Firm and Flexible

Stiff and nimble. Rigid and agile. Firm and flexible. At first glance, you might think that one of these things is not like the other. How can something or somebody be both steel strong but supple at the same time? I’m so glad you asked. When God gives a great leader a crystal clear vision of what must be done, they will have a laser lock on what must be done but are willing to constantly readjust their methods to accomplish the mission. Take our man Nehemiah for example. In Nehemiah 4:15-20, he demonstrates that he’s both single-minded on his mission but constantly creative with his methods. God has given him a clear vision for what must be done. But he is always looking for new ways to get there. Knowing that God has your back gives you that confidence to be both firm and flexible. 

Just a few months ago, Nehemiah was pulling his regular shift as the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes. He was just another exiled Jewish slave serving on the staff of a pagan king. That all changed when his brother dropped by the palace in Susa with an update on the crisis in Jerusalem. “It’s bad, bro. VERY bad.” (Okay, that’s not exactly the word-for-word translation of the original Hebrew, but it drives home the idea.) The city walls are in ruins. The people are in danger. Once the proud city of God, Jerusalem has become a joke. This breaking news about the broken walls breaks Nehemiah’s heart. Let’s be clear. Nehemiah’s brother may have told him the bad news but God is the one who gives him the vision for what must be done. And if that’s not enough, God orchestrates events so that Artaxerxes not only asks what’s bothering his wine steward but agrees to bankroll the entire project. 

Fast forward a few months. Nehemiah’s in Jerusalem and it didn’t take long for the enemies to begin causing trouble. Sanballat and his gang of thugs immediately roll up their evil sleeves and do whatever they can to stop the wall project. But each time they conspire and threaten, Nehemiah takes their threats right to the One who gave him the mission in the first place. At one point, it probably begins feeling a bit like the movie “Groundhog Day.” The Jewish people make progress. Sanballat bullies them. Nehemiah prays. God comes through. The people go back to work. It’s deja vu all over again.

We’ve just completed the same cycle once again. “When our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had frustrated their plan, we all returned to the wall, each to his work” (v15). Nehemiah and the people of Jerusalem get wind of Sanballat’s terrorist threat, God comes to the rescue, and the construction crew clocks back into work. The LORD personally gets involved to foil their plot. The author uses the Hebrew verb parar, which means to disappoint or invalidate but also carries the idea of dividing, cracking, shattering, or breaking into bits. In the book of Job we read how God “frustrates (Heb. parar) the devices of the crafty” (Job 5:12). Here’s the deal. You’re not going to outfox God. Satan and his demonic conspiracy tried it and God gave them the heavenly heave ho (Is 14:12-15). What thinks you’ve got the brains and juice to pull one over our all-knowing and all-powerful God? It won’t end well. Just ask Sanballat and the boys. Once God thwarts the latest threat, “we all returned to the wall, each to his work” (v15). Since God is at work, the people get back to work. Yahweh is always at work whether we see it or not.

The people are back on the job, but something is different. Something has changed. Nehemiah has reassessed the situation and reassigned the work schedule. He’s drastically modified the plan after this latest threat of terrorism. With the city on red alert, Nehemiah cuts the workforce in half. Fifty percent of the crew still works on the wall. The other fifty percent now works security. “From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail” (v16). Nehemiah divides the people working for him into two groups. One half puts on their hard hats and swings a hammer. The other half straps on body armor and is locked and loaded to stand guard. Knowing that half of the people are on the lookout for trouble allows the other half to concentrate on the work. And the Hebrew work crew is packing. “Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the works with one hand and held his weapon with the other. And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built” (v17-18).

Nehemiah’s mission is still the same. Rebuild the wall. But he modifies his methods by providing protection in light of terrorism. He’s firm and flexible. Unflinching from his God-given assignment. Ready and willing to adjust on the fly when circumstances warrant. Good leaders keep their eyes open for changes in the situation. Stay absolutely firm to the vision God has given you, but write your methods in pencil. Be firm. Be flexible. The ultimate mission never changes. Keep the main thing the main thing. But you constantly modify your methods. How you get there is constantly tweaked and adjusted. You must be firm and flexible when you know God has not only given you a mission but also has your back.

Slashing the workforce in half has a significant impact. With half of the crew working and the other half guarding, the people are spread thin along the project. Nehemiah takes one look at the impact of this reorganization and realizes the impact on the operation. “The work is great and widely spread, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another” (v19). He’s going to need to set up a simple but effective alarm system that allows the people to respond if and when the enemy attacks. Here’s how that works. “The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me…In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there” (v18, 20). The trumpet player is actually carrying a ram’s horn called a shofar. I wonder if he needs a shofar’s license (sorry, but it was just sitting right there). Nehemiah tells his horn player to stick to him like glue. “In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there” (v20). When you hear the alarm, follow the sound bugle and be ready to fight. He’s firm enough to continue to not lose sight of his mission. But he’s flexible enough to modify his methods to get it done.

Nehemiah reminds the people that they have the ultimate ace in the hole when they’re attacked. “Our God will fight for us” (v20). It’s important to be locked and loaded for anything Sanballat and his thugs throw at them, but in the end God is right there with them. Once again, Nehemiah pulls a page out of Moses’ playbook. If you want to be a great leader, follow the example of great leaders. While the Mighty Mo certainly had his issues, God used him to do some crazy things. When Pharaoh’s army was drawing a bead on the Israelites on the beach of the Red Sea, Moses shouts, “The LORD will fight for you” (Ex 14:14). When the people slam on the breaks and fail to roll into the Promised Land, Mo encourages them, “The LORD your God who goes before you will Himself fight for you” (Dt 1:30). In one his final speeches before God’s people, Moses reminds Hebrews there’s absolutely no reason to freak out because the most powerful force has their backs. “For the LORD your God is He who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory” (Dt 20:4). The LORD frustrated Sanballat’s scheme and He’ll fight for His people. While He graciously invites us to be part of His work, God is ultimately responsible.

Because he knows this is a stone cold, lead pipe lock, Nehemiah is firm in his God given mission. But he’s wise enough to be flexible in his methods. What has the Lord laid on your heart? Has Jesus given you a burden for something that must be changed? Has He given you a specific passion? Has He given you a specific purpose? Has He jumped all over you about some issue or a particular people and refused to let you go? It could be anything. Feeding the homeless. Tutoring kids. Adoption. Taking His Good News to the people of another country. Medical missions. If so, put a headlock on it and hang on tight. But be ready and willing to change how you do it. Be agile in how you go about it. Be absolutely sure that if you’re about to become effective for God’s kingdom, the enemy will do what he can to get in your way.

Take it from Nehemiah. Be firm in your mission. Be flexible in your methods.

The Hole in the Wall Gang

Long before Hollywood glamorized their story, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid led a bunch of bandits that robbed banks and trains in the late 19th century. They were incredibly hard to capture because of their hiding place. They holed up at a remote place in Wyoming that gave the crooks their name. The Hole in the Wall Gang. But flip open your Bible to Nehemiah 4:10-14 and you’ll meet a biblical bunch you could call the Hole in the Wall Gang. No, they weren’t bank-robbing criminals but wall-building Israelites. When terrorists threaten to attack, Nehemiah does two things. He places armed men along the most vulnerable spots along the wall. And he tells the folks not to freak out. Their great and awesome God is on their side. God is the ultimate Ace in the hole for the Hole in the Wall Gang.

In Nehemiah 4:7-9, we read about how Sanballat and his goons blow their stack when the Hebrew work crews make incredible progress on the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. As the leader of the project, Nehemiah does what Nehemiah does. He prays and he takes action. He turns his trust to the One who has a kung fu grip on this particular project and this particular people (Neh 2:8, 18). But his prayer doesn’t result in paralysis but action. He places “a guard as protection against them day and night” (Neh 4:9). Here in verses 10-14, he explains in more detail what that looks like. There are many times when our prayers must be combined with prudent action. Prayer plus action is prayer in action! When your back’s against the wall and even your wall has holes, remember God has your back!

Despite making incredible process in a short amount of time, the massive Hebrew work crew is running on fumes. The walls are halfway up but their tank is on E. “The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble. By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall” (v10). Too little strength. Too much debris. In case you’ve forgotten, the whole reason the walls need to be rebuilt is because King Nebuchadnezzar knocked them down a century ago. So there’s rubble. Lots and lots of rubble. And very little energy. On any big project, discouragement lurks around every corner. All it takes is for momentum to slip and suddenly you realize just how tired you are and how much more work needs to be done.

The structure of the original Hebrew text here leads some folks to believe this is actually a song or poem. The translators of the CEV and GNT think this was a tune workers sang on the job site. You can imagine how these lyrics affected their attitude! How many times have you and I been there. When we’re exhausted, we take our eyes off God and focus on our problems. There’s no way I can do this. We forget that it this isn’t about our strength but His. Instead of singing the blues over what we can’t do, we should belt out a tune like we find in Psalm 46. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Ps 46:1). Remember that Jesus has does crazy things when the task at hand dwarfs the resources in our hands. Do I need to remind you about the day He turned a little kid’s Lunchable in an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet (Jn 6:5-13)? When there’s too little strength and too much to do, that’s when God is at His supernatural best.

One big reason that people began to doubt was the threat of terrorist attack. “And our enemies said, ‘They will not know or see till we come among them and kill them and stop the work’” (v11).Sanballat and his co-conspirators plan a series of terrorist attacks against the people building the wall. They plot to attack out of nowhere. The Jews won’t know what hit them. The threat of a sneak attack steal our focus off the goal. We start looking over our shoulders. What was that? Did you see something? Threats like these demoralize and distract. Because Nehemiah has the full support of King Artaxerxes, Sanballat and his thugs can’t openly attack. Their plan can’t be overt, but covert. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t ready and eager to spill Jewish blood to slam the brakes on the project. The enemy will often use fear and intimidation was a huge part of their strategy.

The threat of terrorism races throughout the entire metro Jerusalem area. People in Judah are living in fear. “At that time the Jews who lived near them came from all directions and said to us ten times, ‘You must return to us’” (v12). With the walls under construction and the city still vulnerable, many people are living in the ‘burbs. And there’s a significant number who don’t live in Jerusalem who have strapped on a tool belt and gone to work on the wall (Neh 3:5, 7, 13, 27). And much of the doubt comes from people who don’t even live in the city. Once the fear of Sanballat’s threat leaks throughout the land, people freak out. They plead with for their friends and family to come home immediately! It’s too dangerous! Don’t leave us hanging! Don’t leave our cheese in the wind! And they did this not once, not twice, but over and over and over again. Ten. Times. Fear does that to us. It makes us selfish and self-centered. God calls us to look out for each other in community with a heart of self-sacrifice.

That’s when Nehemiah gets to work. It’s easy to lead when everything is going well. When your back’s against the wall and your wall has holes, that’s when leadership not only hard but necessary. He takes practical steps that demonstrate his faith in God. The former royal wine steward starts placing armed guards at strategic points along the wall. “So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people by their clans, with their swords, their spears, and their bows” (v13). He has a strategic vision for where the people are the most vulnerable. We’re only as strong as our weakest link. Jesus’ church is a team. Jesus’ church is a body. Jesus’ church is a family. We need to look out for each other. Nehemiah assigns people to be defend the areas near the ones they love. And he assigns people to use the weapons they are familiar with and keep them close.

Nehemiah doesn’t just hand out assignments for guard duty. He reminds the freaked out folks that God is on their side. Their backs may be against the wall. Their wall may have holes. But our great and awesome God has our backs! “And I looked and arose and said to the nobles, and to the officials and to the rest of the people, ‘Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes’” (v14). It looks like Nehemiah pulls his plan straight out of Moses’ playbook. Moses pleaded with the Israelites to remember that the enemy is nothing compared God. “Do not fear the people of the land…the LORD is with us; do not fear them” (Num 14:9). When the Hebrew people freak out after receiving the intel on the size of the residents living in the Promised Land, the Big Mo encouraged them, “Do not be in dread or afraid of them. The LORD your God who goes before you will Himself fight for you” (Dt 1:29-30).

The crew began to focus on themselves and lost sight that God is the one who’s ultimately behind this project. What a great lesson of the leadership principle that vision leaks. Leaders must constantly remind the people they serve of the big picture. Stephen Covey says, “You have to keep the main thing, the main thing.” Your back may be against the wall but remember Who has your back! The Message paraphrases Nehemiah's’ command, “Put your minds on the Master” (v14 The Message). Remember who you worship. Remember who’s on your side. The LORD is “great and awesome” (v14). Our God is bigger and badder than anything our enemy can throw at us! gain Nehemiah follows the leadership principles of Moses. After getting a fresh copy of the Ten Commandments, he reminds God’s people just who they worship. “For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe” (Dt 10:17). Compared to God, these knuckleheads are nothing. 

This is a great picture of how Jesus takes on the problem of our own sin. We’re faced with an impossible task. There’s absolutely no way we could ever work our way to save ourselves. There’s way too much rubble. There’s way too little strength. But Jesus does for us what we could never dream of doing for ourselves. God is on our side. The Apostle Paul wrote to his Roman friends, “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not give us all things?” (Rom 8:31-32). When our backs were against the wall of our sin, Jesus had our backs. 

For Jerusalem’s Hole in the Wall Gang, God was their ultimate Ace in the hole.

Groundhog Day

Do you ever feel like your life is the movie “Groundhog Day”? Do you feel like that what you’re facing today is the same stuff you dealt with yesterday? Last week? Last month? Well, I have a sneaking suspicion that Nehemiah’s feeling more than a little like Bill Murray’s character from the movie. I’m not sure if his alarm clock is playing Sonny and Cher, but each day he wakes up he’s facing the same old situation. For the fourth time in just a short period of time, he has to deal with a gang of thugs who are trying to bully God’s people to not rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. In a show of humility, Nehemiah responds with trust and dependance in prayer to God. He then backs up that faith with plan of action. What a great reminder that prayer plus action is prayer in action.

So just how did Nehemiah end up in this repetitive cycle like Murray’s Phil Connors? Well, the scene is Jerusalem. This once spectacular city of God looks more like Beirut, Detroit, or Sarajevo. At one time, dazzling, now destroyed by war. Massive city walls used to protect the citizens from attack but they collapsed under the Babylonian blitzkrieg of Nebuchadnezzar. The pagan king hauled trashed the town and hauled most of the people back to Babylon as slaves. But after 70 years, God orchestrates the return of His people through a succession of Persian dictators. Not too long ago, the man the LORD sent to rebuild the city walls was working as a lowly wine steward to King Artaxerxes (Neh 1:1, 11). God miraculously choreographs the situation so that he’s not only heading up the reconstruction but also has the king’s full resources to do it (Neh 2:1-7). Nehemiah tells everyone who will listen that the only way this is happening is because God has a firm grip on what’s going down (Neh 2:8, 11, 18, 20).

Fast forward a few months and the mammoth rebuilding project is well underway. Just about everybody has grabbed a hard hat and swinging a hammer (Neh 3:1-32). Before you know it, they’ve reconstructed the walls to half of their original height (Neh 4:6). That’s good news to the Israelites but bad news for their enemies. A team of bullies has joined forces to intimidate the Jews and shut their project down. And it’s not the first time. Sanballat and his toadies repeatedly try to terrorize God’s people (Neh 2:10, 19; 4:1). Here we go again. It’s “Groundhog Day” in Jerusalem.

Once again, the bad guys freak out when they get word of the progress of the project. “But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and that the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were very angry” (v7). A closer look at the roster of the opposition tells us that it’s growing. Let’s go down their starting lineup for a closer look. Well, leading off is Sanballat. This native of the village of Horonaim in Moab is clearly the leader and evil genius behind the opposition. Batting second is Tobiah, another local ruler who’s consistently a royal pain in the Hebrew backside. Next we see the Arabs. Their leader Geshem has already made his presence known (Neh 2:19). Hitting cleanup are the Ammonites. This is Tobiah’s gang that he’s brought to provide muscle. 

Now we see the newest members of their team, “the Ashdodites” (v7). These are residents of a once proud Philistine city (Josh 13:3). You may remember Ashdod from the “Ark Incident.” After the Philistines stoke the Ark of the Covenant from the Israelites, the put it in Ashdod. It wasn’t long before their idol to Dagon was destroyed and the Ashdodites were growing tumors (1Sam 5:1-8). So you can imagine that folks in Ashdod have a significant axe to grind with the Jews and their God. The list of enemies also tips us off that the city is now surrounded. There’s Sanballat to the north. Tobiah and his Ammonites to the east. Geshem with the Arabs to the south. The Ashdodites to the east. Yeah, those walls are going to come in VERY handy. 

When Sanballat and his posse get a status report on what’s happening in Jerusalem, the get “very angry” (v7). This is the Hebrew term charah, which actually means to burn, kindle, be incensed. The enemy is hot when they hear the news! The latest news stokes the fires of their hatred of the Hebrews. They are totally hot and bothered when the walls hit the halfway point.  Again, this is nothing new. We’ve seen it before. Earlier, Sanballat grew “angry (Heb. charah) and greatly enraged” when somebody told him about Nehemiah’s wall project (Neh 4:1). We also see the author use this very same verb when Nehemiah finds out the Jewish people are acting like loan sharks against their friends and neighbors. He loses his cool and “was very angry (Heb. charah)” (Neh 5:6). You can almost see the steam coming out of the ears of Sanballat and the boys at the latest news.

It’s at this point that enemy makes the decision to amp up their tactics. “And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it” (v8). They come up with a three-point plan. Plot, fight, confuse. Since this will be a clear violation of King Artaxerxes’ authorization of the project, they can’t use overt military force. So they put their evil heads together and come up with a plan. Their conspiracy cooks up a plot to terrorize and confuse the Israelites. It’s almost like they lifted their plot from the lyrics of one of Asaph’s hit songs. “They lay crafty plans against Your people; they consult together against Your treasured ones. They say, ‘Come, let us wipe them out as a nation; let the name of Israel be remembered no more!’ For they conspire with one accord; against You they make a covenant” (Ps 83:3-5). So Sanballat and his cronies are not just enemies of Jews but their God as well. Let’s just say that things NEVER go well when you poke your finger in the chest of the Sovereign God of the universe. Give it a try. See how it goes.

If you’ve been following along with Nehemiah’s story, his response will come as no shock. “And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night” (v9). He prays. He acts. Just as we see Sanballat and his thugs consistently intimidate God’s people, we see Nehemiah consistently call on the LORD in prayer. He prays when he gets the heartbreaking news from his brother about the crisis in Jerusalem (Neh 1:4-11). He prays when God gives him a divine appointment with King Artaxerxes (Neh 2:4). He thanks God for giving him the passion to rebuild the walls when he faces Sanballat’s opposition for the first time (Neh 2:12). He trusts the LORD when Sanballat’s gang talks trash about the project a second time (Neh 2:20). He prays the third time their enemies taunt and laugh at them (Neh 4:4). 

While Nehemiah is a man of prayer, he gets up off his knees and does something. He “sets a guard as protection against them day and night” (v9). Nehemiah establishes a schedule of overnight security. This apparently was not in place before. This comes as the direct result of prayer. You see, Nehemiah is someone who prays and then takes action. Once again, his prayer is followed by an act of faith. What he does is the direct result of the One he trusts.  Nehemiah humbly responds with a practical demonstration of faith in God as the result of his prayer. He then backs up that faith with plan of action. When faced with the same attack over and over again, Nehemiah prays to the LORD over and over again. It’s Groundhog Day in Jerusalem. Nehemiah knows that God is more than able to handle the same old, same old from the enemy.

Prayer plus action is prayer in action.

Whoa! Halfway There!!

“Whoa! Halfway there!!” 

About 2,500 years before Bon Jovi and the boys sang about Tommy busting his butt on the docks, Nehemiah and the Israelites hit the halfway point rebuilding the walls. Despite the cat calls and smack talk from knuckleheads like Sanballat and Tobiah, the work goes on and the walls go up. But this is so much more than sheer determination in the face of opposition. The perseverance of the people is an answer to prayer. Nehemiah steps up in leadership when he drops to his knees and prays to God about the situation. The LORD responds to Nehemiah’s prayer by putting the Hebrews to work. And before you know it, they’ve hit the midway point of the project. 

“Whoa! Halfway there!! Whoa! An answer to the prayer!!”

Let’s rewind just a bit and see how we got here. The glory of Jerusalem seems like a distant memory. Under the leadership of the wisest man in the world, King Solomon, this city was once one of THE destinations in the ancient Near East. But the disobedience and rebellion of God’s chosen people against His goodness eventually led the LORD to send Nebuchadnezzar to sack the city and drag the Jews back to Babylon into captivity. For 70 years, the Hebrews serve as slaves almost 1,000 miles away from the Promised Land. Suddenly, God begins working through a series of pagan Persian kings to bring them back home. Yahweh enlists various men to lead a three different expeditions. First, Zerubbabel. Second, Ezra. Third, Nehemiah. 

Just a few months ago, our man Nehemiah was pulling his shift as King Artaxerxes’ cupbearer back at the winter palace in Susa (Neh 1:1, 11). His brother breaks the news to him about the broken walls of Jerusalem and it breaks his heart (Neh 1:2-3). The word of the crisis brings Nehemiah to his knees in prayer (Neh 1:4-11). Little does he know what God is about to orchestrate. Before he can pop the cork on the next bottle of Merlot for his royal highness, this humble wine steward is leading an expedition to rebuild the once proud city on a hill (Neh 2:1-8, 11). After a bit of quick midnight recon (Neh 2:12-16), Nehemiah pitches the project to the city leaders of Jerusalem and tells them that the king and God are behind the project (Neh 2:17-18). 

Before we start to think everything is rainbows and unicorns, we need to realize that this is the real world. There is opposition. There is massive pushback on the project from a group of local thugs named Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem (Neh 2:10, 19-20). But under Nehemiah’s encouragement and leadership, the people get busy. This is a total team effort (Neh 3:1-32). Sanaballat and the boys amp up their bullying tactics even more (Neh 4:1-3). Nehemiah prays even more (Neh 4:4-5). 

How does God respond to this latest prayer by the leader of the project? Does His angel army rumble over the horizon to the rescue? Do the walls miraculously build themselves overnight? Nope. Something even more unexpected happens. “So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work” (v6). Nehemiah and the Hebrew work crew buckle down and start building up. Despite the trash talk and intimidation of their enemies, the Israelites trust in God’s provision and protection on this project. As part of his prayer, Nehemiah makes the huge point that Sanballat’s thugs weren’t just a pain to the people. “They have provoked You to anger in the presence of the builders” (Neh 4:5). They were standing in blatant opposition of God. Just in case you were wondering, this is NOT a good place to be. You will lose. Every. Single. Time. Nehemiah not only leads the people in the project but in the demonstration of faith as well. He constantly reminds everyone that God has a firm grip on what’s going on (Neh 2:8, 18). So they built the wall. A God-given passion combined with a prayer-driven action is powerful combo.

At this point, we get a status report on the project. “And all the wall was joined together to half its height” (v6). Back in chapter 3, Nehemiah walked us around the job site to show how everybody is working at the same time. The stones are connecting. The holes are closing. The people are working. This is all hands on deck. In some ways, this is a picture of how things should work in the local church. Everybody needs to be a part. Just as the wall has joined together, the body of Christ should join together. We all need to get off our blessed assurance and serve. It’s not what Jesus from you. It’s what He wants FOR you. There is a huge blessing when we serve together. There is a huge blessing when we build the walls.

And the people are making incredible progress. Before you know it, the city wall rises “to half its height” (v6). While the author doesn’t pull out his tape measure and tell us just how high this is, archaeologist Sir Charles Warren has found evidence that the ancient walls of Jerusalem during the days of Nehemiah were about 200 feet tall. That certainly is awesome headway, but they are far from finished. The city is still vulnerable and still in danger. Remember, it wasn’t that long ago that the walls at full height failed to keep out the Babylonian army. But HUGE progress has been made due to God’s hand, the people’s faith, and Nehemiah’s leadership. They’re halfway there. Cue Bon Jovi.

Nehemiah not only gives us a status report on the walls, but the people as well. “For the people had a mind to work” (v6). A closer look at the original text of this little sentence tells us a lot. He uses a Hebrew word for “work” (Heb. ‘asah) that can be translated as to do, make, produce, and maintain. It carries the powerful idea of perseverance and powering through. Again, we see God answering Nehemiah’s prayer by giving the people the passion to persevere. The LORD sustains the drive in the hearts and minds of the Israelites to keep going. He gives them the motivation to push through. To keep on keeping on. We see that in The Message’s take on verse 6. “We kept at it, repairing and rebuilding the wall” (v6 The Message).

Notice how Nehemiah takes absolutely no credit for such fast work by the people. He prays to God and celebrates the crew. The insults and intimidation of knuckleheads like Sanballat and Tobia have no effect on the Israelites. If anything, they may have worked even harder! A huge part of God’s blessing on rebuilding the walls is that He gave His people a desire and passion to do the work. They have the mind to do it. They have the mind to make it. They have the mind to keep it going. A God-given passion combined with a prayer-driven action is powerful combo. 

Cue Bon Jovi.

“Whoa! Halfway there!! Whoa! An answer to the prayer!!”

Haters Gonna Hate

Haters gonna hate. If you’ve been anywhere near pop culture for the past few years, you’ve heard the expression. This little three-word comeback reminds to ignore negative comments and simply move on. Long before it was an internet meme, you can see Nehemiah applying the underlying idea behind this phrase. In Nehemiah 4:1-5, the leader of the Jerusalem wall project hears the trash talk of his new enemies, a pair of thugs named Sanballat and Tobiah. They do everything they can to verbally intimidate Nehemiah and the Israelite construction crew. Does Nehemiah bark back? He’s already had one nose-to-nose showdown with these knuckleheads (Neh 2:19-20). When the smack makes a comeback, Nehemiah takes it right to God. You see, haters gonna hate, but prayers gonna pray.

A quick recap of what’s going on. After 70-plus years of captivity in Babylon, God’s people are headed home to the Promised Land. The LORD has moved a series of pagan kings to send the Jews back to Judah and provide government funding to the project. But the situation in Jerusalem is a disaster. The city is basically a pile of bricks. Nebuchadnezzar’s army flattened and torched Jerusalem before hauling the Hebrews off into exile. Over the past series of years, the returning Israelites rebuilt the temple and worship Yahweh once again. But the once massive city walls lie in ruins. The huge city gates are charcoal. The people are incredible vulnerable. They’re sitting ducks to attack. 

That’s where Nehemiah comes in. Just a few months ago, he was working 1,000 miles away as the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes at the palace in Susa when his brother tells him about the crisis in Jerusalem (Neh 1:1-3, 11). The breaking news about the broken walls breaks his heart. After several days of crying, fasting, and praying, Nehemiah asks the Persian king if he can take some time off and do something about it (Neh 1:4-11; 2:1-5). Artaxerxes not only approves his vacation request but gives his Jewish wine steward all of the royal paperwork to make this project happen (Neh 2:6-8). Nehemiah knows that he not only has the support of the greatest superpower on the planet but that of God Himself (Neh 2:8). Once in Jerusalem, he makes  midnight survey of the walls and pitches the project to the city leaders (Neh 2:11-18). That immediately freaks out a gang of local goons named Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem (Neh 2:19). They are leaders of the areas neighboring the city. Up till this point, the people of Jerusalem have been a pushover. An easy mark. Nehemiah knows that with God’s support, that’s about to change (Neh 2:20). The next thing you know, just about every single person grabs a hard hat and gets to work rebuilding the walls and gates (Neh 3:1-32). This is a total team effort.

The sound of hammers and chisels gets Sanballat’s attention. “Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews” (v1). This isn’t the first time that he hears and jeers (Neh 2:19) and it won’t be the last. The original language tells us that this dude is hot and bothered that the wall project is underway. He’s burning with anger. He’s incensed. You can see the steam coming out of his ears. He and his posse thought they had been able to bully the Hebrews into backing off as they have done before. Not this time. 

When Sanballat blows his stack, he immediately starts running his mouth. He starts talking all sorts of smack to everyone who will listen. “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?” (v2). I love, love, love The Message’s take on Sanballat’s rant. “What are these miserable Jews doing? Do they think they can get everything back to normal overnight? Make building stones out of make-believe” (v2 The Message). Suddenly Nehemiah is a threat. Suddenly the walls are going up. Sanballat bullies them with trash talk. At this point, his weaselly sidekick Tobiah chimes in. “Yes, what are they building—if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!” (v3). Don’t you just hate this guy? He laughs at the Jewish construction abilities. They’re such horrible stone masons that the walls will topple over when a dinky critter like a fox runs across it. They do everything they can to intimidate Nehemiah and the people. They figure all their smack will distract. Haters gonna hate.

Nehemiah has something to say. This ought to be good. Let’m have it, bro! Don’t take that garbage from those losers!! But wait a minute. He’s not talking to Sanballat and Tobiah. He’s talking to God. Haters gonna hate, but prayers gonna pray. “Hear, O God, for we are despised” (v4). Nehemiah invites the LORD to listen up to what’s being said. Let’s be clear, he knows God is listening. He knows God is paying attention. Remember, Yahweh has a firm grip on this entire project (Neh 2:8, 18). Just as God hears these goons’ trash talk, he hears the prayers of His people. Once again, we see that Nehemiah is a man of prayer. He pleads with God and confesses the sin of his own people when he hears of the awful situation in Jerusalem (Neh 1:4-11). He throws up a bullet prayer for guidance when King Artaxerxes asks him why he’s depressed (Neh 2:4). And now when Sanballat and Tobiah terrorize and torment the people, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that Nehemiah prays again. Haters gonna hate, but prayers gonna pray.

Nehemiah’s prayer might not be what you’re expecting. He doesn’t ask God to soften the hearts of his enemies. Instead, he pleads with the LORD to bring the pain. “Turn back their taunt on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives. Do not cover their guilt, and let not their sin be blotted out from your sight, for they have provoked You to anger in the presence of the builders” (v4-5). Sure sounds like this is the prayer version of “I’m rubber, you’re glue; your words bounce off me and stick to you.” Nehemiah begs God to let Sanballat and his goons experience what the Israelites have been through. Let them be robbed! Let them be hauled off as prisoners! Let’s see how they like it! 

Doesn’t really seem to be the kind of prayer that you would expect a man of God to offer, huh? This is what smart dudes at seminaries like to call an imprecatory prayer. That simply describes when you ask God to not hold back His justice and wrath on somebody who’s done you wrong. God’s songbook is loaded with imprecatory psalms (Ps 5, 10, 17, 35, 58, 59, 69, 70, 83, 109, 129, 137, 140). So what’s the deal? Sure doesn’t seem very loving, does it? The big point is that we should take all our pain, all our anger, and all our frustration to the One who can handle it. Nehemiah doesn’t freak out and fire back at these bullies. Instead he takes his hot mess of emotion and drops it right at God’s feet. Instead of taking matters into his own hands, he asks the LORD to handle it. When you’re mad, tell God. When you’re frustrated, tell God. When someone trashes you or your reputation, tell God. Let Him handle it. He’s big enough to take it. And He’s perfectly qualified to know exactly what to do. 

Haters gonna hate, but prayers gonna pray.

A Total Team Effort

If you’re a sports fan, you’ve seen teams struggle to put all the pieces together. Some teams have a high powered, high octane offense but their defense can’t stop a soul. Other squads possess a shutdown D but struggle to put anything other than goose eggs on the scoreboard. Maybe special teams are a joke. Coaches dream of those times when it all comes together. They call it a total team effort. That’s when every player is enthusiastically carrying out their specific duty and encouraging those around them. The offense is clicking. The defense is shutting them down. Special teams are flawless. In Nehemiah 3, we see a classic description of on of those amazing moments when everybody is excited, on board, and doing their job. Nehemiah oversees the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem. For the first time in a very long time, every Israelite living in Judah is pulling in their weight. This is a total team effort.

It’s 445 BC. The once proud city of Jerusalem looks like Detroit. Back in 586 BC, King Nebuchadnezzar’s army absolutely obliterates Jerusalem. They wreck the walls. They burn the gates. They steal everything out of the temple. And if that’s not bad enough, they kidnap most of the Jewish people and haul them back to Babylon to serve as slaves. All that’s left behind is a smoldering pile of bricks and the poorest of the poor. You might make the mistake that God has forgotten all about His once glorious city on a hill. Not so fast, my friend. Through a series of pagan kings, God orchestrates a series of resettlements and rebuilding projects through men like Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah. 

When Nehemiah hits town, Jerusalem is still in crisis mode. The walls that protect the city look like swiss cheese. Knowing that God has a firm grip on his mission, Nehemiah encourages the people to rebuild the walls. We know from Nehemiah 6:15 that work gets started on the Fourth of Ab (that’s right about July/August on our calendar). It will only take 52 days to take care of business. And people say there are no miracles in this book. Please. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Grab a hard hat and let’s check out the worksite. What follows in Nehemiah 3 is a detailed account of that project.

Nehemiah walks us around the wall project in a counterclockwise direction. Don’t make the mistake of thinking the people worked on walls one section at a time. Everybody is working at the same time. There’s no way they could finish in 52 days if they weren’t. Our tour begins at the Sheep Gate (v1). This is the northern wall nearest the temple. It’s probably the most vulnerable area. We see the high priest Eliashib leading a team made up of his brother priests hard at work. This is a great example of leading by example. People look to leaders like the priests to show the way. And that’s exactly what they do. They call this the Sheep Gate because this is where they bring in the sheep used in the temple sacrifice. They not only build the gate and the wall but they also consecrate it. In doing so, they recognize it’s special purpose in protecting the house of God. Yes, this is Eliashib, the grandson of Jeshua, the high priest under Zerubbabel (Neh 12:10). But something seems a little fishy about Eliashib but you can’t put your finger on it. We’ll find out just a little later that Tobiah has his hooks in Eliashib and his family (Neh 13:4, 7-8). Tobiah is one of the three thugs opposing the project (Neh 2:10, 19).

We walk out the Sheep Gate and make a left down the wall. As we go, we see that 42 specific sections and gates are mentioned in this chapter. And we’ll also see that this project is all hands on deck. Just check out all the different people on the job site. We’ve already met the high priest and his priest brothers (v1). There’s men from various neighboring towns who’ve come to work  (v2, 5, 7, 13, 16, 17). Men from various families are mentioned all throughout the chapter. Goldsmiths (v8, 31, 32). Perfumers (v8). Various big wigs and rulers (v9, 14, 16, 17, 19). Look over there, a group of ladies is hard at work (v12). Priests (v22, 28). Temple servants (v26). Local businessmen (v32). Are these men trained construction workers? Absolutely not. But this is a great example that there are going to be times we need to do things outside our training, our gifts, and our passions. I’m sure the perfumers aren’t exactly skilled at swinging a hammer. But they saw the need. And they got to work.

All sorts of folks are pulling their weight and hard at work. There’s just one exception. Apparently the rulers of the Tekoites won’t get off their blessed assurance to help. Tekoa is a city just south of Jerusalem. Nehemiah tells us that “their nobles refused to stoop to serve their Lord” (v5). The Hebrew language here could either mean that they resent Nehemiah’s leadership or that they fail to submit to God. When it comes to this project, the people properly serve God by following Nehemiah’s leadership. In this case, it’s one and the same. This is all about submitting to godly authority. Even Nehemiah is under authority. He answers to both King Artaxerxes as well as the King of Kings. We’re ALL under authority. We ALL live in submission. Unless our leaders are asking us to sin, we need to do what they tell us. Being a follower of Jesus is being a good follower of human leadership. So what’s the deal with these slacker nobles from Tekoa? There’s a chance that they some of the leaders who are on the take from that bully Tobiah (Neh 6:17-19).

Nehemiah prefers to have people would work on the wall near their own home (v10, 23, 28, 29, 30). Let’s face it, you’re clearly going to bust your butt when you know the safety of your family and property are at stake. That’s smart leadership right there. We also see dudes willing to work on more than one section. Men like Meremoth (v4, 21). And check out the Tekoites. Despite bad example of their deadbeat nobles, they happily work at a second part of the project (v5, 27). Nehemiah mentions several teams that “repaired another section” (v11, 19-21, 24, 27, 30). The only way the rebuilding of the walls and gates is going to get done is if some folks pull double duty. There are going to be times when each one of us needs to step up and do more. It’s not everyday. It’s not all the time. But keep your eyes open for opportunities to go above and beyond when it presents itself.

This is a total team effort. It’s a picture of Jesus’ church, with each one of us using the gifts and talents that His Spirit has graciously given us. Others need to step up and serve temporarily in areas that may not be in their sweet spot. The church is the Body of Christ. We serve as the hands and feet of Jesus when we’re all working together. Everybody rolling up their sleeves. Everybody doing their part. It takes a total team effort. 

Talking Back to the Smack

A lot of folks today think that talking trash is something new. They believe it just started in in the past few years. You know what I’m talking about, don’t you? A basketball player flaps his gums about how he’s going to school his opponent. A cocky football player won’t shut his yapper. I’m not saying talking smack is right, but it’s certainly nothing new. A gang of thugs starts chirping, trying to intimidate Nehemiah and the people of Jerusalem from rebuilding the city walls (Neh 2:19-20). You might not think that the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes would know how to comeback to their smack. But Nehemiah makes it clear that he knows exactly how to take out the trash.

Before we jump in to the specifics, let’s back up and see exactly what’s going down. The city of Jerusalem is basically a pile of bricks. Back in 586 BC, God sends Nebuchadnezzar’s battalions to level the city and haul the Jews back to Babylon into exile. Over the next 70 years, the LORD coordinates a series of very interesting events. First, the Persians knock the Babylonians off as the world’s superpower. God then uses a series of Persian kings to not only send His people back to the Promised Land but put the full resources of the government behind it. A series of three different resettlement and rebuilding teams make the 1,000 mile trip back to Jerusalem. Zerubbabel leads the first, Ezra the second, and Nehemiah the third. 

Nehemiah is probably the most unlikely leader of the bunch. Zerubbabel is the grandson of King Jehoiachin, the second to last ruler over the southern kingdom of Judah. Ezra is a priest, a scribe, and one of the greatest Bible teachers ever mentioned in the Old Testament. Nehemiah? Just a lowly servant at Artaxerxes’ palace (Neh 1:1). As the “cupbearer to the king” (Neh 1:11), he’s the royal wine steward. But his role is just a little different than the dude with the corkscrew at that high dollar restaurant. His job is to check for poison in the wine. You can figure that there might be some, how shall we say it, “significant turnover” in the cupbearer position when the king has lots of enemies. But his job gives Nehemiah regular access to the most powerful person on the planet. When God breaks his heart over the crisis in Jerusalem, the king’s servant sommelier leverages his position to seek Artaxerxes’ assistance to rebuild the city walls. The next thing you know, the Persian dictator gives this lowly servant everything he asks for. “And the king granted me what I asked for the good hand of God was upon me” (Neh 2:8). Maybe you think there’s no way Jesus could ever do anything through you. Remember, God has a habit of raising up leaders from the most unlikely of places. 

Once in Jerusalem, Nehemiah gets a firsthand look at the condition of the walls during a midnight ride around the city (Neh 2:11-16). It’s bad. REALLY bad. But that doesn’t stop him from sharing with the local leaders what God has laid on his heart. The king’s cupbearer reminds the city’s movers and shakers of just how awful the situation is. We can often become blind to the mess around us when we live in it everyday. He reassures them that not only has the king given them his royal blessing, but that God’s hand has a firm grip on the entire project (Neh 2:17-18). 

As the next scene opens, the music changes. Think the Imperial March from “Star Wars.” We see three bad dudes getting tipped off about what’s about to go down in Jerusalem. We see “Sanballat the Horonoite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Gesham the Arab” (v19). We’ve met the first two thugs earlier in the story (Neh 2:10). They hit the roof when they got wind of Nehemiah’s plan to help the people of Jerusalem. The best guess is that Sanballat and Tobiah rule over areas just outside the city to the north and east. We meet the third member of this unholy trinity. His name is “Geshem the Arab” (v19). He’s the newest member of the enemies’ inner circle. Geshem probably rules the area south of Jerusalem. He’s most likely from the city of Kedar in Arabia. If so, he’s a direct descendant of Ishmael, Abraham’s son by the servant girl Hagar (Gen 25:12-13). 

The gang of three is plugged into the rumor mill. They get wind of Nehemiah’s plan and “hear of it” (v19). Their sources tipped them off when this latest caravan rolled into the area (Neh 2:10). Now they hear of the plan to rebuild the walls just after Nehemiah’s meeting with city leaders. Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem clearly have sources deep inside the Jewish leadership. Later, Nehemiah will discover just how deeply their diabolical tentacles extend into the people of Jerusalem (Neh 6:12, 17-19; 13:4-8, 28).

Once Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem find out, they immediately start talking trash. “They jeered at us and despised us” (v19). They hear. They jeer. Earlier we read that the situation is so bad that Jerusalem has become a local joke (Neh 1:3; 2:17). The city that was supposed to be God’s glorious city on a hill has been reduced to a punchline. Think Newark. Think Buffalo. Think Detroit. The crazy thing is that God is behind it all. One of the psalmist writes, “You have made us the taunt of our neighbors, the derision and scorn of those around us. You have made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples” (Ps 44:13-14). This is a result of the open rebellion and sin of God’s people against His goodness and grace. The broken walls of Jerusalem provide plenty of material for local comedians. 

A big part of their smack includes the charge of sedition against the Persian Empire. “Are you rebelling against the king?” (v19). Rebellion is a REALLY big deal back in the ancient Near East. Dynasties would drop the hammer in a New York minute on any rumor of insurrection. Artaxerxes had heard this garbage before and shut down the Jerusalem project (Ez 4:12-22). It seems that Geshem is the source of the rumors of rebellion by the Israelites. We read later that Sanballat credits Geshem for telling him Nehemiah and the Jews are rebuilding the walls is in order to rebel against King Artaxerxes the Persian Empire (Neh 6:1-6).

So what does Nehemiah do? How does he respond to their trash talk? How does comeback to the smack? Does he buckle under their intimidation and bullying tactics? Not hardly. “Then I replied to them, ‘The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we His servants will arise and build’” (v20). “The God of heaven” is a name of God used a lot in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah to make the point that the LORD is the ruler over international situations. This trio of local toadies is certainly no match for the God who rules the universe from heaven. Nehemiah goes to “the God of heaven” in prayer. When King Artaxerxes asks his cupbearer what is bothering him, Nehemiah throws a quick prayer to “the God of heaven” (Neh 2:4). When challenged by these goons, he doesn’t tell them that he has the king’s support. He simply points out that God is behind the project. Nehemiah didn’t just have the king’s permission, he had God’s protection and provision. They won’t just make progress. Yahweh will make sure they prosper. 

Nehemiah then makes it clear to his enemies just exactly where they stand when it comes to what happens in the city. “You have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem” (v20). He draws a very clear and bold line between God’s people and His enemies. Once it’s obvious that Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem oppose the good of Jerusalem, Nehemiah tells them to put a sock in it. Zerubbabel and his crew had a very similar comeback when local thugs tried to intimidate their efforts to rebuild the temple. “You have nothing to do with us in building the house of our God” (Ez 4:3).

So what exactly does Nehemiah mean when he talks about their portion, right, and claim? A “portion” is an allocated share. It’s something given or granted (Josh 18:5-6; 19:9). It’s a term also used as a way to describe of belonging to something (2Sam 20:1). Nehemiah tells these bullies to back off because the city was never given to you. God graciously gave it to His people. This points to the fact that ultimately God grants us our portion in Jesus. Remember our Savior’s words to Martha when she got her undies in a bundle over her sister Mary’s lack of help. While Martha flies around the house trying to impress everyone as the First Century version of Martha Stewart, Mary parks herself right in front of the radical Rabbi/Carpenter. Jesus tells her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her” (Lk 10:41-42). Jesus is our portion.

Nehemiah lets these knuckleheads know that they also have no legal leg to stand on when it comes to Jerusalem. A “right” is an entitlement or lawful requirement. No law ever entitled these outsiders to the city. And finally they have absolutely no claim on Jerusalem. A “claim” literally means a memorial or something based on an ancient tradition. They have no historic tie or link to this town. One commentator thinks this could describe a right to come and worship in Jerusalem. There’s no historic connection to the city and no reason to come and worship. The only One to be worshiped in this place is the God of Israel. 

It’s always important to place ourselves in the story. How do we fit in to what we read? I would love to put myself in the place of Nehemiah. And why wouldn’t I? He appears to be the hero riding over the hill to save the day just in the nick of time. He boldly stands up to these thugs and puts them in their place. Or maybe I’m a citizen of the holy city who’s inspired to get to work rebuilding the walls. But I think the best role for me in this story is one of the evil three, Sanballat, Tobiah, or Geshem. Without Jesus, I have no portion in God. Without Jesus, I have to right to salvation. Without Jesus, I have to claim God’s kingdom. I’m an outsider looking in. I’ve laughed at people who’ve chosen to follow Jesus. I’ve made them a convenient punchline. I’ve completely failed to obey God’s law. But Christ changes everything. He lives the perfect life when I’ve absolutely fallen flat on my face. He dies the death on a Roman cross for my sin that most certainly should have died. He rises to a jaw-dropping new life that in no way deserve. By placing my trust in Christ, He grants me a portion, right, and claim in His kingdom. Without Him, I’m standing alongside Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem, on the outside looking in. 

Fresh Eyes

Don’t you hate those moments when someone blurts out the most painfully apparent statement? “Boy, the sky is blue.” Duh. “Our team will win if they just score more points than our opponent.” Thanks, Captain Obvious. But there are also times when someone steps into a situation with a fresh set of eyes and points out something that the rest of us no longer see. The problem has become so much a part of our everyday routine that we’re blind to it. We walk right past the crisis so often that we fail to notice. That’s what Nehemiah does for the city leaders of Jerusalem (Neh 2:17-18). He says out loud what they’ve been ignoring. God’s glorious city is in a world of hurt. The walls are a pile of bricks. The gates are charcoal. He gives them the great news that they not only have the support of King Artaxerxes but the King of the Universe as well. With the blindfold off and hope back in the house, it’s time to get busy. 

Nehemiah makes his first ever visit to the capital of Judah. This all started about three months ago when he was pulling his regular shift as the Persian king’s cupbearer back in Susa (Neh 1:1, 11). His brother Hanani and some his boys were fresh back from a trip to Jerusalem with some bad news (Neh 1:2). Very bad news. The situation in the city is so awful that it’s become a punchline (Neh 1:3). The huge walls are flattened. The massive are charred. After most of several days praying, fasting, and crying, God moves child of Israel to do something (Neh 1:4-11). Before you can say Cabernet Sauvignon, King Artaxerxes wants to know what’s got his wine steward all upset (Neh 2:1-2). At this point, Nehemiah politely and boldly walks through the door that God opens and tells his boss about the crisis in Jerusalem (Neh 2:3-6). Artaxerxes asks him how long this project will take and what he will need (Neh 2:7). At this point, Nehemiah goes for it and asks the pagan dictator for all the necessary paperwork needed for the 1,000 mile trip and purchase order for lumber (Neh 2:8). After he finally gets to the city, he sees the situation firsthand. He needs to observe for himself exactly what he’s up against. He needs to check out exactly what God had called him to do. He takes a midnight ride to recon the damage (Neh 2:11-16). While I can’t be sure, I suspect it’s worse than he thought. For Pete’s sake, the destruction is so bad in some spots that he had to get off his mount and walk.

So after three days and midnight ride, Nehemiah finally meets with the local leaders of Jerusalem. “Then I said to them, ’You see the trouble we are in’” (v17). There’s trouble here in Zion City. Big trouble. The Hebrew word he uses here (Heb. ra’) means evil, affliction, wickedness, malignancy, and adversity. The city doesn’t just need a coat of paint and some fresh flowers. It’s WAY worse than that. “Jerusalem lies in the ruins with its gates burned” (v17). You might think that Nehemiah is playing the role of Captain Obvious here. But he reminds these local officials just how awful the problem really is. They’ve become blind and numb to the rubble all around them. Sometimes I need someone to step into my life and put fresh eyes on the situation. Sometimes I become blind to the problems in my life. To the sin in my life. There’s garbage in our lives that we see so often that we don’t even see it any more. We can become “sin blind.” We need someone to snap us out of it. We need someone to tell us to wake up and smell the coffee. We need fresh eyes. 

Nehemiah doesn’t just point out the problem. Too often that just makes things worse. But he doesn’t stop there. He offers hope. He offers a plan. “Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem” (v17). These folks had lost hope. And you can certainly understand why. After several fits and starts, Zerubabbel eventually rebuilt the temple (Ez 6:14-15). Ezra had returned with some of the best Bible teaching that folks had heard in years (Ez 7:6-10) and eventually leads Israelites to stop shacking up with their pagan girlfriends (Ez 10:10-17). But 13 years after Ezra’s return, the wall remains in rubble. Inertia had set in. People have lost hope. This is the way it’s going to be. God uses Nehemiah to bring hope back to God’s people. It’s time to do something about the walls. It’s time to rebuild them. Justin Timberlake is bringing sexy back. Nehemiah’s bringing hope back. 

Once the walls go up, the jokes will stop. He tells city leaders that a key reason to rebuild is so “that we may no longer suffer derision” (v17). This is the word cherpah. It describes disgrace, reproach, rebuke, and taunting. It’s the same word his brother Hanani drops when he tells brother about the city being in “trouble and shame (Heb. cherpah)” (Neh 1:3). God’s glorious city on a hill is nothing more than the butt of the joke. That stops the moment the walls go up. 

Nehemiah reminds city leaders that he didn’t simply roll into town with his own crazy dream of rebuilding the wall. He had cred. He had support. He had the backing of some real heavy hitters. First of all, he didn’t cook up this cockamamy idea after a bad pizza. This was God’s idea. He’s the One who’s behind the entire project. “And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good” (v18). Many super smart folks believe Ezra and Nehemiah to be a prequel and sequel written by the same author (probably Ezra). In these two books, we see this idea of God’s good hand on the events seven other times! (Ez 7:6, 9, 28; 8:18, 22, 31; Neh 2:18). Just in case they think he’s hearing voices and off his Hebrew rocker, Nehemiah lets them know that God’s fingerprints are all over this effort. The LORD has tapped Artaxerxes on the shoulder. He tells them “of the words that the king had spoken to me” (v18). Inspiration from the King of Kings. Affirmation from the king of Persia. Yeah, I think God has His kung fu grip on this whole joint. 

It’s at this point that local Jewish leaders could go either way. They could laugh in Nehemiah’s face and tell him to take a long run off a short pier. Or they could step up to the rather considerable challenge ahead of them. They chose Door Number Two. “‘Let us rise up and build.’ So they strengthened their hands for the good work” (v18). They were in. They were ALL in. Nehemiah knows that their response is not up to him. He simply delivers the news that God has placed on his heart. He speaks the truth to the situation. He opens their eyes to the destruction to which they’ve become blind. He reminds them that God hasn’t forgotten them and fully backs this massive effort. According to the Life Application Bible, leaders frequently underestimate people and fail to challenge them with the work that God has for them to do. Too often we shrink back and don’t present opportunities for people to really step out in faith in God’s goodness. It’s time to rise up. It’s time to rebuild. It’s time to go to work.

The Original Night Rider

Timing is everything. What happens is often made important by when it happens. A joke is only funny when you deliver the punchline at the right time. Traders in the stock market must know when to buy and when to sell. You need to know when to take that steak off the grill. In sports, they call it being clutch. One of those amazing athletes that consistently comes through when his or her team needs it the most. In the words of Meg Rosoff, “Ask any comedian, tennis player, chef. Timing is everything.” As our man Nehemiah arrives in Jerusalem, he doesn’t immediately hold a press conference announcing the plan to rebuild the broken walls and burned gates (Neh 2:11-16). No, instead he takes a break. He takes a breath. He takes a midnight ride. He knows it’s just as important in timing the breaking the news of his strategy as it is the strategy itself. The reason Nehemiah waits is that this is not his plan. God personally dropped this on him back in Persia. Nehemiah not only trusts God but in His divine timing. And God’s timing is everything.

Just a few months ago, Nehemiah was working as the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes 1,000 miles away in Persia (Neh 1:1, 11). But God turns his life upside down when his brother and his posse rolled into town fresh back from their trip to the Promised Land (Neh 1:2). They had a disturbing report about the crisis in Jerusalem (Neh 1:3). What was God’s glorious city on a hill is now a local joke. The walls are in rubble. The gates are in ashes. This breaking news about the broken walls breaks his heart (Neh 1:4). After Nehemiah spends days and days weeping, mourning, fasting, and praying (Neh 1:5-11), God opens the door for this lowly servant to pitch his plan to the most powerful man on the planet (Neh 2:1-4). That’s because timing is everything. Artaxerxes signs off on Nehemiah’s extended leave of absence but provides all the necessary paperwork for the project as well. As appreciative as he is of this pagan dictator’s overwhelming support, he knows who’s really behind not only the plan but the timing. “For the good hand of my God was upon me” (Neh 1:8). When Nehemiah hits the land called Beyond the Border, local officials immediately get worried (Neh 1:9-11). Political thugs like Sanballat and Tobiah have made a hobby out of their oppression of the Israelites. They weren’t exactly sure what Nehemiah was up to but it’s obvious that he was on some sort of mission to help the Hebrews. To say they were ticked off is a bit of an understatement. But Artaxerxes’ personal wine steward had his papers in order and something up his sleeve. He’s not putting all of his cards on the table just yet. That’s because Nehemiah not only trusts God but in His divine timing. And God’s timing is everything.

After his three-month caravan from Persia, Nehemiah eventually hits Jerusalem. “So I went up to Jerusalem and was there for three days” (v11). He goes “up to Jerusalem” because this ancient city sits on a couple of small mountains about 2,500 feet above sea level. He would be coming up from the Jordan River Valley which is actually 1,312 feet BELOW sea level at its lowest point. When you go to Jerusalem, you always go UP to Jerusalem. Nehemiah kicks back and chills out for three days once he arrives. First of all, that’s a VERY long trip from Susa. Flip back over to the prequel to this book and you’ll see that Ezra did the very same thing (Ez 8:32). He doesn’t hold a news conference. He doesn’t go on CNN or Fox News. God has given him a plan. We read that he hasn’t told a soul other than Artaxerxes what he’s up to. “And I had told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem” (v12). For three months and 1,000 miles, Nehemiah kept the specifics on a need-to-know basis only. And he was the only one who needed to know. He’ll get busy when the timing is right. 

Don’t blow past Nehemiah’s own description of his plan to rebuild the walls. This wasn’t his idea. He makes it clear that this was something “my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem” (v12). This isn’t his plan. This isn’t his idea. If it were up to him, he’d probably be pulling his regular shift as the king’s wine steward back at the royal palace in Persia. God put this grand plan in his heart. God is the One who’s behind it all! And His timing is perfect. We see it all throughout the Bible. “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son” (Gal 4:4). Once He was on His miraculous rescue mission, Jesus stayed focused on timing. He tells His mom, “My hour has not yet come” (Jn 2:4). He tells his brothers, “My time has not yet come” (Jn 7:6). His best buddy John talks about the importance of Jesus’ timing (Jn 7:30; 8:20). And Jesus waits to make His spectacular encore because He wants to give everyone a chance to turn from their sin and turn to Him (2Pet 3:9). God put this plan in Nehemiah’s heart. And He probably also put the timing of his overnight inspection on his heart too. God’s timing is everything. 

Once Nehemiah arrives in Jerusalem, he needs to do a little night recon. Remember, he’s never been here before. Long before David Hasselhoff and his super car Kit hit the TV screen, our man Nehemiah was the original Night Rider. “Then I arose in the night, I and few men with me…There was no animal with me but the one on which I rode” (v12). His posse sneaks out what’s left of the Valley Gate. That’s on the southwest corner of the city. They make a left and begin making a counterclockwise trip around broken walls. It becomes immediately obvious in the moonlight that things were bad. Very bad. “I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that were broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire” (v13). It was exactly how his brother Hanani had described (Neh 1:3). 

The Night Rider rolls on. Around the Dragon Spring. Past the Dung Gate (my guess is that he was moving pretty fast through here!). By the Fountain Gate. Near the King’s Pool. If the condition of the wall isn’t bad enough already, it gets even worse at this point. “There was no room for the animal that was under me to pass” (v14). At this point, Nehemiah dismounts and continues on foot to take a look at the section of the wall along the Kidron Valley. It’s apparently in such horrible condition that he wraps up his recon. “I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate” (v15). The Night Rider has seen enough. He knows what he needs to know. 

Nehemiah hasn’t told a soul what he’s up to or where he’s been. “And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, and I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, and the rest who were there to do the work” (v16). He apparently hasn’t told anyone who made the trip from Susa about his ultimate goal. He hasn’t told local officials why he’s in town. And he undoubtedly doesn’t want the Israelite enemies to find out exactly what he was up to. He’ll make his announcement very soon. He’ll meet with city leaders before too long. While there’s nothing specific mentioned here, I have a pretty good idea that Nehemiah did a boatload of praying at this point. He’s certainly done it before (Neh 1:4-11; 2:4). There’s every reason to think he’s doing it again. God is about to use Nehemiah to bring some serious hope and change to His people in Jerusalem. That’s because the original Night Rider not only trusts God but in His divine timing. And God’s timing is everything.

Heading the Right Way

When on the road, you need reminders that you’re going the right way. Your GPS will tell to you to “continue on this road for X miles.” Someone may have given you directions that include an important landmark along the way. For folks on mission for God, there’s another very critical indicator that you’re headed in the right direction. Opposition. Many times when you’re following God’s lead, you run into conflict. Just ask Nehemiah (Neh 2:9-10). The LORD has moved the king’s wine steward to leave the palace and head to Jerusalem in order repair the broken down city walls. He not only expected opposition, but he got it. Resistance let Nehemiah know that he was headed in the right direction.

We pick up the story with our man Nehemiah getting very close to his final destination. “Then I came to the governors of the province Beyond the River and gave them the king’s letters” (v9). The journey to Jerusalem from Susa takes right at three months. He hits the border of a place called Beyond the River. It’s like a state or province in the Persian empire. The dictator Darius dubbed the region of Syria and Palestine with this name. He gave it that name because it was west of the great Euphrates River, or beyond the river from the perspective of someone living in Persia.

Just like we know to be ready for customs when crossing international borders today, Nehemiah is prepared. Back in the ancient Near East, local rulers and bureaucrats would see anybody rolling onto their turf as an immediate threat. Not handling his encounters with the Beyond the River officials could sink the entire expedition. But Nehemiah had this covered. Or should I say God did. While the king’s cupbearer made the request, it only comes through because the “good hand of God” was all over Nehemiah (Neh 2:8). Nehemiah made a point of presenting the proper royal paperwork that Artaxerxes had given him. His mission had the king’s seal of approval. These documents acted like a combination of both a passport and permission slip. This trip was legit. It’s another example of Nehemiah’s detailed planning for his mission to the Promised Land. He asks for all the necessary legal papers from the king so local authorities would leave him alone (Neh 2:7). Nehemiah had all his papers in order. He did what he could to eliminate any unnecessary opposition in advance. 

As part of his prep, he was able to obtain a military escort from the Persian army. “Now the king sent me officers of the army and horsemen” (v9). He’s traveling 1,000 miles through some of most dangerous deserts in that part of the world. Think of the post-apocalyptic world of Mad Max. While bandits didn’t drive souped-up muscle cars, there was fear of attack for any traveler making such a journey. Unlike his predecessor Ezra the priest (Ez 8:22), Nehemiah had a military escort. This was visible evidence that this mission had the king’s muscle behind it. He might be simple cupbearer, but Nehemiah is no fool. He knows that when you are following God’s lead, you should expect opposition.

Presenting all the proper documentation to the local authorities doesn’t eliminate resistance. It simply changes it. Enter the bad guys. A pair of thugs named Sanballat and Tobiah. These local sleazeballs are going to be a pain in Nehemiah’s backside every time he turns around. “But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant heard this, it displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel” (v10). So just who is this dastardly duo? Dusty old documents outside the Bible say that Sanballat served as the governor of Samaria. The fact that he’s a Horonite most likely means “native of Horonaim of Moab. If you’ve read much of the Old Testament, your warning lights should be flashing. The Moabites are a thorn in the side of God’s people. 

Then there’s Sanballat’s sidekick Tobiah. The author describes him as a “servant” (v10). This might mean that he’s also a local governmental official. It probably means he’s Sanballat’s toadie. We also see that he’s an Ammonite. That means he’s a member of the tribe of Ammon, a people who live n the Transjordan region, on the east bank of the Jordan River from the Promised Land. Here’s an interesting thing about the Moabites and the Ammonites. They both trace their family line back to Lot (Gen 19:36-38). Just another example that the Bible is not a bunch of goofy independent unrelated accounts. God’s story revealed in Scripture is actually one mammoth mega-story. The opposition of the Moabites and Ammonites is nothing new. Sanballat and Tobiah are the latest in a long line of bad guys.

These two thugs see Nehemiah as a huge threat to their power in the region. Local bullies have had the run of the joint ever since Nebuchadnezzar bulldozed the Hebrew capital and hauled the Israelites back to Babylon. And now this is the third resettlement and rebuilding effort. The first was under Zerubbabel. The second under Ezra. While each had it’s own problems and issues, God’s move to bring His people home is unrelenting. Sanballat and Tobiah will consistently try to shut down Nehemiah’s effort to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem every time he turns around. As a matter of fact, these two goons were probably behind the sabotage that shut down the rebuilding of the temple that Ezra describes (Ezra 5:7-23). They “heard this” news of Nehemiah expedition and freak out. The two troublemakers continually keep their ears to the rumor mill. They apparently have a network of folks tipping them off (Neh 2:19; 4:1, 7; 6:1). To say “it displeased them greatly” is a huge understatement. They blew their stack. They were hot. They were irate. How dare somebody come into our turf and do something good for the Israelites! But Sanballat and Tobiah have one little problem. When Nehemiah presents all of the proper royal documents, they’ve lost any leverage to openly attack the Israelite rebuilding efforts. That would be a direct violation of King Artaxerxes’ orders. As a result, they would resort to terrorism and intimidation. 

On this side of eternity, there’s ALWAYS going to be opposition to God’s and His purposes. When we respond to God’s call to get busy building His kingdom, we should expect problems. People will oppose you. People will hope you fail. Expect the pushback. Expect criticism. Expect  resistance. If anything, we shouldn’t be surprised. Why? Our fallen world hates Jesus and His people (Jn 15:18-20; 1Jn 3:13). Lots of times, opposition to serving God is actually an indication that we’re headed in the right direction. The Lord has an amazing way of taking the garbage thrown at His people and turning into a blessing (Gen 50:20). And knowing that Jesus has His hand on you should be a huge encouragement during tough times. Sometimes we wonder if we’re headed in the right direction. Many times that’s revealed through opposition. Nehemiah not only expected opposition, but he got it. Often times, resistance lets know we’re headed in the right direction.

God's Good Grip

A good grip can make all the difference. The grip on a golf club. On a tennis racket. On a baseball. The placement of your hands has everything to do with your performance. Nehemiah would agree. You wouldn’t think that grip would have much to do with being the royal cupbearer. Well, I guess you don’t want to drop the Cabernet in the king’s lap. On the other hand, we see the importance of a great grip on what goes down. A great grip puts Nehemiah in the presence of the most powerful man on the planet. A great grip opens the door for Nehemiah to make a ridiculous request. A great grip shoves a pagan king to sign off on rebuilding the Jewish capital. But let’s be sure of one thing. This has nothing to do with Nehemiah’s hand placement. This is because God has a firm grip on Nehemiah. The placement of His hands has everything to do with Nehemiah’s performance. God’s good grip makes all the difference.

It’s been four months since Nehemiah’s brother Hanani stopped by to break the bad news about the ongoing crisis in Jerusalem (Neh 1:1-3). That was back in Kislev during the winter, about the same time of the year as November and December on our calendar. It’s now Nisan (v1), roughly March or April. The breaking news about the city’s broken walls breaks Nehemiah’s heart. He spends day after day pleading with God to do something about it (Neh 1:5-11). He confesses not just his own sin but the repeated rebellion of the Israelites throughout the centuries. He calls upon God to act now on the covenant promises return His people to the Promised Land and restore His glory in Jerusalem. 

We read that it’s still during “the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes” (v1). He’s the ruler of the Persian superpower, the most dominant nation in the world at the time. In contrast, Nehemiah is a humble Hebrew slave in captivity. But the LORD has placed this lowly Israelite in a position that allows him access to the powerful person on the planet. He’s the “cupbearer to the king” (Neh 1:11). He’s not only the royal wine steward but he’s responsible for checking for poison. The good news is you get to drink the best wine. The bad news is the next sip could kill you. Yahweh’s hand is firmly on Nehemiah and His fingerprints are all over this situation. God’s good grip makes all the difference.

Despite receiving the heartbreaking news from his brother, Nehemiah makes a point of never wearing his emotions on his sleeve in front of the king. That could be dangerous. VERY dangerous. You see, kings like to know that you love living in their kingdom. A frown could get you killed. But one day, the burden of the Jerusalem crisis was just too much for the cupbearer and king noticed (v2). When Artaxerxes asks his royal sommelier what was going on, Nehemiah freaked out. He takes a deep breath and says, “Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” (v3). Well, it’s out there. The LORD presents Nehemiah with the opportunity and he leverages it for the glory of God’s kingdom.

You can feel the tension in the room. What will the king say? How will he respond? Will he “downsize” his cupbearer for having the gall and stupidity to say something like this? Is this his last day working in the palace? Is this is last day alive?!? But something crazy happens. “Then the king said to me, ‘What are you requesting?’” (v4). WHAT?!? Artaxerxes asks his cupbearer for how he can help! No pink slip. No head without a body. Instead, the most powerful person in the world wants to know what he can do to help a palace slave. This only happens when God has His hand on the situation. God’s good grip makes all the difference.

If we were standing in the room during this amazing conversation, we probably would notice a moment of silence. A pregnant pause. In my mind, I would be screaming, “Dude! Say something! The king wants to help! Jump on it!!” But there’s a reason for the quiet. That’s because Nehemiah is firing off a quick prayer to the LORD. “So I prayed to the God of heaven” (v4). Before he says anything else to Artaxerxes, he seeks God’s blessing on what’s about to happen. The future of Jerusalem hangs in the balance. We see hear that we don’t always have to drop to our knees and close our eyes for significant times of prayer. Sure, it’s important that both are part of the rhythm of our relationship with Jesus. Nehemiah gives us both here in the very first chapter. He prays for days (Neh 1:4). He prays in the blink of an eye (v4). It’s what the Apostle Paul describes as “pray without ceasing” (1Th 5:17). When you’re in a state of constant prayer and dependance on God, quick requests are easy. We can be in an ongoing attitude of prayer because Jesus is with His Dad right now pleading on our behalf (Rom 8:34). Nehemiah pauses. Nehemiah prays.

With the door flung open, our man walks boldly through. He asks that the king sign off on a massive rebuilding project for the city of Jerusalem. Nehemiah asks his royal highness for the permission to return to the Hebrew capital “that I may rebuild it” (v5). The walls are a pile of bricks. The gates are charred. But chances are, he’s not just talking about reconstructing the walls and gates. The city wall is simply a symbol and symptom of a deeper sickness. The entire situation in Jerusalem needs rebuilding. The city needs an overhaul of political, administrative, and social structures. 

At this point, Artaxerxes wants to know details. “How long will you be gone, and when will you return?” (v6). In other words, have you thought this through? Do you have a plan? Do you have something more than a pipe dream to make this happen? Nehemiah wasn’t just spitballing. He had a plan. Well, at least as specific a plan as he could considering that he’d never been to Jerusalem before. This was a little more than a vacation request. He was going to ask for a significant amount of time off. This was going to be a sabbatical. The trip itself is three months one way. While we don’t read it here, Nehemiah is asking for years, not days, weeks, or months. This is a big job. A very big job.

Nehemiah has sought God’s good guidance and come up with a very specific plan. He knows exactly what he needs to get the job done. “Let letters be given to me” (v7). He knows that he needs legal docs from the king that gave Nehemiah and his crew the royal stamp of approval for travel through the region. And he asks for the authority to get the lumber needed for the project (v8). Remember, this is the Middle East. Lots of sand. Very few trees. Timber is a hot commodity. Kings in the region would place armed guards around their royal forests. Nehemiah asks for a signed document from Artaxerxes to show to “Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest that he may give me timber” (v8). So just where did Nehemiah get this very detailed plan? If you look closely, you’ll see God’s fingerprints all over it.

If this conversation isn’t bizarre enough already, this pagan Persian dictator says “yes.” “And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me” (v8). Nehemiah may have made a compelling argument but in the end that didn’t matter. The only reason the king signs off on this crazy request is because God made it happen. His fingerprints are all over this project and this book. Many commentators like to point out that there aren’t any miracles recorded in the book of Nehemiah. Tell me this isn’t miraculous? A lowly Hebrew slave gets access to the pagan king. Miracle one. The slave makes an over-the-top request to rebuild a city almost 1,000 miles away. Miracle two. The slave actually has a very detailed and specific plan for the reconstruction. Miracle three. And the king says “go for it!” Miracle four. 

Many smart dudes believe that Ezra and Nehemiah are actually one book written by the same author (probably Ezra, he was a scribe after all). Seven other times in these two books, we read about how God has His good and gracious grip on His people and the situation (Ez 7:6, 9, 28; 8:18, 22, 31; Neh 2:18). The placement of His hands has everything to do with Nehemiah’s performance. God’s good grip makes all the difference.