Nehemiah: The Rebuilder II
Welcome back to part II of Nehemiah, The Rebuilder 😊
IV. Empowered to Act
[…] Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favour in his sight, let him send me to the city of Judah[…] so that I can rebuild it.” […] “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe conduct until Judah? And may I have a letter to Asaph[…] so he will give me timber […] the king granted my requests.
Nehemiah 2:4-8
Nehemiah knew what to ask for. This shows that he had put a lot of thought into rebuilding Jerusalem. But he knew that he could not carry out his tasks before he was given the authority to do so. The spiritual empowerment he received from God was backed up by physical empowerment.
V. Moving Quietly
I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days I set out during the night with a few men. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart for Jerusalem […]
Nehemiah 2:11-12
Nehemiah set out to examine the state of Jerusalem. He did this without mentioning anything about his intentions. When he did start talking, he spoke to the right people about the task ahead.
[…] I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or the officials or any others who would be doing the work. Then I said to them […] They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.
Nehemiah 2:16-18
We see from this that:
- It is wisdom to keep silent when the vision is being birthed.
- When it is time to speak out, speak to those who will help you carry out the vision God has birthed in your heart.
VI. Opposition
When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.
Nehemiah 2:10
But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. “What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?”
Nehemiah 2:19
They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it[…] Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.”
Nehemiah 4:8,11
They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get weak for the work, and it will not be completed.”
Nehemiah 6:8
These are but snippets of the opposition Nehemiah received in rebuilding the temple. What do the above mirrors tell us:
- Every God given vision attracts opposition.
- The opposition will never go away. At each stage, up to the dedication of Jerusalem, the opposition continued.
- The purpose of the opposition is to STOP you.
How did Nehemiah respond to the opposition?
- He noted it, but kept silent
- He called on God for help
- He came up with a strategy that would ensure the physical safety of those rebuilding Jerusalem
- He reclaimed for God that which his enemy had managed to wrongfully acquire for himself (Nehemiah 13:7-9)
- He COMPLETED the work
VII. Structure
Nehemiah 3 chronicles the manner in which the city was rebuilt. Nehemiah was very strategic and realistic in the process of building the wall, by giving each of the rebuilders a section they were responsible for.
When physical opposition threatened the rebuilders, Nehemiah changed tact so as to ensure that the task was completed in light of the new challenges.
When the wall was completed, he put in place gatekeepers, singers and Levites. He also placed Hanani and Hananiah incharge of Jerusalem.
When it was time for the exiles to return, he assembled nobles, officials and common people for registration by families.
Nehemiah took his assignment with the seriousness it deserved. And this meant putting in place structures that would not only ensure that the work was completed, but that it was sustainable for generations to come. He therefore knew the importance of:
- People – No vision is achieved by one single person. We all need people to help us carry out our God given visions.
- Order – The people were organized in a manner that would ensure the work was carried out in the most efficient way.
- Delegation – Nehemiah was not insecure in his leadership. Therefore, he delegated authority as well as work.
VIII. The Buck Stops Here
But while all this was going on, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Some time later I asked his permission and came back to Jerusalem. Here I learned about the evil thing Eliashib had done[…] I also learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them […]In those days I saw men in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath[…]I saw men of Judah who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab[…]
Nehemiah 13:6-23
After the completion of the wall, the city had been dedicated to God. When Nehemiah, the governor of Judah, returned to Jerusalem, he found the people flouting the Law.
What did he do in response to this? He cracked his whip and ensured that correct order was returned. He did not delegate the blame. He did not whine and complain. He did not sympathise with wrongdoers. No. In submission to God, he ensured that order was restored and made sure the wrong doers were dealt with.
He understood that God had entrusted him with this vision, so he ensured he was faithful to the very end.
Your Turn:
Are you a Nehemiah?
If you are, what stage are you on?