The
Wall
Nehemiah 6:15-7:4
In real life, we continually face problems and
obstacles even after large victories. Life is not a fairy tale and neither is the
Bible.
The walls were built in 52 days despite, opposition,
ridicule and even death threats. This was a testament that it was God who had done
this, and all the nations knew this.
Nehemiah 6:16 ESV
[16] And when all our enemies heard of it, all
the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they
perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.
Nehemiah built the wall to protect the temple.
The wall is not just a physical wall, but a spiritual wall as well.
Nehemiah 7:1 ESV
[1] Now when the wall had been built and I had
set up the doors, and the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed,
Nehemiah sets gates and gate keepers. The leader
of the gate keepers has to have special qualities. Nehemiah wanted someone who feared
God. These men were full of integrity and took sin seriously.
Nehemiah 7:2 ESV
[2] I gave my brother Hanani and Hananiah the
governor of the castle charge over Jerusalem, for he was a more faithful and God-fearing
man than many.
Guarding our faith is not something we can do
alone. We need to be in a community and support one another. We pray together to keep faith. Difficult times
will come, and a church can help one another to overcome difficult times. We all
must be involved.
Nehemiah 7:3 ESV
[3] And I said to them, “Let not the gates of
Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot. And while they are still standing guard,
let them shut and bar the doors. Appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
some at their guard posts and some in front of their own homes.”
The people building the wall put that before their
own homes. Instead of building their homes, they wanted to protect the temple first.
Their priority was God and this is why they could build the wall first.
Nehemiah 7:4 ESV
[4] The city was wide and large, but the people
within it were few, and no houses had been rebuilt.
Just like Nehemiah and the people who rebuilt
the wall, we will face problems. We need to set our priorities right and fear God.
Loyalty is not enough. We need to revere God.
