August – September 2026: The Book of Nehemiah
On Tuesday 18th August we begin a brand new series of Daily Inspirations – in the Book of Nehemiah. It’s a riveting tale of someone being called by God to do something amazing – and then doing it! Nehemiah is a wonderful character, full of faith, wisdom and practical common sense. Let’s journey with him over the next three weeks or so, and be inspired by his example.
Day 19, Monday 14th September – Nehemiah 11:1-20 ‘National lot-tery’
That title got your attention, didn’t it? A reflection on the National Lottery? Well, yes, in fact – the original national lottery: today’s passage describes those families who were chosen to settle in Jerusalem. The method for selection was casting lots, and those included were drawn from across the country – hence national lottery. Imagine neighbours looking at each other as the lots were drawn, thinking: it could be you?!
Let’s rewind a little: after the completion of the wall and the renewing of the covenant, there still remained a very practical problem – not enough people were actually living in Jerusalem to make it defensible or indeed to serve as a true capital. Fresh blood was needed, which could only be derived from other parts of the country. The leaders led by example – v1 tells us that they settled in Jerusalem regardless. However, more families were needed. How to choose? They cast lots.
If this seems strange, a bit of biblical context is useful at this point. Casting lots is a frequently mentioned practice in scripture, going all the way back to the giving of the law (first mentioned in Leviticus 16:8). The worldview of the Old Testament is that God is in control of everything, everything happens according to His will, and thus God allows the Israelites to cast lots in order to determine His will for a particular situation. Indeed, Joshua used the practice numerous times to allocate the land in the original settlement hundreds of years previously; so, it was the natural solution for the people of Nehemiah’s day.
Not surprisingly, those who were chosen and obeyed the decision were ‘commended’ for doing so (v2) – presumably very few of them would have chosen to leave their ancestral land and their community connections. By faith they understood, though, that it was the will of the Lord.
The practice of casting lots continues throughout scripture right up to the choosing of Matthias as the new twelfth apostle just before the Day of Pentecost (Acts 1:26). It is noteworthy, however, that this is the last mention of the practice: once the Spirit is poured out on all believers, we no longer need such methods to make decisions; we can be guided into all truth (John 16:13). We can also observe that the practice, once stripped of its religious motives, quickly became associated with gambling – most soberingly at the foot of the cross, where the soldiers cast lots for Jesus’ clothing.
You probably didn’t find this passage the most thrilling read – but there is a profound point lying under the surface. This seemingly random process led to a dramatic life change for thousands of people; all faithful, all trusting the Lord – and yet called to something they probably didn’t wish or expect. God’s will surprised them, and they must have journeyed to Jerusalem with all their belongings, faced with a clear choice: to trust and obey, or to resent and complain. Perhaps you have faced a similar moment in life, when you sense that God has shut one door you wished had remained open, and maybe opened another that you didn’t really want. Perhaps you find yourself in this place now. The call to trust suddenly seems painful. Yet, the message of scripture is that all such trust is rewarded: God always repays. If you find yourself in unexpected territory, pray for grace to accept, even to embrace – the Lord works all things to good for those who love him. Amen.
Day 18, Saturday 12th September – Nehemiah 9:38-10:39 ‘The power of God’s Word (4) – Commitment’
‘In view of all this…’ And so, we get to the heart of the prayer. After a long and detailed confession of the people’s rebellious ways, their repentance is manifested in a ‘binding agreement’, witnessed by their spiritual leaders (10:1-27). True conviction and confession always ends in commitment.
Indeed, the word repentance, which we often equate to ‘saying sorry’, really means ‘change your life’. For the people of Nehemiah’s day, this was reflected in a series of very practical commitments relating to marriage (v30), Sabbath (v31), resourcing their worshipping life properly (vv32-34), and generosity (vv35-39). All core components of the Law, which were often neglected but which were integral to their distinctiveness (i.e. holiness) as the chosen people of the one true God, Yahweh.
Although it is rare for us to make detailed practical commitments in our confession prayers, we do reflect those intentions in a general sense in many of our standard prayers:
‘Grant that we may serve you in newness of life, to the glory of your name.’
‘That we may act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with you, our God.’
Or, to return to the prayer we quoted a few days ago: ‘Grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of thy holy Name.’
As close our week, and this shorter reflection, take a few minutes to reflect on what repentance looks like for you today. Maybe it’s not a case of making specific commitments; or maybe there might be value in doing so – as long as we hold fast to the Lord’s grace, and live in freedom rather than condemnation.
What we do understand at a much deeper level than those praying this prayer more than 2,000 years ago, is that this kind of transformation can only be achieved by the Holy Spirit working in us. So, as we choose to serve the Lord today, pray for a fresh infilling of grace, poured out by the Holy Spirit, to live out your commitments. And in all things may we abide in Him, bearing much fruit, to the glory of His name. Amen.
Day 17, Friday 11th September – Nehemiah 9:26-37 ‘Cycles of sin… and grace’
Someone once said that the definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result each time. I don’t know if that’s true, but it’s certainly a decent definition of human nature. We do the same thing over and over, intending to change… only to find the cycle repeating again.
The second part the people’s great prayer of confession, which we’re covering today, certainly makes that very clear. Time and again God blesses the people; time and again they turn away and disobey, bringing disaster on themselves in the process; at which point they return to God, who mercifully forgives and blesses them once more… only for the people to disobey, and so the cycle repeats again.
This pattern has been evident throughout the history of God’s people. The Book of Judges is probably the most sobering read in the bible, precisely for this reason. Every time a Judge is raised up by God and rescues a wayward people, they soon turn back to their wicked ways – leading them to cry out again to God… and so on, and so on.
700 years after the time of the Judges, it seems the penny has finally dropped. The people in Nehemiah’s time not only make this amazing prayer to God, they also give a wonderful summary of the story of God’s people – a story of disobedience and grace. Now they find themselves again at the bottom of the cycle (vv36-37) – but they know who the Lord is, they understand his character: (v32) ‘the great God, mighty and awesome, who keeps his covenant of love.’ They ask God to be gracious again; to rescue and restore them again, trusting in this great God who ‘delivered them time after time’ (v28).
Today, we may feel that we make this kind of prayer so often. A repeating cycle – can God possibly forgive this time? The answer is yes – not because of who we are, but because of who He is. Our God is the same yesterday, today and forever. His mercy always triumphs over the judgement we deserve.
Today, seize that truth again, and claim the forgiveness which none of us merit, but the Lord graciously bestows upon us. And may we live in the kindness of this God, reflecting that kindness to others. Amen.
Day 16, Thursday 10th September – Nehemiah 9:1-25 ‘The power of God’s Word (3) – Confession’
Confession is good for the soul.
It’s also a practice which has become increasingly unfashionable in modern culture, where the word sin is often seen as an outdated concept. If there is such a thing as sin, it’s something like not being true to yourself – whatever that means!
The primary issue, of course, is that sin is a word which finds its meaning and importance in relation to God. It is a spiritual problem and not just a moral or ethical or ‘lifestyle’ one. As society has secularised, so we find ways around it: different language, alternative categories… or we blame our genes or our experiences (and those are influences, but not justifications). This is in stark contrast to our pre-modern culture. Consider the words of the confession in the Book of Common Prayer:
Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep, we have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts, we have offended against thy holy laws, we have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done. And there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders; spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults, restore thou them that are penitent, according to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesu our Lord; and grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of thy holy Name. Amen.
That is the standard confession at both Morning and Evening prayer. In other words, a devout Anglican in years gone by would have said this twice a day, or up to fourteen times a week, or as many as 730 times a year! As my old vicar used to say, when you say the prayer book confessions, you are properly confessed.
Taking confession seriously, however, is not a question of fashion, it lies rooted in scripture. Our passage for today is the first part of an immense act of confession (which lasts all the way to the end of chapter 10). It is a significant moment, and therefore at one level, not ‘normal’ – it involved fasting and changes to the peoples’ appearance (v1), as well as a distinction between the original chosen people and those who had joined the community (v2). It took a long time (v3) and was led by a large number of leaders (vv4-5).
But, it was also setting a benchmark which was normative from this point on. God’s people were going to try and obey God – this great God who made everything (vv5-6), had chosen them (vv7-8), saved them (vv7-11), led them (v12), spoken to them (vv13-15), forgiven them (v17), taught them (v20), provided for them (vv20-21) and blessed them (vv22-26).
Tomorrow, we’ll see how the repeating pattern of sin, disaster, repentance and renewal pave the way for a renewal of this covenant. Today, though, let’s marvel at God’s love, patience and mercy – lavished not just on the Israelites, but us. And may that lead us into both gratitude and confession, and ultimately to a renewed life which brings glory to ‘thy holy Name’. Amen.
Wednesday 9th September – John 16:7-11 ‘Deep conviction’
Since we looked at the biblical idea of ‘conviction’ yesterday, today is another reflection from John’s gospel on that theme:
July 25th 1982. Just a normal Sunday. I went to church with my family, to (what we then called) the Family Service. My Dad was giving the talk, about Jesus meeting Nicodemus in John chapter 3. It was the days of Overhead Projectors (OHPs – remember them?!), and he showed this acetate of a wooden cross. When he got to the text, ‘Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness,’ he overlaid a second acetate with a picture of a snake, which was now wrapped around the cross. Then he completed the verse: ‘so the Son of Man must lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.’
At this point, he removed the snake and instead placed a third acetate over the cross – this time of Jesus. And suddenly I understood. Jesus had died for me. Not just for the world, for me. I was no more or less religiously-minded than most children; the chief attraction of church on Sundays was playing football in the church hall after the service! But at that moment, just before my tenth birthday, I knew something profound had happened. I prayed directly to Jesus, I think perhaps for the first time; and I made a mental note to remember that day, because on that day my life changed.
A lot of water has gone under the bridge since then, but I still remember that family service from over forty years ago. And what I experienced is what countless others have through the ages, and what Jesus speaks about in today’s passage. I came under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Conviction is more than just revelation. The modern NIV translation renders it ‘prove the world to be in the wrong,’ but that doesn’t quite cut it either. Conviction is revelation which fundamentally touches our hearts and changes our mind. It compels us to change. What others experience as ‘just words’ seem to be given specifically and directly to us, to transform our lives immediately.
This is the work of the Holy Spirit. In particular, the Holy Spirit will convict people in regard to ‘sin and righteousness and judgement’ (v8). If this sounds negative – where’s the love of Jesus, or the peace that comes from knowing him, you might be thinking? – then we should never forget that we need a Saviour. Without sin there’s no grace. Without grace, there’s no gospel, no good news. We only truly understand the love of Jesus when we know what he has saved us from. We only truly know the peace of Jesus when we fully grasp that, because of Jesus, God’s just judgement has been fulfilled and ‘the prince of this world now stands condemned’ (v11). Whatever we face in this life, our future is secure.
I can’t explain why it was that day in 1982 when the Holy Spirit first deeply convicted me. I’m sure people were praying! But this I know – it was real, and true, and good. It’s what the Holy Spirit does, and is still doing, all around the world, every day, every minute. Today, let’s give thanks for our own journeys, those moments of conviction in our lives. And let’s also pray with faith for that same conviction to be at work in those we love, and those we’ll never meet. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.
Day 15, Tuesday 8th September – Nehemiah 8:9-18 ‘The power of God’s Word (2) – Conviction’
God’s word has a power all of its own. The bible is full of references to its own efficacy: think of Isaiah 55:11 – ‘my word does not return to me empty’ – or Hebrews 4:12 – ‘the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword… it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.’
No surprise, then, that a whole morning of listening to scripture produced a profound effect on the large crowd gathered by the Water Gate (and let’s note in passing that they were not meeting in the temple area, just in a large square by the city limits – a reminder that God’s people can gather anywhere to meet with the Lord, and God’s word can have its effect anywhere, too.) This profound effect is a work of God’s Spirit and is what Jesus later called ‘conviction’ (John 16:8).
Conviction is more than just understanding; it is revelation which fundamentally touches our hearts and changes our mind, compelling us to change. What others experience as ‘just words’ seem to be given specifically and directly to us, to transform our lives immediately. For the people gathered listening to Ezra, this was experienced both as sadness and joy: the deep realisation of just how far they had fallen short of God’s plan for their lives led them to weep (v9); the encouragement that the Lord in his mercy and grace had given them a fresh start, and renewed their lives and their community, led into joy and celebration (v12).
Indeed, in v10 of this passage, we get the famous phrase – which nobody ever remembers is in Nehemiah, of all places! – ‘the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ There’s a phrase to fill our hearts today.
Conviction, though, also requires more than just our emotions and resolutions; it requires action. It is one thing to know we need to change; it is another to actually try and do it. In this case, the people realised that a major festival required by the Law was not being celebrated (v17) – and they were in the exact season in which they should be celebrating it (v14). So, they acted: they made shelters, and, for the first time in generations, celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles. By the way, this is now known as Sukkot and is still practised annually today – in 2026 it will be commemorated from 25th September until 2nd October.
We’ve come a long way from repairing a wall, haven’t we? This chapter conveys some of the energy, the passion, which was stirring God’s people, as they rediscovered who they were. We, too, need regularly to ‘rediscover’ who we are in Christ; to be gripped again by the power of God’s word, and the conviction of His Spirit. Maybe that’s a word for you today; or maybe it’s to reflect: where is God’s word particularly speaking to you at the moment? Either way, pray for grace to act on your convictions; and may the joy of the Lord always be your strength, this day and every day. Amen.
Day 14, Monday 7th September – Nehemiah 7:73-8:8 ‘The power of God’s Word (1) – Clarity’
What does a society need to thrive? It’s a question we ask ourselves a lot nowadays. Despite rapid advances in technology, medicine and global infrastructure, many cultures seem stuck in a slow but steady downward spiral. It’s a question which also lies at the heart of Nehemiah’s great work. As we have observed, this was always about more than a wall. It was the renewal of a nation.
By the start of chapter 8, a huge amount has been achieved – the defences are more or less secure, leaders have been appointed, and a great programme of resettlement has been started… but something crucial is missing. It is this that Nehemiah and the Jews’ spiritual leaders attend to next, and it forms the heart of the next section of this remarkable book.
For centuries, Israel had a pattern of festivals: centred in Jerusalem, these were designed for the whole people to spend time worshipping the Lord together. Since the exile more than a century previously, such festivals had been largely abandoned. However, about fourteen years before Nehemiah, Ezra the priest had arrived in Jerusalem and begun the process of spiritual renewal. (We haven’t mentioned Ezra much, but it’s worth noting that these two books belong together – and rightly so, as Ezra means ‘help’ and Nehemiah means ‘comfort’. Nehemiah is effectively the second half of the ‘renewal story’.) Ezra’s work was groundbreaking, but without a secure city its scope was limited. Now it was possible to be more ambitious: so, come the autumn of Nehemiah’s first year (‘the seventh month’ is roughly September), the first great gathering took place.
The heart of this gathering was the public reading of scripture to the whole assembly (v3). Ezra the priest read from daybreak until noon, while the people listened. There are some key details which should not escape us: first the initiative came from the people. This is not ‘religion imposed from above’ – the people ‘told Ezra’ to read the bible to them! Our engagement with scripture begins with enthusiasm to hear and receive it.
Second, there is something special about studying the bible together, corporately. Of course, there is great value in personal study – I wouldn’t be writing these reflections otherwise! – but the word of God also needs to be read publicly, to reach a whole people.
Third, this study takes place best in an environment of worship and adoration (see v6). It is not just an exercise of the head – though our minds must be similarly devoted – it is an exercise of the heart: ‘Amen! Amen!’
Alongside this reading came explanation: (v8) ‘making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.’ The task of Israel’s spiritual leaders was not just to read scripture but to teach it – to bring clarity. How we need this today! To return to our initial question, many have wondered if we have become like the people of Amos’ time: a culture which suffers a ‘famine of hearing the words of the Lord’ (Amos 8:11). Into this vacuum comes not only secular worldviews, but – perhaps more dangerously – distortions of a truly biblical worldview, where the word of God is distorted to serve a purpose. The only ‘cure’ for this is to immerse ourselves in scripture again: to sit under it in humility, rather than over it in judgement, and to experience the true renovation of the heart which comes as a result.
Today, let’s finish with the great prayer for the Second Sunday in Advent – written by Cranmer in the 1540s but just as needed today: ‘Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.’
Saturday 5th September – Psalm 17 ‘The Apple’
‘Jesus loves you…. but I’m his favourite.’
I remember a Christian leader sharing in a talk that he would love to wear a T-shirt like that, with ‘Jesus loves you’ on the front, and ‘but I’m his favourite’ on the back! Whatever you think of that, from either a sartorial or an evangelistic point of view, the point he was making was quite profound. He was preaching on a passage from the gospel of John, which refers to ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved’. Many people think this is John himself – but you can also read it as a way of us (or any reader) entering the story personally. You are the disciple Jesus loves. I am the disciple Jesus loves.
We are familiar with the idea that God loves us – but not all of us are comfortable with the idea that God actually likes us. We can imagine God’s love as the sort of stoic act of will often seen in previous generations: he loves us because he’s God, he has to – but like? Why would God like me?
This psalm contains many similar themes that we encounter in lots of David’s psalms. Troubles, enemies, pleas for vindication and judgement…. but there is one extraordinary verse in the middle: in fact the exact middle, verse 8 of 15 (a perfect 7 before and 7 after): ‘Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.’
The ‘apple of your eye’ appears as a phrase five times in the Old Testament: three times it refers to God’s view of the nation of Israel (i.e. his people as a whole), and once to how we should view God’s law. Only here do we find it applied to one individual. David is not praying as a ‘nation’ but as a person. Keep me, Lord, he prays, as the apple of your eye. (And note: David knows that he already is – he prays ‘keep me’, not ‘make me’.)
We may not always see eye to eye with the more vengeful bits of David’s psalms. But his relationship with the Lord has something amazing to teach us in this respect: his childlike confidence in God’s love – and that similarly childlike sense that his divine parent not only loves him conditionally, he actually likes him. God thinks he’s amazing, and when he’s in trouble, he comes back to that. He knows that, whatever is going on, God is not punishing him (apart from Psalm 51, but that’s for another time). It’s just life – and his divine parent, who sees him personally as the apple of his eye, will see him through.
I want that kind of relationship with the Lord. I want that assurance of knowing that I am the apple of God’s eye. Perhaps you do, too. So, today, why not spend a few moments with this verse? Pray for grace to believe that God doesn’t just love you, he likes you as well. And may you live from that place of unfailing love today, hidden in the shadow of his wings.
Friday 4th September – Psalm 16 ‘The Portion’
We take another brief break from Nehemiah to enjoy a couple of Psalms (today and tomorrow):
‘Just a small portion for me.’ These are words I utter quite often at our family meals; I do love food, but I don’t have a particularly big appetite, so if there’s a pudding available, my desire to enjoy it is tempered by my modest appetite – so I’ll compromise with these words: ‘Just a small portion, please.’
The point is, it doesn’t matter what size the portion is: what you really want is enough. That might be a large portion, a medium-sized one, or a small one: if it’s enough, then it’s just right.
And that helps to explain this lovely, but slightly odd, phrase in today’s psalm, written by King David: (v5) ‘Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup.’ To our ears, we might find ourselves wondering: ‘well, we don’t know if that’s a good thing, because we don’t know if it’s large portion or a small one – what if David only gets a small slice of the cake?! More to the point, what if we only get a small portion from God, too?’
The point isn’t the size of the portion: the point is that it’s enough. God’s grace is always sufficient, and whatever he gives us is what we need. For David, God’s portion to him offered security: ‘in you I take refuge… you make my lot secure… I shall not be shaken’ (v1, v5, v8). It offered hope: ‘surely I have a delightful inheritance’ (v6). It offered wisdom: ‘I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me’ (v7).
This psalm is often read at a burial, because it is one of the first to acknowledge the reality of eternal life. Early Jewish tradition was agnostic about the idea as to whether there was life after death, or whether God’s blessings are only for this life. One of David’s most precious pieces of counsel from the Lord – right here in this psalm – is that God’s portion reaches beyond the grave, offering us eternal life: or, as he puts it, ‘eternal pleasures at your right hand’ (v11). Peter quoted Psalm 16’s promise of resurrection in his Pentecost sermon (Acts 2:25-28) – but it’s not only Jesus who receives the glorious promises at the end of this psalm; thanks to Jesus, it’s us, too.
Strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow – as the great old hymn puts it – this is the Lord’s portion to David. This is also the Lord’s portion to us. The size doesn’t matter: what matters is that it is enough. God’s portion control is always just right. Great is his faithfulness!
Day 13, Thursday 3rd September – Nehemiah 7:4-73 ‘Each to their own town’
Before I was a minister, I was a market researcher. This was at a time when my kids were very young, and had no idea what sort of job their daddy had. So, when I came home from work and they asked me what I did, I said: ‘Counting. Daddy does counting for a living.’ Which was basically true, albeit I imagine they sometimes wondered how anyone could get paid for listing numbers up to ten! (For the record, I did go a bit higher than ten… sometimes.)
Counting is definitely something we find a lot of in the bible. The bible is full of lists of numbers; indeed, there’s a whole book of them which has that very name. Nehemiah chapter 7 is another great example of this value placed upon numbers of people. Genealogies really mattered to the Israelites, and here we have a long list of all the descendants of various families who had returned from exile (or in some cases may never have left).
The reason is made clear at the start of today’s passage: (v4) ‘Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not been rebuilt.’ Not surprisingly, nobody wanted to live in a defenceless city which was surrounded by enemies. But the city had walls now; so, Nehemiah made it his priority – inspired by God (v5) – to get those families to return. How? Certainly not by bribery, threat or even ‘marketing’. He used a much more effective strategy.
Here’s where we need a bit of context. When the Israelites first settled in the Promised Land, every family was given a parcel of land, as theirs in perpetuity. Sometimes land was sold or taken by other families; however, the Jubilee every fifty years was meant to undo all such imbalances, whereby the land was restored to each family. Sadly, the testimony of the prophets throughout the history of Israel indicate that the Jubilee was unlikely to ever have been practised – human greed being what it is – however, those records of which families owned what still remained.
Nehemiah found those records (v5), cross-referenced this against the current population, and consequently made a comprehensive list of who was meant to live where – by family. This is the long list in verses 8-69, and what is fascinating is that this list extends well beyond Jerusalem. It covers the whole country: (v6) ‘each to his own town’ – repeated at the very end of the chapter: (v73) the ‘Israelites settled in their own towns.’ It is a grand vision to repopulate the land.
On the face if it, what is there for us today? Is this just an interesting but curious relic of Old Testament history? At face value, maybe… but there is something powerful here about roots. Where we come from shapes us, for good or ill, and we never entirely leave those roots behind. Jesus was ultimately rejected at Nazareth – but it’s insightful to observe that he went there early in his ministry. He began from his roots.
In the modern world, many of us leave home and live elsewhere; we also grow and develop in different ways, and much of this is good. But roots matter – they matter to us, and also to God. Today, spend a few moments reflecting on your roots. What did God form in you through them? How does he use them in you now? And let’s pray that God works our roots to good, just as He works all things to good, that we may bloom where we’re planted today.
Day 12, Wednesday 2nd September – Nehemiah 6:15-7:3 ‘Completed! – and continuing…’
‘So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.’
What joy it must have been to write those words! Even better, to actually see the rebuilt wall; to walk around inside its perimeter, knowing that the city was secure; to celebrate with those who had put in so much hard work, had risked their lives and chosen to trust both God and their inspired leader, Nehemiah.
So why doesn’t the book of Nehemiah finish here? This was the great task, but it’s only less than halfway into the book. There’s a long way to go yet! And that, surely is the point: Nehemiah’s vision was about much more than the wall – it may have begun like that, but ultimately it was about the renewing of a nation. The wall was the necessary first step, without which nothing else could be achieved; however, it was only the first step towards the bigger goal – a task which took not just 52 days, but 12 years, and counting (see 5:14).
This sense of now… and not yet – or completed… and continuing – is reflected even in our modern bible translations, some of which put v15 at the end of one section, whilst others put it at the start of the next section. Which is it? Again, I think those scholarly debates about the textual flow reflect the much more important point: this is not the end, it is not even the beginning of the end; but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. As someone once said. (Bonus point if you know who, when and why.)
In fact, what is most striking is how little time is taken here to pause and celebrate the completion of the wall – that will come later. We simply get a short note (v16) that its completion shook their enemies, who saw that the Lord was helping His people. After that, we’re back into the thick of the challenge – nobles who are still under the sway of Tobiah, and the latter’s continuing attempts at intimidation (vv17-19).
None of this is going to stop Nehemiah from pressing on, though; he is not someone to rest on his laurels, he immediately starts putting the next stage of the plans in place: appointing key officials. His prioritising is instructive: first the gatekeepers (absolutely vital for the new fortifications, which had to be stewarded safely at all costs); then the worship leaders – for this is first and foremost a worshipping people. And then the city leadership – at which point some of you will be raising eyebrows at the appointment of Nehemiah’s brother. Nepotism? I don’t think so: bear in mind it was Hanani who had travelled all the way to Susa to tell his brother what was happening in Jerusalem; then factor in all those who were already under the influence of Jerusalem’s enemies (see vv17-19), and the pool of trustworthy people must have been small.
The clincher is the next appointment – Hananiah – appointed ‘because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most men do.’ Nehemiah is not handing out ‘jobs for the boys’; his priorities are character and depth of faith. It’s hard to do better than that – yet another leadership blueprint for today.
This side of glory, the work of the kingdom is always: now… and not yet; Jesus’ great work on the cross is complete – and yet always continuing, as the gospel spreads across the world and into ever more human hearts. Today, take a moment to pray for the Lord’s kingdom work to continue, in whatever places it intersects with your life; and pray for the leaders of that work, that they may have grace to see the fruit of their labours, and still to persevere, however near or far the finish line is.
Day 11, Tuesday 1st September – Nehemiah 6:10-14 ‘Facing opposition (4): fear’
What is the opposite of faith? Most of us would instinctively say ‘doubt’ – but that’s not the biblical answer. In the bible, the opposite of faith is fear. It’s why Jesus prefaces his post-resurrection encounters repeatedly with the words, ‘Do not be afraid.’ It’s why St John tells us that there is no fear in love. Yes, there are healthy fears, which we learn as we grow up for our own protection; but generally, fear is a constricting factor in our adult lives. It is especially damaging to our souls, as well as our wills: a primary motivation of fear rarely leads to good decisions being made.
Bullies know this all too well. Make a person afraid and they will act against their own interests; or rather, they will act in their (and your) perceived short-term interest at the expense of their long-term one. In today’s passage, we see Nehemiah’s opponents make one last throw of the dice. Thus far they have failed with every strategy to stop the work; their final option is to make Nehemiah afraid for his own personal safety. Although it might sound sensible for Nehemiah to hide for a few days or even hours to protect himself, the location is significant: the sanctuary of the temple was a sacred space, and to use it for his own protection would have driven a wedge between himself and the priests. Nehemiah would have lost not only credibility but also moral authority.
Ironically, the threat would have carried more weight if the proposed ‘safe house’ had been anywhere else but the temple; but Shemaiah overplayed his hand, egged on no doubt by Nehemiah’s chief adversaries Tobiah and Sanballat. Nehemiah rightly smelled a rat and called out the skullduggery. He chose faith over fear, and the work continued – indeed as we’ll see tomorrow, it was about to be completed!
Few of us face the kind of threats Nehemiah did; but we all face smaller ones. We all have regular moments which ultimately demand a decision: to choose the path of faith or fear. Such choices become habit-forming. Choosing faith makes it easier to choose faith the next time; and vice versa.
‘Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin,’ St Paul observed. If this sounds overly harsh, the point Paul is making is that our motives matter. Otherwise neutral choices get ‘infected’ if fear or some other negative emotion is our driver. Conversely, to act in good faith often commands a blessing even if we sometimes make what we later consider to be the ‘wrong’ choice. God is gracious and knows our hearts.
Today, may the Lord grant us all grace to choose faith over fear in our decisions and actions, be they big or small; and may choosing faith become our life-giving habit, as we trust in Him. Amen.
Day 10, Monday 31st August – Nehemiah 6:1-9 ‘Facing opposition (3): lies and gossip’
Followers of Jesus have often been treated as threats to the ‘established order.’ In many ways this is strange: a group committed to living peaceful, holy, servant-hearted lives ought to be the very last people to be considered subversive. On the other hand, we worship a different Lord, one to whom all the Powers That Be will one day give an account; and that makes flawed human authorities nervous. Corrupt power hates having to share it, or recognise its limitations.
Such a state of affairs goes all the way back to Jesus himself; the only perfect human who ever lived was frequently subjected to false allegations, not least at his final arrest and trial. The main reason Christians were martyred in the time of the Roman Empire was because they refused to worship Caesar as a god. Interestingly they were also accused of incest, since spouses referred to each other as ‘brother’ and ‘sister’ – a term which reflected their faith not their genes!
This latter piece of scandalous gossip connects much more directly with what Nehemiah faces in today’s passage. We’ve seen the various ways that his opponents have tried to undermine him – thus far primarily through insult or intimidation. Now, they try a different tack: (v6) ‘It is reported among the nations – and Geshem says it is true – that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt.’ Lies, basically, spread via gossip (if Geshem says it is true…). It is a sobering but healthy reminder that even our best intentions can be misinterpreted – sometimes unwittingly, here quite deliberately. This is a ploy to stop the rebuilding work, effectively continuing the policy of intimidation by other means.
I have seen this myself. I spent many years attending a church which was part of the HTB network in London. These churches are thriving, and a lot of people hate them for it. More than one national newspaper has written articles over the years describing it as a cult. As someone who attended one of these churches during the period it was being described as such, I can safely say that I couldn’t imagine anything that was less like a cult; anyone could come and go as they please, and leadership was widely dispersed and actively encouraged. Its ‘problem’ was that people who joined one of these churches really loved their Christian community, thrived in their faith and naturally wanted to share it as a result. Sadly, HTB was perceived as a threat largely because its evident fruit was a pointed reminder of the decline of much of the rest of the church.
Jesus called the devil the ‘father of lies,’ and much of the devil’s best work is done simply through encouraging people to spread them. What should our response be? Certainly not to ‘fight fire with fire’, or even to indulge in lengthy self-justifications; Nehemiah’s response is our model. He simply tells the truth and gets on with his work: (v8,v9) ‘”Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.’ …I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.”’
St Paul tells us that the only offensive weapon we have in the armour of God is ‘the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.’ Let God’s word in Nehemiah be our ‘sword’ today, powerful truth demolishing the lies which can undermine our faith. And may the Lord strengthen our hands for whatever kingdom work He has for us, this day and this week. Amen.
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