expository meditations on the book of nehemiah

WHEN we read the chapters in Nehemiah we have to remember that they encompass a long passage of time. For instance, in this chapter we are told in verse 1 that the wall of Jerusalem had been completed except for the doors, which had still to be set in place. To have accomplished this must mean that months, perhaps a year or more had passed since Nehemiah first came back to Jerusalem, It is important to remember this, otherwise when we read of the troubles Nehemiah experienced, it may seem that he was always oppressed by these problems, and never a day went by without them. The fact is that these problems never ceased, but there were periods of time, in between each manifestation of them, which were comparatively peaceful. This is normal in our own lives. Troubles come and go, they don�t continue all the time, and this is true in the work of God.

What we observe in this chapter is a return of the opposition, but Nehemiah standing firm before them all.

IMPORTANCE OF STANDING FIRM

The importance of standing firm is because the opposition to the work of God, promoted through means here on earth by Satan, will never cease. There are periods of comparative quiet, but Satan never gives up.

The opposition takes different forms. Sanballat and his cronies were getting desperate. They had tried various means to stop the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, but they had not succeeded, and now the wall was complete except for the doors. They return to the attack.

Firstly, they seek to lure Nehemiah from the protection of the city, and invite him to meet them with the deceit of pretending to want to talk as friends about the future. They knew Nehemiah was the key to the situation. If they could remove him or discredit him, then the people would not follow him, and the rebuilding would cease. They hope, in this first ploy, that he would come and talk with them, and then they would be able to take him prisoner, or even kill him. This did not succeed because Nehemiah knew they were scheming to harm him (v.2).

Next Nehemiah�s enemies prepared a lying letter, in which they implied that Nehemiah was preparing to revolt against Artaxerxes. By this they hoped to frighten Nehemiah into trying to seek a deal with them, and then they would be able to get Nehemiah into their power. This failed also.

Then these enemies sought to discredit Nehemiah by trying to make him afraid and hide in the temple. If Nehemiah had done this, the people would have stopped work and stopped defending the city, and Sanballat could easily come then and destroy the wall. For this they used someone whom Nehemiah trusted (v.10). Again Nehemiah foiled this plot and refused to hide in the temple.

NEHEMIAH�S STRENGTH

Nehemiah stood firm, so where did his strength lie? We can deduce this from the way he handled these attacks.

When his enemies sought to entice him out so that they could have him in their power, Nehemiah told them that the work of God was too important for him to give time to come and talk to them. Nehemiah knew that they meant evil towards him, but he made no accusations which he could not prove, nor did he dither, but used the importance of his work for God as the answer to the problem.

Nehemiah�s strength was in his dedication to God, and to the work God had called him to do. This he put first. He judged everything in relationship to his duty to God, and the work God gave him to do. Everything else must come second to this. He would never place other issues before God, and so when this difficulty arose, he could answer it from his prime directive, which was to put God first. If he had not got this dedication to God, he might have found it difficult in the situation to know what was best to do, and then made a wrong move, and placed himself in the power of his enemies. When God is first in our lives, and to please him is our chief aim, then when other things come along which claim our attention, we will not be seduced into wrong actions.

Nehemiah�s strength next can be seen in his personal integrity. When these lies were published that he was revolting against Artaxerxes, there was nothing in his life that made him afraid, and he could firmly say I have done nothing wrong, so I need not fear any lies that are told against him (v.8). We see the force of this strength in political affairs which are for ever occurring in the lives of politicians in our country. Some story may arise which accuses a politician of some wrong. It may be untrue, but the politician has not got a clear conscience, so he or she begins to manoeuvre, and be economical with the truth, and deny actions which are feared to be damaging. These then come out, and although the original accusation may be unfounded, or not serious, the lies afterwards cause the damage. If these politicians had a clear conscience, and personal integrity, they would have had nothing to fear, and so could have stood firm. Nehemiah�s strength was that he was a good man, and in his public life and his work, he walked and lived as God would have him do. His strength was in this, and this is where the Christian will find strength.

Thirdly, Nehemiah�s strength came from his courage founded on his trust in the Lord. In the first instance he evaluated everything from the point of view that God�s will came first. So here in (v.10-11) he could detect that the counsel he was being given was against God�s will. Then being in God�s will, he knew he could trust in the Lord for his life. He need not fear men, because God was on his side. He was also able to perceive the sin in the counsel he was being given to hide in the temple. Commitment to God breeds trust in God. When we are in the will of God, we know God is working all things for our good. This gives us courage to stand firm.

Here is a good example for all the people to follow. Let us be like Nehemiah.

NEHEMIAH�S WEAPON

It was the Apostle Paul who said that the weapons of our warfare are spiritual. Our weapons are God�s word and prayer. By God�s word we know the will of God. By prayer we place ourselves in the hands of God.

Notice Nehemiah�s action. In his deep need, he prayed (v.9b and 14). In verse 9b we read "But I prayed, "Now strengthen my hand". This prayer is very illuminating.

Firstly, we see that Nehemiah did not ask for his troubles to be removed. He knew that for the troubles to be removed, the work of God must stop. If we are to be engaged in the work of the Lord, then we must expect trouble, because the devil hates and fears the work of God. The work of God cannot be engaged in without trouble following. If we can�t accept trouble, then we must never start the work of God. Jesus indicated this in the Gospels when people came and asked to follow him. Jesus plainly told them that following him meant trouble. He also told them that they must give up worldly commitments - the dead must bury their dead. (Matthew 8:18-22).

Jesus told his disciples the truth in John 16:33. He said, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." As Christians we are not of this world. We have been translated into Christ�s kingdom. The world will hate us, and when we engage in the work of the Lord we will experience trouble and opposition. But our strength is in the Lord. Jesus has already overcome the world.

So we see Nehemiah�s weapon in the battle. He did not pray for the trouble to be removed, but he prayed that the Lord would strengthen him. He prayed firstly that God would strengthen him to stand firm, to face his enemies unafraid, and to go forward in the work of God without diminishing. Then this prayer to be strengthened was a prayer that God would give him the wisdom and skill and power to do what God had given him to do. It was a prayer that God would strengthen his mind with wisdom, his body with energy, his affections that they may be strong for God and his will, and his actions that they may be just what the work needed. Further in this prayer for strength was the prayer that God would be his defence when facing the enemy, so that he may know the right thing to do, and have power and courage to do that right thing.

Here is our weapon. By this weapon of prayer we place ourselves in the hands of God, and he will strengthen us.

But further, we do not only have the privilege of placing ourselves and all God�s people in the hands of God, but we are able to place our enemies into the hands of God. In verse 14 we see Nehemiah doing just this. Nehemiah had no answer to their attacks, and he also knew he had no right to dictate to God, and that he does not know what is right as justice for his enemies because of the wrong they had done and were doing. But he knew he could leave the problem in the safe hands of God so that God would deal with them according to his wisdom, power and justice. This ability to bring our problems to the Lord for him to deal with, is part of the strengthening we have in the Lord. Having brought his enemies to the Lord in prayer, and asked God to remember them and their deeds, Nehemiah knew he had no more need to worry himself concerning them.

Prayer is the great blessing of the people of God. There is no matter that cannot be brought to the Lord in prayer. There is no matter too great or too small. There is nothing that we need withhold from the Lord. When we can�t put our concerns into words, we can still bring our concerns to the Lord, for he knows what is in our minds, and can interpret all our thoughts. It is by prayer that the peace of God can fill our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6,7).

CONCLUSION

So Nehemiah shows us, by his example, the way of the people of God. We must be engaged in the work of the Lord. We cannot avoid the opposition when so engaged. But the Lord is our strength. As we put him and his will first, and live for him, we will have a clear conscience, and we know that through prayer we can claim from him all the strength and wisdom we need.

Let us notice how Nehemiah prospered in spite of the opposition. The wall had been completed. Nothing the enemy could do, in the end, could defeat the work of God.