Work Finished And Guarded (Nehemiah 6:15-7:4)

Introduction

A. Preliminaries

Good Morning.

We will continue our series in the Book of Nehemiah this morning.

We will finish the sixth chapter of Nehemiah today. The text for the sermon this morning will begin at verse 15, and go to verse 4 of Chapter 7. You can find it on Page 473 of the Bibles in your pews.

B. Sermon Text

Nehemiah 6:15–7:4 ESV

So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. 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. Moreover, in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them. For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah: and his son Jehohanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah as his wife. Also they spoke of his good deeds in my presence and reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to make me afraid. 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, 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. 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 city was wide and large, but the people within it were few, and no houses had been rebuilt.

This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God!

There is an old story about Benjamin Franklin, who when he was near death, was asked to reflect on what he had done for the still young nation. And it is said that someone asked him “What do you believe you have accomplished? What have you given to us?”

And his answer was said to have been “We’ve given you a republic. If you can keep it.”

There’s wisdom there about the difference between receiving a gift and being able to keep it well. You might know that institutions like Princeton and Harvard were originally founded to train pastors. They were wonderful gifts, but we have not been able to keep them.

Well, at this point in the Book of Nehemiah we reach what many might assume to be the end of the story. Verse 15 tell us

Nehemiah 6:15 ESV

So the wall was finished...in fifty-two days.

It is unlikely that this text is saying the whole thing took 52 days, but probably what is meant here is that it is finished 52 days after the fear campaign was launched by Israel’s enemies in the first part of Chapter 6.

So, the wall is finished! That’s the end of the story, right? It’s what we’ve been looking forward to since Chapter 1. That this thing would get finished. But the book isn’t over. Why?

Because they have built it. And now the work of keeping it begins.

As you might have noted, especially in our last several Sundays in Nehemiah, one of the principle themes has been fear and what godly men do with it.

C. Textual Walkthrough

But in our text this morning, we see something of a reversal. Now the people of Jerusalem are not afraid, verse 16 says that the nations are afraid and their enemies are afraid. We find out in verses 17-19 there is a last ditch effort by Tobiah to stir up fear, but it comes to nothing, and then, in the first four verses of Chapter 7, we find Nehemiah putting qualified men in important positions so that this work can be kept.

D. Sermon Points

So there are at least three things, I want to show you this morning

E. Sermon Prayer

Text goes here

I. The Right Kind of Fear

Nehemiah 6:16 ESV

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.

Now you guys know me well enough to know there’s a whole sermon in that single verse. But I’m going to try—as best I can—to summarize it as one point.

The important thing to notice here is that a fantastic reversal has happened. Fear has been the main weapon of Jerusalem’s enemies. They’ve tried to terrorize Nehemiah into stopping the work.

And now the wall is built. And I don’t think the mere existence of a wall is what had Israel’s enemies afraid. It was that the work was completed by a people they had mocked and written off, and a great thing had been accomplished by this band of nobodies.

Notice the reason given for their fear: They “fell greatly in their own esteem” (that is, they were humbled), and “they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God” (they realized there was a God in Jerusalem who could not be stopped.

Remember, back in Chapter 4, verse 3, Tobiah the Ammonite had said “If a fox climbs up on that wall, it’ll come tumbling down!” And now, here we are. The enemies of Jerusalem look foolish and they are humbled and God looks mighty.

Now, there’s an impulse in the heart of many Christians when they read a text like this, like a chord in music that longs for better resolution. We say “Well, I suppose it’s good that they were humbled and that they recognized that God has done this, but wouldn’t conversion be better than just fear and regret?”

And the answer is, yes, of course it would. One of the persistent—even annoyingly persistent—marks of Christians is that we want to see the enemies of God converted into sons of God. It’s one of the hopes that we hold about which we are the most stubborn. But in short, dear saints, when we can’t have the conversion of God’s enemies, we will happily settle for the vindication of God over his enemies. Because the hard reality is both bring glory to God, albeit different kinds of glory.

Because the church should—ever and always—function in two ways. We should be a real and sincere open door to the lost and the broken. And we should be an actual threat to the forces of darkness.

We should love the world and be an enemy of the world all at once. And the reality is that the world is never really intimidated by our slogans or our marketing strategies.

What unnerves the world is the sight of real holiness, real obedience, real unity. The stones of Jerusalem’s walls have become their own apologetic, testifying to the power of God when he works through ordinary people.

And we want to be mindful that we do not become arrogant in our work, because the church does not conquer by bluster. She conquers by brickwork. That is, by doing the job God gave and refusing to quit.

But this reminds us of a reality that we often prefer to forget. And that is in the life of the church, her fruit has always preached louder than her words. She must have her words. Without her words, she is nothing but human bluster. But her fruit preaches louder than her words.

The church does not threaten the darkness by announcing grand intentions, new programs, or revised mission statements. No, what makes the enemies of God nervous is when the obedience of faith actually produces something visible and durable.

When marriages stay faithful, when children grow in holiness, when true worship fills the halls and the city. Because here’s what we often forget: True evangelism includes the reality that our very endurance exposes unbelief as hollow. This finished wall preaches louder than a six-volume apologetics set.

II. The Quietness of Courage

So after this great news in verses 15 and 16, something really strange happens:

Nehemiah 6:17–19 ESV

Moreover, in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them. For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah: and his son Jehohanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah as his wife. Also they spoke of his good deeds in my presence and reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to make me afraid.

So the wall is finished. Israel triumphs. And then the nobles...start writing letters to Tobiah? Oh, I get it. They’re writing letters to say “You have obviously lost. Come now, and worship the true and living God.”

That’s what they’re doing, right?

The wall is finished, so now the evangelism campaign is starting, right?

No. Verse 18 gives us a shocking bit of news. Tobiah—one of the main baddies of this whole story apparently has family connections to some of the nobles in Jerusalem. If this text had background music, it would be the theme from the Godfather.

Family is family after all, and apparently Tobiah had well-placed family in Jerusalem. Tobiah has also been a savvy businessman, apparently making trade agreements with some of the nobles, and binding them by oath.

And all these people are (verse 19) trying to talk up Tobiah to Nehemiah—he’s not such a bad guy! Why are you being so divisive, Nehemiah?

Just when you think we’ve arrived at victory, there’s trouble in the camp. Just when the kingdom advances three steps, somebody feels the urge to write a polite thank-you note to the Philistines!

This happens a lot to well-meaning Christians. Just when the moment of celebration comes, someone says “Wait now, we have to be reasonable and careful.”

It’s why one of my favorite moments as a Pastor of this Church was June 24, 2022. When Roe v. Wade got overturned on a Friday afternoon. And it was either that same Friday night or the next day, Saturday, when Eddie Ramer called me up and said “Did you hear the news? Roe v. Wade came crashing down. Let’s throw a party.” And in a mere matter of hours we had an event planned in the fellowship hall. There was food and drink and singing, and we even had a last second guest speaker from the Central Louisiana Crisis pregnancy center.

And when we were throwing that together quickly, there was a hesitation in me. “What if this is misunderstood? What if this sends the wrong message? What if people get mad that we’re doing this?” And I am so thankful for voices around me at the time—far wiser than me—who said “Let them get mad. This is a great cause for celebration.”

And that’s why I love the last words of verse 19 and the opening words of Chapter 7.

Nehemiah 6:19–7:1 ESV

...And Tobiah sent letters to make me afraid. 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...

In other words, Tobiah tried to make me afraid, and I said “Oh no! Anyway!” On with the work! And that’s what I mean by the title of the second point— “The Quietness of Courage.” Nehemiah’s courage was seen in that he pretty much crumpled up those letters and tossed them right where they belonged. Because he knew that he could spend his days endlessly replying on social media (er, I mean, writing letters), or he could get back to the good work in front of him.

What we should learn from this is that when God is faithful and he delivers victory to his people, we should not be bothered that God’s enemies are bothered.

There is a time to celebrate and to sing Psalm 124: Let Israel now say in thankfulness, had it not been the Lord on our side, we would have been swept away, but blessed be the Lord, who made us not their prey. Our only help is in God’s holy name, who made the earth and all the heavenly frame.

There will always be voices in those moments who insist we must be slow and reasonable. And there’s a time for that. There’s a time to slow down and consider. And there’s a time to celebrate and dance.

Nehemiah was also wise, and he recognized the difference between a chance at productive dialogue and the latest attempt to try to re-establish fear. And he said “Nope. Not taking that bait.”

III. Keeping What’s Built

What we see at the start of Chapter 7 is that Nehemiah’s work moves from construction to conservation.

Now, boys and girls, I want you to listen especially here. God had helped His people finish building the wall, but that didn’t mean they were done working. Now they had to keep it. And that’s a lesson for you, too.

God gives each of us things to take care of. He gives us a family, a room, a toy, a little brother or sister, or even just the time in our day. Being a good steward means taking care of what God has already given you, not just for a day, but every day.

You might not be guarding city walls or gates, but you can guard what’s been entrusted to you. You can keep your room neat, finish your chores cheerfully, learn your catechism, or help your parents. Those are all ways to be a good steward. to “keep” what God has built in your life.

Because God doesn’t just call His people to build great things. He calls us to keep them faithfully. And every time you take care of what God has given to you, you are helping build His Kingdom, stone by stone.

So now look with me at verses 1 and 2 of Chapter 7:

Nehemiah 7:1–2 ESV

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, 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.

In other words, Nehemiah starts putting the right men—faithful men—in the right places. These are people he knows well. One is his own brother and another is governor of the castle, which is a fancy title for the head of temple security. And notice he is given that role because he is qualified. He is a more God-fearing man than many, and I just don’t think that’s a typo given how much we’ve been reading about fear and courage over the last few Sundays in Nehemiah. In other words, Nehemiah understands that Satan’s favorite tactic in their moment is fear. So in response, he finds men that fear God most.

And look at what he tells them in verse 3

Nehemiah 7:3 ESV

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.”

What’s going on here? Well, it seems that Nehemiah is instituting rhythms and patterns. He’s putting a chore chart up on the Temple gates. You guys open them late, you guys close them early. And let’s post guards here and here and especially near their own homes, where they are likely to be the fiercest fighters. What’s he doing? He’s putting in rhythms that will last. Because as any good leadership book will tell you, stewardship lasts longer than adrenaline.

Some people want their personal spiritual life or their church life to run totally on a kind of spiritual adrenaline. Just constantly moving from one overwhelming fireworks display to the next. But in reality, that is not sustainable, and over time, it will wreck your piety, your discipline, your work ethic, and your steadiness under trial.

Stewardship has to replace adrenaline if the Kingdom is going to take steps forward in the world. We have to be committed to the slower works of everyday ministry, quiet service. The works of encouragement, prayer, flaky biscuits, jambalaya, and slow growth.

What we also learn here is that when construction is finished what must follow is wise maintenance. This is true of everything in life. The last day is not when the thing is built. In some ways, that is when the work is just starting. “A republic, if you can keep it.”

Decades ago, God planted this church on Jackson Street. I imagine there was great joy when it was finished. We built a church! Praise God! Now we must keep it. 40 years ago, we built a school. Praise God! Now, we must keep it.

And I will be honest with you, maintenance is always harder than building. Church History has shown that whenever God does some marvelous thing, the people of the next generation must have a mind for renewal and reformation, or the marvelous thing becomes a malevolent thing.

So what we must take from this is that we must never assume that because the institution exists, that means we can take our hand off the wheel, or retire from the work.

“Well we built it!”

Yes. Yes, you did.

But can you keep it?

And this is why I would ask you over the next few weeks especially to be in prayer for your elders as we move toward our Session Retreat November 7th and 8th. Because one of the primary burdens on our hearts is “God has GIVEN US such a marvelous thing here in Grace Presbyterian Church and Grace Christian School. How shall we keep it? How can every member of our church be moved from the pew to the plough? Be in prayer for that, dear saints, and be asking God where your post is.

Conclusion

So, as I start to wrap this up, We have seen that when God’s people finish the work, he puts his own faithfulness on display. As a result, fear changes sides. The fear goes from them into their hearts of their enemies. Any overtures they make to try to re-ignite those fears in the hearts of God’s people just falls on deaf ears. And God sets his people to care for what they have built. To move from adrenaline to faithful stewardship. This does not mean that all institutions are promised everlasting life. The wall and even the Temple itself would eventually come down. That does not mean that the work accomplished was not an enormous blessing in the intervening years. Institutions have value when their work is good and true and beautiful, even if they do fall generations later.

But it does give us a sense of perspective on this side of the cross. Nehemiah was faithful, and he was a blessing to God’s people, but that city would one day fall again. The fear of the nations would return, and the people would wander.

But the point is not that Nehemiah’s work was immortal. The point is that his God is. The point is that Nehemiah’s work pointed to a Greater Builder, who came to a world in ruins and faced mockery far worse than that coming from Tobiah or Sanballat. He too did not flinch in the face of fear, but went to his work faithfully, and finished it. Dying for our sins, and being buried in a borrowed tomb.

And when the stone was rolled away and he walked out of that tomb, the sunrise of that morning marked the first day of the new building project of the everlasting city of God.

On that day, the true city of God began to rise, a city not built with human hands. And once again, we saw fear change sides. The rulers of this world trembled, for the risen Christ had broken down their walls and secured those of His own forever.

And now today, he calls His own people, not to lay new foundations, but to build on what he has already started.

He calls us also to guard what He has already built. That is to care for his church, to have a hand in her work, and to stand as living stones in the great temple he is building.

So keep watch, sing within the walls, and trust the greater Nehemiah who both built and guards the city Himself.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.