I want to walk through a portion of Nehemiah’s life to discover how he accomplished something great. I think there are some lessons we can learn.
God’s special people, the Jews, did not obey God. So he punished them. He allowed the king of Babylon and his army to defeat them. The king of Babylon ordered most Jews to live in Babylon. Babylon was a long way from their country, called Judah. Many years later, the army from Persia defeated the army from Babylon. The king of Persia allowed the Jews to return to their own land. Only some of the Jews returned to Judah.
Many years later a man called Hanani left Judah to visited his brother, Nehemiah. Nehemiah was an important servant of the king of Persia. Nehemiah asked Hanani for news about Jerusalem, which was the chief city in Judah. Hanani told Nehemiah that the walls of Jerusalem were only heaps of stones. Fire had burned the gates of the city. This news made Nehemiah very sad. So Nehemiah asked the king to send him to Jerusalem to build the walls of the city again.
The book of Nehemiah in the Bible tells the story of how Nehemiah and the people built the walls of Jerusalem again. The people who lived near Jerusalem did not want the Jews to build the city again. They opposed the Jews and tried to stop the work. But God helped them and they finished the work in 52 days.
God wanted the Jews to become his special people again. So Nehemiah, with the help of Ezra, helped the people to obey God. But often the people did not obey God’s word. They had forgotten that God had punished the people many years earlier. He did that because they did not obey him. God had allowed a foreign king to defeat the Jews. That was why the city of Jerusalem needed these repairs.
Key Word #1: PROBLEM
Accomplishing something great begins with the recognition of a problem. A need.
Remember civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr.? What about abolitionist, William Wilberforce? For me, I see raising orphan care awareness as a priority. I also see raising up the next generation as spiritual leaders as a priority. A problem. A need.
Nehemiah 1:3 says:
“The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.” (English Standard Version)
What problem around you disturbs you so much that you are moved? Perhaps, we could borrow Bill Hybels phrase, “holy discontent.” Is there something that forces discontent and fuels you to engage the issue? What arouses you that causes you to want to accomplish something great?
For Nehemiah, he was passionate for his city. He recognized the significance of the walls and gates. Why? The walls served as a defense barrier. The gates allowed only “approved” people through.
Jeremiah knew he had to do something. This was important.
Just maybe Nehemiah was thinking something like Chris Tomlin writes in God of This City:
You’re God of this city
You’re the King of these people
You’re the Lord of this nation
You are
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to come in this city
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to come in this city
There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God
Now what? Part 2 is coming.
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