This week, Kelly took us through a jammed packed week of action that included internal struggles of the Jewish people, more distraction, deception and lies from Sanballet, Gesham and Tobiah, finishing the wall (in 52 days), and taking a record of the families that were actually in Jerusalem. Nehemiah wasn't in the least distracted by lies and intimidation. His biggest weapon was once again prayer.(vs.5:19, 6:9) Throughout it all, Nehemiah never lost track of why he was there~The People!!! He even layed down his special privileges as Governor for the people.
What good is a fancy new city wall without it's people? The Jewish people were in a state of famine and poverty. They were unfairly taxed and charged 'interest' on money loaned to them, having to give their land and their own family members as collateral!! It was against the law of Moses to charge interest on money loaned. (Deut 23:19-20). Nehemiah didn't loose sight of why he was there. He cared for the powerless Jewish people by addressing the nobles and rulers with a 'holy anger' and a condemning shake of his robe. He rebuked them in front of an assembly. With priests as his witnesses they agreed to repay every penny and change their ways. Then, they all praised God!
As the people put the finishing touches of hanging the gates on the wall, the enemy was persistent. Sanballet and Geshem made a last effort to distract Nehemiah by luring him away from his work to meet. They even hired someone to try to scare Nehemiah into sinning. Nehemiah persevered and they finished the Jerusalem wall in a short 52 days!! The enemies were disheartened to see the project's completion. They clearly saw that this was the great work of God. (Neh 6:16) What an embarassment to Sanballet and his crew. :)
Nehemiah pressed on through all obstacles just as we should persevere in our own lives, for as Paul says in Phil 1:6, ..being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. We are to finish well. Fight the good fight and keep your faith. (2 Tim 4:7) Jesus says, in John 16:33, In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." "A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better than they ever dreamed of." John 10:10
We reach the end of this part of the story. The wall was finished. Now Nehemiah must protect what he has accomplished. He appointed leadership to his brother Hanani and Hananiah. In Nehemiah 7:2 they are described as faithful men that feared God more than many. Dr. Bob Jones said, "The greatest ability is dependability." "When leaders fear people instead of fearing God, they end up getting trapped (Prov. 29:25), and that leads to failure."
What does it look like to fear God? Warren Wiersbe states, "The fear of our God is not the servile dread of a slave toward a master but the loving respect of a child toward a parent. To fear the Lord means to seek to glorify God in everything we do. It means listening to His Word, honoring it, and obeying it. Oswald Chambers writes, "The remarkable thing about fearing God, is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else." So, Nehemiah was obviously motivated by the fear of the Lord as he never feared his enemy.
We see that truly Nehemiah loved the Lord his God with all his heart, all his soul, and all his mind and loved his neighbor as himself. (Matt 22:37-40) He never lost sight of God's purpose - the people. Nehemiah finished well. "God commends (demonstrates) His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will. - Romans 12:2
May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests. Psalm 20:4-5
The video session 4 link is HERE
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**Reference used - Warren Wiersbe's - Be Determined
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