Day 225

Nehemiah 5:14–7:73; 1 Corinthians 8:1-13; Psalm 33:1-11; Proverbs 21:8-10

AS WE CONTINUE to observe Nehemiah’s efforts to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, we might notice that his challenges only escalated the closer he got to completion. This should put a little wind in the sails of our own mission —we’re not the only ones who face opposition. In today’s reading, we got a glimpse of Nehemiah’s motives.

Nehemiah did not take the allotted resources given to his position, even though his predecessors had —and there was nothing wrong with benefiting from what he’d earned. He saw the burden the people were under and chose to lighten the load rather than increase it. He paid out of his own pocket what was required for his leadership position, showing his subordinates that he was in the struggle with them. This not only set an example but also revealed that Nehemiah wasn’t looking for an opportunity to exploit anyone for personal gain. He was single-minded in his mission: to build a wall so God’s Temple would be protected. He would accept nothing more —and nothing less.

According to Nehemiah, “I also devoted myself to working on the wall and refused to acquire any land” (Nehemiah 5:16).

This might seem like an odd thing to draw attention to, but we must remember that rebuilding Jerusalem would have been a ground-floor opportunity for acquiring prime real estate. Nehemiah was in a position to attain wealth and property, but the allure did not distract him from what he wholeheartedly believed was his mission from God.

Next, Nehemiah faced the politics of the situation. When ridicule and the threat of attack were unsuccessful, his foes invited him to a summit with the idea that everyone should get on the same page. Four times they sent invitations to meet, and each time, Nehemiah responded the same way: “I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?” (Nehemiah 6:3). Nehemiah’s question was fair and should resonate with us as we pursue our own calling. Why would we stop progress only to listen to the very voices that tried to diminish and intimidate us?

Of course, the “summit” to which Nehemiah was invited wasn’t suggested simply to talk things out. The politics of the situation were dirty, to say the least. A rumor had been concocted to discredit Nehemiah and get him removed from his position —a rumor that could have led to his execution.

Rather than cowering to political coercion, Nehemiah decided to simply work all the harder to complete his mission: “They were just trying to intimidate us,” he said, “imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination” (Nehemiah 6:9).

Next, the enemies of Nehemiah (and the wall) attempted to bring religion into the mix, paying a prophet to coerce Nehemiah into blockading himself in God’s Temple. This would have made Nehemiah look fearful and weak. Nehemiah said,

“Should someone in my position run from danger? Should someone in my position enter the Temple to save his life? No, I won’t do it!” I realized that God had not spoken to him, but that he had uttered this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. They were hoping to intimidate me and make me sin. Then they would be able to accuse and discredit me.

Nehemiah’s singular commitment to his passionate endeavor to protect God’s Temple gave him the north star he needed to face formidable opposition coming against him from all directions. Had his motives been aimed at personal gain and notoriety, he would have most certainly handled his leadership differently —and the wall likely would have remained incomplete. Fifty-two days after beginning work on the wall, Nehemiah reflected on what he’d faced: “When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God” (Nehemiah 6:16).

Although we’ve received considerable counsel through the fulfillment of Nehemiah’s dream to rebuild the wall, we’re not finished learning from Nehemiah. We’ll pick up the story in tomorrow’s reading.

MEDITATION:

The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations and thwarts all their schemes. But the LORD’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken.