Nehemiah 8:1-2 NKJV — Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded Israel. So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month.
The people and the leaders knew they needed to be instructed by God’s Word.
To all come together to listen to the book of the law, to understand what God’s commandments are, was the priority.
Nehemiah 8:8 NKJV — So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.
Through the teaching of God’s Law people’s hearts were changed.
Nehemiah 8:9 NKJV — And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law.
Chapter 9 of Nehemiah is recounting the history of their people and the faithfulness of God.
It was vital that the people who lived within the protection of the wall understand that it was by God, not the wall that they were kept from their enemies.
It was also vital that they realize why the wall had been broken down in the past, the hearts of their forefathers had grown hard.
As followers of Christ, we too must realize that our salvation is through Christ alone.
Our spiritual protection is due to Him, not how long we pray or what fancy words might be said.
Building a spiritual wall is an out pouring of understanding that we are frail, our nature is to sin, and we have an adversary who wants to destroy us.
Time in prayer is only part of it.
We must also be in God’s Word, learning His ways, His truth.
But it doesn’t end there.
We need to be educating those who will come after us.
It’s not enough to just pray for our children and grandchildren, we need to teach them why we pray.
We need to live lives which reflect the nature of our Lord Jesus.
We need to be sure we are training the future wall builders.
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank You for Nehemiah and this book we can learn so much from. Lord, thank You for Your faithfulness. Thank You for Your guidance and teaching. Lord, please help me to not only follow You in all things, but to train others, to be a light of encouragement. Lord, please help me to speak words of truth and instruction to my children and grandchildren. Thank You for Your patience with me. Thank You for the lessons You have taught me. I love You, Jesus. Amen.
Nehemiah 4:1-3 NKJV — But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews. And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish–stones that are burned?” Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall.”
Once the work began, not an easy task as the workers were just ordinary people, opposition sprung up.
First, the enemy was angry and mocking quickly followed.
Nehemiah’s response is prayer:
Nehemiah 4:4 NKJV — Hear, O our God, for we are despised; turn their reproach on their own heads, and give them as plunder to a land of captivity!Nehemiah 4:5 NKJV — Do not cover their iniquity, and do not let their sin be blotted out from before You; for they have provoked You to anger before the builders.”
Nehemiah didn’t get sidetracked, the work didn’t stop.
Nehemiah 4:6 NKJV — So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
The people were not put off and God blessed their diligence, the wall began to be repaired and the gaps to close.
Their enemies were stubborn too.
Nehemiah 4:7 NKJV — Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry, Nehemiah 4:8 NKJV — and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion.
Again, Nehemiah trusts in the Lord.
He also sets up guards.
Nehemiah 4:9 NKJV — Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.
The contention continues throughout the repair and rebuilding of the wall.
The enemy tries threats, lies, slander, but nothing hinders Nehemiah’s task.
But it wasn’t easy.
Nehemiah 4:16 NKJV — So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore armor; and the leaders were behind all the house of Judah.Nehemiah 4:17 NKJV — Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon.
They had to be diligent in their work and on guard at all times.
Nehemiah 4:23 NKJV — So neither I, my brethren, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me took off our clothes, except that everyone took them off for washing.
Thankfully, this was only a season, once the wall, their defense, was restored completely they were not in the same danger as when the wall was yet finished.
However, one of the first things Nehemiah did after the wall was finished was to appoint guards and leaders.
Nehemiah 7:1 NKJV — Then it was, when the wall was built and I had hung the doors, when the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed, Nehemiah 7:2 NKJV — that I gave the charge of Jerusalem to my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the leader of the citadel, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many.
The application is simple, we need to guard our wall.
Our spiritual wall should be our time of intercession for ourselves and others.
We need to realize we will be building something the enemy doesn’t want.
When we hedge ourselves,our families, and our church in prayer we are building a spiritual wall.
We should expect to come under attack.
The enemy will throw doubt: “Does God really hear?”
He will lie: “Did God say…?”
There will be distractions, interruptions, and trials, but we must not allow ourselves to be removed from praying for ourselves and others.
Daily intercession in prayer, built with God’s Word, upon the foundation of Christ Jesus, is a must for followers of Christ.
For even when regular intercession is a habit and the spiritual “wall” is built, we should be on our guard.
The enemy wants to steal, kill, and destroy.
But God gives us life and it’s abundance is unfathomable, because His gift of life is eternal!
Our time here is limited, let us live wisely and redeem the time.
Colossians 4:5-6 NKJV — Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank You so much for Your Word. Thank You for Your truth and wisdom. Thank You for freely giving these things to us. Lord, please help us to understand the importance of prayer and the value of humbling bring our requests before You. Lord Jesus,help us to pray with understanding, not asking according to our will or our ideas, but truly seeking Your face and praying Your Word for in it is life. Lord, please help us not to be sidetracked by the snares of the enemy. Please keep us from living shortsightedly. Lord, You alone know every detail of each one’s life. Please help us to join together in prayer and stand for those who are helpless, needy, wayward, and lost. Lord, please soften hearts, open eyes, unstop ears, that they might turn and be healed. Thank You. Amen.
It doesn’t take long for physical things to begin to wear down if they are not properly maintained.
It’s an even faster decline if it’s purposefully attacked and broken down.
The book of Nehemiah chronicles the enormous task of bringing order to a broken and defenseless city.
Jerusalem had been laid waste.
Which God allowed due to the stubborn refusal of the people.
(The book of Jeremiah is one of the places which tells this heartbreaking story.)
The Lord sent many prophets to warn them, many chances to turn to Him and serve Him only.
But they had refused and chosen judgement and thus their city was left broken.
The wall, which was the best defensive protection, lay in ruins.
The people had returned to the land from captivity to rebuild the temple.
Ezra 1:1-2NKJV — Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah.
They encountered a great deal of opposition to this, but they did eventually get it done.
Yet, many years later the wall was still broken and the gates were unusable.
Nehemiah 1:2-3 NKJV — that Hanani one of my brethren came with men from Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who had survived the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”
God sent Nehemiah to rebuild the wall.
Nehemiah 2:17 NKJV — Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.”
It was a difficult task.
The odds were completely against them and their enemies threatened them continually.
Nehemiah 4:16 NKJV — So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore armor; and the leaders were behind all the house of Judah.
Yet, God was with them and the task was completed.
Nehemiah 7:1 NKJV — Then it was, when the wall was built and I had hung the doors, when the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed,
Once the walls were rebuilt Nehemiah set up honorable people to organize and coordinate the city and to maintain it.
Nehemiah 7:2 NKJV — that I gave the charge of Jerusalem to my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the leader of the citadel, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many.
After all this, the Word of God was brought out and the people were instructed.
Nehemiah 8:1-2 NKJV — Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded Israel. So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month.
The book goes on to chronicle how Nehemiah deals with sin amongst the people, especially the leaders.
There are numerous applications for the follower of Christ within this book.
The book of Nehemiah starts with the knowledge of the condition of the wall.
It was broken down and the gates were burned.
What is the status of our wall?
Not a physical structure, but a spiritual one.
Job shows us what a spiritual wall looks like.
Job 1:5 NKJV — So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly.
Job prayed and offered sacrifices for his children, incase one of them had sinned.
He did it often, it was a habit.
Job’s spiritual wall was an outgrowth of his personal walk with the Lord.
Job 1:1 NKJV — There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.
Job understood the importance of covering his family in prayer.
The enemy also understood the spiritual wall God had placed around Job.
Job 1:9-10 NKJV — So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.”
One might argue that Job’s spiritual wall wasn’t good enough when his life turns upsidedown due to the enemy being allowed to touch his wealth, his family, and his health.
But these things do not occur because Job sinned.
They are a test of Job’s character.
The end of the book of Job reveals the difference, God restores everything more than before and Job’s integrity remains intact.
Spiritual protection doesn’t mean everything will always be “good”.
It means we are secure in knowing everything is in God, not a consequence of sin.
For sin harms us and our families, which is why God teaches us so much about it and warns us to avoid it.
Through Jesus Christ we have the opportunity to live free from sin and upright before God.
We also have a responsibility to build boundaries and fortify ourselves and our families against evil.
We too can maintain our spiritual wall through prayer and living upright before the Lord.
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank You for Your Word. Lord, thank You for Nehemiah and Job and the lessons we can glean from their lives. Lord, please continue to teach me how to maintain a spiritual wall. Lord, I do not want to be defenseless against sin or the enemy because I have neglected my walk with You in any place. Lord, please show me my weaknesses that I might confess them and turn to You. Lord, my family is Yours and I trust You with them. Please help me to pray fervently for them with wisdom. Lord, please grant me discernment as I stand in prayer for each one. Lord, thank You for Your Word, Your love, Your truth. It is such a joy to put my trust in You! Amen.
Tears of anguish ran down his face, down his beard.
The knot in his stomach was evidence of his lack of food.
He prayed:
Nehemiah 1:5-10 NKJV — And I said: “I pray, LORD God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses. Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.’ Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand.”
Nehemiah was a man of prayer.
When he heard of the great distress of the Jews, who had returned to Jerusalem, were under he was deeply troubled.
Nehemiah 1:4 NKJV — So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
When he was afraid he prayed. Nehemiah 2:1-4
When he was ridiculed and mocked, he prayed. Nehemiah 4:4-5
When he and all those who were working on the wall were threatened he prayed. Nehemiah 4:9
When the people came to Nehemiah because of the famine and he found that some were charging their brethren usury and the previous Governors had taxed the people, he lived according to God’s Word, made those who had taken advantage of their brothers restore what was taken, shared what he had and didn’t gain anything personally. Then he prayed. Nehemiah 5:19
When his enemies attacked his integrity he prayed. Nehemiah 6:9
When a snare was set for him, God gave him understanding and he wasn’t tricked. He prayed. Nehemiah. 6:14
Throughout the book of Nehemiah he is constantly going back to God in one way or another.
At times he wrote “Then my God put it into my heart…” Nehemiah 7:5a other times he states: “…they perceived that this work was done by our God.” Nehemiah 6:16b
This man’s devotion to God are evident in all he did.
His fabric of life was prayer.
And his response to God was obedience.
The anguish he felt when he first heard of the trouble of those living in Jerusalem was birthed into being used by God to restore not only the wall of Jerusalem, no small task, but also to restore order and devotion to God in the people living there.
His life is an incredible inspiration for those who are called by the name of the Son.
His passion, discernment, and faithfulness speak volumes about his character and his personal love of the God of heaven.
For such a small amount of information about this man, Nehemiah (it’s a short book, only 13 chapters all focusing on what took place before, during, and after the building of the wall) we can be given a large dose of encouragement.
Nehemiah was secure in his walk with God and no amount of threats, attack, difficulty, squabbling, or just plain hard work deterred him from following what God had put in his heart.
That is the result of a life completely surrendered to God.
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank You for this book of the Bible and for the man who shows such an example of prayer and obedience to You. Lord, no matter our past, You can redeem us. Please help us to be individuals who are steeped in prayer. Lord, help us to respond to life through prayer and Your Word. Let the lives of Your servants be our example, that we might inspire others to follow You as well. Lord, start with me. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.
Then David spoke to the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers accompanied by instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, by raising the voice with resounding joy. I Chronicles 15:16 NKJV
King David had made a mistake.
He hasn’t consulted the Lord on the proper way to move the ark of the covenant.
However, he learned from his error and this verse is only one part of the preparation he made to bring the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem.
This move was definitely one of great joy for King David.
So David, the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the house of Obed-Edom with joy. I Chronicles 15:25 NKJV
On that day David first delivered this psalm into the hand of Asaph and his brethren, to thank the Lord : I Chronicles 16:7 NKJV
The psalm is the beginning of Psalm 105:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord ! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples! Psalms 105:1 NKJV
King David didn’t allow his mistake to hinder him from setting it right nor did he retire from seeking God, from worshipping Him and through this he had joy.
In Nehemiah 8 the priest Ezra stands before all the people, reads the book of the law and the people sorrow.
So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading. And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law. Nehemiah 8:8-9 NKJV
Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.” And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them. Nehemiah 8:10-12 NKJV
Although the people were grieved by the book of the law, they rejoiced greatly.
Can we not relate?
How easy it is to error, to fall into sin, to transgress the law of God, and yet these are our examples.
We should acknowledge our sin, turn away from it, and seek the Lord.
For the joy of the Lord is our strength.
Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:10-11 NKJV
And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus , for He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21 NKJV
Joy is from God.
We can and should rejoice in our salvation through Jesus Christ.
Because the joy of the Lord is what strengthens us to repent when we fail as well as endure the trials and tribulations.
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. James 1:2-4 NKJV
Like King David we can say:
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works! Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord ! Psalms 105:2-3 NKJV
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank You so much for Your joy! How great and mighty is Your name and Your Word. Lord, Your Word brings such hope. In the seasons of trials or the times when sin has overtaken, the answers are all in Your Word. Lord, please continue to help us learn what strength there is in Your joy. Let us find the treasure of praise. Please continue to shine Your truths into our hearts and minds. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.
patientlyhopeful 