Achin’ Backs & Dirty Hands
I. Introduction
A. Background to the text is Neh. 1-2.
1. Nehemiah gets disturbing news about the condition of Jerusalem.
a.It had lain in ruins for almost a century and a half.
b.He had passion for the Lord! Neh. 1: 4
2. He requested that the King let him go back and the king also sent letters for safe passage and money for purchasing goods needed to restore Jerusalem. Sidebar - He prayed in front of the king before he made his request known. (Neh. 2: 4)
B. Nehemiah sneaks out at night and assesses the damage. Chapt. 3
1. He devises a plan based on his (and God’s) recon. He didn’t allow
himself to be influenced by any native negatism!
2. It is carried out by the remnants left in a 10-50 mi. radius.
a.Jericho was approx. 25-30 mi. away
b.Tekoa was approx. 12 mi. away
c.Zanoah was approx. 50-60 mi. away
d.Gibeon & Mizpah was approx. 20-25 mi. away
e.Beth-haccerem was approx. 30-35 mi. away
f.Keilah was approx. 25-30 mi.away
3. Here we see how they worked together in unison and in tandem. It’s beautiful to see a plan come together.
a.This passage might rival some in Numbers if we didn’t look closer to find the diamond hidden in the rough.
b.Psa. 133: 1
C. The king’s loyalists (on all sides) scorned them. Neh. 4: 7-8
1. Sanballat the Horonite Approx. 10 mi. NW of Jerusalem
2. Tobiah the Ammonite, probably a problem for those from Jericho.
3. Geshem the Arabian supposedly an Edomite. Hebron area would be the closest to Jerusalem. Approx. 50-60 mi.
II. Body
A. Neh. 3: 5 Communities assisted but not all in the communities helped.
1. It’s said that Ezra rebuilt the religious Jerusalem and Nehemiah rebuilt the physical
Jerusalem.
2. Why? There were plenty other people who had status.
High Priests – Rulers – Pharmacist – Jewelers – Perfume Makers
3. Just a thought: Tekoa seems to be a farming/rural community. Amos was from there; he was a shepherd and a fig seller.
a.Since shepherds were not regarded as “noble” people I wonder if those who were not shepherds felt they might be better.
b. Were they more concerned about keeping things their “status quo” with Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem?
1.Maintaining status quo never allows us to grow or experience grander things.
2.Tekoa (as it was) was nothing compared to the rebuilt Jerusalem but sometime humans are content to be tall hogs at a little bitty troughs.
B. Why would God put emphasis on those who did nothing and allow the real workers to remain anonymous?
1. Rom. 15: 4
2. God has promised that the real workers will be rewarded in due time, not that we will earn it, but that we love God and want to do His will. God knows that He (God) is faithful and He expects us
to have faith in His faithfulness.
C. Application: We should build up the church today by dedicating ourselves to restoring the wayward and bringing in the lost to Jesus.
1. God has management in place today comparable to Neh. and others.
a.Elders, Deacons, etc.
b.The wayward are the ‘fallen” Jerusalem that can be restored.
c.Jo. 13: 12-16
2. Self proclaimed Nobles
a.Many become satisfied with…
1.Who they are
a.What they think they know
b.What they give
c.What others think of them
2.Legends in their own minds!
b.We can be noble workers/followers.
3. Many desire a title rather than an office, which is the scriptural reason. I Tim. 3: 1 (office = WORK
D. God loves aching backs and dirty hands.
1. Brains alone will not get us into heaven.
a.II Tim. 3: 7 – expound on biblical head knowledge being worthless without application. II Tim. 2: 15 says, “Study to show thyself approved…” not to show thyself as the silly women in II Tim. 3: 6-7!
b.Prov. 16: 25
2. Jesus, Paul & James hold the recipe for an aching back!
a.Jesus
1. Lk. 9: 23 – take up our crosses daily & follow Him
2. Mt. 25: 31-36 – read what separates the sheep & goats
b.Paul
1. Rom. 12: 5&16 – rejoice & weep with & condescend to others
2. I Cor. 9: 22 – be all things to all men
3. Gal. 6: 1-2 – bear one another’s burdens
c.James
1. Jas. 1: 27 – visit the orphans and widows
2. Jas. 2: 16 – providing not wishing (don’t pray for some good that you are capable of doing, JUST DO IT!)
d. Personal reference - Being a contractor by trade, I’ve learned(the hard way) sometime you have to put down the telephone and the calculator and pick up your chin and your hammer.
III.Concluson
A. God loves anonymity because He gets the glory now and He gets to reward us eternally.
1. Mt. 6: 1-6
2. There is something special about a leader that can get lost in the
workers.
3. The world entices us to draw attention to ourselves. He who tooteth not his own horn, getteth not his own horn tooted.
B. What is keeping us from getting our hands dirty?
1. Do we feel we’ve put in our time at the lower levels and deserve a higher place/status and less work? Remember Jo. 13: 12-16!
a.Jesus went to the cemetery and called Lazarus (who was “stinking” dead) out.
b.Jesus healed the sick when He could have left it to the apostles.
c.He also cleansed the temple!
d.Being an elder, deacon, teacher, etc. does not excuse us from DOING the Lord’s work. (Jas. 3: 1- practice what you preach! Is at, worst an indirect application of this verse.)
2. Arrogance/appearance to the outside world
a.No such thing as a closet Christian.
b.Friendship of the world is enmity to God. Jas. 4: 4 - In this case, one cares more about what the world thinks of him than he does what God thinks of him. (This would also apply to worldly “Christians” who form their cliques and hinder the work of the kingdom in specific places, by sowing discord.)
1.Paul condemned Peter in Gal. 1: 11-13
2.Elitist in Jesus’ day.
a.Converted Pharisees retained their arrogance. Acts 15
b.The Apostles were not immuned. Mk. 9:38
c.Pride is a very dangerous thing to hang on to.
·It is very humbling to realize that Jerusalem was rebuilt in just 52 days WITHOUT the Tekoite nobles. Neh. 6: 15
·The Lord’s work will go on (and thrive) with or without us. Jesus said, “… the gates of Hell will not prevail against it.
3. If we were Tekoites, would we be workers or nobles?
a.Would our backs ache and our hands need washing?
b.Would we have clean hands, no pains, and an insatiable urge to tell the workers how we’ve already done our part?
c.Jerusalem was always Jerusalem but its condition changed as its earlier inhabitants became as the nobles in the text. If our congregation were Jerusalem which one would it be? The vibrant restored or the one still in ruins? It’s our choice!d.How ought we to face God? With achin’ backs & dirty hands!