I was a teenager when our church moved from a rented building in an obscure part of the city across town to a newly built church structure near a busy intersection in suburbia for all passersby to see.  I remember the dedication of the new building which the congregants now owed with a doable mortgage.  The one who spoke passionately reminded us that though the building is complete on land God gave us; the real work of restoring lives, bringing the lost to Jesus, while standing firm in own our faith in God as leaders has just begun in ways beyond our wildest dreams!  The pray of blessing included the words of Paul to the church in Ephesus;

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21

I must admit in my teenage mind my first thought was, “more work”? All who were able in our relatively small congregation gave many hours after work and school to painting, cleaning, scrubbing, tiling bathrooms, varnishing woodwork, while professionals installed carpet, tiles, and pews (pews, long rows of benches).  To raise money for the build we consistently sold fudge and crafts, home goods, and Grandma’s homemade bread.  We had rummage sales downtown of stuff donated from our homes so that we could finish the building.  But this was only the beginning of the work to save souls whom God would send.  I got it, then.  I get it now.

When our temporary focus on the physical build includes tenacious obedience to God’s spiritual work in and through us, then God has us where He wants us.  It is and always will be God’s Work.  We are His people who follow Him in His work as His disciples. A disciple is “one who learns” from the Master Teacher, Jesus.  Those who internalize the words from Jesus and listen to His Holy Spirit are filled with enthusiasm for the work ahead.  We get excited to tell what we have learned as we spread the Good News of Christ’s redemption with gladness and thanksgiving!  We pray without ceasing for God to guide all we think, do, and say so that others will know Jesus.  ALL the details of our lives work together for our good and to bring glory to God!  We believe it!  Our lives must show it!

It is God who created the stones (us) to build His church with Jesus has the Cornerstone to align all the stones with holy perfection.  The church is made of imperfect humans, however, in need of perfect forgiveness. God is the One who grows our faith in Him, restores our brokenness, heals our afflictions, as He protects and provides for all we need.  God is the One who sent His One and Only Son, a part of Himself, Jesus be the sacrificial Way to remove our sins, setting us free, and giving us life eternal! –All because of His great love for us.

God looks at who we are more than what we do.  As believing followers, we might get tired IN the work; but we do not grow tired OF the work—it’s too important. There are lives hanging in the balance between life and death for our loved ones, friends, and our so-called enemies who do not yet know Jesus.  God has given us authority and power to go and tell them the Truth! 

God also provides rest along the way.  Receive the rest then get up and go again until all the world knows and follows Jesus!  We also know that the work for us is not finished or complete until Jesus returns.  But we can be assured He is with us by His Spirit, directing our lives by His teaching, with boldness to speak His words with His love in our hearts. “…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6 Yes, and Amen!

In today’s passage, despite much opposition from Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem, we learn that Nehemiah and the Israelites finished the wall of Jerusalem.  God guided Nehemiah in every aspect of rebuilding the wall.  The people gave all they had to finish the work because “they worked with all the hearts.”  Don’t you love that statement of the condition of their hearts even with weary hands?

God’s people endured nasty, mean opposition to God’s Work while building the wall; now they will be counted, recorded, and restored to their own homes.  Each head of household will carry on the work to post guard over their families to watch out for the enemy.  Pause to think about their new work of watching with their “guard up,” relying on God who protects and helps them.  They are no longer exiles.  They have come home.

Nehemiah 7

After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers, the musicians and the Levites were appointed. ² I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most people do. ³ I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut the doors and bar them. Also appoint residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some near their own houses.”

The List of the Exiles Who Returned

⁴ Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt. ⁵ So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families. I found the genealogical record of those who had been the first to return. This is what I found written there:

⁶ These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town, ⁷ in company with Zerubbabel, Joshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum and Baanah):

The list of the men of Israel:

³⁹ The priests:

⁴⁴ The musicians:

⁴⁵ The gatekeepers:

⁴⁶ The temple servants:

⁵⁷ The descendants of the servants of Solomon:

⁶¹ The following came up from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer, but they could not show that their families were descended from Israel:

⁶³ And from among the priests:

⁶⁴ These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. ⁶⁵ The governor, therefore, ordered them not to eat any of the most sacred food until there should be a priest ministering with the Urim and Thummim.

⁶⁶ The whole company numbered 42,360, ⁶⁷ besides their 7,337 male and female slaves; and they also had 245 male and female singers. ⁶⁸ There were 736 horses, 245 mules, ⁶⁹ 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.

⁷⁰ Some of the heads of the families contributed to the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics of gold, 50 bowls and 530 garments for priests. ⁷¹ Some of the heads of the families gave to the treasury for the work 20,000 darics of gold and 2,200 minas of silver. ⁷² The total given by the rest of the people was 20,000 darics of gold, 2,000 minas of silver and 67 garments for priests.

⁷³ The priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the musicians and the temple servants, along with certain of the people and the rest of the Israelites, settled in their own towns.

Ezra Reads the Law

When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns,

To be continued…

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

NOTE:  Reading this long list of difficult names might be boring to us today but stop and think about it. Each one of these people were God’s bridge from the defeats of the past to the hopes of the future. These surviving Jews were the living link that connected the historic past with the prophetic future, making possible Jesus’ entrance into the world.

Nehemiah 7 and Ezra 2 are to the Old Testament what Hebrews 11 is to the New Testament: a listing of the people whose faith and courage made things happen.

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. ² This is what the ancients were commended for.” Hebrews 11:1-2

THE MESSAGE TO REMEMBER:  BE ON GUARD!  God helping us!

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7

“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”—Jesus, Luke 12:15

We need guards at the gates!  We need faithful men and women who will not allow false Christians to get in and take over the God’s work in our homes and churches.  We need spiritual mentors, “watchers on the walls” of our hearts, to warn us when the enemy is approaching with his schemes to distract, deceive and destroy us! Christian parents need to guard their homes from allowing all that is not holy of God to enter in.  Our children, by nature, imitate who they see most often. What do we want our children to see, hear, and follow?

Know that the enemy’s goal is to look good while he enters and plants his counterfeits among God’s children.  He knows when God’s servants are negligent, asleep on the job or overconfident; so we must be awake and alert!  Jesus’ warning are serious concerning the “thief in the night” who comes to steal and wreak havoc when we least expect him.  It’s harder for him when we are awakened by and rely on the power of God within us!

Pray like Nehemiah and all those who came after him…God be the strength of our hands.  May Your Will be done.

Lord,

Thank you for the thoughts that lead us to You!  I will meditate on Your Word all day long.  May Your will be done in my life today.

In Jesus Name, Amen