Nehemiah 4:16-23

Nehemiah 4:16–23 KJV (WS)

16 And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah. 17 They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon. 18 For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me. 19 And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another. 20 In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us. 21 So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared. 22 Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day. 23 So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing.

Introduction

Great leaders know how to get the most of people.

Typically this results from what the leader gives to those that are following him.

We just looked at the threats that Jerusalem faced last week.

The people came together, but this would not be the only time that they would face danger.

Last week we saw that living in fear had worn down the people.

Nehemiah was able to refocus the people on the work this time, but unless things changed, Nehemiah will eventually run out of political capital to spend.

How can Nehemiah respond to this crisis in such a way that he can head off future crises?

Things were never the same after the attack threats.

A new level of organization would be required to keep the project on track. v16-18

Nehemiah knew he couldn’t interrupt the work every time he heard a rumor.

He needed a way to maintain progress on the job, but also to maintain confidence in his workers.

So, we see him set up a defense plan that will hopefully solve both problems.

The first step that he takes is in V16 and it pertains to Nehemiah’s personal team of servants.

Before he asks the people to adjust, Nehemiah makes the first move.

These servants may have been his Persian bodyguards.

By Sending them into the work, Nehemiah is sacrificing some his own comfort and safety.

He split his men into 2 forces of workers and soldiers.

The workers were scattered throughout the city to work alongside the citizens of Jerusalem.

Their presence must have been an encouragement to the workers.

An infusion of manpower is always refreshing when you are working hard.

The other group was used to act as a kind of mobile armory.

They made sure the weapons that could be needed at a moments notice were available and in good repair.

I can imagine them going from place to place equipping, repairing, and sharpening the weapons of the workers.

Habergeons were leather coats covered with thin metal plates of metal.

These professional soldiers would surely give the people greater confidence in their ability to stand up to an attack.

The second thing that Nehemiah did was to get the city’s rulers out of their offices and out with the people.

Nehemiah directed the rulers to go and stand behind the workers.

This made them more ready to take command should an attack occur.

This cut down on the amount of time it would take to get people in place.

It also made the city rulers personally invested in what was going on at the wall.

Nehemiah was by the wall, but the rest of the leaders needed to be as well.

The third step that Nehemiah took was to require the people carried materials and weapons.

This is one of the most well-known feature of the building of the wall.

It’s a little more nuanced than simply holding a sword in one hand and trowel in the other.

Those that could, carried a weapon with one hand and worked with the other.

There were also those that needed two hands, these kept their weapon strapped to their side.

Ready to build or battle; how heroic!

When Spurgeon started his magazine, he called it the Sword and the Trowel.

The final step in Nehemiah’s defense plan is a ready alert system. v19-20

Nehemiah reminds them that they are not working alone.

They may be separated by distance.

They may be out of each other’s sight, but they are not alone.

The fear was certainly legitimate that, if the enemy attacked, there would be no one to come to their aid.

This alarm system was meant to subdue those fears.

Nehemiah designates a trumpeter to stand next to him at all times.

Nehemiah was everywhere.

He meant to be in the thick of it should fighting come.

Should fighting occur, the trumpeter would let the city know that help was needed and where it was needed.

The sound of the trumpet would trigger the other measures of preparation into action.

The builders already have their weapons by their side.

Their rulers are right behind them to lead them to the battle.

Their weapons have been repaired and sharpened by the servants of Nehemiah.

The citizens were ready to rally to help each other.

This feeling of safety created an atmosphere in Jerusalem where people were willing to go above an beyond to finish the job.

We see the renewed dedication of the workers in vss 21-23.

They worked late into the nights.

As long as they had sunlight, they worked.

It was generally this time of year, so we are talking about a 6am - 7:45pm work day.

With sleepless vigilance they pressed the work to completion.

The suburban workers are asked to start sleeping at the job site.

V22 Everyone was asked to sleep inside the walls for the time being.

Walking to and from their villages wasted time and left the city exposed.

Imagine how easy it would be for enemies to join with the large number of workers walking up the city each day.

Sure, there were some that didn’t appreciate this.

But, when given the reasons, it was reasonable.

It also had to stand out that they were not alone in their sacrifices.

Nehemiah records his own level of dedication to the project.

Nehemiah stayed so busy that he put off changing his clothes until they needed to be washed.

Nehemiah didn’t just organize and encourage, he also set the right example.

He stayed with the workers who were camped out in Jerusalem.

He worked to provide them with the best working conditions possible.

He gave up his own protection to increase the workforce.

Nehemiah motivated the builders of the city by providing for their safety and setting the right example.

Nehemiah was a great leader.

Today’s leaders should learn from his example.

But there is something more important that I want us to see this morning.

In this record of great leadership, we see an example of our perfect leader, Jesus.

Application

All Christians have one great Captain.

It’s our Savior.

If you are impressed by Nehemiah, you’re really going to like what Jesus has done for us.

He reinforces us with the Holy Spirit.

He equips us with armor and weapons.

He has given us a mission.

Something attempted…something done.

We must build and protect what we build.

Building and battling are normal parts of the life of a disciple.

He even places us in place where we can help each other.

God’s people must be ready to rally to help each other.

This ought to motivate to give our everything for Him.

From the rising of the Son in our hearts until the nighttime comes and we can work no more.

We should be active in his work.

No one gets to retire from service to God.

Perhaps the greatest motivation for our work for Christ is His presence with us.

Conclusion

Nehemiah was a great leader.

He provided for and motivated his people to work hard for his mission.

We have a better leader than Nehemiah.

We have Jesus.

How much more should we be involved in his mission?