The book of Nehemiah is a gift dropped from heaven so that we could gain a glimpse of how God graciously worked among His people in the post-exilic era. I encourage you to read the entire book before you read this message.

The situation was desperate. The former nation of Israel was shattered into shambles ready to join a host of other nations in the archives of ancient history. Since the time of Nehemiah, decades had passed since their capital was captured, burnt down and people deported. The Promised Land was resettled with the poorest Israelites and a mix of immigrants. Hope for the nation only remained in the copy of the old ancient scriptures.

The Book of Nehemiah speaks about one solitary spark through which the Lord relit a flame of hope for the future of Israel which otherwise would have been snuffed out. One has to understand when we talk about Nehemiah’s rebuilding a wall that the wall was least critical in the rebuilding of a nation dedicated to God’s purposes.

Were the Walls Important?

The wall is important only because for what was restored behind the wall. For example, if more guards about a home, the more valuable the goods and people within are esteemed.

The walls as well as the temple were significant architectural feats in a time without great machines. What made the walls of Jerusalem so valuable are not the walls themselves, but what the walls would protect: the heart of the nation of Israel. Or later as we discover the heart of God’s people the Jews.

Importance of Rebuilding!

It is not the Israelite people that made Israel a nation, but what God did in time and place in the lives of these men. “His Story” literally became history. If one has doubts about the historicity of crossing of the Red Sea, then all one needs to do is to turn to these post exilic books written 1000 years later for testimony about the glory of the God who miraculously restores the same stubborn people. For what happens in the Book of Nehemiah is a true parallel to the book of Exodus.

In Egypt the people of God were merely a displaced people, but the Israelites in faraway Susa, Persia were cast under the wrath of God for their idolatry. The Israelites in Egypt were a small homogenous group living in the land of Goshen of the Egyptian world empire, but in Nehemiah’s time they were scattered about as slaves in far flung districts of the great Persian Empire. The restoration of Israel from Persia required a much greater measure of grace than it did to call them from Egypt.

The question before us is whether it is easier to start from scratch or to rebuild?

If we were talking about mere buildings, perhaps we could think it would be a close runoff as to which would be easier. But when it comes to what the walls would protect, the heart of the nation, only a pure miracle could rebuild the Israelite nation. The remaining Jews were spread apart largely as slaves in a huge area under the rule of pagan families. These Jews did not have much faith. Some aged fathers might cry out from past memories, but their young just cared about getting on with life. Their faith had to be rebuilt just like the faith for our lives in a society in which we live.

SO WHAT MADE THE REBUILDING WORK A SUCCESS FOR NEHEMIAH?

Nehemiah’s conviction and powerful prayer life provide a wonderful challenge for us all through the Book of Nehemiah.

Deeper commitment: We are reminded that the rebuilding of walls go far deeper than what it looks like on the surface. Our spiritual lives, the development of local churches, all stand to be challenged as to the depth of our spiritual core. Do we really worship God or ourselves?

Spiritual frankness: Unless we open up our lives before God to be rebuilt, then we are just playing games. The old must come down. We must refuse to simply redecorate our old lives. Sure we can add some ‘spiritual’ habits but we will never get beyond Nehemiah 6 and live in a smug but lost world of religiosity.

New life, new commitment: God calls us to live as pilgrims and strangers on earth, not as residents. Because we belong to a different kingdom, we live by its rules even when the society puts lots of stress on us.

Life commitment: Our destiny is not here. Because we have life from above, we are quite willing to let this body go for we have stored up treasures in heaven just like Nehemiah. A prayerful life – Remember me. “Remember what I have done.” Even though Nehemiah built this city up from its crumbling stones, we see a man stilled before the presence of God. His life was not for himself but for what God had prepared. He prayerfully brought the impossible into reality.

Purpose of life: What are we living for? What do you value the most in life? Would you, for example, have been one of the exiles that came back to Jerusalem to work hard and labour? Risking all for your faith? Some of us have grown up in Christian homes and are just like these exiles. God is putting before you a choice to join or not join the community of God’s people. Many of you are more interested in going to movies then prayer meetings. You are more concerned with doing what your friends do than what God’s Word says. If you live this way, one day God will show you the bankruptcy of your heart and tear down the walls so that you cannot fool anyone.

Break through the stereotypes: If you are going to be a Christian, let it not be done because you want to do what everyone else will do. No. Your belief in Christ will lead you to weep for your city, for broken-up couple, etc. Christ’s genuine compassion will fill you.

Make a spiritual investment while you can. Put your hopes on the eternal kingdom of God. Store up things for this eternal kingdom now. The walls of this corruptible state will be torn down. God will give us a new body one day to gloriously portray His inner glory.

Develop a mission statement. Nehemiah is on a mission. He does not realize all of the implications of what he is to do but he has an overall purpose on what he is doing. This is forced upon him as he asks for leave of absence to accomplish what he wants. As he goes along, he becomes more and more aware of how his whole life fits into what God has for him. At any point, however, he is further asked “What is he doing?” Difficulties shake and shape one’s mission statement down for people or organizations. Nehemiah had plenty of those challenges.

What we see here is not only the rebuilding of a wall but a rebuilding of the community of God’s people. Are you fired up by the life of Nehemiah? Do you have the zeal to stand God? Arise Nehemiah’s it’s time to re-build our Christian Society!