Results tagged “Nehemiah”

Nehemiah 13:1-9 - I'm unclear on the time line here. Verse 1 seems to indicate that they discovered the part of the law about associating with the Ammonites and Moabites on the same day as the events of chapter 12. Verse 4 inidcates that Tobiah was given the room before that, but the rest of the paragraph seems to indicate that Nehemiah had been away for some time and this had happened then.

So, was this just more reform that Nehemiah participated in, or was a a slip into old ways after Nehemiah left?

Nehemiah 13:10-13 - This passage seems to support that Nehemiah had returned to the King for a time and returned to find that people had slipped into their old ways.

It points to a challenge any leader has. Nehemiah's heart was for God's honor in all this, that seems to be what motivated him. It was a dishonor for the wall of Jerusalem to be broken, that lead to further restoration of the temple practices, following the law, etc. While he restored all these actions and behavior, based on what happened after he left, it's clear that he didn't instill in them the passion he felt for God and His honor. Those practices seemed good to them at the time, but once Nehemiah left and took his conviction with them, they felt no conviction to maintain them.

The bottom line is that it is easier to use your passion to create change in behavior than it is to create a change in heart. but a change in heart produces the change in behavior on its own, even if you leave.

Nehemiah 13:18 - Once again, they've forgotten the consequences of the sins of their fathers and are perpetuating them, thinking the same will not befall them.

Nehemiah 13:23-27 - The people had forgotten who they belonged to, they forgot the price that was paid by their ancestors and by God in His bringing Israel to the promised land and removing the pagan peoples from it for them. They no longer saw themselves as chosen, but simple another resident of the land. The blended in.

As disciples of Jesus in America, we do this all too often. There is no difference between us and the non-believers. We intermarry with them, thinking nothing of it. We allow our children to build unhealthy relationships with those who have no fear of God at all. We forget the price that was paid for us and in doing so we act just like Israel. The answer is not forming communes or closed, isolated communities, but we live a long, long way from that.

Nehemiah 13:14, 22, 29, 30 - Four times Nehemiah pleads for God to remember what he has done on His behalf. You can almost hear the frustration and the pleading. I can understand it, he's trying his best and the people aren't getting it. But I wonder if maybe there's something in that repeated plea (and it's happened elsewhere in Nehemiah too). Perhaps his focus was to much on the doing instead of teaching them to want to do on their own. It's hard to say, but I wonder if perhaps he had done more to instill his passion on a few leaders if perhaps they could have carried the torch while he was away, and instilled that passion in a few more. Then they would do the same and the passion would spread leading to a longer lived revival.

Sound familiar?

I actually read Nehemiah 11 last week, but since it's just a list of those who lived in and around Jerusalem, I didn't have much to say about it.

Nehemiah 12:1-26 - A record of the priests and Levites.

Nehemiah 12:27-43 - They rejoiced and celebrated what God had done through them in rebuilding the wall and re-establishing Jerusalem. As he wrote in verse 43 "And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.

Nehemiah 12:44-47 - Restoration of the service at the temple.

Nehemiah 10:1-27 - Quite a few familiar names in this list of people who sealed the covenant: Nehemiah, Jeremiah, Obadiah, Daniel, Hezekiah - Are all of these the folks we are familiar with?

Nehemiah 10:28-39 - A re-commitment to the covenant tha God made with Israel, to return to the ways He commanded of them.

It's no different today than it was then. We too easily forget what we have committed to with our God and fall into the same ways the world operates under. And just like with Israel, it's not that we don't know what to do but more that we forget what God has already done. They forgot the rescue from Egypt and the blessings of the promised land, we forget the cross and the grace of Jesus.

When we forget the gospel, we act just like Israel did - blending in with the nations around us.

Nehemiah 9:1-5 - What started as a simple exercise to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, has come to a full revival and a restoration of the people's faith and trust in God. I suspect it was never really about the wall for Nehemiah, it was about God and His honor and his people, but I also don't get the sense that he set out to accomplish this. The people standing, listening to the word for 1/4 of the day and confessing their sins for 1/4 of a day.

So, what happened that they went from building a wall to repentance and restoration of worship? I have to believe that it was Nehemiah's faith. He relentlessly expressed his belief in God, his passion for His honor, his conviction that God deserved more than a crumbling city and a discouraged people. God was bigger, God was stronger, God was more faithful and Nehemiah wasn't content to sit and see God get anything less than the best.

And Nehemiah's faith was contagious, as they worked and watched his determination to honor God, they caught it.

Isn't this how the Gospel works too? If we set out to get people to be faithful, to push them to a faith that is real and transformative, we will have some success. Some will listen and respond. But, if we simply relentlessly proclaim the gospel of Jesus, never letting up the proclamation of His glory and our inadequacy the people around us will get it. It will affect them, the gospel is contagious.

There surely were plenty of people in Jerusalem with belief in God. Why then did they not do what Nehemiah did? The weight of the world choked their faith, their problems were big and real and they forgot that God was bigger. Nehemiah came and refused to believe that anything was bigger than God and he refused to be deterred from proclaiming His greatness.

So, as I sit in my mediocre life, why, especially in light of the fact that I the love of God made so powerfully real in Jesus, do I act more like the residents of Jeruselem than Nehemiah?

Nehemiah 9:6-25 - As in so many Biblical revivals, it starts with a recounting of God's goodness to them over the generations, even in spite of their forefather's unfaithfulness. I wonder as they expressed it and remembered all that He had done, if they felt foolish for drifting away.

Nehemiah 9:32-37 - It comes down not to the ins of their fathers, but to their own sins. They have wandered, they have refused Him, they have forgotten all His faithfulness and they have received the resulting slavery that God had promised.

Nehemiah 9:38 - As a result of seeing their sin in contrast to His goodness, they made a covenant with God (Chapter 10). Isn't this the gospel message? When we see ourselves honestly - weak, flawed, sinful, ungodly - and God clearly - loving, patient, gracious - we cannot help but fall down and worship.

Nehemiah 8:1-4 - "... and all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law." Nehemiah didn't set out to restore the people to their worship and following of God, but that is what happened. He simply cared about their fortunes and the city that God's people had called home.

Nehemiah 8:7-8 - It wasn't simply read, there were men there to make sense of it for the people.

Nehemiah 8:12 - They rejoiced -- why? "because they had understood the words that were declared to them"

Nehemiah 8:13 - The heads of houses meet with Ezra for further training and study.

Nehemiah 8:14-17 - They discovered something in the law that they hadn't been doing, not in a long time. So, they reasoned and explained that, according to the traditions handed down, things were different now, we just don't do those things anymore, and there are good reasons.

No, they saw something in the law that they weren't doing - and they did it!

Nehemiah 7:2 - Qualifications for a leader - "more faithful and God-fearing man than many"

Nehemiah 7:6-65 - A big ol' list of people. Kinda boring to read, but God told Nehemiah (verse 5) to make this list. These are the ones who put their lives on the line, who's sweat went into restoring the wall. These are real people with real lives and families who did real work for the sake of God's people.

Nehemiah 7:21 - Hezekiah get's a shout out.

Nehemiah 7:70-72 - A record of the gifts to the cause.

Nehemiah 6:2 - How did he know it was a trap? Did he have inside info or was it just a hunch or intuition?

Nehemiah 6:5-9 - Nehemiah shows a cool, level head in the face of lies and provocations. I'm not sure that I would have been able to keep my cool and stay focused on the job at hand. My nature is to try to smooth over every disagreement and eliminate all confrontation. Nehemiah's example of ignoring their threats and calls to dialog and staying focused on his plan is needed.

Nehemiah 6:13 - His enemies simply wanted him to be afraid and in his fear be distracted from the work, to run and hide and then, not only would the work be hindered but he would be discredited. Fear for our lives can , or our image more likely for us today, can quickly put a halt on anythign God has planned for us to do for His sake. I wonder how much good has not been done because of fear? How is fear stopping me today? Father, strengthen my hands and my resolve.

Nehemiah 6:14 - Rather than pursuing his own revenge, he simply asked God to remember what these enemies of his had done, and left it at that.

Nehemiah 6:15 - Because of Nehemiah's determination and perseverance, they completed the rebuilding of the wall in less than 2 months.

Nehemiah 5:1-5 - I suspect that they were simply conducting business as usual. Those who didn't have borrowed from those who did, interest was charged, etc. Not necessarily evil or cheating, but normal business. But they forgot that God had commanded that Israel be different. In Leviticus 25 God laid out rules for lending to each other including not charging interest, not enslaving each other and the year of Jubilee where debts are forgiven and servants freed. God called them to be a family and treat each other with uncommon love.

Nehemiah 5:6-11 - Nehemiah calls tehm on their sin, challenging them to fear God and do what's right.

Nehemiah 5:12-13 - And they responded in repentance. I had a great talk with my girls last night about how to respond when challenged on their own sin. The human response is to defend immediately, to list out why it was OK, or in the very least what led you into sin. The goal is to excuse your behavior, minimize the offense and avoid the hard work of character change. This is not what the nobles did here. They listened quietly, took responsibility and committed to change. What I told my girls that I do is firs, immediately, even as the other is speaking, pray silently for humility and a willingness to see the truth. Then I listen considerately. Then I need to own my sin, not minimize it or excuse it, but own it. Sometimes there is discussion needed to clarify what's happening, and of course sometimes I don't see it as they do and we need to work it out. Tha's why the first part, the prayer and desire for humility is so important. With humility I can deal with either a false accusation or a legitimate rebuke.

Nehemiah 5:14-19 - His concern was for the people and the honor of God. He even refused what was rightlyhis from the governor in order that God would be honored int hat time and place.

Nehemiah 4:1 - With a name like Sanballat you know he was going to be a curmudgeon.

Nehemiah 4:2-3 - I have this classic image in my here of two guys having a 'private' conversation loud enough that everyone around them hears, which is obviously their intent. "HEY TOBIAH, DID YOU HEAR WHAT THE ISRAELITES ARE DOING? ..."

Nehemiah 4:5 - But Nehemiah reponds in prayer, askiong for God to notice and pointing out they have provoked Him to anger by insulting His people.

Nehemiah 4:6 - And then he moves on, "And so we built the wall ..."

Nehemiah 4:8-9 - They're back, but this time they are prepared to fight to stop the work. More prayer - and a guard is posted.

Nehemiah 4:14 - He refuses to be dissuaded. He prays and he acts to continue the work adn he reminds the people to "remember the Lord, who is great and awesome" - and then tells tehm to fight. Good advice, I need to remember this when things are tough. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome - and then fight. It's the remembering that embowers us to fight against enemies that are stronger than us. For when we remember, we are reminded that God is fighting with us, for us and he will make us able to stand.

Nehemiah 4:15-23 - Though God had frustrated the attack, they continued to work, but were prepared, always at the ready for another attack.

This is one of those chapters that I'm tempted to breeze through. Lists of people. Yesterday, however, our minister shared that it is one of his favorites. Why? Look at the list of people, most of them not builders by trade, but they each pitched in.

Nehemiah 3:1 - The high priest - building.

Nehemiah 3:2 - men of Jericho (Jericho?) - building.

Nehemiah 3:5 - The nobles - NOT building. I wonder why? Did they think it foolish or was the labor beneath them? Nehemiah doesn't dwell on it, rather concentrates on those who were building.

Nehemiah 3:7 - Gibonites and Meronothites - building.

Nehemiah 3:8 - Goldsmiths & perfumers - building.

Nehemiah 3:9 - District rulers - building.

Nehemiah 3:10 - Building and repairing what was near their homes.

Nehemiah 3:12 - More rulers, and daughters (Go daughters!) - building.

Nehemiah 3:13 - Inhabitants of Zanoah - building.

Nehemiah 3:14 - More rulers - building.

Nehemiah 3:15 - More rulers - building.

Nehemiah 3:16 - More rulers - building. Guess those nobles above were the exception, not the rule.

Nehemiah 3:17 - Levites - building.

Nehemiah 3:19 - More rulers - building.

Nehemiah 3:22 - Priests - building.

Nehemiah 3:23-24 - Building and repairing what was near their homes.

Nehemiah 3:26 - Temple servants - building.

Nehemiah 3:27 - Tekoites - building.

Nehemiah 3:28 - Priests - building and repairing what was near their homes.

Nehemiah 3:29-30 - Building and repairing what was near their homes.

Nehemiah 3:32 - Goldsmiths and merchants - building.

What a picture of everyone chipping in where they could. Common and noble built, each doing a part, some small some large. Some traveling to ehlp, some building right where they were.

Isn't that what God's church should be? But the question is, am I building? I think I easily fall back and rely on what has already been built. I know that I'm most content when I am building.

How about you, what are you building?

Nehemiah 2:3 - Considering that Nehemiah was in exile from his homeland, it stands to reason that this king may have been responsible for bringing him there. (Was he?) Even if he wasn't he was responsible for keeping him there, so to express to the king his deep sadness at the state of his homeland I imagine could have been considered a slap in the face.

Nehemiah 2:4-8 - Not only was he bold enough to speak up to the king, he's emboldened to ask to be allowed to go back and for letters from the king for safe passage and for timber to do the work.A bit like saying "King, while you've kept me here, my city is in ruins! So let me go back, provide me assurance of safe passage and materials to fix what you (or your predecessors) destroyed. OK?"

No wonder he stopped and prayed in the middle.

What's more amazing than his request (or not, if you know God) is that the king grants it.

Nehemiah 2:9 - And he got a military escort!

Nehemiah 2:17-18 - "So they strengthened their hands to do the work." he says. After his planning, his request from the king, it's amazing approval, his journey there, his scouting the city and his telling the story, then "they strengthened their hands to do the work." It seems that Nehemiah's courage and boldness gave room for courage of their own. How long had they been there, looking at broken walls, but doing nothing about it. For whatever reason, paralyzed by fear or faithlessness maybe, they didn't act. They just lived with it. By acting in faith and forging the way, Nehemiah made room for them to act on faith as well. The obstacles appeared too great but Nehemiah came and cleared them away.

Sometimes people just need to have the path cleared a bit before they can move ahead on their own.

Nehemiah 2:19-20 - They accused him of rebellion against the king, when they knew (verse 9-10) that the king had given his approval to what Nehemiah was doing. But Nehemiah's response wasn't to remind them of the king's approval, but to affirm God's approval for the work.

I just started Romans, but our church is spending March in Nehemiah, so I decided to switch gears and follow along with the study. I'll return to Romans in April.

Nehemiah 1:1-2 - He was away, yet Jerusalem was still on his heart. He wasn't simply making the best of it in this new place, he wondered what had happened back home.

Nehemiah 1:4 - I assume, since he later acknowledges that he exile was due to the sins of the people, that he knew that the news would be bad. How bad, I'm thinking he was wondering. Are they getting by? Are things improving? Hearing the truth, that things are still quite bad, desperate even, drives him to his knees, both in despair and in prayer.

He could have been content to assume that things were OK, that they were getting by, but he sought the truth and let the truth hit his heart and move him.

The same can be said of our relationships. We tend to assume that those close to us are doing fine, things are good. Of course, we all put on a good face, even when times are bad. Certainly, we should seek help when we are in need, but even more, we should dig into the lives of those close to us, looking for the truth. That truth may be as we assumed, things are fine, but we may discover hidden hurts and struggles that we can do something about.

If we rely on the hurting to seek help first, we do them a great disservice and we risk loosing them.

Nehemiah 1:5-11 - Nehemiah's heart is moved by what he has heard, and he asks God to see it too. Of course, God already sees, yet Nehemiah, first acknowledging that God was right to punish their sin, pleads with God to look, listen to his plea and remember His promises to Israel.

And then he makes plans to act.