Nehemiah - Restore the People

Introduction:

Read: Turn with me in your Bibles to .

Transition to the Text: Nehemiah has done what he came to do. The wall is complete. But can you imagine what it would have been like to live in that city all those years. Gaping holes in the walls outside your house. Constantly feeling like you are living in a warzone. Every third house is boarded up or falling down. As people, our environments have such a big impact on our emotional health. This is why when your house is a mess, you feel more stressed out. For me, I am much more productive when my office is clean because I feel like my mind is clearer.

So Nehemiah solved one problem by building the wall and keeping the people safe, but the emotional impact that the mess had on them must have been overwhelming. So now, he had to turn his attention to rebuilding the people.

He now needed to restore the people inside of the wall.

For the next few chapters of this book, Nehemiah will attempt to restore the people. And it begins now in Chapter 7,.

nehemiah 7:1-

Nehemiah 7:1–7 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, 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. 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.” 4 The city was wide and large, but the people within it were few, and no houses had been rebuilt. 5 Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles and the officials and the people to be enrolled by genealogy. And I found the book of the genealogy of those who came up at the first, and I found written in it: 6 These were the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried into exile. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his town. 7 They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:

Big Idea: Restore the people, restore the nation.

Like we’ve talked about, the book of Nehemiah is not about rebuilding a wall. So often we find leadership principles from the book of Nehemiah or even churches will have building campaigns around Nehemiah. Repairing the wall around Jerusalem was the easy part. Now Nehemiah knows that a nation is nothing without people. Without a people who know who they are and what they are supposed to do, the nation will falter. If you want to restore the nation…you have to restore the people.

1. Restore Godly Leadership (1-2)

Explanation: Nehemiah is governor of Judah which includes many more cities than Jerusalem. But since Jerusalem is an important city, it bears specific mention here. So Nehemiah first reestablishes the religious leaders in the Temple. These positions are reserved for Levites. Then he turns his attention to the civic affairs of the city by appointing governors of the city. 2 men. Hanani (probably his brother from vs. 1:1 and Hananiah (similar names…I imagine that wasn’t confusing at all). Notice that it isn’t one person who is given the authority to rule over Jersualem. In fact there are 2 people who are charged to rule. Neither of them is given final authority, but it is clear that they are to work together. Notice also what gives Hananiah the qualifications to rule the people. He is more faithful and God-fearing than many. Because at the end of the day, that’s what’s important above all else. The spirit of God can teach a person to rule if they have character that is faithful to and fearing of God. On the other hand, it isn’t as easy to take someone with abilities and talents and get them to be faithful and fearful of God. Are you faithful and do you fear God?

And from this day forward, biblically speaking the secular leadership of Judaism is always entrusted to a group and not a single king.

The high priest is always a single person.

Illustration: In the Bible bad leaders are often a judgement from God. We see this throughout Israel’s history. King Saul was a judgement against the people for demanding a king. Rehoboam (Solomon’s son) was a judgement against the people for pretty gross idol worship during the time of Solomon.

Is it possible that God still brings ungodly leaders to judge the nations? But of course, the type of leadership here in Nehemiah is closer to how God wants His church lead....by men who are faithful in all things and who fear the Lord.

Application: God has established the way that He wants His people led. It started with Moses and came all the way down through the years to David and Solomon on to Nehemiah.

Now in the church, God has established the qualifications for those who would lead His people. And the honest to goodness truth is that God expects His leaders to be servants. the qualifications for pastors are found in and . And what is very apparent that in those chapters is that it appears that God is far more interested in character than in ability. Something to think about with regard to leadership in the church.

2. Restore Order to the city (3-4)

Explanation: Order helps create purpose. We learn in verse 4 that the people who were actually living in Jerusalem were few. Which means that everyone was about to be given a job. The first order of business was the defense of the city. Guards were put at the gates. This is probably a preventative measure just in case Sanballat and Tobiah got any funny ideas. Order helps people feel safe and gives them purpose when they are a part of that order.

They also shut the gates so that no one could come in or go out. Up until this point people pretty much did whatever they wanted. Now, order is restored and people are going to need to obey the laws. Laws like the Sabbath and proper worship are reinstituted under Nehemiah’s leadership.

Leaders Lead and if Nehemiah’s example is followed, they will be servants.

Levites and priests will lead in worship

Gatekeepers will guard (we see the reinstitution of military)

Even the people are given the task of living in the city. I find this interesting. The city was such a mess, that people would have rather lived out in the country which had no walls and no protection than to living in a crumbling Jerusalem. And Nehemiah was like, if this city is your ancestral home, you have to come home.

Everyone had their part to play.

Illustration:

Application: Contrary to what the world wants to say, there are very good reasons to have order and laws. We can’t just have people running around doing whatever they want. But in the church, this is all the more important. There is a way that God has instructed His people to worship Him. We can’t just do whatever we want. People will say, let the spirit move. Well that’s not the way the spirit works. He’s not a God of chaos but of order.

And this is what the church is supposed to be. A place of order where people know their part. Leaders lead, singers sing, administrators administrate, greeters greet. And people are fully devoted members who determine to build up the church by using their gifts to bring order.

3. Restore the identity of the People. (5-73)

Explanation: Now we have another long list of names. And again, it’s difficult to get through these names. But the names are so important because because they help trace the national identity for the sake of the prophecies. Who gets to be king in the line leading up to the Messiah. There is one name in here that should give us pause and that is the name of a man named Zerubbabel. Now gives us more details that he is the son of Shealtiel. This is important because when you turn to , in the genealogy of Jesus there is a Zerubbabel who is the son of Shieltiel. These names are listed that we might have confidence that Jesus is the Messiah.

It’s amazing that God went to pretty big lengths to make sure that no one could just “claim” to be the Messiah, the evidence was clear so people would know.

Challenge Their Identity by appealing to the concept of family.

People’s families also dictated where they would live and what role they would have. Only those in the direct line of Aaron could serve as priests which was a little harder to prove than any ol’ Levite who could serve in the temple.

Challenge The nations purity by ensuring that there is continuity with history. This is important because of History.

Checking records carefully kept from any imposters trying to assume leadership improperly.

Challenge them in their obedience to God’s law.

This is a little weird in that if you couldn’t prove your lineage you were somewhat excluded. And again they were looking to maintain the purity of the nation of Israel for the sake of the coming Messiah. Nothing more; nothing less.

Their Generosity with their time, talents and treasures.

The people served their nation with their time, their talents (such as singing), and their treasures (from horses and mules to money and even clothes. No one was obligated to give as we’re told in vs. 70…only some of the heads of the households gave.

While there are principle in here that we can apply to our day to day lives and to the church as a whole, we need to be careful about trying to apply the national promises of God to any nation other than ancient Israel.

Illustration: Identity is such a powerful thing, but it is often fleeting. People find their identity in things that don’t last. In school it can be grades or a sport. As we get older those identities give way to relationships, jobs, power and money. And we can get so caught up in that identity that when we get a B or we have a career ending injuring, or when relationships end or we lose that job and influence and money, we begin to forget who we are.

But if our identity is more than just these earthly things, if it’s in Jesus, it will go on into eternity.

Application: The Jewish people typically found their identity in the nation of Israel as opposed to the God of their fathers who brought them out of Egypt and made them a great nation. Nehemiah would soon challenge them to find their identity of the God who restores them.

However for Christians we don’t find our identity in our family or our nation. We find our identity in the person of Jesus Christ, who was born in the line of David to a young girl named Mary who was from the family of David as well as His step father who was a direct descendant of David through Solomon.

Challenge The nations purity by ensuring that there is continuity with history. This is important because of History.

Challenge them in their obedience to God’s law.

Their Generosity with their time, talents and treasures.

Conclusion: Our world is becoming increasingly divided and broken and rather than living in broken cities, we are living in broken homes. And before long the brokenness of the world can affect us so much that we become broken ourselves.

We need to be restored under godly leadership in the church. We need to have order in our lives which leads to purpose and meaning. And finally we need a new identity that is not in the things of this world which are here today and gone tomorrow. But how?

I’m glad you asked....

Point to the cross.

Jesus paid it all that we might be restored in His sacrifice.

We are people that are broken and beaten down, more often than not by the guilt and shame of our own faults. The good news is that we can bring all of us, as we are, broken and all to the cross and we will be restored. Our sins will be washed away, no questions asked.

We are welcomed into a family where we are supported and encouraged and you don’t have to fake having it all together.

Reflection: Have you been restored by cross of Jesus?

Great leadership and a well organized organization is not enough. We have to respond to Jesus.

Have you ever heard the saying, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make them drink? Now I’m not calling you a horse. But Nehemiah was one of the greatest leaders who ever served God and in the end, it still came down to the people’s desire to follow God’s law. And spoiler alert they didn’t do so well.

But that’s the point isn’t it. Nehemiah was only setting things up for Jesus.

Only Jesus could truly restore the people. Only Jesus can restore you? How will you respond.