November 19, 2024 | Be God's Light
Nehemiah Returns to Jerusalem to Inspect Walls
Scripture: Nehemiah 2(NIV)
1 In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, 2 so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.”
I was very much afraid, 3 but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”
4 The king said to me, “What is it you want?”
Then I prayed to the God of heaven, 5 and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.”
6 Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.
7 I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? 8 And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests. 9 So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.
10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.
11 I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days 12 I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.
13 By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. 14 Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; 15 so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. 16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work.
17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” 18 I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me.
They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.
19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. “What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?”
20 I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”
Devotional
Artaxerxes was the same king who allowed Ezra to return to Jerusalem with 2000 families to reestablish spiritual loyalty to the Lord. Here he did the same for Nehemiah thirteen years later. Though this king was far from a worshipper of God, the Lord still used him to impact the spiritual and physical well-being of His chosen people.
The Bible says that when Christ was resurrected and ascended, God “seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way” (Ephesians 1:20-23). There is no earthly power that even touches the authority of God.
When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, he inspected the rubble and made a plan to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. This was met with acceptance by some (“Let us start rebuilding”) and resistance by others (“What is this you are doing?”). The reality is that most things of significance get buy-in by some and push-back by others. Nehemiah didn’t wait for 100% approval ratings. He simply said to his detractors: “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”
In the passage quoted from Ephesians above, Paul boldly stated that Christ is above every person or power in this world. Let’s remember that when he was ministering in their city, he was met with massive resistance. An influential silversmith who made a fortune making statues of the false goddess Artemis stirred up the people, “You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business. And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all” (Acts 19:25-26). The result was a riot. Nonetheless, a Christian Church was established in the pagan city. God is above all.
Whether rebuilding a wall around the holy city or starting a church in a corrupt city or doing whatever God is calling you to do, expect resistance. The question is not: “Does everyone approve?” The question is always: “Is God calling?” Or as Nehemiah put it, “The God of heaven will give us success.”
What is the Lord saying to you from today’s devotion?
Poem
Examine Your Walls
The walls of your city, protection for you
Great gates guard, decide who will pass
Into your great city, And who is shut out
In order for peace there to last
But enemies try to find areas weak
Or try to scale over your walls
Their goal to attack all that’s holy and pure
Full longing your city to fall
So examine your walls, this a disciplined chore
Make sure gates are strong, guards wield swords
Pray wisdom, discernment, what comes in or stays out
The foundation stones solely God’s word
