This is a reworked version of Johnny Chase: Rebuilding the Walls.
The original is great, but I needed more length and a more direct application.
Thanks, Johnny for the inspiration.
Rebuilding the Walls (Extended edition)
Nehemiah 1:1-6:15
Summary: Working together to build the Kingdom of God
Let me share the story with you. In Duet 12:5 Moses told the Israelites:
“5 But you are to seek the place the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. …” (Deuteronomy 12:5)
Later, it was revealed that this place was Jerusalem. When Solomon built the temple, Jerusalem was at the height of its glory. Its fame was known, and God’s name was spread through out the nations. However God allowed Jerusalem to be destroyed because the Israelites were unfaithful to God. Now Jerusalem lay in ruins. The once thriving city was in shambles. The walls of the city were torn down. And that is where Nehemiah steps in.
“1 The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah:
In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.
3 They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”
4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. 5 Then I said:
“Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. 7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.
8 “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, 9 but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’
10 “They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. 11 Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”
I was cupbearer to the king.” (Nehemiah 1)
Nehemiah was the cupbearer for Artaxerxes, the powerful King of Persia. The cupbearer was one of the most important assignments in the ancient world. I’ll tell you a little more about the responsibilities of a cup bearer a little later. Nehemiah was devastated when he heard the wall of Jerusalem was broken down and burned. He wept and mourned for Jerusalem. Something happened inside of him, he knew something had to be done. He knew that it was not God’s ultimate plan that Jerusalem be in ruins.
So, he got permission from Araxerxes to rebuild the walls of the devastated city. It was no small task. Nehemiah could not have done this himself and he didn’t attempt to. He rallied people from all walks of life and led them in accomplishing something great. The Bible tells us he gathered together, goldsmiths, perfume makers, rulers, priests, merchants; I believe all ages both male and female were doing their part.
When they get to the city, the wall was divided into sections and everyone took responsibility to fix the torn down wall. There was opposition and obstacles along the way as there always are. Like every good story there were bad guys. Their names were Sanballat and Tobiah. They plotted to stop the work but Nehemiah reminded the workers do not be afraid, but to remember the Lord.
“20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!”” (Nehemiah 4:20)
So, They didn’t quit because of opposition. They worked with one hand and held a weapon in the other.
Nehemiah 6:15 tell us that the wall was done in 52 days! And then listen to what happened in verse 16.
“16 When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.” (Nehemiah 6:16)
In time, all of Jerusalem was restored. What a great, great story! Let’s examine this a little closer because there are some principles I want us to take away from this story.
1. There will always be broken down walls that need to be rebuilt.
“3 but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”” (Nehemiah 2:3)
I think if we look around us we can see broken walls.
Lives that are broken, with no hope for a better future. Lives broken by the effects of sin. Many are broken because they have been hurt by those from whom they are supposed to receive love. Hurt by parents, friends, and spouses who deserted them. Broken because of past failures. Broken because they failed to live up to the expectations of others.
Churches are broken. No longer does the whole truth of the word of God get spoken from many pulpits across America but a watered down version of a socially excepted feel good gospel. Some churches have become about entertainment, and have become nothing more than a shallow show. Some churches are broken because they refuse to change, and have become satisfied with the way things are. God called his church to grow and spread. So even a church that simply is not growing could be considered broken.
Our country and government are broken. They have gotten away from “in God we trust.” Our government and government leaders become more and more corrupt with every passing year. Decisions are made on popular opinion, rather than the Biblical Principles we were founded upon. Sure we might still have the best system around, but if it is not fighting for God, then it is broken.
How did it affect him, how does it affect us?
“4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.” (Nehemiah 1:4)
Nehemiah mourned for some days. And fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. How are we affected by the broken walls? Do we care about the broken and devastated lives around us? People who are deceived by the enemy and believe a lie. Those who don’t know what it is like to be set free from pain, addictions, heartache, un-forgiveness, sin and many other areas of brokenness. Jesus came to make them free indeed, he gave his life for them, he cares about every thing they face…but do we? If it concerns Jesus it should concern us, if it breaks his heart, it should break ours.
He not only prayed and fasted but he did something.
“4 The king said to me, “What is it you want?”
Then I prayed to the God of heaven, 5 and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.” (Nehemiah 2:4)
Some say they care… but unless we are willing to do something, I am not so sure about how much we really care. Scripture says that faith without works is dead. There are those who say I wish it was different and then there are those who make a difference. There are those who say they care and there are those who show they care. SCN must exist to touch the lives of those who are broken. We must care enough to not only pray but to also do something.
2. God placed Nehemiah in a position to do something.
“11 …I was cupbearer to the king.” (Nehemiah 1:11)
God often places people in strategic positions in order to accomplish his purposes.
The cupbearer would taste the ruler’s food in order to see if it was safe and to be sure it wasn’t poisoned. Political assassinations were very common, and the job of the cupbearer was an enormous responsibility. Cup bearer’s often became trusted confidants to the rulers they served. As a believer your steps are ordered by the lord. You are not where you are by accident. Your life has a divine purpose, and it’s time to do what you are called to do. What position and responsibility do you hold that might be useful to what God is doing in our church, in our city and in our world?
God has placed our church in Strafford for a reason. We have an enormous responsibility. The broken lives we must touch are more than stone and mortar, they are real people with real needs for which our real savior died. Lives are at stake, eternity is on the line for many. We must act! We must pick up the sword or the shovel or whatever is necessary to rebuild this city for the kingdom of God.
3. Nehemiah was only part of God’s plan.
“3 Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set its doors in place, building as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and as far as the Tower of Hananel. 2 The men of Jericho built the adjoining section, and Zakkur son of Imri built next to them.
3 The Fish Gate was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid its beams and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. 4 Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired the next section. Next to him Meshullam son of Berekiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs, and next to him Zadok son of Baana also made repairs. 5 The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors….” (Nehemiah 3:1-6…)
That goes on for 33 verses.
God not only used Nehemiah but several average, ordinary, everyday people to work together in unity with a common goal. It’s amazing what can be accomplished when God’s people work together. In our current world we see many places that the work force is divided between management and workers. One problem with doing it this way is that it creates an, us verses them mentality. History shows that the greatest achievements of humanity have been accomplished by teams and communities working together to accomplish a common goal. Nehemiah understood the power of community. And we must too.
Everyone did their part… If you skim through chapter 3 look and see how many times you see the words “next to”. When we work for God we do it along side of one another with the same goals, and purpose. It’s powerful when you think of what “next to” really means. Goldsmiths, perfume makers, rulers, priests, and merchants. It even says one guy had his daughters out there working with them. I believe all ages both male and female were doing their part. Everyone is as valuable as everyone else. Women are as valuable as men, teen agers are as valuable as adults, no matter your race, history, handicap or family, every person is as valuable as the next in the kingdom of God.
What a great story. What great principles. As I read the story of Nehemiah, I can’t help but imagining myself out there building the wall and fending off would be attackers. It reads like a great action movie that has you on the edge of you seat waiting to see the climax and closing victory. But the challenge is allowing and even insisting that it be more than a story, more than a movie, that somehow it becomes reality today. And that requires us to apply these three principles to our lives, our church, and our city.
Now, as I worked and prayed through this I realized something, those three principles are really in the reverse order of how we should process them, because if we start by identifying what is broken around us, we will inevitably find ourselves in the wrong position to solve the problem or convince ourselves that someone else can do it better and thus taking the burden out of our hands. This is wrong and if the Israelites of Nehemiah’s day had done this, the wall would never been finished.
Instead we must start at the end and work our way backward.
3. Nehemiah was only part of God’s plan.
Applied to my life and yours, this means that nearly all of us are called to be a part of fixing what is broken in our lives, this church and this city. It does not matter how incapable you feel or think you are, if God has you as part of His plan, He will help you accomplish His goals. So right up front, we have to answer this question: Will you allow God to use you? Are you committed to the cause? No, I can’t tell you what you will be doing, I just need to know are you willing to do it to the best of His ability?
2. God placed Nehemiah in a position to do something.
Nehemiah was a cupbearer, I’m a husband, a father, and a pastor. What are you? What position are you in? And now for the bigger question, what can you do with that position? Nehemiah had the ear of the king. Whose ear do you have? Nehemiah used his position to get permission, protection, and supplies for the rebuilding of the wall. What can you get? Nehemiah had to pray for courage and boldly lay it all on the line before a pagan king. You may have to do the same, but the question remains: Will you use your position to fix the problem?
And finally, after we have committed to being used by God, after we have decided to use our position for God’s task, then we are ready for the first principle.
1. There will always be broken down walls that need to be rebuilt.
With committed hearts and hands, we are able to inspect the broken walls.
“11 I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days 12 I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.
13 By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. 14 Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; 15 so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. 16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work.
17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” 18 I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me.
They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.” (Nehemiah 2:11-17)
Spotting broken walls is easy no matter if it’s a broken life, a broken church, or a broken government. And honestly the solutions are about as easy to discover. And since we have already committed ourselves and our resources all that is left is to begin this good work.
Let me give you one last illustration in the form of something both of my boys have done. When it is time to eat we call the boys to the table. With a fair amount of climbing around they usually end up sitting in the chair pushed back from a the table a bit. To solve this problem both of them, independent of the the other, has said to us. “Could someone scoot me in.” To which we reply, “if someone come by we will ask them. Would you like to ask mom or dad for help?”
I guess there are some things we never grow out of because as an adult I have said myself and heard other adults say that very same thing when we see a broken wall. Could someone fix this wall? Church you are the called people of God. When you see a broken wall, don’t ask someone else to fix it, just assess the problem and start your good work. I believe you will find that the rest of God’s people are ready to back you up. I know I will, so let’s go rebuild some broken things together.
