Life Inside the Wall
Nehemiah 7
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Nehemiah is all about building a wall around Jerusalem right? No, only chapters 1-6 are about that. The people existed for the wall in those first few chapters. They gave their time, talents, and treasures to make it happen. But the remaining chapters show the wall existing for the people. It's not about the wall, but about what goes on inside the wall. The city was in ruins. They had a wall to prevent invasion, but inside is rubble, and they are supposed to live and worship there. But they had a grand vision of what it could be once again for the glory of God!
In chapter 7 Nehemiah organizes the people. He is a master administrator, organizer, and leader. It's not enough that they have their wall, they need their life back!
1. The Giving of the People.
At the end of this chapter we see all the people joining together to give for this very worthwhile cause of restoring the honor and glory of God's city, His temple, and to help one another in their needs. And when they gave - they gave all. What led to this kind of giving? Let's go back to the beginning of the chapter and find out...
2. The Guarding of the People.
Once the wall is built Nehemiah wants to make sure the people are secure. There are many enemies lurking just outside the wall who want to destroy God's people.
The first thing he does is to call 2 assistants: Hanani his brother, and another man named Hananiah.
v. 1-2 Why did God choose these 2 men? What qualities did they possess? The end of v. 2 answers this question. Faithful and fearful.
Faithfulness is the #1 quality for any servant of God.
1 Corinthians 4:2
2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
Not everyone in the church is highly talented, but that's ok, because the greatest ability is dependability! We can't all be wealthy, but we can all be faithful. [singer / teacher / popular / in charge] In the end we will not be judged by our talents or gifts but by how faithful we were with what God gave to us. God puts a premium on faithfulness. Whatever God has called you to do in the church, you should do it faithfully.
Ecclesiastes 9:10
10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might...
Jesus Christ is faithful. He is known for His faithfulness. So it makes sense that we are never more like Him than when we are faithful.
Revelation 1:5
5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness...
Revelation 3:14
14 ... These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
Revelation 19:11
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
Add to that the living proof of His faithfulness recorded in the gospels ... His life was consistently faithful to God His Father, to His principles, to His family, to His followers, and to the very sinners who rejected Him...those He came to save!
When we need forgiveness He is faithful!
1 John 1:9
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
When we need wisdom He is faithful!
James 1:5
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
When we need His presence the most He is faithful!
Hebrews 13:5
5 ... I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
The least we can do in gratitude for His faithfulness is to offer our faithfulness in return. [service / attendance / giving / witnessing / prayer life / worship]
God led Nehemiah to choose helpers who were faithful ... and fearful. That is, they feared God.
When we fear God we need not fear man, or any other circumstances. A fear of God eliminates all other fears.
ill.--John Knox lived in the 1500s and was one of the reformers who cried out against the evils of the establishment religion of his day. He was greatly persecuted by Queen Mary [remember her nickname? Bloody Mary!] She got this name for her persecution of many like Knox. But Knox never backed up and never backed down. He suffered greatly for his faith. Written on his tombstone: "He feared man so little because he feared God so much."
God help us to cultivate in our own lives these qualities of faithfulness and fearing God.
That was all a sidenote...now back to point #1. The guarding of the people.
v. 3 What good are shiny new gates if not closed, guarded, and secure?
ill.--the Great Wall of China is the only man made object visible from space. It was built to keep the enemy out. It has only been penetrated 4 times, but each time the enemy came thru the gates. In each case the gatekeepers were either bribed or asleep.
Spiritual application:
Ephesians 4:27
27 Neither give place to the devil.
Don't leave any gate unguarded. Guard the gates of your heart. Guard your eye gate, your ear gate, your mouth gate. Don't allow the enemy to penetrate the gate!
Proverbs 4:23
23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Look back at v. 1 and 3 groups of people mentioned, and we'll make spiritual application...
The porters-they were gatekeepers, and they represent the power of God because they decided who gets in and who gets out.
When you got saved a Divine Gatekeeper took up residence in your heart - the Holy Spirit! This means you don't have to fight temptation in your own power.
ill.--Martin Luther was another great reformer. When asked about how he responds when the devil tempts him he said, "When the devil comes knocking upon the door of my heart and asks, 'who lives here?' the dear Lord Jesus goes to the door and says, 'Martin Luther used to live here, but he has moved out, now I live here.' The devil, upon seeing the pierced hands takes flight."
1 John 4:4
4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
ill.--I had a big brother, a foster brother named Brian, for a few years. I was a young teen and he an older teen. I'll never forget the night when a big bully picked a fight with Brian. Brian worked the drive thru window at McDonald's and the bully pulled up and sprayed him with mace, then parked and entered the restaurant to sip a soda and laugh at him as he struggled to clean his eyes. Eventually Brian slipped out the back and kicked in the headlights of the bully, who saw it happen out the window. He gave chase and pursued Brian all the way to our trailer we lived in at the time. Brian hid out in the back bedroom. The bully came to the door and knocked. My dad answered the door in his bathrobe [and only his bathrobe!] and the bully began to curse and yell about how he was gonna kill Brian. Then it happened - my dad [a Marine!] stepped out the door and closed it, getting right in the face of that bully. I watched thru the window. What I saw next will be forever burned on my brain. I say that because #1, when things get physical robes come open! Lord, perhaps in eternity you will erase that image when you wipe away all tears! And #2, I'll never forget because my dad just ate the guy's lunch. I told you he was a large bully, but my dad is a big strong guy too [I'm sure you would've guessed that!] and he just proceeded to mow the grass with that guy's back side! At one point in the battle dad threw the guy against the trailer and I swear that I could see the indention of the bully's body permanently sprawled in the wall!
The bully started that fight, but my dad finished it! And when the devil comes knocking at the door, just send your Heavenly Father to answer it!
The porters represent the power of God to guard the gates of our lives.
The singers represent the praise of God. Singing is mentioned 18 times in this book, and thanking God is mentioned 8 times. This chapter tells us more specifics about the singing of God's people.
v. 67 245 in the choir!
There's something about singing and praising God that drives away the devil. I could prove that with many different Bible verses, but just look at Eph. 5:18
Ephesians 5:18
18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
The key to defeating the devil is by using God's power, which is the Spirit we are to be filled with...but why stop there? We need to go on to the next verse...
Ephesians 5:19
19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
There is an association with music and the filling of the Holy Spirit w/ power on our lives! Praise drives away the devil!
Ephesians 5:20
20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
Praise and thanksgiving!
Psalm 22:3
3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
God actually inhabits us when we praise! He's all over us in those moments! And the devil isn't comfortable in that environment.
The porters are the power of God, the singers are the praise of God...
The Levites represent the principles of God.
Their job was to teach the people the Word. The gates of our heart are guarded by the power of God, the praise of God, and the principles of God!
We live in a day of profanity and vulgarity. Most TV and movies today are laced w/ a steady diet of it, and many Christians don't even hear it anymore, or it doesn't bother them like it should. We can't avoid hearing it in public and at work [some of my coworkers, geesh!] but why do we CHOOSE to hear it in what we watch? We invite such trash into our eye gate and ear gate and God won't protect us from that which we choose to wallow in!
But you and I can guard the gate of our mouth by the principles of God's Word.
Ephesians 4:29
29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
Colossians 4:6
6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
Psalm 19:14
14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
Proverbs 25:11
11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.
Another example: We are bombarded everyday with sexuality. Advertisers use it because sex sells, because man can't look away. But the principles of God's Word will help us win the victory!
Psalm 101:3
3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.
Job 31:1
1 I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?
The Bible is up to date, because man still struggles w/ the same old sins.
2 Peter 1:3
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
And so, we guard the gates of our hearts by the power of God - let Jesus take on the devil for you, by the praise of God - there's something about it that sends the enemy running, and by the principles of God - knowing and applying what the Word says!
It's the guarding of the people.
3. The Gathering of the People.
Look at the long list which begins in v. 7 and continues for the next 60 or so verses. We're tempted to skip over a list like this, but it's all inspired by God and all profitable. Let's step back and get the big picture. What comes before and after this and why is this list important to us?
• The importance of numbers.
v. 8 See the number? Each verse has a number of people.
v. 66 42,360, and the next verse numbers this large choir.
Let's apply this using our NT. There are 2 extremes we can go to when it comes to the church. We can say that numbers don't matter - and that is an extreme. God cares about numbers! Why? Because they represent people, which are important to God.
Acts 2 tells us the number saved at Pentecost - 3,000! Because 3,000 is better than 300. In the next chapter Peter preached again and 5,000 were saved. And that is better than 3,000!
The other extreme says that numbers are everything. They are not. Big numbers don't necessarily indicate the presence of God. It matters not if thousands are present if God is absent! A big number COULD mean God is blessing, but doesn't NECESSARILY mean God is blessing.
ill.--the pastor of the largest church in America doesn't stand for much of anything. When asked if those who deny Christ will be in heaven he answered "That's not for me to judge." You don't have to be judgmental to just state what the Bible says! There are sometimes 70,000 gathered in his church but if God is not one of them it's all in vain.
• The importance of names.
There's many names in this chapter. And to God you're more than a number, you're a name!
John 10:27
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
God knows your name!
ill.--Ever got a letter in the mail that says something like: Dear customer number 92304, We are personally interested in you.
ill.--a little girl named Edith came home from s.s. so excited and said momma, Jesus knows my name! Her mom asked her how she knew that. "Because the Bible says, Jesus receiveth sinners and Edith [eateth] with them!"
In Revelation the antichrist will give everyone a number revolving around his number 666. If you reject Jesus Christ you'll be just a number, but to Jesus you are a name!
Isaiah 49:16
16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands...
When we get saved we are so important to God He actually writes our name...in the Lamb's Book of Life!
One day the disciples came to Jesus rejoicing because they could cast out demons...
Luke 10:20
20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
Revelation 20:15
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Jesus knows your name. But did He write it in His book? If not yet, He will today. And no wonder the people rejoice, because their names are written down in heaven! No wonder they rejoice, when He guards their hearts by His power, thru His praise, in accordance with His principles! And no wonder they wanted to give.
Give Jesus your heart, your life, your all!
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