Inspecting and Correcting

Introduction

Address church being in derision and personal sin causing spiritual derision.

Nehemiah 2:9–20 ESV

9 Then I came to the governors of the province Beyond the River and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen. 10 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant heard this, it displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel. 11 So I went to Jerusalem and was there three days. 12 Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. And I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. There was no animal with me but the one on which I rode. 13 I went out by night by the Valley Gate to the Dragon Spring and to the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that were broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire. 14 Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, but there was no room for the animal that was under me to pass. 15 Then I went up in the night by the valley and inspected the wall, and I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned. 16 And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, and I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, and the rest who were to do the work. 17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision.” 18 And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, “Let us rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work. 19 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” 20 Then I replied to them, “The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem.”

Objections

No matter what we do in life, there will always be objections and objectors to what we do. But add to that the spiritual forces and the enemy not wanting the work of the Lord done and the church as a whole and us an individuals will face objection.

For Nehemiah it is no different, He has found favor with God so much so that the king who destroyed Jerusalem, has given Nehemiah everything he needs to rebuild the city.

He gave him letters, which spell out to the surrounding kings and leaders what he has allowed to happen.

Inspecting

What is interesting is what happened before the inspection of the walls took place. Nehemiah rested for three days. One of the principles that we can find over and over in scripture is working out of one’s rest. The best thing for Nehemiah was not to journey for days, have a rough encounter with kings, then get to town look things over and start gathering people to inspire them to work. Rather he rested from his journey. We don’t know what he did during these three days. However, I know his rest was not in tv, movies, plays, recreational activities because none of those things were there. What had led Nehemiah to this point...

Nehemiah 1:4 ESV

4 As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

Nehemiah

I found this a helpful reminder to rest in the Lord before I work. We need spiritual rest, and nourishment, just like we need physical rest and nourishment.

But soon enough Nehemiah is headed out to do what God had put in his heart, to rebuild the walls.

Why are the walls so important?

The walls serve as protection from outside threats.

The walls serve as boundaries for those within the city.

What transpired during this walk is important. Nehemiah had the opportunity to see and feel and sense what his people had gone through. He also gained a feeling for how the outside people viewed Jerusalem.

The People felt shame, insecure, defeated

The outside world viewed Israel as a joke, an easy target...

What do the walls mean for us?

on a church level, I want us to think about how we move forward with the gospel or do not. How is our church viewed, as a broken down city, or as a city that is flourishing, expanding, and intimidating.

Think on a city level, which city would you most want St. Louis to be like, why? How is St. Louis viewed when compared to other cities?

On a personal level, could we compare the walls of the city of Jerusalem to the sin in your life? From a spiritual well being are you a thriving city or a battered and broken down city?

Correcting

Nehemiah identified with the People using words like we and us.

Nehemiah stressed the seriousness of the problem. Jerusalem is in ruins.

How serious is the problem on the church level for us?

How serious is the problem on a personal level for you?

When looking to justify himself to the people, Nehemaih showed them how the hand of God was upon him. He did not give a list of reasons why he was a good fit. God made him the fit, and equipped him, and blessed him. God is in this that is why we follow.

From Alex McMullin, “When faced with opposition Nehemiah doesn’t call out in the name of the king who gave him favor rather he called to his strength in God.”

The greater Nehemiah is in you, you don’t have to be a broken down city that is not flourishing. And the process of rebuilding will take work, grit, and fight.

When God is at work there will be opposition. If you repent of sin, there will be more temptation. When we impact people for Jesus, the enemy will respond with attack.