Read Nehemiah
3-5 & Acts
2:14-47
To discover:
As you read note the qualities
displayed by the people.
To ponder:
Chapter 3 proves Nehemiah was right
to declare God would give the builders success (2v20). It describes the
rebuilding of the gates and walls anti-clockwise, beginning and ending at the
Sheep Gate (3v1, 32). Perhaps the first section was dedicated to mark the work
beginning.
What
is striking is the diversity of people involved and the diversity of
organisation: Everyday people, priests, daughters, and temple servants all
played their part, organised as individuals, families, districts or according
to jobs, with some working on parts of the city in which they had a particular
interest, and some even doing a second section. The importance of the work is
affirmed by naming those who did it. However, we read that “the nobles”
refused, it seems because it would mean being under supervision (3v5). It all
pictures every-member involvement in the building of the church, whilst
teaching the need of organisation. It also rebukes those who hold authority and
esteem in the world, but who are reticent to do the menial tasks as servants in
the church.
On
hearing of the work progressing Sanballat became angry. First, he and Tobiah
sought to break morale and so hinder the work through ridicule, suggesting all
the effort was futile (4v1-3). Through Christ, Nehemiah’s prayer (4v4-5) might
have included prayer that these enemies would experience God’s blessing and
repent. However, his prayer for justice is not wrong (see Rev 6v9-11). It is
selfless, concerned with the fact the builders are being insulted, not
Nehemiah. And it enables Nehemiah to leave vengeance with God and not seek it
himself (see Rom 12v19). In short, he prays these antagonists would experience
exile as Judah
had, perhaps so they would know what drives the Jews in their building. The
present tense stresses how heart-felt the prayer was, or may mean the Jews were
still being insulted at the time of writing.
The
second form of opposition was that of threat. The people worked “with all their
heart” and so built the wall to half its size, no doubt putting an end to the
taunts, yet bringing more anger. The opponents are portrayed as plotting to
fight “against Jerusalem,” which
suggest the people are now a kingdom. Nehemiah is as ever practical – praying,
but also acting by posting a guard. Yet morale is waning. Some feel they have
no strength to go on. Others, that they will be killed. Nehemiah’s rallying
call echoes those from Israel’s
past: God is mighty and will fight for them (4v14). In this context, a
makeshift army was conscripted, frustrating the plot of Nehemiah’s enemies in
the sense that the people were now armed and ready. Some worked. Others stood
guard. Even the workers carried weapons; and plans were made to rally everyone
if an attack came. So we’re reminded never to lower our guard against the
spiritual forces that stand against us, looking to God to fight for us, yet
actively dressing ourselves in his armour (Eph 6v10-20).
A
third threat to the rebuilding came when a famine had hit. Because of their
involvement in the building those with many children hadn’t been able to
produce enough grain. Others were having to mortgage their property to gain
money for grain, whilst others were having to borrow money to pay taxes,
probably to the Persian Empire. In the latter two cases,
it was Jewish nobles and officials who were lending their fellow Jews the money
they needed, but charging high interest (against Deut 23:20),
forcing them to sell them their children as slaves in order to pay their debts
(as Deut 15v12). Nehemiah is rightly angry, noting this shows no fear of God or
concern to honour him before the Gentiles. He therefore publicly commanded the
nobles and officials to return the property and interest, putting them on oath
before the priests to do it, and prophetically praying God would remove them
from their possessions if they break their promise. We then learn that Nehemiah
was actually governor of Judah
from the time he arrived for twelve years, but out of reverence for God did not
tax the people for his gain as previous governors had, nor take land for him or
his men, nor demand the food he might have done. And he did all this despite,
as governor, still having to richly host Jewish nobles, officials and other
worthies from the Persian Empire (5v17-18). Fulfilling
our responsibilities never justifies the oppression of others.
Nehemiah’s
final prayer simply acknowledges that God favours those who fear him, and that
Nehemiah was acting for God. It encourages us to do so too.
Praying it home:
Praise God for how he uses ordinary
people to achieve extraordinary things. Pray that in all things you would act
in reverence for him and desiring to see him honoured before others through
your conduct.
Thinking further:
None today.
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