Preparing To Rebuild

Nehemiah 2:11–20 CSB

After I arrived in Jerusalem and had been there three days, I got up at night and took a few men with me. I didn’t tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal I took was the one I was riding. I went out at night through the Valley Gate toward the Serpent’s Well and the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire. I went on to the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but farther down it became too narrow for my animal to go through. So I went up at night by way of the valley and inspected the wall. Then heading back, I entered through the Valley Gate and returned. The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, for I had not yet told the Jews, priests, nobles, officials, or the rest of those who would be doing the work. So I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been burned. Come, let’s rebuild Jerusalem’s wall, so that we will no longer be a disgrace.” I told them how the gracious hand of my God had been on me, and what the king had said to me. They said, “Let’s start rebuilding,” and their hands were strengthened to do this good work. When Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked and despised us, and said, “What is this you’re doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” I gave them this reply, “The God of the heavens is the one who will grant us success. We, his servants, will start building, but you have no share, right, or historic claim in Jerusalem.”

This section is made up of three sections

The first section has to do with Nehemiah’s first step toward rebuilding the wall in Jerusalem.

The second section deals with how Nehemiah recruited the Israelites he needed

The third section of the passage describe the interaction with the enemies of those returnees and how Nehemiah’s faith and commitment did not waiver.

I. Preparation for rebuilding requires assessment

a. If you notice, Nehemiah goes about inspecting and assessing the damage so that he could better understand the scope of the damage and therefore the rebuilding that would have to take place.

b. Nehemiah’s Preparation Begins With Proper Relaxation

Nehemiah had just traveled 850-1000 miles by land through the fertile crescent of the region. Likely this trip took about one month to complete (Todd Vibbert could have done it in two days). Needless to say, Nehemiah was tired. All this mission and all this urgency and yet he knew that he would be better prepared for the challenges ahead.

How many of us are guilty of exhaustedly going from one task to the next? I know I’ve ben guilty of that. Why is it important to study Nehemiah? Because you get a first-hand look at behavior that God blessed!

God honors planning that comes through assessment. God honors when we approach a plan rested and ready to get to work when it’s time. Nehemiah recognized the strategic and spiritual value of being rested. Mark 2:27

Mark 2:27 CSB

Then he told them, “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.

Rest is both a blessing and a necessity.

Could someone share an experience where you were burning the candle at both ends and it didn’t end well?

c. Nehemiah’s preparation begins with private assessment.

Wisdom is knowing the right thing, doing the right thing and doing it at the right time, in the right way, to the right extent.

Dr. T.J. Betts

Nehemiah is one of the best examples of a man who was wise and carried out God’s calling in wisdom.

Proverbs 18:15 CSB

The mind of the discerning acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks it.

Proverbs 24:27 CSB

Complete your outdoor work, and prepare your field; afterward, build your house.

The first passage there is the why and then Proverbs 25:27 tells us in what order we should operate. Lay the foundation, survey the land (ground safety arsenic, survey, are you in a flood zone?) remember, Nehemiah had already planned and acquired the timber for the building to come. He requested permission from King Artaxerxes.

Nehemiah does thorough investigation

II. Preparation for Rebuilding Requires Enlistment

Nehemiah 2:17–18 CSB

So I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been burned. Come, let’s rebuild Jerusalem’s wall, so that we will no longer be a disgrace.” I told them how the gracious hand of my God had been on me, and what the king had said to me. They said, “Let’s start rebuilding,” and their hands were strengthened to do this good work.

a. Nehemiah gives those he recruits an honest evaluation. Nehemiah is a man of integrity. He tells the truth even when the truth is difficult to hear. The truth was difficult for him! Have you ever been sold a “bill of goods” in regard to a project someone asked you for help with? Has anyone ever started out a conversation with “Hey, you busy this Saturday?” Uh…are we talking about you taking us out and your buying or am I helping you move out of 5000 square ft home than has a piano and hoarders have been squatting there. You’ve got to be upfront with that…am I right? Nehemiah recruits with honesty. The people who Nehemiah was trying to recruit, had already been living in the area. They knew the condition of the walls! But, Nehemiah was trying to awaken them to the disgrace that they had perhaps been accustom to. Nehemiah uses an honest assessment to inspire them to see the need for change.

b. Nehemiah gives those he recruits a direct exhortation…in other words “what are you going to do about it?”

c. Nehemiah Gives Proper Motivation

d. Nehemiah gives recruits proper divine verification

e. Nehemiah gives those he recruits necessary authorization

This is the pathway this wise and revered man took to carry out a big project. How can you and I learn from this?

If we, are in God’s will…we will meet resistant from our enemy and those he will use to bring about opposition. And the more God honoring it is, the more resistance we should expect. Persistance, wisdom, energy, resolve. This is what God did and this is what God will do!