In this chapter we continue with our study of Nehemiah and the Israelites that worked to rebuild the wall. The wall was rebuilt and now all of Israel gathered together to listen to the reading of the Law by Ezra. 

All Day Long

We see that from 6 to noon they listened to the reading of the Law. This was a 6 hour service. This was hearing of the Law, something that needed to be done as the Law pointed to God and his grace and mercy. The result of listening to the Law being read by Ezra we see the people confessing their sin before God. 

It is true when we come to terms with the Bible we need to confess our sin. The Bible is, “Living and active, sharper than any two edged sword, piercing to the division of soul, and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and of discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).” Paul told Timothy that, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God, may be competent, equipped for every good work (2nd Timothy 3:16-17).” Hearing the Word of God should cause to reflect on the holiness of God. When we look at the holiness of God it should cause us to confess our sin before Him because we are so unworthy. Isaiah did this when he was in the presence of God (Isaiah 6). 

From confessing our sin to an act of worship. This is what happened for the next 6 hours. They confessed their sins and worshiped God the Creator. They would reflect on the history of Israel and see God’s grace and mercy. In verses 6-38 we see many times the words mery, merciful, grace, gracious, and everlasting. A true act of worship is when we come to terms with who God is, infinite and who we are, finite. God who holds us in his hands, we stand before. True worship is crying out to God in truth and what the Word of Truth says.

When was the last time you were convicted when you heard God’s Word? Many people coward away from this conviction and there are some preachers that do not preach the Word of God because people do not want to be convicted. We are to be convicted and cause us to confess our sin because we are in need of salvation. We have a redeemer, Jesus Christ and he is the one that sets us free from sin. We have and will continue to challenge you to read God’s Word so you can be changed and renewed through the power of God.

Nehemiah 6

Have you ever been afraid? I mean where you were just so scared that you stopped in your tracks and could not continue? The definition of fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. I know I have been afraid before. I hate heights and especially when it comes to climbing something. I am actually quite funny to watch and after the fact I make fun of myself but at the moment I am afraid of it. I know some people fear spiders or insects or weird things like snow, but fear makes it so we are unproductive and controls us.

In this chapter we see how the enemy is trying to cause Nehemiah to be fearful of them and attacks. They want to make him afraid and not finish the wall. The enemies want to dominate over them so they wall would make it so they could not.

Nehemiah and Threats

We know from previous chapters in Nehemiah that he was threatened but with this chapter we see a new tactic from the enemies of Nehemiah. They first asked Nehemiah to meet with them. Their intentions were to kill him but Nehemiah was given wisdom by God and did not meet them. He responded to their bad invitations by saying, he could not go because there was work to be done. As that did not work we see that they tried a different way and that was to have someone within to act.

Shemaiah asked Nehemiah to come into the Temple so he could be safe from his enemies. This request seems good until Nehemiah responds. He called him out and said, you are just as bad because you intended me harm too.

With all these threats we see Nehemiah always going to God. In verse 9 he said, “For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, ‘Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.’ But now, O God, strengthen my hands.” They never stopped working and even after the wall was built they still threatened Nehemiah’s life.

Satan has the same tactics with Christians. He wants fear to be cast over them. He wants to make us inactive because we are so afraid of other people, what they may say, do, or even think of us. Satan wants us to be nothing for the kingdom. But as we read about fear, it is a belief. Nothing has happened we just are afraid something will. As it says in Hebrews 13:5, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” If Nehemiah gave into that fear, the wall would not have been accomplished. He could not afford to be afraid. We can not afford to be afraid in this life of other people. We have work to that needs to be done and we have time that we can not waste. If we are fearful, we take for granted what Christ did on the cross and we do not realize that Jesus conquered death and sin. Satan is powerless against Christ. 

Do not fear people, whom Satan will use to make you afraid and make you inactive for the kingdom.

Nehemiah 4 from Jonathan Lee on Vimeo.

Instead of typing out a devotion we decided to record one.

My wife would tell me when she was a teenager her father was doing a remodeling of their house. He was doing most of it himself so it took some time. She told me when it was days they would spend on the house he would go around to wake everyone up and say, “Rise up and build.” It was time to work and time to get going.

In this chapter we read about Nehemiah who was one of the Israelites who was living in Babylon and he was a cupbearer to the king, Artaxerxes, of Persia. A cupbearer was one who would not only help in serving the king but they would need to taste the wine or drink before the king did. He was the tester to make sure no one poisoned the king. If they poisoned the king then Nehemiah would be the first to find out as he would have died.  

Nehemiah Goes

God granted Nehemiah with favor from the king as he listened to Nehemiah’s request and allowed him to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the city. We read about Ezra rebuilding the temple and now we will look at the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem. The wall was so important for a city in that time because it served as protection from invaders. What was left of Jerusalem was a ruined heap of stone left when Babylon came and destroyed it. 

He Works

The first thing we see when Nehemiah arrives in Jerusalem is that he goes and walks around the wall or all that is left. He sees that there is a lot of work left and summons the Israelites that are in Jerusalem by saying, “Rise up and Build.” There is work to do and they did not have time to waste. The city was in ruins and it needed to be repaired. 

Nehemiah started to rebuild and work with his fellow brothers and as they worked they were ridiculed and made fun of but Nehemiah kept on working.

Rebuild the Wall

I always view a wall as something defensive and we need a wall around our spiritual lives to protect us from sin which wants to invade. Sometimes sin wins and our walls fall down and crumble. When we turn from sin and follow after Christ we are rebuilding our walls. We are filling them with the solid stone of Christ death and resurrection. As we follow after the Lord we will face ridicule by someone. Just like Nehemiah faced it we face it sometimes from friends, sometimes from ourselves, and mostly from the devil. He ridicules us by making us feel stupid about it. He makes us feel unworthy and that it is pointless. The truth is that we need to keep going forward. We need to rise up and build upon the foundation of Jesus Christ. We need to work because the time is short. We do not want to allow Satan a place to invade.