“And our enemies said, ‘They will not know or see till we come among them and kill them and stop the work.'”

Nehemiah 4:11 ESV

Last time we watched how the rebuilders took to discouragement, reminding ourselves where to find our strength and hope. Today we see from the enemies’ perspective.

The first thing we hear from the enemies of the builders is their plan to come among them. The Hebrew word for among is tavek – in the midst. But the builders would not know (yada – be aware) or see (raah – be considered, perceive) their enemies were coming until they were right there in their midst.

Has this ever been your reality? Completely unaware, not even perceiving of the enemy of your soul until you were in the midst of a strange and confusing attack? Me, too. From the looks of things out there, many others can relate. Of course, there are always things we are responsible for; none of us are always, only victims. But understanding the Biblical, spiritual reality of warfare can help us perceive rightly.

The second thing the rebuilders’ enemies utter is their purpose for coming among them: to kill them and put an end to the work. Simply put, intimidation wasn’t working, so killing them was the next most expedient solution. Remember, there were issues of political control factored into Sanballat, Tobiah, and the others’ motives. They stood much to lose if Jerusalem succeeded in coming together and uniting under a new governor. Don’t think they wouldn’t stoop to this level.

Neither will our enemy. Don’t think the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms don’t stand much to lose if Believers come together under His Lordship, despite our differences. And powers and principalities will do everything possible to undermine our witness and break apart what His blood brought together.

And please don’t miss the ultimate motive behind the killing: to put an end to the work. The word is shabath, Shabbat, Sabbath – to cease, rest, stop exertion. The same word used for Elohim, Creator God, on the 7th day of creation. To rest.

In our verses today, the builders resting or ceasing their exertion would be contrary to God’s will. The work needed to continue despite fear and discouragement. And what God has called us to must also continue. Fortunately, even in our work, we are called to rest in Him. Not only does He provide the strength and hope to keep working, He commands rest in the midst of it.

Believers, can we rest this Advent season in appropriate ways? Cease our exertion in a healthy rhythm of trusting relaxation in the midst of obedient work? We will miss the beauty of His coming if we don’t. We couldn’t do enough to get to Him, but He came with a pulse and warm breath and pain receptors to us.

Source

Nothing on our part could bring Him, and nothing could stop His redemptive work. Not an engaged couples’ reputation, a political tyrant or a powerful spiritual enemy. He did the work so we could rest.

Shabbat Shalom, this Advent Sunday, friends. He is worthy.

“Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, ‘The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.’”

Nehemiah 4:10 (NIV)

The people of Judah had a song they sang:

Last time we watched as the rebuilders set a guard against the opposition seeking to cause confusion and fight against them. We watched as the group prayed to Yahweh and protected themselves. But today’s verse is sobering. It looks as though the opposition is winning.

We only have to look at our news feeds to feel this way. Rich deliberately hurting the poor. Continued injustice from the top down. More misuse of power and money and sex. We can feel as though we too are laborers – sabbal – carry heavy loads, a burden bearer. And our strength is giving out – kashal – stumble, stagger, bring down.

If we don’t grieve as we walk through this tenure on earth, we are not doing justice to the oppressed. But if we simply throw up our hands and do nothing we are probably very privileged and not living into our call as Believers.

An answer is found in the final two Hebrew words used in our verse for “we cannot rebuild the wall.” We is anachnu – we ourselves – and cannot is yakol – not able, cannot endure, do not have power. No, we in ourselves do not have the power to turn it all around in our own strength. If you now feel permission to never exert your strength in our current situation, please rethink. There is much for us to do.

But we must look to the right place for our strength. Why?

Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.

 He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

Friends, that is why. He never gets tired. He is always, always able. There is nothing He cannot do. And if we derive our strength from His, we work as though resting. We exert effort without anxious striving. We can even take the time to grieve and lament because none of this rests solely on us.

If Advent is about anything it’s that when we were hopeless, Hope showed up. Love took over and came for us. Not when we were strong and things were going well, but when we were weary and in need and mourning. That’s the kind of strength we all need during our one shot at this. His strength. Power that never fails.

Let’s hope in Him.

“And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it. And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.”

Nehemiah 4:8-9 ESV

Do you remember who “they” are? Those plotting to fight against Jerusalem are Sanballat, Tobiah, and the Arabs, Ammonites & Ashdodites. That’s a lot of people. Plus their goal is to cause confusion. The Hebrew word is toah – to wander, error, an abhorrence.

Ah, confusion. Have you ever had a season where it seemed to dominate? When you questioned precious truths and felt as though you might lose your ever-loving mind? Confusion is a brilliant military tactic. That’s why the enemy of our souls uses it.

In today’s narrative, these men who cannot seem to stop the building are now seeking to cause the rebuilders to wander. Wander from their new unity, their purpose of rebuilding. For Nehemiah, the enemies of God’s plan wanted him to question the call God put in his heart. And cause him to wonder if it’s worth it. That’s the main way these men sought to “fight against Jerusalem.”

Fight here is lacham – devour, feed on, consume. Such an image of a violent tearing of the flesh. Like a wild beast looking for something to devour.

Oh but what does verse 9 tell us? We prayed. Not just Nehemiah. We, us. A thrill of hope.

And they didn’t just unite together under the God – Elohim, Creator of all – to pray. They also set a guard as protection. In the rebuilders’ case, they set an actual guard with weapons to fight back as necessary. But the Hebrew is so cool: for “set a guard,” set is amad (to take one’s stand) against is al (hovered over)and (because of) them is paneh (before the face of). Or “our stand hovered over them before their faces.”

There’s a wonderful way we Believers can come together right now and take our stand in a broken, weary world: Advent. The arrival of God coming to earth is either a ridiculous joke or the Hope of the World. And the Church worldwide will begin celebrating within a week.

Let’s set a guard right now individually and corporately to stand on the kind of God Who would arrive on the scene and change everything. To make right what we were hopelessly unable to. To so relate to our pain He took it upon Himself.

There’s no one else who could love like that. No other way to be saved.

“But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the work was going ahead and that the gaps in the wall of Jerusalem were being repaired, they were furious.“

Nehemiah 4:7 NLT

So, yeah. Things are rough out there. It seems they get rougher every week, with new information given and wounds exposed. I know He’s answering many of our prayers for integrity among His Church. But what a bleeding mess it is in the process. Then I read this section of Nehemiah this morning, and actually got a sense of God as Healer at work in the mess.

In particular, two Hebrew words stick out in the phrase “the gaps in the wall of Jerusalem were being repaired.” The word for gaps is parats – breach, break down; and being repaired is satham – stopped up. “The literal rendering is given…[but] the metaphor is that of an open wound or cut to which a bandage is applied, bringing relief and restoration.” (source)

God is not mocked. If He could be, we wouldn’t worship Him. Our personal and collective sins will always be brought to light. Our complicity in them must be grieved. But gaps must be exposed before they can be sealed up. And wounds must be acknowledged before they can be healed.

Friends, this is not all for nothing. God does not allow things to be brought into His penetrating, holy light to merely spotlight our deep sin, but to reveal Himself as the Righteous Healer. Nothing else will do right now, Believers. And you better believe any whose idol is power will be angry as it happens. So, okay. We learn more next time from Nehemiah how to deal. For now we sit in the fact that if we don’t want infection, we deal with the wounds properly. We grieve their discovery, but we don’t ignore them. We acknowledge it’s bad, but we look toward a good God and His perfect purposes.

No one else can heal our souls and mend our gaps. Let His light shine.

“…And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.”

Nehemiah 4:6b ESV

Last time we looked at all the ways God is calling us to build. Longer tables, understanding bridges, service to others. All in His power. Today we get to peek in on how each section of the wall was joined together. All the different areas of town, various gates and their functions, and surrounding & local people not only built but brought it all together. And that is unity.

Friends, we are watching many things crumble before our eyes in our day. But idols must topple before the Rightful King takes His place. Whether it is unhealthy, idolatrous nationalism, corporate greed, politics as a god, guns and rights over love, sexual abuse and the evil form of patriarchy, or supremacy of any kind, our world is watching these things come up short. Come out of the darkness and into the light. And people don’t know where to turn.

Oh may the King of Glory rise. May His Bride, the holy, beautiful, Gospel-saturated Church in its many expressions, shine.

Believers, we have the answer. It is not in anything else but Jesus of Nazareth. As we continue to build, put our minds to the work He’s called us, may we join together across the world to display His Fame.

Truly, nothing else satisfies. No other work will last.

“So we built the wall.”

Nehemiah 4:6a ESV

What a wonderful summary. We’ve listed all the workers in charge of certain sections and gates of the rebuilding project. We’ve examined the meaning of their names and significance of their locations. We’ve looked at Sanballat and Tobiah’s mockery toward Nehemiah and his crew – once they heard the people had been unified under a single cause and the building had begun. We watched the governor’s response to insults, slander, and rejection: troop-rallying prayer to the One Who called him to the task.

And now?

“So we built the wall.”

Sometimes it’s as simple as that. We trust Him to draw hearts together in unity, we face the evil one’s persecution head on, we hand it over to God, and we build anyway.

What are you building? There’s no lack of things in our lives and this world that need built. And rebuilt. Are you building your faith? Your community? Your family and generational wreckage?

Are you rebuilding your home or city after a hurricane or tornado or earthquake? Are you building those in need into your budget – financial and emotional?

Are you building your prayer life so you don’t take the world and place it squarely on your shoulders? Are you rebuilding a relationship or stepping out in faith to start a new one? Are you rebuilding trust toward someone? Do you put your energy toward building relationships among your neighbors?

Are you building a career from scratch? Or starting over and rebuilding a business? Are you building a strong family on less than a living wage? And rebuilding your life and dignity after betrayal and heartbreak? Are you building a degree you’ll need for your next step?

Are you building a ministry – not because you want praise but because He deserves it? Are you rebuilding after a tragic loss of a loved one? Or a rejection? Are you rebuilding your soul in Him after a season of depression? Or addiction and its consequences?

Are you throwing in to rebuild an unjust city government? Or a more diverse (accurate) representation for that city? Maybe you are doing this on the state or national level? Seeking liberty and justice for all.

Are you building business practices that take into account all of humanity and not simply the bottom line? Are you making sure to see all humans as image bearers as you build?

Are you building alongside God as He rebuilds His Church in the west? Are you leaning into the personal, intimate rebuilding that requires in your own soul first? And the way it can reorder all your relationships?

Are you watching as God rebuilds the structure of our racial identity as a nation? And joining His work to preserve dignity and uproot evil? Or maybe sitting down and listening in this convo. Because Pentecost reversed Babel and everything that His Kingdom touches is set ablaze with holiness and unity?

Are you looking deep in the eyes of the lost or forgotten or rejected or wounded? And building up in His Spirit their spirits? Showing them their worth in Him and rebuilding their desire to fulfill their purpose in creation?

Are you building a home or a garden or a more gentle household? Are you building a bigger table? One that includes voices that differ from yours? Are you building another language – one that helps you serve a neighbor who is a refugee, a friend down the street who is struggling with your native tongue, or a traumatized teen who speaks in riddles and pushes you away?

Or maybe you’re building a language because He’s asked you to travel somewhere else. And build on what He’s already begun among a people who are not yet worshipping Him in their unique way – the way He created them to. And maybe that travel opportunity is disguised as military deployment or business relocation.

Are you by chance building more just practices for both genders? And facing squarely in your heart what is unjust in this area? While trusting His design for humanity?

Are you building art or science or mathematical concepts to His glory? Are you building roads and bridges and bridges to His Kingdom? Are you sweeping floors and changing diapers and building your desire to serve?

Are you washing feet, laying down your life, and rebuilding your identity in Him alone?

Welcome. Welcome to the Kingdom work of building. Yes, it’s work. Any saint who has been building at His lead for 40 years or more would most likely say it is tiring. In fact, it can look more like demolition than building sometimes. The tired is real.

But ultimately it’s the good kind of tired. The kind that only comes from joining a movement of His Spirit and the forward momentum of building the New Jerusalem here and now. Then forever.

And we are not alone in the work. Or if we are, reevaluation might be necessary. It’s not by might nor power. What needs to be done can only come from the same Spirit that raises the dead, moves mountains, and sews together every detail of our bodies and dreams.

He makes all things new. And us joining Him in that work is Plan A. Let’s build.

(Actually 23 Days. I don’t want to talk about it.)

Family & Friends & Pumpkin Carving

Cousins

Decor

It is corn

Baby Shower

Treat Street at our Church

Good Times

S’mores Bar

Celebrating my Man’s 40 years

Glory

Your 7 (ish) Days?

“Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders.”

Nehemiah 4:5

Last time we listened in on the first part of Nehemiah’s reply to the mockery of Sanballat and Tobiah. We decided following Nehemiah’s example of tattling on our enemies to God is the best way to deal with shame and mockery toward us. From there, we can advance in His power and love.

Today we see the second part of the governor’s prayer. Because he’s not done with his anger toward those mocking God, His people, and His plans. He goes on to ask God to not cover up their guilt. Cover up is kasah – conceal, hide, clothe, forgive. And guilt is avon -iniquity, blame.

There is a part of justice to which God calls us when it is time to call sin sin. When blame needs to be laid squarely on the responsible party. No more concealing or hiding or covering over in fear or unholy compliance. While our enemy is always the enemy, we at times make ourselves available to evil purposes.

I believe this is true of systemic sin as well. There comes a point where it takes more faith and imagination to believe nothing is wrong than to admit Truth. Clothing guilt with lies never works. Truth always comes out. God makes sure of it. Better to confess and admit our part in it than cover our eyes.

Because the liberating truth is confession always leads to joy and lightness. God also makes sure of that. May we be willing to open our hearts to His penetrating light, resting in the knowledge it leads to freedom on the other side.

Aaaand…Nehemiah is still not done. The next section of his prayer asks Yahweh to not blot out their enemies’ sins from His sight. Blot out is machah – abolish, destroy. As New Testament Believers we can only go to a certain point with Nehemiah on this one. For if Yahweh had not come in the flesh to abolish sin and destroy death forever, none of us would stand a chance before a righteous, holy God.

But when we feel betrayal upon betrayal, better to vomit it out before the Just King. Usually when we do that, His Spirit inside helps us sort out subjective feelings for objective truth. When He gently, lovingly reminds us of what we are guilty of, it can become easier to ask for His mercy for those who hurt us. Every one of us needs Someone to remove our junk as far as the East is from the West. Never to meet it again.

From this forgiven and freed position, we can even consider insults directed toward us and build anyway. We can stand on His approval and authority and move forward with our calling. Saying what He’s told us to say, loving how how He’s loved us.

The part we can travel with Nehemiah in his petition is our need for God to see injustice and not ignore or gloss it over. We need to know He cares and will uphold our cause when we give it over to Him. That His heart beats for those who have been belittled, horrifically treated, labeled, abused. That He isn’t going to erase it all and not deal. We have to know He’s the Perfect Judge.

And He is, friends. In this chaotic world, we can trust His heart to be both righteous and kind. And as He makes us to be more like Him, we can build with justice and mercy.

And rebuild.

“Hear us, O our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity.”

Nehemiah 4:4

Last time we watched Tobiah the Ammonite throw in on the mockery toward the builders of Jerusalem’s city wall. Today we get to hear the first part of Nehemiah’s reply.

Nehemiah turns directly to Yahweh. “Hear us, O our God…” Hear is Shama – to announce, completely comprehend, diligently discern, proclaim, witness. I’ve been looking at different commentaries and versions of these verses, and haven’t found for certain whether Nehemiah’s prayer is out loud in the presence of the builders, or if he is alone and praying on everyone’s behalf.

The word shama makes me think this is more of a corporate prayer…and proclamation. We’ve looked before at a similar Hebrew word shema and its connection to corporate and private declaration of Yahweh:

“Hear O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one…”

If you were a governor trying to rally your people to build despite opposition, wouldn’t you use a sort of public declaration to encourage their flagging hearts? Sanballat and Tobiah hit below the belt on their insults. Any possible way to discourage, they took. I think Nehemiah used his prayer as a retort to their enemies and the enemies of God’s purposes for Jerusalem.

Whether Sanballat and Tobiah were privy to Nehemiah’s words or not, I think his men were comforted by them. Honestly? If we don’t do something with our strong feelings at hurt or injustice or shame, they will come out in other ways. The absolute best place to spew them is before the LORD Who already knows they’re there and can handle them.

What do you do with strong feelings? Rage at others? Shove them down and get ill from it? Eat or drink or sleep or gamble? We all do something. Probably best to follow Nehemiah’s example and lay them in the lap of God. It’s the only way for healing to emerge.

The cool thing about all this is it puts we as Believers in a position to obey the command to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Until we’ve dealt with the sting of persecution before God, it is unlikely we can obey this command from our hearts. But once we’ve tattled on them to God, and are sufficiently abiding in His approval, His Spirit in us can take over. He can change our heart toward our persecutors. Remind us the enemy is never flesh and blood. Help us die to our selves, take up our crosses, and follow the way of agape love.

But something in which I’ve found some relief? We don’t have to get to a place of love and acceptance toward our true enemy. We can turn his destruction toward us and others into righteous indignation. We can pray these very things Nehemiah prayed: “Take what the enemy said and turn it back on his evil head. What he tried to destroy, God please restore that we may plunder this situation for your glory.”

There is a lot of shaming, blaming, contempt and hate out there. And, oh, it matters. Know He cares and doesn’t take it lightly. Dump your understandable emotions into His hands. Then as the people of God’s eternal Kingdom, let’s advance in good and love and forgiveness and joy.

Because one day the enemy of all our souls will be given over to a land of captivity, never to harm God’s people again.

“Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, ‘What they are building – if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!'”

Nehemiah 4:3

Last time we saw the tail end of Sanballat’s mockery toward Nehemiah and the rebuilders. He made sure to point out the previous devastation of Jerusalem and its wall was thorough.

Today we hear Sanballat’s sidekick Tobiah throwing in on the mockery. We’ve seen Tobiah before in Nehemiah’s journey. He is an Ammonite with a Jewish name. Tobiah means “Yah is my good.”

As our narrative progresses, we’ll find out more about Tobiah’s family and political connections to Jerusalem. For now we can know that Tobiah does not seem to be walking out the Truth of his name.

I like the Hebrew for Tobiah being “at [Sanballat’s] side.” It is etsel – at, with, a sense of joining. Tobiah was there for Sanballat’s mockery. He was going to show up and join in.

In what ways are we guilty of this? Sometimes we don’t even have to throw in our 2 cents; it’s enough we’re showing up for the mockery against our fellow human beings. Let’s not confuse this with justice. Genuine love never calls something evil good, nor does it pretend everything is fine. But neither does justice join in on the evil. In our genuine outrage at sin, let’s ask God for discernment to speak truth without throwing in with ridicule.

But Tobiah was not just there in spirit with Sanballat’s mockery. He had something to add: gam – moreover, besides, in addition, furthermore.

“And furthermore…what [these feeble Jews] are building (banah – construct, fortify, rebuild) if a fox simply climbed up (alah – go up, ascend) the whole wall (chomah – wall of protection) would break down (parats – break through, breach, tear down).”

Well, there you have it. The whole purpose of rebuilding is to fortify. Not just a wall of protection, but a communal identity as the people of God. And the enemies of our rebuilders mock how one sad little fox is all it would take to break down their fortification.

Sometimes we’re just mean to each other. If we don’t have the control or affirmation or fulfillment we’re desperate for, we don’t care who we have to hurt to have our needs met. But if we are His children, learning to find our identity in Him and what He’s done to rescue us from ourselves, there’s no need for the desperation. We can trust His heart toward us to provide all we need.

We have had another week to watch this all play out on the big screen of life: evil seeming to win and mockery of fellow image bearers. Fellow Believers, it is imperative we fix our eyes on Jesus. The only One who secured our eternal protection is the One who can sustain us.

And nothing and no one can breach such a fortification.