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Articles
Nehemiah
Nehemiah shows us how Godly leadership revives and rebuilds. As we read the story in Nehemiah we see how he reacts when he finds out the walls of Jerusalem were broken down. In Nehemiah 1:3 it reads, And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wallof Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.
NEHEMIAH'S RESPONSE to the news tells us in Nehemiah 1:4, 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. He wept His heart was broken at the situation.
(We won't do anything unless our hearts are broken.) As you read Nehemiah 1:5-11, Nehemiah also prayed earnestly over the situation (Our broken hearts move us to rely on pray about a troublesome situation. Here we see Nehemiah acknowledged the Greatness of God and His power.
Nehemiah acknowledged his sin and the sins of his nation asking for forgiveness.
(We also need to ask God to forgive us.)
Nehemiah acknowledged his willingness to be used by God to do something about the situation of the broken walls.
(We often miss great blessing & joy because we are not willing to have God use us in meeting the needs of others.)
Nehemiah prayed and then he also asked the help of the king.
(Today we need not to be afraid to ask for help from the church family for strength.)
Nehemiah went to the city where the walls were broken down to survey the need.
ln Nehemiah 2:11-15 it tells us, So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days. 12 And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon. 13 And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire. 14 Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to the king's pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass. 15 Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate ofthe valley and so returned.
We need to go to where the needs are located, even when it is out of our comfort zone.)
He enlisted others to help him rebuild the wall. We see in Nehemiah 2:17-18,
Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach. 18 Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So, they strengthened their hands for this good work.
(Each member of the church should work together in helping each other in reaching the need that is confronted in the church today.)
NEHEMIAH MET OPPOSITION as so willwe,
Nehemiah 2:19-20
But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king? 20 Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore, we his servants will arise and build; but ye have no portion, or right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.
They faced opposition when they began to rebuild the walls-
(We can expect opposition especially when we are trying to do that which is right in the sight of God.)
Dear friends, you will be ridiculed by others when trying to serve our Almighty God. Just like Nehemiah, they tried to imply that all his hard work of what he was doing would not last.
We see this in Nehemiah 4:3,
Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.
ln Nehemiah 4:8-9 it warns us, that the enemy will always plot against us, to stop us from rebuilding the wall (doing God's will). And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it. 9 Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
I pray that we all can learn from Nehemiah, and that is: Pray fervently, ask for forgiveness, seek help from others, work together in the Kingdom of God and we together can fight off this enemy the devil.
Robby Cable
Providence Church of Christ
606-305-8452
