Days of Nehemiah

 Days of Nehemiah 

December 20, 2024

Nehemiah 1:2-4 (ESV) 

2 that Hanani, one of my brothers, came with certain men from Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped, who hadsurvived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem. 3 And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.” 4 As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

Nehemiah 2:5 (ESV) 

And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ graves, that I may rebuild it.”

In the days of Nehemiah, the nation of Israel was going through very difficult times. They had been in exile in Persia (Iran) and Jerusalem was a pile of ruins. Daniel had prophesied that Israel would be restored and the temple rebuilt, and it was time to begin the restoration. Nehemiah got permission from the king to return to Jerusalem and begin rebuilding. When he arrived in Jerusalem, he not only found that the walls were torn down and the stones burned by fire, but the current governors of the land were not at all pleased to see Jerusalem being rebuilt.

There are some similarities to the situation today. America is in moral ruin and the economy is in near shambles, but when the people turn back to the Lord and begin to rebuild, they will encounter many strong enemies that will oppose the effort. Nehemiah had a plan and he encouraged the people to rebuild, each in front of their own house. And because of the opposition, they worked with a trowel in one hand and a spear in the other. That is to say they were prepared to either build or fight at any moment. It was important that Nehemiah provided the leadership and vision, but it was the people that did the work. It was also significant that they each started rebuilding each by their own house. Likewise today, we need to begin the process of rebuilding of the righteous foundations of America, and we need to start in our own house and community. No one of us can restore the nation, but we can each one do his part in restoring his household and community. We need to seek the Lord and restore righteousness to our own church and spread the gospel to our own neighborhood.

Once the people stared to work together, it took them a surprisingly short time to rebuild the wall, and when they were finished, they rediscovered the book of the law. After a public reading of the Word, they celebrated the feast of tabernacles and began to restore worship of the one true God to Jerusalem. Likewise, we need to rededicate ourselves to the study of the Word and the application to our own lives. When true worship is restored, the enemy will flee.

James 4:7-8

7Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Nehemiah rebuilt with stones and timbers, but we are to restore the house of God which is made up of living stones. So let us encourage each other in these days. Yes, there are enemies all around. There are wars and rumors of wars and scary drones, but the Lord is on His throne and He is still able to save. So seek Him and pray for your place on the wall that you may help rebuild your little part of it.