously said 'Trust in God and keep your powder dry' and that is what happens here as the people work with both sword and trowel in hand.
Here then is how to handle opposition biblically. In our own day, the battle is fierce and the work is as urgent as ever. We must pray without ceasing, trust the Lord implicitly and work resolutely!
As we've said before, our approach to the OT must be to see it through the lens of the NT with Jesus at the centre. We need to bear in mind the whole flow of salvation-history and ensure that the lessons we draw are appropriate for our own context.
1. The Reality of Opposition
We've already seen in ch.2 that the work will not go unopposed and here the enemies of God's people make their stand. The work that has been going on has greatly angered them (vv.1,7). Evil hates and is furious over the progress of God's good work. So they 'up the anti' and do their best to stop the work.
We're reminded many times in scripture that we are involved in a battle and will encounter opposition in this life. But the lesson to learn is that, first and foremost, "our struggle is not against flesh and blood" although it may present and channel itself in that way. Our battle is "against the rulers, against the authorities against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12). It was the same in N's day, but becomes much plainer in the NT.
The upshot of this is that our weapons and tactics must be appropriate for the battle - but we'll come to that later! For now, let's just acknowledge that we're in a battle, not for land or money but for the glory of God's name and the hearts, minds and souls of lost men and women. It is not a battle that can be legislated for by Govts, much though we value basic freedoms.
Notice too the approach adopted by Sanballat and his cronies. At first, they try to discourage the workers by ridiculing them and their work. Their words are harsh & hurtful; whoever said that 'sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me' was brave but wrong. Words are powerful and can wound deeply.
But when that seemed not to work, they escalated their attack with threats of violence (v.11), even using some of the Jews to unwittingly carry their propaganda (v.12). If words failed to stop the work, they were not afraid to use force.
We need to learn that the devil has many schemes and tactics that he can use, that he is a subtle foe and sometimes unsubtle too. We need to learn that fear of man can be a potent weapon in stifling Christian work and witness, be it fear of violence, of ridicule or of being passed over for promotion at work.
Our enemy is skilled and brutal. We need to recognise that.
2. The Impact of Opposition
The opposition faced by the Jews was real and it had a real impact on them. They were in the midst of a very difficult task. They had begun well but now, halfway through, the taunts of their enemies and the threat of violence combine to discourage them in their work (v.10).
I think we can all sympathise with them. The work was hard enough as it was, without all these threats. Living a godly life and seeking to win others to the Lord are hard enough tasks without the devil's schemes to contend with.
With enemies within and without, we can all too easily grow discouraged and dejected. Opposition is real and we know it, just as these did. We must expect to have to deal with setbacks of all kinds.
3. The Response to Opposition
But the greatest lessons of this chapter are how to respond to the opposition which is real and damaging. There are 3 things I want to mention from the example of Nehemiah here, as we remember that the weapons of our warfare are not worldly but mighty through God to bring down strongholds:
i) Prayer - Nehemiah prayed about the situation. That doesn't surprise us, we know he's a man of prayer and we want to be the same too. He gives the burden to the Lord in prayer and that enables him to give himself to the Lord in service.
In Ephesians 6 Paul teaches on the need for prayer in the spiritual battle, exhorting the believers to "pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests". He was aware of just how vital prayer is in the warfare we face. May the Lord help us to be that aware too.
But we need to deal with how Nehemiah prayed (vv.4,5). His prayer is a problem for many, even commentators. Some might even say that in these troubled times when many are trying to dampen down the fires of religious conflict that words such as these are explosive. How should we deal with them?
What we see here is quite similar to some of the (imprecatory) psalms where the psalmist prays for God to deal with his enemies. There are a number of things we can say:
i) Nehemiah's great concern in this work is not personal but for God's name to be glorified;
ii) frequently the language of such prayers is metaphorical rather than literal;
iii) our own hatred of sin and desire for justice may not be what it should be; judge not the Lord by feeble sense!
iv) ot is not wrong to pray for justice and vindication; evil needs to be dealt with;
It is on that last point that we need to remember where we are in salvation history in this book and then look forward to the coming of Jesus and his own response to evil and opposition.
Not for a moment did Jesus connive with evil, nor did he fail to denounce it and those who steadfastly opposed him ('woes' on the Pharisees et al). But, uniquely, Jesus is the one who combined perfect hatred for sin with a willingness to bear its consequences on behalf of his enemies. In Jesus, prayer for judgement on sin is met with his own self-giving for sin.
So we pray for success in the gospel, for God's kingdom to come in the hearts & lives of men & women. But it still remains that one day, all who are unrepentant will join the devil and his angels in a place of endless destruction. And that will be a just reward for their evil. To pray for God's kingdom to come is also to pray for that time. It isn't wrong to want God's creation to be rid of sin and for justice to prevail. But how we should long for people to be saved!
ii) Faith - Closely allied to his praying is Nehemiah's trust in God and his encouraging of the people to trust him. A number of times he tells them not to fear, to remember the Lord, knowing that "our God will fight for us" (vv.14,20). We must take up the shield of faith and continue to work, despite opposition.
iii) Work - Which is exactly what we see here. Faith in God goes hand in hand with continued hard work and with common sense precautions against attack. Cromwell famously said 'Trust in God and keep your powder dry' and that is what happens here as the people work with both sword and trowel in hand.
Here then is how to handle opposition biblically. In our own day, the battle is fierce and the work is as urgent as ever. We must pray without ceasing, trust the Lord implicitly and work resolutely!
Nehemiah 3:1-32
Nehemiah has come to Jerusalem, full of zeal for God's glory and conscious of a call to lead the people in rebuilding the wall. In this chapter we have the record of the initial work that was done on the repairs needed. It has much to teach us about working together for God's kingdom. But we're going to stand back and see something of the bigger picture first.
1. What They Did: Built A Wall
This chapter is clearly about rebuilding the city walls. But this was more than a construction project. A wall would, of course, be very useful as protection but it was also going to function symbolically, as a badge marking them as God's people and Jerusalem as God's place.
In this chapter we see evidence that they understood this: the priests led the way in the work and when they had completed a section, they dedicated it to the Lord, a highly theological event (v.1). After the havoc of the exile and the difficult years since, along with the temple, the walls would speak of God's ongoing purposes for his people and, through them, the world.
But the wall would also make, in a concrete way, the point that Nehemiah made in 2:20 to their adversaries: they were a holy people, set apart for God and set apart from the nations. They would be separated from others, not simply by a wall, but by their faithfulness to the Lord.
Here is something vital for us to grasp for today too. We need to build bridges into the world, in order to effectively share the gospel with others. We need to meet folk where they are in their understanding. But it is crucial in doing so that we build walls too, walls around our minds and around our hearts. Our thinking and our behaviour must be guarded from all attempts to squeeze them into the world's mould.
We are called to be distinctive as the Lord's people, making the gospel attractive to others. But in being accessible to the world, we must make sure we're not assimilated by the world. Our lives must be governed by scripture and so be distinctive and holy, honouring the Lord and showing the beauty of the gospel. That means serious Bible study and eager obedience.
2. How They Built The Walls
Moving from the bigger picture, we see something of the details of their work recorded here.
i) With Unity - Perhaps the most striking feature of this chapter is the unity with which the people worked together on the walls. Time and again the chapter uses the term 'repaired' to describe what they did, showing it was essentially the same work, it was a unity. And many times we read that they worked next to each other, side by side.
Here is a lovely picture of what the church of Jesus Christ should be and how we should work for the gospel. It is a work that we do together and stand shoulder to shoulder in. Paul called on the Philippians to "stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel" (1:27). Earlier, he had spoken about their "partnership in the gospel". Those are stirring words and this is a stirring example given by these workers.
Notice that this unity of heart and purpose included people of all social strata, from the priests and nobles to the 'ordinary' townsfolk. That's the church! Whatever background we're from, we are one in Christ Jesus, whatever our role within the church, there is to be no division: all one and working as one.
Of course, this point is made so plainly in the NT by the use of the body metaphor. Every part is necessary and contributes to the functioning of the whole. There is an essential unity to the people of God.
And notice that the workers included people from other towns who were equally concerned for God's glory. That is what matters above all; not petty distinctions but a heart for God, loving his Word and honouring the Saviour. It is the big things that unite the people of God.
To rebuild the walls was a huge job and the challenges we face today are likewise very great. How can they be tackled? By each part of the body doing its work, wherever God has placed us and in the context of the church. Rather than be dismayed by the scale of the task, we must play our part, encouraging others as we do so and in that way, by God's grace, the work will be done, to his praise.
ii) In Diversity - They did the work in a spirit of unity but we must also notice how diverse they were: nobles and ordinary folk; various family groupings, different trades and callings. It is this diversity that makes their unity all the more conspicuous.
Variety of gifts is a great blessing from the Lord and is for the building up of the whole and the progress of the gospel. We're told, "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might" because life is short. All need to ask 'What can I do for the Lord?' & should rejoice as we see others doing what they can.
This is identified as a key role for pastors and teachers in the church, "to prepare God's people for works of service". A church is not just about a minister; it is about the whole people of God serving the Lord as he enables and calls.
Given the diversity of gifts and opportunities the Lord gives, there must be a flexibility in the church that allows for creativity in their use. Many were called to work next to their homes, giving a sense of comfort and security. Church fellowships must be comfortable, secure places that encourage people to serve God.
And yet it is interesting to note here that the variety of gifts were subjugated for a time in the interests of the greater good. There will be times when we need to go 'outside the box', not just in our thinking but in our doing. We must be ready for that and not throw up a defensive 'I can't do that!'.
iii) With Organisation - No doubt the diversity gave rise to a variety of opinions about how the work should be done and what the best approach would be. Yet in their diversity, they held together and seem to have responded positively to the clear lead that was no doubt given by Nehemiah.
Leaders are given by God to do just that. Collaborative efforts are often hard work because we are inclined to insist on our own way, perhaps even despising those appointed by God to leadership in the church. We are all responsible for "maintaining the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace". Yes, there needs to be flexibility and encouragement to serve but we must all be ready to give ourselves for the greater good and respect those in leadership.
iv) With Untiring Zeal - Lastly, notice that the work was marked by great zeal. That is specifically said of Baruch (v.20) and we also see some groups going the extra mile and doing a second piece of wall (v.5 cf. V.27). There is one jarring note (v.5) but that only serves to highlight the remarkable effort of the rest.
Here are people doing what Paul urges in Rom. 12:11 - "Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord". As we close, let's ask ourselves if that is true of us.
What will get us going and keep us going in our service is not human sentiment or emotional pressure from the front but a heart that knows the Lord, that loves him and is rejoicing in his grace in the Lord Jesus. May he help us to be fervent in the Spirit and zealous in our labours, for his name's sake. Amen.
1. What They Did: Built A Wall
This chapter is clearly about rebuilding the city walls. But this was more than a construction project. A wall would, of course, be very useful as protection but it was also going to function symbolically, as a badge marking them as God's people and Jerusalem as God's place.
In this chapter we see evidence that they understood this: the priests led the way in the work and when they had completed a section, they dedicated it to the Lord, a highly theological event (v.1). After the havoc of the exile and the difficult years since, along with the temple, the walls would speak of God's ongoing purposes for his people and, through them, the world.
But the wall would also make, in a concrete way, the point that Nehemiah made in 2:20 to their adversaries: they were a holy people, set apart for God and set apart from the nations. They would be separated from others, not simply by a wall, but by their faithfulness to the Lord.
Here is something vital for us to grasp for today too. We need to build bridges into the world, in order to effectively share the gospel with others. We need to meet folk where they are in their understanding. But it is crucial in doing so that we build walls too, walls around our minds and around our hearts. Our thinking and our behaviour must be guarded from all attempts to squeeze them into the world's mould.
We are called to be distinctive as the Lord's people, making the gospel attractive to others. But in being accessible to the world, we must make sure we're not assimilated by the world. Our lives must be governed by scripture and so be distinctive and holy, honouring the Lord and showing the beauty of the gospel. That means serious Bible study and eager obedience.
2. How They Built The Walls
Moving from the bigger picture, we see something of the details of their work recorded here.
i) With Unity - Perhaps the most striking feature of this chapter is the unity with which the people worked together on the walls. Time and again the chapter uses the term 'repaired' to describe what they did, showing it was essentially the same work, it was a unity. And many times we read that they worked next to each other, side by side.
Here is a lovely picture of what the church of Jesus Christ should be and how we should work for the gospel. It is a work that we do together and stand shoulder to shoulder in. Paul called on the Philippians to "stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel" (1:27). Earlier, he had spoken about their "partnership in the gospel". Those are stirring words and this is a stirring example given by these workers.
Notice that this unity of heart and purpose included people of all social strata, from the priests and nobles to the 'ordinary' townsfolk. That's the church! Whatever background we're from, we are one in Christ Jesus, whatever our role within the church, there is to be no division: all one and working as one.
Of course, this point is made so plainly in the NT by the use of the body metaphor. Every part is necessary and contributes to the functioning of the whole. There is an essential unity to the people of God.
And notice that the workers included people from other towns who were equally concerned for God's glory. That is what matters above all; not petty distinctions but a heart for God, loving his Word and honouring the Saviour. It is the big things that unite the people of God.
To rebuild the walls was a huge job and the challenges we face today are likewise very great. How can they be tackled? By each part of the body doing its work, wherever God has placed us and in the context of the church. Rather than be dismayed by the scale of the task, we must play our part, encouraging others as we do so and in that way, by God's grace, the work will be done, to his praise.
ii) In Diversity - They did the work in a spirit of unity but we must also notice how diverse they were: nobles and ordinary folk; various family groupings, different trades and callings. It is this diversity that makes their unity all the more conspicuous.
Variety of gifts is a great blessing from the Lord and is for the building up of the whole and the progress of the gospel. We're told, "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might" because life is short. All need to ask 'What can I do for the Lord?' & should rejoice as we see others doing what they can.
This is identified as a key role for pastors and teachers in the church, "to prepare God's people for works of service". A church is not just about a minister; it is about the whole people of God serving the Lord as he enables and calls.
Given the diversity of gifts and opportunities the Lord gives, there must be a flexibility in the church that allows for creativity in their use. Many were called to work next to their homes, giving a sense of comfort and security. Church fellowships must be comfortable, secure places that encourage people to serve God.
And yet it is interesting to note here that the variety of gifts were subjugated for a time in the interests of the greater good. There will be times when we need to go 'outside the box', not just in our thinking but in our doing. We must be ready for that and not throw up a defensive 'I can't do that!'.
iii) With Organisation - No doubt the diversity gave rise to a variety of opinions about how the work should be done and what the best approach would be. Yet in their diversity, they held together and seem to have responded positively to the clear lead that was no doubt given by Nehemiah.
Leaders are given by God to do just that. Collaborative efforts are often hard work because we are inclined to insist on our own way, perhaps even despising those appointed by God to leadership in the church. We are all responsible for "maintaining the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace". Yes, there needs to be flexibility and encouragement to serve but we must all be ready to give ourselves for the greater good and respect those in leadership.
iv) With Untiring Zeal - Lastly, notice that the work was marked by great zeal. That is specifically said of Baruch (v.20) and we also see some groups going the extra mile and doing a second piece of wall (v.5 cf. V.27). There is one jarring note (v.5) but that only serves to highlight the remarkable effort of the rest.
Here are people doing what Paul urges in Rom. 12:11 - "Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord". As we close, let's ask ourselves if that is true of us.
What will get us going and keep us going in our service is not human sentiment or emotional pressure from the front but a heart that knows the Lord, that loves him and is rejoicing in his grace in the Lord Jesus. May he help us to be fervent in the Spirit and zealous in our labours, for his name's sake. Amen.
Nehemiah 2:11-20
1. Softly, Softly (vv.11-16)
So how does Nehemiah tackle the situation? With great caution. Having arrived in Jerusalem, he doesn't make a big noise about himself and his plans but he proceeds quietly and cautiously, going out at night and with just a few men to assess the situation.
It is wise to be cautious; he needs to carry the people with him. But his approach is about more than simply wise caution. He is going out to see for himself what the situation is. He engages in detailed research that is necessary to doing the work well.
There is a very real sense in which we need to do research today. We expect it of missionaries who are going abroad, that they get to know as much about the country and the people as they can. For our home situation, we tend to assume we know all we need to know - but that may not be the case.
Society is changing fast; people are not where they used to be and it is imperative that we understand the times and that we reflect on how to share the gospel in a new situation.
2. Rallying the Troops! (vv.17,18)
So what did he find? Were things as bad as he had been told back in Susa? Absolutely. Twice Neh. uses almost identical words to describe the situation that were used back in ch.1 (see vv.13b, 17a & cf. 1:3b). They hadn't exaggerated; the situation is very grave. Look at verse 14!
In ch.1, his response was near collapse followed by agonised prayer. Here, he's quite different. Those months of prayer have prepared him for the task. He has faced the reality in his mind and now, seeing it firsthand, he is not paralysed but prepared to act to resolve it.
When we get a grasp of just how desperate a situation is, including our own, we can become so discouraged that we can't even consider taking action. But Neh. has prayed hard, reminding himself of God's promises and now he's ready to get to work. Prayer, faith & action go hand in hand for God's glory.
But it's going to take more than one man to sort out this mess. Nehemiah hasn't been called to a private ministry but a public one. He is called to be a leader among the Lord's people and he begins that leadership here. There are 3 things in particular I want to highlight from his approach:
i) Exhortation - He doesn't gloss over reality; he gets the people to face it and exhorts them to work. Here is a leader doing what leaders are meant to do, giving direction and calling God's people to do God's will.
He didn't take a straw pole about what should be done; he got on with encouraging the people to do what so obviously needed to be done. He was called to lead and lead he did. Yet his manner was not one of strict command but passionate exhortation. He is clearly concerned for God's glory (mention of disgrace) and makes it the basis for his exhortation.
ii) Example - Notice too how the kind of biblical leadership that is exemplified here by Nehemiah, is marked by a servant spirit and self-sacrifice ("let us rebuild the wall"). He's not going to be a leader afraid to get his hands dirty; he'll be in the thick of things, leading by example.
iii) Experience - Lastly, his leadership has the note of personal experience in it. He exhorts them to work, leading by example, and encourages them with his testimony to the hand of God being on him and gives concrete evidence of that in the letter from the king.
The lead he is giving is entirely God-focussed which is just what the people need. This is not some hair-brained scheme of a zealous fanatic but the God-authorised exhortation of a genuine leader with a passion for God's glory
Without a focus on God's glory we lose the incentive to work; without a focus on what the Lord has done for us, we lose heart in the work. Let's aim to get our focus right.
3. Opposition (vv.19,20)
But, as we've seen, it isn't going to be plain sailing. Rebuilding the walls will be hard enough but there is another factor to contend with, the opposition of influential people.
Three officials are mentioned in v.19 and the places associated with them (Samaria, Ammon, Moab & Edom) mean the people are metaphorically surrounded. Knowing they have the upper hand, they taunt Nehemiah and mock the plans to rebuild the.
Opposition and mockery are still with us. The church and Christian belief are regularly mocked in the media and we may have personal experience of it in our own situations. How should we deal with it? Notice 4 things about Nehemiah here:
i) He wasn't afraid to face them. As we were reminded last week, fear of God drives out the fear of man. Here is a man who is passionate about God's glory, who reveres his name, and so he is unafraid of these powerful enemies.
ii) Although he has letters from the King and has already shown them to the governors, he doesn't rely on such things. His reply is clear & unambiguous, "The God of heaven will give us success". However supportive society may be, whatever sympathy and help they may choose to give, our faith must rest firmly in God. It is his church, his kingdom, that we are seeking to build. We rely on him and on him alone.
We are glad to have government legislation that allows us to reclaim income tax on monies given to the church. But we mustn't put our trust in the goodwill of government; it may change and easily. Our faith is in God.
iii) As we saw, Nehemiah was cautious in speaking to the King, making no reference to the Lord. But here he is much more upfront, judging the situation differently. These people need to know who they are taking on: not just a handful of ill-equipped residents of Jerusalem but the God who resides in heaven!
The opposition was real but Nehemiah was putting matters into the Lord's hands. They were his people and were working for him; he would give them success, whatever the opposition. That's something we must learn to do too.
iv) Nehemiah makes it plain that he is not in the business of compromise and political alliances. He tells them quite plainly that they have "no share in Jerusalem or any historic claim to it".
Some might say that he was being needlessly provocative and hostile, that a bit of give and take would work wonders. But that misses the point. To collude with these men would mean diluting the reality of worship, robbing the Lord of true worship.
Pluralism is an enemy to the souls of men. Yes, we must be tolerant in the sense that we do not violently oppose people holding to their beliefs, nor do we try to force profession of faith by physical or emotional coercion.
But that does not mean say that all faiths are the same and lead to the same God. They clearly do not. We must be faithful in rejecting all attempts to get us to tone down the message, whether through promise of resources or by threat. Concern for the glory of God and the eternal destiny of our friends and neighbours demand it.
So how does Nehemiah tackle the situation? With great caution. Having arrived in Jerusalem, he doesn't make a big noise about himself and his plans but he proceeds quietly and cautiously, going out at night and with just a few men to assess the situation.
It is wise to be cautious; he needs to carry the people with him. But his approach is about more than simply wise caution. He is going out to see for himself what the situation is. He engages in detailed research that is necessary to doing the work well.
There is a very real sense in which we need to do research today. We expect it of missionaries who are going abroad, that they get to know as much about the country and the people as they can. For our home situation, we tend to assume we know all we need to know - but that may not be the case.
Society is changing fast; people are not where they used to be and it is imperative that we understand the times and that we reflect on how to share the gospel in a new situation.
2. Rallying the Troops! (vv.17,18)
So what did he find? Were things as bad as he had been told back in Susa? Absolutely. Twice Neh. uses almost identical words to describe the situation that were used back in ch.1 (see vv.13b, 17a & cf. 1:3b). They hadn't exaggerated; the situation is very grave. Look at verse 14!
In ch.1, his response was near collapse followed by agonised prayer. Here, he's quite different. Those months of prayer have prepared him for the task. He has faced the reality in his mind and now, seeing it firsthand, he is not paralysed but prepared to act to resolve it.
When we get a grasp of just how desperate a situation is, including our own, we can become so discouraged that we can't even consider taking action. But Neh. has prayed hard, reminding himself of God's promises and now he's ready to get to work. Prayer, faith & action go hand in hand for God's glory.
But it's going to take more than one man to sort out this mess. Nehemiah hasn't been called to a private ministry but a public one. He is called to be a leader among the Lord's people and he begins that leadership here. There are 3 things in particular I want to highlight from his approach:
i) Exhortation - He doesn't gloss over reality; he gets the people to face it and exhorts them to work. Here is a leader doing what leaders are meant to do, giving direction and calling God's people to do God's will.
He didn't take a straw pole about what should be done; he got on with encouraging the people to do what so obviously needed to be done. He was called to lead and lead he did. Yet his manner was not one of strict command but passionate exhortation. He is clearly concerned for God's glory (mention of disgrace) and makes it the basis for his exhortation.
ii) Example - Notice too how the kind of biblical leadership that is exemplified here by Nehemiah, is marked by a servant spirit and self-sacrifice ("let us rebuild the wall"). He's not going to be a leader afraid to get his hands dirty; he'll be in the thick of things, leading by example.
iii) Experience - Lastly, his leadership has the note of personal experience in it. He exhorts them to work, leading by example, and encourages them with his testimony to the hand of God being on him and gives concrete evidence of that in the letter from the king.
The lead he is giving is entirely God-focussed which is just what the people need. This is not some hair-brained scheme of a zealous fanatic but the God-authorised exhortation of a genuine leader with a passion for God's glory
Without a focus on God's glory we lose the incentive to work; without a focus on what the Lord has done for us, we lose heart in the work. Let's aim to get our focus right.
3. Opposition (vv.19,20)
But, as we've seen, it isn't going to be plain sailing. Rebuilding the walls will be hard enough but there is another factor to contend with, the opposition of influential people.
Three officials are mentioned in v.19 and the places associated with them (Samaria, Ammon, Moab & Edom) mean the people are metaphorically surrounded. Knowing they have the upper hand, they taunt Nehemiah and mock the plans to rebuild the.
Opposition and mockery are still with us. The church and Christian belief are regularly mocked in the media and we may have personal experience of it in our own situations. How should we deal with it? Notice 4 things about Nehemiah here:
i) He wasn't afraid to face them. As we were reminded last week, fear of God drives out the fear of man. Here is a man who is passionate about God's glory, who reveres his name, and so he is unafraid of these powerful enemies.
ii) Although he has letters from the King and has already shown them to the governors, he doesn't rely on such things. His reply is clear & unambiguous, "The God of heaven will give us success". However supportive society may be, whatever sympathy and help they may choose to give, our faith must rest firmly in God. It is his church, his kingdom, that we are seeking to build. We rely on him and on him alone.
We are glad to have government legislation that allows us to reclaim income tax on monies given to the church. But we mustn't put our trust in the goodwill of government; it may change and easily. Our faith is in God.
iii) As we saw, Nehemiah was cautious in speaking to the King, making no reference to the Lord. But here he is much more upfront, judging the situation differently. These people need to know who they are taking on: not just a handful of ill-equipped residents of Jerusalem but the God who resides in heaven!
The opposition was real but Nehemiah was putting matters into the Lord's hands. They were his people and were working for him; he would give them success, whatever the opposition. That's something we must learn to do too.
iv) Nehemiah makes it plain that he is not in the business of compromise and political alliances. He tells them quite plainly that they have "no share in Jerusalem or any historic claim to it".
Some might say that he was being needlessly provocative and hostile, that a bit of give and take would work wonders. But that misses the point. To collude with these men would mean diluting the reality of worship, robbing the Lord of true worship.
Pluralism is an enemy to the souls of men. Yes, we must be tolerant in the sense that we do not violently oppose people holding to their beliefs, nor do we try to force profession of faith by physical or emotional coercion.
But that does not mean say that all faiths are the same and lead to the same God. They clearly do not. We must be faithful in rejecting all attempts to get us to tone down the message, whether through promise of resources or by threat. Concern for the glory of God and the eternal destiny of our friends and neighbours demand it.
Nehemiah 2:1-10
In a week of such tragedy, it can seem just a little obscure to turn to a book all about an ancient people and their struggles in an ancient city. But what we're looking at in Nehemiah is very relevant and timely, and not just in the most obvious sense of a city being rebuilt.
George Bush described the awful events of last Tuesday (9/11) as a conflict between good and evil. Those words are central to this whole chapter and are its defining marks. It doesn't always come out in our translations but the Hebrew words for good and evil keep recurring here:
Good/ Evil
Pleased (vv.6,7)/Sad (vv.1-3)
Good hand of God (vv.8,18)/Trouble (v.18)
Good work (v.18)/Displeased (v.10)
Welfare (v.10)
Here is God's perspective on the history. A cosmic battle is being waged, between good and evil, and the events of the book of Nehemiah are a part of that.
So George Bush is right, Tuesday's events are part of the struggle between good and evil. But not in the sense that the US or the rest of the so-called Free World can be equated with what is good. Rather, what we saw was massively evil and is the very reason why the gospel is so needed in this world and why we must proclaim the good news about a good God to people lost in their sin and suffering under the reign of evil.
So to turn to a passage like this at a time like this is not being obscure, nor are we burying our heads in the sand. Here is God's view on life in this world, here is the record of the Lord acting in and for his world and how we believers are to live in it.
1. Nehemiah: A Man of Prayer and Position
The last words of ch.1 told us that Nehemiah was cupbearer to the King. That was a fairly menial task that had been elevated in significance. Cupbearers served wine to the King, making sure it wasn't poisoned. And they were often close confidants of those they served.
Nehemiah was a man of prayer but also of position. And he is going to use that position for God's glory and the good of his people, as he has opportunity to do so.
We'll come to the details of that soon but let's stop to remind ourselves of what Jesus taught about using unrighteous mammon for the sake of God's Kingdom. As God's people we need to be alert to opportunities to serve him and his kingdom through the life situations that he has placed us in.
Very few of us will have the ear of the king but we must try to do what we can. Someone once said we should 'Think globally and act locally'. It wasn't said in a Christian context but it is a helpful perspective to have: to think globally, having God's kingdom at heart, and to act locally, as we have opportunity. We should ask, 'What can I do where I am?'
2. Nehemiah: A Man of Courage & Gumption
But although Nehemiah enjoyed a position of some intimacy with the king, it was not necessarily going to be plain sailing. Kings like Artaxerxes were notorious for acting on impulse and held the life of their servants in their hands. And if you look back at Ezra ch.4, you'll see that this king had fairly recently ordered the work on Jerusalem to stop.
To approach the king hoping to intercede for Jerusalem, as Nehemiah did here, required a fair amount of courage.
But isn't that always so when we seek to serve the Lord? Most forms of service are costly and involve courage on our part. Nehemiah was a man just like us; his only secret was to trust in the Lord. That's the solution to our fear too. "Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power" (Eph. 6:10).
And as well as being a man of courage, Nehemiah also shows a fair amount of gumption too. His approach is quite careful and measured. He doesn't mention Jerusalem by name and doesn't make it political matter but stresses the personal.
Our Lord has called us to be "wise as serpents and harmless as doves" and it's that combination we see in Nehemiah. In our own places of service, with opportunities to do good for the sake of the gospel, we must display those virtues too.
3. Nehemiah: A Man of Faith
Yes, Nehemiah was in a position to do good, he had the courage and the gumption to seek to do so, but there is something else here. He didn't rely on having the ear of the king; he sought the ear of the King of Kings! When the door seemed to be opening for Nehemiah, he shot a quick prayer to God for help and grace (v.4).
This 'arrow prayer' of Nehemiah's is famous for its brevity but we need to remember that it was preceded by, and grew out of, a life of constant, persevering prayer. Those who walk in close communion with their Lord, holding his Kingdom in high regard, will also be those who seek God's help moment by moment as the needs arise.
Having been encouraged by the King's initial response, and lifting his heart to God, Nehemiah asks for more. He asks for supplies of wood and a letter of safe conduct. His months of praying have clearly been months of planning too; he knows what is needed for the job.
Believing prayer and detailed preparation are not opposed to each other. When James condemns people for their plans it is because they assume their plans will work out come what may, without God's blessing. Nehemiah knows nothing of that kind of attitude; his praying and planning have gone hand in hand. It is right to dream dreams for the sake of the gospel and to pray that the Lord might bring them about, according to his will.
4. The Good Hand of God
And the faith and prayers of Nehemiah are not in vain, for the Lord is pleased to act for his glory's sake and so for the good of his people. As the king responds favourably to his requests, Nehemiah recognises that it is because "the gracious hand of my God was upon me" (v.8).
Here is a man quick to give God the glory. The plan has so far worked not because of his courage, his gumption or even his faithful praying. The plan moves forward and hope grows for the people of Jerusalem because of the grace and goodness of the Lord. Whatever gains we may see for God's kingdom, whatever growth, whatever blessing, it will only be because God is good. It won't be because of us. He is sovereign!
5. The Evil Hand of Men
But, as we've seen, this world is a theatre of conflict between good and evil. And when Nehemiah gives his letter to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, they are "very much disturbed". This is the first indication that things will not necessarily go smoothly. A healthy does of realism!
Having God's good hand upon us does not mean we will not suffer opposition. We will. It is inevitable. But this passage encourages us to believe that God is in heaven and overrules life on earth, for his glory and the advance of the gospel. The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, just as it was when Jesus was crucified. So the triumph of the gospel is assured.
George Bush described the awful events of last Tuesday (9/11) as a conflict between good and evil. Those words are central to this whole chapter and are its defining marks. It doesn't always come out in our translations but the Hebrew words for good and evil keep recurring here:
Good/ Evil
Pleased (vv.6,7)/Sad (vv.1-3)
Good hand of God (vv.8,18)/Trouble (v.18)
Good work (v.18)/Displeased (v.10)
Welfare (v.10)
Here is God's perspective on the history. A cosmic battle is being waged, between good and evil, and the events of the book of Nehemiah are a part of that.
So George Bush is right, Tuesday's events are part of the struggle between good and evil. But not in the sense that the US or the rest of the so-called Free World can be equated with what is good. Rather, what we saw was massively evil and is the very reason why the gospel is so needed in this world and why we must proclaim the good news about a good God to people lost in their sin and suffering under the reign of evil.
So to turn to a passage like this at a time like this is not being obscure, nor are we burying our heads in the sand. Here is God's view on life in this world, here is the record of the Lord acting in and for his world and how we believers are to live in it.
1. Nehemiah: A Man of Prayer and Position
The last words of ch.1 told us that Nehemiah was cupbearer to the King. That was a fairly menial task that had been elevated in significance. Cupbearers served wine to the King, making sure it wasn't poisoned. And they were often close confidants of those they served.
Nehemiah was a man of prayer but also of position. And he is going to use that position for God's glory and the good of his people, as he has opportunity to do so.
We'll come to the details of that soon but let's stop to remind ourselves of what Jesus taught about using unrighteous mammon for the sake of God's Kingdom. As God's people we need to be alert to opportunities to serve him and his kingdom through the life situations that he has placed us in.
Very few of us will have the ear of the king but we must try to do what we can. Someone once said we should 'Think globally and act locally'. It wasn't said in a Christian context but it is a helpful perspective to have: to think globally, having God's kingdom at heart, and to act locally, as we have opportunity. We should ask, 'What can I do where I am?'
2. Nehemiah: A Man of Courage & Gumption
But although Nehemiah enjoyed a position of some intimacy with the king, it was not necessarily going to be plain sailing. Kings like Artaxerxes were notorious for acting on impulse and held the life of their servants in their hands. And if you look back at Ezra ch.4, you'll see that this king had fairly recently ordered the work on Jerusalem to stop.
To approach the king hoping to intercede for Jerusalem, as Nehemiah did here, required a fair amount of courage.
But isn't that always so when we seek to serve the Lord? Most forms of service are costly and involve courage on our part. Nehemiah was a man just like us; his only secret was to trust in the Lord. That's the solution to our fear too. "Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power" (Eph. 6:10).
And as well as being a man of courage, Nehemiah also shows a fair amount of gumption too. His approach is quite careful and measured. He doesn't mention Jerusalem by name and doesn't make it political matter but stresses the personal.
Our Lord has called us to be "wise as serpents and harmless as doves" and it's that combination we see in Nehemiah. In our own places of service, with opportunities to do good for the sake of the gospel, we must display those virtues too.
3. Nehemiah: A Man of Faith
Yes, Nehemiah was in a position to do good, he had the courage and the gumption to seek to do so, but there is something else here. He didn't rely on having the ear of the king; he sought the ear of the King of Kings! When the door seemed to be opening for Nehemiah, he shot a quick prayer to God for help and grace (v.4).
This 'arrow prayer' of Nehemiah's is famous for its brevity but we need to remember that it was preceded by, and grew out of, a life of constant, persevering prayer. Those who walk in close communion with their Lord, holding his Kingdom in high regard, will also be those who seek God's help moment by moment as the needs arise.
Having been encouraged by the King's initial response, and lifting his heart to God, Nehemiah asks for more. He asks for supplies of wood and a letter of safe conduct. His months of praying have clearly been months of planning too; he knows what is needed for the job.
Believing prayer and detailed preparation are not opposed to each other. When James condemns people for their plans it is because they assume their plans will work out come what may, without God's blessing. Nehemiah knows nothing of that kind of attitude; his praying and planning have gone hand in hand. It is right to dream dreams for the sake of the gospel and to pray that the Lord might bring them about, according to his will.
4. The Good Hand of God
And the faith and prayers of Nehemiah are not in vain, for the Lord is pleased to act for his glory's sake and so for the good of his people. As the king responds favourably to his requests, Nehemiah recognises that it is because "the gracious hand of my God was upon me" (v.8).
Here is a man quick to give God the glory. The plan has so far worked not because of his courage, his gumption or even his faithful praying. The plan moves forward and hope grows for the people of Jerusalem because of the grace and goodness of the Lord. Whatever gains we may see for God's kingdom, whatever growth, whatever blessing, it will only be because God is good. It won't be because of us. He is sovereign!
5. The Evil Hand of Men
But, as we've seen, this world is a theatre of conflict between good and evil. And when Nehemiah gives his letter to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, they are "very much disturbed". This is the first indication that things will not necessarily go smoothly. A healthy does of realism!
Having God's good hand upon us does not mean we will not suffer opposition. We will. It is inevitable. But this passage encourages us to believe that God is in heaven and overrules life on earth, for his glory and the advance of the gospel. The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, just as it was when Jesus was crucified. So the triumph of the gospel is assured.
Nehemiah 1:5-11
Nehemiah was devastated by the news from Jerusalem. He wept and set himself to persevering, committed prayer. Vv.5-11 are a summary of his praying over those months. Although it deals with a very specific situation, it is very important and has much to say to us.
And he is not alone is praying; others too revere the name of the Lord and are seeking him (v.11). Such prayer has a place in our private prayers but also as part of our corporate prayer.
1. The God on Whom He Calls (v.5)
As Nehemiah begins to relate his praying, he focusses on the God to whom he is coming and 2 things in particular stand out:
i) The God of Power - He reminds himself that he is coming to the "God of heaven", a title which stressed the absolute power of God. It was a title much in use during and after the exile and reminded the people that whatever power their enemies had, their God had greater.
Though they and their land were small and insignificant in the eyes of the world, the God to whom they belonged was the God of heaven. Nothing was beyond him; he is "the great and awesome God" (v.5).
ii) God of the Covenant - The great and awesome God of heaven, is also the God of the covenant. He had made a special relationship with the people of Israel and Nehemiah is calling on him not simply as the God of almighty power but as the God of faithful love. In the prayer Jesus taught, the same 2 aspects are brought together: 'Our father, in heaven'.
Knowing who we are praying to and keeping that in mind is essential to this type of committed, persevering prayer.
2. Humbled and Contrite (vv.6,7)
In the presence of this awesome God, Nehemiah adopts the only posture that is in line with such an awareness of God: he comes to him in genuine humility. He continually refers to himself as God's servant and identifies himself with those "who delight in revering" God's name (v.11).
In the light of God's character, such humility brings confession of sin, both his own and that of the people. There is no pointing the finger here, no dodging the blame. It's easy to look around and blame others for the state of the church, local or national, but the example being set by Nehemiah here demands that we begin with ourselves. Have we lived as we ought? Are there aspects of our lives that are grievous to God? Are we not guilty just as much as others?
He isn't specific in terms of sin here, which of course we need to be, but maybe that helps us. If certain sins were listed, we might say 'No, not guilty of that, so that's me off the hook'. Nehemiah knows he is part of the problem - "His own sinfulness is part of that broad canvas of wrong which accounts for all the displeasure of God which his people has known" - and we are too.
Nehemiah is acutely aware that he and they are guilty before God; they have no merit to claim the favour and blessing of God. All they can do is confess their sin and look to God's mercy. There is here no presumption of blessing, as though they deserved it or that it was automatic with the pull of a few spiritual switches. Here is one man casting himself and his people upon the mercy of God.
The fact that God had made a covenant with the people of Israel did not "dispense with the need for mercy", rather, "covenant and mercy go hand in hand" such that "Nehemiah's confession is and appeal to the mercy of God" (Throntveit).
If the church is to be revived and renewed, it will only be on these grounds: that we belong to him and he is gracious and merciful. But the condition for knowing such blessing is a genuine turning to him and confessing of our sins.
3. The Grounds for Help (vv.8-11)
Having set himself in humility before the great and awesome God of the covenant, Nehemiah gets to the heart of his prayer.
i) Calling the Past to Mind - The first aspect of his asking is his recalling the past: he "places the present need in the context of God's long history of dealing with his people" (McConville). This is something we need regularly to do and that the Lord's table helps us with.
But he does so in a very specific way, by recalling and echoing in his prayer the very words of scripture: V.8b - Dt. 28:64; v.9 - Dt. 12:5; v.10 - Dt. 9:29. God's word is to have a key role in both fuelling and framing our prayers. Reading scripture and reflecting on it should lead us to pray and when we do, we will find that we are, even without realising it, taking up the very words of scripture to plead before God.
Nehemiah pleads God's promises before him. Yes, God's word was fulfilled in the return from exile but those promises spoke of the full restoration of the people and that was still some way off and so he prayed. We too must take up God's word and pray it, asking him to fulfil his word which is 'yes' in Jesus.
ii) Your People - A key aspect of this recollection of scripture is Dt. 9:29 where Moses pleads with the LORD not to blot out his people, reminding him that they are just that, his people. They belong to him and his glory is bound up with them. Just as Moses stood in the gap and prayed, so too did Nehemiah, for the glory of God and the sake of his people.
The same holds true today, in that "now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms" (Eph. 3:10). Here then are our grounds too for praying that God would bless and protect his people and grow his church: his glory is bound up with it.
4. Prayer to Heaven for Life on Earth
All of which leads into a specific request. He asks God to grant him success that day with 'this man'. His prayer has been getting more & more specific and finally comes down to this.
Again, we see this in the Lord's Prayer. The prayer for the coming of God's Kingdom is followed by reference to daily bread. The God whose kingdom must and will come is the Lord who feeds his people daily and delights to do so as an aspect of his covenant love towards them. General and specific prayer go hand in hand.
As yet, we don't know who 'this man' is but are told, by way of an aside, that Nehemiah was cupbearer to the king. Here we're being brought back down to earth, to Nehemiah's day to day existence.
What this points us towards is the relationship between praying to God in heaven and acting for God on earth. Nehemiah will be appearing before this man who has earthly power and influence. Having humbled himself before God and recalling the great promises of God, he is ready to ask specifically for help that day. And he is ready to be part of the answer that God may give to his months of praying.
The situation for the church in our land surely is such that we need to reflect deeply on Nehemiah's prayer and ask the Lord to help us to pray before him as those who are broken and contrite, who are believing and expectant, who stand ready to do God's will. May he so help us. Amen.
And he is not alone is praying; others too revere the name of the Lord and are seeking him (v.11). Such prayer has a place in our private prayers but also as part of our corporate prayer.
1. The God on Whom He Calls (v.5)
As Nehemiah begins to relate his praying, he focusses on the God to whom he is coming and 2 things in particular stand out:
i) The God of Power - He reminds himself that he is coming to the "God of heaven", a title which stressed the absolute power of God. It was a title much in use during and after the exile and reminded the people that whatever power their enemies had, their God had greater.
Though they and their land were small and insignificant in the eyes of the world, the God to whom they belonged was the God of heaven. Nothing was beyond him; he is "the great and awesome God" (v.5).
ii) God of the Covenant - The great and awesome God of heaven, is also the God of the covenant. He had made a special relationship with the people of Israel and Nehemiah is calling on him not simply as the God of almighty power but as the God of faithful love. In the prayer Jesus taught, the same 2 aspects are brought together: 'Our father, in heaven'.
Knowing who we are praying to and keeping that in mind is essential to this type of committed, persevering prayer.
2. Humbled and Contrite (vv.6,7)
In the presence of this awesome God, Nehemiah adopts the only posture that is in line with such an awareness of God: he comes to him in genuine humility. He continually refers to himself as God's servant and identifies himself with those "who delight in revering" God's name (v.11).
In the light of God's character, such humility brings confession of sin, both his own and that of the people. There is no pointing the finger here, no dodging the blame. It's easy to look around and blame others for the state of the church, local or national, but the example being set by Nehemiah here demands that we begin with ourselves. Have we lived as we ought? Are there aspects of our lives that are grievous to God? Are we not guilty just as much as others?
He isn't specific in terms of sin here, which of course we need to be, but maybe that helps us. If certain sins were listed, we might say 'No, not guilty of that, so that's me off the hook'. Nehemiah knows he is part of the problem - "His own sinfulness is part of that broad canvas of wrong which accounts for all the displeasure of God which his people has known" - and we are too.
Nehemiah is acutely aware that he and they are guilty before God; they have no merit to claim the favour and blessing of God. All they can do is confess their sin and look to God's mercy. There is here no presumption of blessing, as though they deserved it or that it was automatic with the pull of a few spiritual switches. Here is one man casting himself and his people upon the mercy of God.
The fact that God had made a covenant with the people of Israel did not "dispense with the need for mercy", rather, "covenant and mercy go hand in hand" such that "Nehemiah's confession is and appeal to the mercy of God" (Throntveit).
If the church is to be revived and renewed, it will only be on these grounds: that we belong to him and he is gracious and merciful. But the condition for knowing such blessing is a genuine turning to him and confessing of our sins.
3. The Grounds for Help (vv.8-11)
Having set himself in humility before the great and awesome God of the covenant, Nehemiah gets to the heart of his prayer.
i) Calling the Past to Mind - The first aspect of his asking is his recalling the past: he "places the present need in the context of God's long history of dealing with his people" (McConville). This is something we need regularly to do and that the Lord's table helps us with.
But he does so in a very specific way, by recalling and echoing in his prayer the very words of scripture: V.8b - Dt. 28:64; v.9 - Dt. 12:5; v.10 - Dt. 9:29. God's word is to have a key role in both fuelling and framing our prayers. Reading scripture and reflecting on it should lead us to pray and when we do, we will find that we are, even without realising it, taking up the very words of scripture to plead before God.
Nehemiah pleads God's promises before him. Yes, God's word was fulfilled in the return from exile but those promises spoke of the full restoration of the people and that was still some way off and so he prayed. We too must take up God's word and pray it, asking him to fulfil his word which is 'yes' in Jesus.
ii) Your People - A key aspect of this recollection of scripture is Dt. 9:29 where Moses pleads with the LORD not to blot out his people, reminding him that they are just that, his people. They belong to him and his glory is bound up with them. Just as Moses stood in the gap and prayed, so too did Nehemiah, for the glory of God and the sake of his people.
The same holds true today, in that "now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms" (Eph. 3:10). Here then are our grounds too for praying that God would bless and protect his people and grow his church: his glory is bound up with it.
4. Prayer to Heaven for Life on Earth
All of which leads into a specific request. He asks God to grant him success that day with 'this man'. His prayer has been getting more & more specific and finally comes down to this.
Again, we see this in the Lord's Prayer. The prayer for the coming of God's Kingdom is followed by reference to daily bread. The God whose kingdom must and will come is the Lord who feeds his people daily and delights to do so as an aspect of his covenant love towards them. General and specific prayer go hand in hand.
As yet, we don't know who 'this man' is but are told, by way of an aside, that Nehemiah was cupbearer to the king. Here we're being brought back down to earth, to Nehemiah's day to day existence.
What this points us towards is the relationship between praying to God in heaven and acting for God on earth. Nehemiah will be appearing before this man who has earthly power and influence. Having humbled himself before God and recalling the great promises of God, he is ready to ask specifically for help that day. And he is ready to be part of the answer that God may give to his months of praying.
The situation for the church in our land surely is such that we need to reflect deeply on Nehemiah's prayer and ask the Lord to help us to pray before him as those who are broken and contrite, who are believing and expectant, who stand ready to do God's will. May he so help us. Amen.
Nehemiah 1:1-4
The events recorded for us in this book are anchored in time and space. From secular history, we can place this scene to Nov/Dec 445BC when Artaxerxes I was king of the Persian empire.
In terns of the flow of OT history, the people of Judah were exiled to Babylon in about 587BC. Following the fall of that empire and the rise of the Persians, the first group returned to Jerusalem in 538BC. They worked on the temple and finished it in 516BC (Haggai, Zechariah).
Not everyone returned, however, and a further return was led by Ezra some 60 years later in 458BC. We read about that in the book of Ezra. That brings us to this scene in late 445BC.
At this time, Nehemiah (his name means 'the Lord comforts') was in Susa, the winter residence of the Persian kings. While there, he received a visit from Hanani, one of his brothers, a close relative, and some other men. The news they brought was to completely alter the course of Nehemiah's life.
We're going to look at what the news was and how Nehemiah responded to it, and looking to apply the lessons to our day.
1. Bad News: Great Trouble and Disgrace
The news Hanani and the others brought was extremely bad. They had come from Jerusalem and reported a great calamity to Nehemiah. The people "are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates have been burned with fire" (v.3).
This news probably links to the situation described in Ezra 4 where the opponents of the Jews got official sanction for the rebuilding to stop and used their muscle to wreak havoc.
Although the church in our land doesn't stand on the verge of extinction, there is more than enough cause for concern. Numerically, the church is declining and where it isn't it is often a case of treading water.
The quality of our lives is a concern too. A recent survey of Christians after the General Election showed that moral issues were of no more concern than they had been to the public at large. And 1 in 4 agreed with the statement, 'There's no such thing as one truth for everyone. What's true for you need not be true for me too.' The tide really has gone out.
And if we widen the picture to consider other countries, the news can often be very distressing as believers are persecuted and the church harassed.
2. Response: Tears and Cries to God
Nehemiah's response to this news is one of shock and horror. One translation has it, "When I heard these things, I slumped down, crying and mourning for several days". His response was deep and profound and we're going to focus on that response.
As we do so, we need to bear in mind the news he received was not just a minor setback but very grave. And we must also bear in mind that he is clearly being prepared by the Lord for a specific ministry in that situation. That is seen in the strength of his response and the fact that up to now he had no plans to return.
Although we do not share his particular calling or context, there are still valuable lessons for us to learn here.
i) Concerned: for God's glory and God's people - The news Nehemiah heard shook him to the core because it carried great significance for God's honour and glory.
Hanani and the others reported that the people were in a state of disgrace. Their enemies had the upper hand and were gloating over them and maligning their God. The plight of the city and its people was desperate and in the eyes of a watching world it reflected badly on Israel's God.
This really mattered to Nehemiah. Notice how it was he who took the initiative to question Hanani and to find out the state of play. On hearing the news, he is struck down with grief and reacts with such intensity because of his very real and deep passion for God's glory.
Have we a similar passion for God's glory in the world? It should concern us that the church is in such general decline, because it reflects back on the Lord in the eyes of others. It is not something we should be indifferent about. Even if our own situation is promising and encouraging, the battle rages elsewhere and there are setbacks to be concerned about.
And a concern for God's glory should also mean a concern for God's people. Many of the people may have been personally unknown to Nehemiah and yet he feels deeply for them. They seem on the verge of extinction and he grieves with them and for them. The same thing is seen in Paul's ministry, that intense concern for believers he had never met.
How broad are our own concerns for the church of God? We can all too easily become narrow, either because of fine theological points or on the basis of geography.
Nehemiah's concern for God's glory and the well-being of his people is a great challenge to us. He was shaken to the core at the news he heard. We can't manufacture real concern, nor would we want to, but we can pray that God would move us by his Spirit and give us his concern for his glory and for his people, both here and in other lands.
ii) Intense Grief, Impassioned Prayer - As you probably know, Nehemiah is marked out as a man of action, a practical man. What would a man like him do at receiving such news? Not what we might expect! He didn't saddle his horse and organise a task force to go to Jerusalem. He sat down and wept and fasted and prayed. His response was to seek God in painful and passionate prayer.
Given his life situation in Susa he probably couldn't just set out. But this is more than simply the constraint of his position. He is marked out in the book as a man of prayer. On hearing the news, he instinctively turned to God.
And it wasn't just one time of prayer he had. The next date we're given in 2:1 is about 4 months later. His praying was prolonged. He wrestled before the Lord with this matter over the months. His concern for God's glory and the people's welfare wasn't a flash in the pan. It went deep.
His commitment to prayer is also evident here. Nehemiah fasted as he prayed, not for the duration, but to give himself time for prayer and to show the seriousness with which he viewed the situation and, as his prayer from v.5 makes clear, his sense of identity with his fellow Jews.
The most godly people of action in terms of God's Kingdom are also, first and foremost, people of real, committed, persevering prayer, who are genuinely concerned for God's glory and for the welfare of his people. They make it their business to know what's happening to the church in the world and they turn that news into committed prayer.
Don't we need to become more like Nehemiah? Let's ask God to give us a clearer view of his glory and how it is bound up with his church. And let's ask him to quicken us as we read his word, that he would help us to pray and to pray. Amen.
In terns of the flow of OT history, the people of Judah were exiled to Babylon in about 587BC. Following the fall of that empire and the rise of the Persians, the first group returned to Jerusalem in 538BC. They worked on the temple and finished it in 516BC (Haggai, Zechariah).
Not everyone returned, however, and a further return was led by Ezra some 60 years later in 458BC. We read about that in the book of Ezra. That brings us to this scene in late 445BC.
At this time, Nehemiah (his name means 'the Lord comforts') was in Susa, the winter residence of the Persian kings. While there, he received a visit from Hanani, one of his brothers, a close relative, and some other men. The news they brought was to completely alter the course of Nehemiah's life.
We're going to look at what the news was and how Nehemiah responded to it, and looking to apply the lessons to our day.
1. Bad News: Great Trouble and Disgrace
The news Hanani and the others brought was extremely bad. They had come from Jerusalem and reported a great calamity to Nehemiah. The people "are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates have been burned with fire" (v.3).
This news probably links to the situation described in Ezra 4 where the opponents of the Jews got official sanction for the rebuilding to stop and used their muscle to wreak havoc.
Although the church in our land doesn't stand on the verge of extinction, there is more than enough cause for concern. Numerically, the church is declining and where it isn't it is often a case of treading water.
The quality of our lives is a concern too. A recent survey of Christians after the General Election showed that moral issues were of no more concern than they had been to the public at large. And 1 in 4 agreed with the statement, 'There's no such thing as one truth for everyone. What's true for you need not be true for me too.' The tide really has gone out.
And if we widen the picture to consider other countries, the news can often be very distressing as believers are persecuted and the church harassed.
2. Response: Tears and Cries to God
Nehemiah's response to this news is one of shock and horror. One translation has it, "When I heard these things, I slumped down, crying and mourning for several days". His response was deep and profound and we're going to focus on that response.
As we do so, we need to bear in mind the news he received was not just a minor setback but very grave. And we must also bear in mind that he is clearly being prepared by the Lord for a specific ministry in that situation. That is seen in the strength of his response and the fact that up to now he had no plans to return.
Although we do not share his particular calling or context, there are still valuable lessons for us to learn here.
i) Concerned: for God's glory and God's people - The news Nehemiah heard shook him to the core because it carried great significance for God's honour and glory.
Hanani and the others reported that the people were in a state of disgrace. Their enemies had the upper hand and were gloating over them and maligning their God. The plight of the city and its people was desperate and in the eyes of a watching world it reflected badly on Israel's God.
This really mattered to Nehemiah. Notice how it was he who took the initiative to question Hanani and to find out the state of play. On hearing the news, he is struck down with grief and reacts with such intensity because of his very real and deep passion for God's glory.
Have we a similar passion for God's glory in the world? It should concern us that the church is in such general decline, because it reflects back on the Lord in the eyes of others. It is not something we should be indifferent about. Even if our own situation is promising and encouraging, the battle rages elsewhere and there are setbacks to be concerned about.
And a concern for God's glory should also mean a concern for God's people. Many of the people may have been personally unknown to Nehemiah and yet he feels deeply for them. They seem on the verge of extinction and he grieves with them and for them. The same thing is seen in Paul's ministry, that intense concern for believers he had never met.
How broad are our own concerns for the church of God? We can all too easily become narrow, either because of fine theological points or on the basis of geography.
Nehemiah's concern for God's glory and the well-being of his people is a great challenge to us. He was shaken to the core at the news he heard. We can't manufacture real concern, nor would we want to, but we can pray that God would move us by his Spirit and give us his concern for his glory and for his people, both here and in other lands.
ii) Intense Grief, Impassioned Prayer - As you probably know, Nehemiah is marked out as a man of action, a practical man. What would a man like him do at receiving such news? Not what we might expect! He didn't saddle his horse and organise a task force to go to Jerusalem. He sat down and wept and fasted and prayed. His response was to seek God in painful and passionate prayer.
Given his life situation in Susa he probably couldn't just set out. But this is more than simply the constraint of his position. He is marked out in the book as a man of prayer. On hearing the news, he instinctively turned to God.
And it wasn't just one time of prayer he had. The next date we're given in 2:1 is about 4 months later. His praying was prolonged. He wrestled before the Lord with this matter over the months. His concern for God's glory and the people's welfare wasn't a flash in the pan. It went deep.
His commitment to prayer is also evident here. Nehemiah fasted as he prayed, not for the duration, but to give himself time for prayer and to show the seriousness with which he viewed the situation and, as his prayer from v.5 makes clear, his sense of identity with his fellow Jews.
The most godly people of action in terms of God's Kingdom are also, first and foremost, people of real, committed, persevering prayer, who are genuinely concerned for God's glory and for the welfare of his people. They make it their business to know what's happening to the church in the world and they turn that news into committed prayer.
Don't we need to become more like Nehemiah? Let's ask God to give us a clearer view of his glory and how it is bound up with his church. And let's ask him to quicken us as we read his word, that he would help us to pray and to pray. Amen.
Sunday, 9 July 2006
Exodus 13:17 - 14:31
The Lord has taken his people out of Egypt in the most dramatic fashion. Ten plagues have afflicted the Egyptians and their gods have been judged. But having led them out, the Lord now takes his people on a detour; he doesn’t lead them in the way they might have expected. We’ll see why as we unfold this next section.
1. Providence: God guides his people
One of the hallmarks of this section in Exodus is the way that the Lord in his providence leads his people. Twice we are told here that he guided them (vv.17,21) and the whole movement of the story makes the same point: The God who has called his people out of Egypt will guide them; he goes before them, he directs them, he sets the agenda and calls the shots.
When we think of guidance, we often reduce it to a merely personal level and in terms of whether we ought to do this or go there and so on. That isn’t how it is seen here or in the rest of scripture. That isn’t saying that we cannot know the Lord’s help in those areas but that we must place that within the far larger context of the Lord leading his people into salvation and guiding his people for the sake of his gospel purposes.
That’s where the almost incidental detail about taking up Joseph’s bones fits in here. Egypt was not the people’s resting-place; the Lord had made great promises which went back to Abraham and forward into all the nations. It is because he has made those promises and is committed to fulfilling them that the Lord leads his people in his providence.
That leading-for-the-sake-of-the-gospel is something every church ought to seek to be sensitive to. Decisions are to be taken in the light of the Lord’s overall purposes and with the readiness to see him overrule because of those same purposes.
It’s good in our thinking to always be governed by God’s glory in the gospel of his Son. That’s how his providence works.
And that providence is unfailingly kind and aware of the weakness of his people; he knows our frame and remembers that we are dust. The Lord chooses the route the people are to take not because it is the quickest or easiest (his guidance is not a heavenly TomTom) but because he is mindful of their fragile hearts – they could get discouraged so easily (13:17; as indeed they do in 14:11f).
The example of the people as they grumble here (and it won’t be the last time they do so) is clearly not one to emulate but rather to learn from. But isn’t it good to know that the Lord does not ride roughshod over the particular characteristics and sensitivities of his people. That isn’t saying he won’t challenge us to grow and to overcome some of those aspects of our personalities but it is saying that he is a gentle and kind Ruler of his people, that he takes note of how we are.
2. Presence: God is with his people
God guides his people; but he doesn’t guide them from a distance. The second great theme in this passage is the presence of God with his people. He goes before them in the pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night. He goes behind them in the same way to protect them from the Egyptians (14:19). He is also seen as being among them and as fighting for them against their enemies from close quarters (14:24).
This is not an incidental point but one that is central in the whole purpose of God in redeeming his people out of Egypt. His presence will not simply be with them in times of trouble to rescue them, like a superhero who appears for a time and then goes back to his own normal life. The Lord redeems his people and fights for them in order that he might make his dwelling among them.
This is the great highpoint at the end of the book of Revelation – not the new heavens and new earth (great though that will be) but the final reality that “now the dwelling of God is among the people and he will live with them. They will be his people and God himself will be with them and be their God.”
That is the final reality in all its fullness but, just as Israel here knew the nearness of God, so too we have a first-instalment of all that will be ours finally in the gift of the Holy Spirit now.
He is present with his people, mediating the very life of God to us, personally and corporately. Just as the cloud symbolising God’s presence went before the people here in Exodus and filled the temple in the OT, so the reality is now experienced as God’s Spirit fills us as his people.
You cannot read the NT without being conscious of that fact and we ought also to be aware of it in our life together – not in a touchy-feely kind of way but in the reality of a new life that is expressed in genuine love and in all the fruit of the Spirit.
Our responsibility is to cultivate that life within us, not grieving the Spirit but keeping in step with him, conscious of the holy presence of God in our life together.
3. Power: God delivers his people
God’s providence and presence are clear in this scene but of course the great reality that we encounter here is the power of God in delivering his people and his glory made visible in that rescue.
The crossing of the red sea is one of the most memorable stories in the whole Bible and was often looked back upon in the OT as an instance of God’s powerful care for his people and his determination to save. Recalling it gave shape to their present and hope for their future.
We have not been delivered from an Egyptian army but from a far more deadly enemy; our rescue was not through water but by the way of the cross. That greatest of all saving events gives shape and meaning to our lives and bequeaths us a hope that will never disappoint us. Just as the deliverance from Egypt which culminated in walking through the Red Sea on dry ground would be the foundation on which they would build their lives as God’s people, so our being joined to Jesus and his victory over sin and death does the same for us.
God has called us out of our old existence of slavery to sin into a new life in glad submission to him as our Lord. Our task now is to live in the light of that and to work through the implications of belonging to such a gracious Lord.
But we ought to spend a few moments reflecting on the way this event is used by Paul is 1 Cor 10 where he reminds the church in Corinth that although many people were baptised into Moses in the waters of the Red Sea, God was not pleased with most of them and they were subject to judgement. Why was he not pleased with them? Because it is impossible to please God without faith and although these people were externally joined to the people of God, there was a distinct lack in their personal commitment to the Lord.
Being joined to a church is not the issue; being joined to the Lord in faith is. It would be fatal to make a mistake on that point. You need to make sure that what was said of many of these people who crossed the Red Sea could never be said of you.
The crossing of the Red Sea is an act of salvation for the people of Israel but the same event gives rise to the judgement of God upon Pharaoh and his cavalry. The nation that had sought to drown the newborn males of Israel has its strongest and best fighting men consumed by the waters. Again the Lord uses creation to make his point: sin will be judged; the Lord alone is God – he is the supreme Lord over all the watery chaos; there is no other.
The death and resurrection of Jesus also have this two-sided dimension to them – that which means salvation for all who put their faith in him also means judgement for those who refuse to honour him as Lord with their trust.
And in all this, the Lord displays his glory, as he did by the waters of the Red Sea; the glory of his holiness and the glory of his grace. Let’s give him the praise he is due and the service he is worthy of.
1. Providence: God guides his people
One of the hallmarks of this section in Exodus is the way that the Lord in his providence leads his people. Twice we are told here that he guided them (vv.17,21) and the whole movement of the story makes the same point: The God who has called his people out of Egypt will guide them; he goes before them, he directs them, he sets the agenda and calls the shots.
When we think of guidance, we often reduce it to a merely personal level and in terms of whether we ought to do this or go there and so on. That isn’t how it is seen here or in the rest of scripture. That isn’t saying that we cannot know the Lord’s help in those areas but that we must place that within the far larger context of the Lord leading his people into salvation and guiding his people for the sake of his gospel purposes.
That’s where the almost incidental detail about taking up Joseph’s bones fits in here. Egypt was not the people’s resting-place; the Lord had made great promises which went back to Abraham and forward into all the nations. It is because he has made those promises and is committed to fulfilling them that the Lord leads his people in his providence.
That leading-for-the-sake-of-the-gospel is something every church ought to seek to be sensitive to. Decisions are to be taken in the light of the Lord’s overall purposes and with the readiness to see him overrule because of those same purposes.
It’s good in our thinking to always be governed by God’s glory in the gospel of his Son. That’s how his providence works.
And that providence is unfailingly kind and aware of the weakness of his people; he knows our frame and remembers that we are dust. The Lord chooses the route the people are to take not because it is the quickest or easiest (his guidance is not a heavenly TomTom) but because he is mindful of their fragile hearts – they could get discouraged so easily (13:17; as indeed they do in 14:11f).
The example of the people as they grumble here (and it won’t be the last time they do so) is clearly not one to emulate but rather to learn from. But isn’t it good to know that the Lord does not ride roughshod over the particular characteristics and sensitivities of his people. That isn’t saying he won’t challenge us to grow and to overcome some of those aspects of our personalities but it is saying that he is a gentle and kind Ruler of his people, that he takes note of how we are.
2. Presence: God is with his people
God guides his people; but he doesn’t guide them from a distance. The second great theme in this passage is the presence of God with his people. He goes before them in the pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night. He goes behind them in the same way to protect them from the Egyptians (14:19). He is also seen as being among them and as fighting for them against their enemies from close quarters (14:24).
This is not an incidental point but one that is central in the whole purpose of God in redeeming his people out of Egypt. His presence will not simply be with them in times of trouble to rescue them, like a superhero who appears for a time and then goes back to his own normal life. The Lord redeems his people and fights for them in order that he might make his dwelling among them.
This is the great highpoint at the end of the book of Revelation – not the new heavens and new earth (great though that will be) but the final reality that “now the dwelling of God is among the people and he will live with them. They will be his people and God himself will be with them and be their God.”
That is the final reality in all its fullness but, just as Israel here knew the nearness of God, so too we have a first-instalment of all that will be ours finally in the gift of the Holy Spirit now.
He is present with his people, mediating the very life of God to us, personally and corporately. Just as the cloud symbolising God’s presence went before the people here in Exodus and filled the temple in the OT, so the reality is now experienced as God’s Spirit fills us as his people.
You cannot read the NT without being conscious of that fact and we ought also to be aware of it in our life together – not in a touchy-feely kind of way but in the reality of a new life that is expressed in genuine love and in all the fruit of the Spirit.
Our responsibility is to cultivate that life within us, not grieving the Spirit but keeping in step with him, conscious of the holy presence of God in our life together.
3. Power: God delivers his people
God’s providence and presence are clear in this scene but of course the great reality that we encounter here is the power of God in delivering his people and his glory made visible in that rescue.
The crossing of the red sea is one of the most memorable stories in the whole Bible and was often looked back upon in the OT as an instance of God’s powerful care for his people and his determination to save. Recalling it gave shape to their present and hope for their future.
We have not been delivered from an Egyptian army but from a far more deadly enemy; our rescue was not through water but by the way of the cross. That greatest of all saving events gives shape and meaning to our lives and bequeaths us a hope that will never disappoint us. Just as the deliverance from Egypt which culminated in walking through the Red Sea on dry ground would be the foundation on which they would build their lives as God’s people, so our being joined to Jesus and his victory over sin and death does the same for us.
God has called us out of our old existence of slavery to sin into a new life in glad submission to him as our Lord. Our task now is to live in the light of that and to work through the implications of belonging to such a gracious Lord.
But we ought to spend a few moments reflecting on the way this event is used by Paul is 1 Cor 10 where he reminds the church in Corinth that although many people were baptised into Moses in the waters of the Red Sea, God was not pleased with most of them and they were subject to judgement. Why was he not pleased with them? Because it is impossible to please God without faith and although these people were externally joined to the people of God, there was a distinct lack in their personal commitment to the Lord.
Being joined to a church is not the issue; being joined to the Lord in faith is. It would be fatal to make a mistake on that point. You need to make sure that what was said of many of these people who crossed the Red Sea could never be said of you.
The crossing of the Red Sea is an act of salvation for the people of Israel but the same event gives rise to the judgement of God upon Pharaoh and his cavalry. The nation that had sought to drown the newborn males of Israel has its strongest and best fighting men consumed by the waters. Again the Lord uses creation to make his point: sin will be judged; the Lord alone is God – he is the supreme Lord over all the watery chaos; there is no other.
The death and resurrection of Jesus also have this two-sided dimension to them – that which means salvation for all who put their faith in him also means judgement for those who refuse to honour him as Lord with their trust.
And in all this, the Lord displays his glory, as he did by the waters of the Red Sea; the glory of his holiness and the glory of his grace. Let’s give him the praise he is due and the service he is worthy of.
Saturday, 8 July 2006
Jonah 4:1-11
1. Jonah Very Angry (vv.1-4)
In this book, there have been a succession of great things: a great wind (1:4); a great fish (1:17); a great city (3:2) and now a greatly displeased prophet! Jonah sees the repentance of Ninevah and becomes very angry. In fact, the words could be translated as "a great evil" - Jonah sees God's mercy as evil!
We know the story but still this is so shocking: a rebel who has so recently tasted afresh the grace of God is now angry that the same grace should be shown to others! In 3:10 the LORD relents from his anger and in 4:1 Jonah becomes angry. The contrast just couldn't be greater.
What's his problem? His complaint in vv.2,3 is that he knew all along that this would happen. This is the reason he ran away in the first place; "I knew you are a gracious and compassionate God". (nb: Jonah refers to 'my word' as opposed to the LORD's word)
His theology is not wrong but his heart is. Jonah is guilty of the worst sort of parochialism and nationalism: one that wants the best for its own and the rest can get what they deserve (nb: notice v.2 "at home")
Someone has said, "he cannot stomach Yahweh's cheapening his mercy by offering it to all and sundry" (Allen p.227). This is just how the Scribes and Pharisees felt. Is it how you feel too? Remember the story of the unforgiving servant (Mt 18:23-35).
In his anger he declares that he'd rather die, he'll cut off his nose to spite his face. His words echo those of Elijah. He may sound like him but this is no Elijah!
Do you get angry with God? Want everything your own way? It may be immaturity or a sign that there is much to be done in our hearts.
How does the LORD deal with him? By asking him a straightforward question: Have you any right to be angry? There is no answer but the question is a devastating one if we will face it. It asserts again the sovereignty of God. Who are we to argue with him?
2. Jonah: blessed and blazed! (vv.5-9)
So Jonah goes to sit down, east of the city. It's hot, so he builds himself a shelter of sorts. But still the LORD is active and causes another great thing to happen (the book shouts at us!) - a vine grows up and shades Jonah's head. And Jonah is right pleased (v.6)!
There we see again that willingness to receive God's blessings whilst still wanting to deny them to others.
But there is a lesson waiting for Jonah just around the corner. We cannot treat God like this and expect to get away with it. When he questioned him, the word for angry also means 'hot'. Now Jonah is going to feel the irony of that as God withers the vine and makes the sun blaze down on his head, giving him sunstroke (he grew faint).
The lesson is all about the sovereignty of God, the repeat question shows that. He is the LORD, the Creator who can make things grow and die. There is none like him.
This time, Jonah responds. "Yes I do have a right to be angry", he says, "and I'm angry enough to die!" Before, he wanted to die, contesting God's right to save (v.3); now, he wants to die, contesting God's right to destroy (the vine).
How fickle! Jonah wants to be in charge, he wants to handle God. But he cannot and we cannot. He is the LORD and we need always to recognise that and respond to it. Jonah had recognised that in his own deliverance (Salvation is from the LORD) but failed to work it through in the whole of life.
3. The Challenge of God's Compassion (vv.10,11)
So Jonah thinks he has a right to die. Now it's time to listen!
The LORD confronts him with his concern for a plant that he had not planted or cared for and contrasts that with his own Creator-concern for the vast number of Ninevites and the animals of the city too.
Here are people who are morally blind, they can't tell their left from their right. And the Father is saying, I forgive them, for they know not what they do.
What a contrast with the mean heart of Jonah! The question is a devastating one and we're not told of any answer from Jonah. Perhaps he was shamed into silence.
But the real effect of the question is to be upon us: what answer will we give? What are our hearts like? Is our compassion alive and well or are we in it for what we can get and everyone else can perish?
"A Jonah lurks in every Christian heart, whimpering his insidious message of smug prejudice, empty traditionalism, and exclusive solidarity. He that has ears to hear, let him hear and let him allow the saving love of God which has been outpoured in his own heart to remould his thinking and social orientation" (Allen p.235).
In this book, there have been a succession of great things: a great wind (1:4); a great fish (1:17); a great city (3:2) and now a greatly displeased prophet! Jonah sees the repentance of Ninevah and becomes very angry. In fact, the words could be translated as "a great evil" - Jonah sees God's mercy as evil!
We know the story but still this is so shocking: a rebel who has so recently tasted afresh the grace of God is now angry that the same grace should be shown to others! In 3:10 the LORD relents from his anger and in 4:1 Jonah becomes angry. The contrast just couldn't be greater.
What's his problem? His complaint in vv.2,3 is that he knew all along that this would happen. This is the reason he ran away in the first place; "I knew you are a gracious and compassionate God". (nb: Jonah refers to 'my word' as opposed to the LORD's word)
His theology is not wrong but his heart is. Jonah is guilty of the worst sort of parochialism and nationalism: one that wants the best for its own and the rest can get what they deserve (nb: notice v.2 "at home")
Someone has said, "he cannot stomach Yahweh's cheapening his mercy by offering it to all and sundry" (Allen p.227). This is just how the Scribes and Pharisees felt. Is it how you feel too? Remember the story of the unforgiving servant (Mt 18:23-35).
In his anger he declares that he'd rather die, he'll cut off his nose to spite his face. His words echo those of Elijah. He may sound like him but this is no Elijah!
Do you get angry with God? Want everything your own way? It may be immaturity or a sign that there is much to be done in our hearts.
How does the LORD deal with him? By asking him a straightforward question: Have you any right to be angry? There is no answer but the question is a devastating one if we will face it. It asserts again the sovereignty of God. Who are we to argue with him?
2. Jonah: blessed and blazed! (vv.5-9)
So Jonah goes to sit down, east of the city. It's hot, so he builds himself a shelter of sorts. But still the LORD is active and causes another great thing to happen (the book shouts at us!) - a vine grows up and shades Jonah's head. And Jonah is right pleased (v.6)!
There we see again that willingness to receive God's blessings whilst still wanting to deny them to others.
But there is a lesson waiting for Jonah just around the corner. We cannot treat God like this and expect to get away with it. When he questioned him, the word for angry also means 'hot'. Now Jonah is going to feel the irony of that as God withers the vine and makes the sun blaze down on his head, giving him sunstroke (he grew faint).
The lesson is all about the sovereignty of God, the repeat question shows that. He is the LORD, the Creator who can make things grow and die. There is none like him.
This time, Jonah responds. "Yes I do have a right to be angry", he says, "and I'm angry enough to die!" Before, he wanted to die, contesting God's right to save (v.3); now, he wants to die, contesting God's right to destroy (the vine).
How fickle! Jonah wants to be in charge, he wants to handle God. But he cannot and we cannot. He is the LORD and we need always to recognise that and respond to it. Jonah had recognised that in his own deliverance (Salvation is from the LORD) but failed to work it through in the whole of life.
3. The Challenge of God's Compassion (vv.10,11)
So Jonah thinks he has a right to die. Now it's time to listen!
The LORD confronts him with his concern for a plant that he had not planted or cared for and contrasts that with his own Creator-concern for the vast number of Ninevites and the animals of the city too.
Here are people who are morally blind, they can't tell their left from their right. And the Father is saying, I forgive them, for they know not what they do.
What a contrast with the mean heart of Jonah! The question is a devastating one and we're not told of any answer from Jonah. Perhaps he was shamed into silence.
But the real effect of the question is to be upon us: what answer will we give? What are our hearts like? Is our compassion alive and well or are we in it for what we can get and everyone else can perish?
"A Jonah lurks in every Christian heart, whimpering his insidious message of smug prejudice, empty traditionalism, and exclusive solidarity. He that has ears to hear, let him hear and let him allow the saving love of God which has been outpoured in his own heart to remould his thinking and social orientation" (Allen p.235).
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