Nehemiah must’ve had a tough tough time in kindergarten- Imagine writing “Nehemiah” on all your papers as a 5 year old. Of course, He spoke a different language and didn’t have the kindergarten experience we did. He was considerably more well-off then a lot of his fellow Israelites though. Nehemiah was the King’s cupbearer- meaning he made sure none of the king’s food was poisoned. He must’ve done a good job cause the King wasn’t ever poisoned.
Nehemiah was a legend. He was brave, passionate, faithful to the end, and he never let anything get in his way. Perhaps one of the most incredible leaders in the bible- he rebuilt a city while fighting a battle at the same time. He took a pile of rubble and turned it back into a city. He put a stop to incorrect traditions and helped all his people take a step up in their discipleship.
His story starts when he receives word that the city of his fathers- Jerusalem- “also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.” So you know what he does? He weeps. He fasts. He prays. He acknowledges that Israel has been wicked and technically deserved all the trials the past years have held. Then he asks for forgiveness. He says “O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name:”
A ‘desire to fear thy name,’ or a desire to worship, follow, and obey God. That’s what our hero starts out with- just a desire.
Well, King Artaxerxes (Kindergarten was probably tough for him too) notices that Nehemiah is sad. Nehemiah opens up and expresses a desire to go to Jerusalem and build it. Talk about ambitious goal-setting. The King didn’t laugh- he sends letters granting him permissions and some of his army with Nehemiah to go rebuild Jerusalem.
First thing he does when he gets there is take a self-guided tour of the rubble of Jerusalem, taking note of every thing that needs to get fixed…which is everything.
An important figure is introduced here- Sanballat- When I read Nehemiah, I like to replace his name with Satan. When he meets Nehemiah he LAUGHS IN HIS FACE, saying “What is this thing that ye do?” Nehemiah- absolutely unshaken-responds: “The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build” and that’s exactly what he did.
Go to chapter 3 and control f “repair.” 35 times. Nehemiah and his team absolutely ‘arose and built.’ But wait, things get even crazier. Remember that Sanballat/Satan guy? Ya-he comes back. he wasn’t just content with mocking these wall-builders -no- he wanted to kill them. Nehemiah adapts his plan and strategically places men with weapons and trumpets wherever the construction is taking place. In verse 14 he reminds everybody: “Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”
Up to this point in the Old Testament, we haven’t really had a story like this. Nehemiah is told in first person. He was never miraculously called by God- he kind of just told God he was gonna do this and God supports him. Nehemiah wasn’t a priest or a king yet he became a leader to all of Israel. Nowhere else in the Bible do we see such a detailed record of a construction project- we come close with Solomon’s Temple in 1 Kings- but this is still very unique
I remember the first time I read Nehemiah, being on the edge of my seat. I was so used to “Boring” things- I wont say which books in particular, you all know which ones I’m talking about- I was so surprised to find this story. I was even more surprised when I read this verse 17, which I think is the most important verse in Nehemiah:
“They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.”
One of the biggest keys to addiction recovery is in this verse. Imagine in your mind a man working on this wall- In one hand he holds a tool- maybe a hammer- and in the other he holds a sword. Every few moments he looks around him making sure there aren’t any followers of Sanballat/Satan trying to sneak up and kill him. He stays focused at all times. He is inspired by what Nehemiah has taught him- To not be afraid. To remember God. To fight for his family.
He builds these walls because after years of his ancestors being wicked- its time to change. Its time to repent. Its time to follow God. He thinks about what they city will be like when its finished. He looks around him again- always ready for an attack and always ready to go do whatever work Nehemiah assigns him.
THAT is the mindset of somebody who cares about recovery from Porn. You build. You defend. Every day. That is how we live our lives when we want to break the chains of addiction.
I learned what it means to “With one hand wrought in the work” as a Missionary. Every day my purpose was to Invite others to come unto Jesus Christ- to build God’s kingdom. The harder I worked, the more spiritually strong I became. Satan still got through at times and that’s why “the other hand held a weapon” If I noticed an attack coming up from Satan I could start doing pushups, recite scripture, tell my comp I was struggling, play hymns, or pray. These weapons will stop attacks when used with skill.
Nehemiah’s story doesn’t end there. The city is rebuilt, He ends the practice of usury, He rejects Sanballat’s temptations to come down from the wall, the people decide to return to following the true God- its epic. No matter where you’re at right now- Grab your hammer, grab your sword. You may have a pile of rubble and stones right now, but your story doesn’t end there, like Nehemiah’s, it ends in victory.
Leave a Reply