A SWORD AND A TROWEL
Nehemiah is an incredible figure in the Bible, and his story amazes me because of its relevance for today. It speaks to me on many levels, but mostly about how important it is for me to know God’s will, get under the burdens that are close to His heart, and do the work that He has called me to do.
Nehemiah was among those Jews who were living in Babylon because
of King Nebuchadnezzar destroying the city of Jerusalem in 593 B.C. He was born in Persia to parents who were
part of the Jewish exile. At some point,
he was enlisted into service in the palace of the King, and, so, became the
King’s cupbearer - a position of importance.
While in this service, word came to him from some who had returned from
Jerusalem, that the people were in great affliction, and the walls of the city
were broken down, and the gates burned with fire. The news so affected Nehemiah that he sat
down and wept, and mourned, and didn’t eat for days; but, more importantly, he
prayed. For four months he prayed. He confessed his sins and the sins of his people,
he reminded God of His promises, and reminded Him, too, that these were the
people whom He had chosen and redeemed for Himself. After four months, God gave him an
opportunity to speak his heart to the King. The King, in turn, appointed him Governor of
Judea and gave him the authority and resources to return and rebuild Jerusalem.
Jerusalem represents the New Jerusalem which, we are
told, is the Bride of Christ, or the true Church. The walls of the city, which were broken
down, represent the walls of salvation. The
gates of the city are the gates of righteousness and praise. As we look honestly at the state of God’s Church
today, we see much to be distressed about.
Like the people of the captivity in Nehemiah’s day, we see Christians
who are in great affliction. Instead of
being full of faith and joy in believing, they are discouraged and oppressed
and often display a worse temperament than those who do not profess Christ at
all. They lack the power and witness of
those who know they have been redeemed, and who have committed themselves
wholly to the Lord. The walls of
salvation have been broken down to the point where many believers are unaware
that their salvation has set them free from sin and is a defense against the
temptations of their enemies. The gates
of righteousness and praise, too, have been burned; and many have lost the will
to worship and the strength to live uprightly for God.
God, today, is looking for Nehemiah’s: people who feel
the burden of God’s heart and are willing to pray. Every mighty revival in history has begun because
of someone getting under a burden of prayer.
When
Nehemiah arrived at Jerusalem, the enemies of the Jews heard of it and, “it grieved them exceedingly that there was
come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.” (Nehemiah 2:10). Believe
me when I say that the enemy of our souls hates to see someone with a burden of
prayer for the people of God and the authority to build from the King
Himself! You see, when God our King
places a burden of prayer on our hearts, He also provides us with the authority
to build, and all the resources necessary to build with out of His own
treasuries.
One major
challenge that Nehemiah and his people faced when they surveyed the damage to
the walls and gates was all of the rubble that littered the building site. This had to be collected and hauled away
before they could even begin to build. “…there is much rubbish; so that we are not
able to build the wall.” (Nehemiah 4:10).
There is much rubbish that has been deposited in the Church also which
hinders the work of restoration. Rubbish
in the form of false doctrines, humanism, man worship, and idolatry of various
kinds prevent the true work of rebuilding until those things are identified and
hauled away. We need to go back to the
solid foundation that was established by the Apostles in the first century, but
to do that we must renounce “…the hidden
things of dishonesty,” and not walk
in deceit, or manipulate the Word of God dishonestly. “…but by manifestation of the
truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.”
(2 Corinthians 4:2). God will restore
light to the Church as His people begin to pray for true revival, and His light
will reveal the things of darkness that lurk there now unnoticed and
unaddressed.
As the work
progressed, opposition became greater from the Jews’ enemies. They tried every tactic to try to make the
work cease, but the people continued to pray, and they continued to build.
It got to the point where the people who were building held a sword in
one hand and a builder’s tool in the other so that they could continue to work but
still fight when and if they must. “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.” (Nehemiah
4:17).
We must never lose sight
of the fact that the work of the Lord will always involve spiritual warfare as
well. Satan hates God’s work and
will use any means to try to discourage it.
We must always be vigilant, therefore, lest he catch us unawares. In all their plotting and planning to foil
the work of the builders, the enemy’s purposes were discovered every time
because of the Jew’s caution and watchfulness, and it never came down to
bloodshed. After all, if God gives
authority for a thing to be done, who is he that can oppose it? In just 52 days, Nehemiah and the people with
him completed this monumental task of refortifying Jerusalem.
It was after
the walls and gates were rebuilt that the people held a solemn assembly and
asked that the Book of the Law of Moses be read before the whole
congregation. When this was done, and
they heard the words of God, we are told that the people wept and mourned out
of conviction. Nehemiah, however,
encouraged the people to rejoice, saying, “this day is holy unto our
Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the
joy of the LORD is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10). This
is when revival really broke out among them.
They were filled with a hunger for God’s Word and a desire to know His
ways. They entered a holy covenant with
the Lord at that time and promised to keep His laws and precepts forever!
The Church
as a whole needs just such a revival today.
Will you be one to help build in this great work that God has
planned. Will you pray for the restoration
of the Church to the former glory that it enjoyed in the first century? God has never changed. If the Church today does not possess the
power that was hers in ages past it is we, its members, who have changed. Our Father is standing with arms wide open,
offering us His mercy, power, and Spirit to accomplish the work He has for us
to do. Let’s grab our sword and our
trowel and help in the task!
“For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace,
and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go
forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.” (Isaiah 62:1).
“We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks.
Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may
enter in.” (Isaiah
26:1, 2).
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