The Remnant Who Survived

Nehemiah 1:3–4 NASB95

3 They said to me, “The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire.” 4 When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

Coronavirus has Consumed the Land

According to CNN, COVID-19 is affecting every state, some more than others.

Cities and states have imposed stay-at-home orders.

Dead bodies are being stored in refrigerated trucks because some many people are dying of COVID-19.

Government is passing out money without suitable regulation.

Local, state, and federal government are openly displaying contempt and bickering on national television.

People worldwide are social distancing, something modern people have never heard of before.

Police are refusing to respond to calls for service.

Healthcare workers, including at least 68 doctors, have died while trying to save lives of people who have COVID-19.

High-ranking government officials have contracted COVID-19.

Name one way COVID-19 has impacted government.

The Remnant Survived

Remnant “A small group who survived” (Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary).

The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament שְׁאֵרִית

the remains of a community that has been almost exterminated

Reflect back with me to Genesis 45:7, while keeping Nehemiah as the central theme. Joseph said to his family, “God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.”

We know from business:

Groups are loosely fitted people.

Groups join together to achieve a goal.

Group membership is for a purpose.

Group contact is considered meaningful.

Group work is sometimes decentralized.

Group work is interdependent (i.e., group goals can break down if individual members do not work together).

We cannot forget, the group survived.

In every crisis in the Bible, people survived.

We cannot remain in a survival mode, we have to transition to living.

Psalm 30:3 NASB95

O Lord, You have brought up my soul from Sheol; You have kept me alive, that I would not go down to the pit.

It’s time to move from survival to living.

The Land is Covered in Distress and Reproach

Distress “pain or suffering affecting the body, a bodily part, or the mind: TROUBLE” (Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary).

Distress “a painful situation: MISFORTUNE” (Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary).

Reproach “a cause or occasion of blame, discredit, or disgrace” (Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary).

We can be distressed and feel reproach, but we cannot allow such feelings to overwhelm our mission.

People can be paralyzed by blame and misfortune.

We also know that if you are stuck or paralyzed you are off purpose.

Purpose determines:

Nature;

Design; and

Features.

You were not designed to be consumed by distress or reproach.

We are not called to distress or react with reproach.

Psalm 150:6 NASB95

6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!

Jerusalem is Broken

We know, things that are broken can be repaired and are often repaired.

This was no ordinary repair.

In Nehemiah’s case, a city was broken. In our case, however, a county is broken, besieged by distress and reproach.

Jerusalem is no ordinary city; it is God’s chosen city.

Jerusalem has been destroyed twice (once by Nebuchadnezzar in 589 BA and once by Nero in 70 AD). The city has been besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, and captured and recaptured 44 times.

This is a a considerable amount of adversity.

That is a lot of:

drama;

change;

inconsistency;

turmoil;

unhappiness; and

lack of stability and peace.

2 Chronicles 6:6 NASB95

but I have chosen Jerusalem that My name might be there, and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’

Nehemiah was an ordinary Joe, neither a prophet nor a persist. However, Nehemiah held a deep appreciation for and recognition of the significance of Jerusalem.

We cannot allow superficial status to interfere with God’s will for our life.

During this pandemic, we have seen average Joe’s perform significant tasks to support the masses.

Today, we celebrate the average Joe’s and Jane’s.

This is the season of the average Joe and average Jane.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 NASB95

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven—

The Wall is on Fire

The wall represents a hedge of safety, security, and protection.

The wall represents our economy.

The wall represents our lives.

The lack of a wall meant the people were defenseless against their enemies.

When something is burned such as a wall, it creates:

Cost;

Damage;

Work; and

Opportunity.

Sometime You Must Sit Down

While sitting down, you have to pray.

While sitting down, you can still intercede on other’s half.

While you’re sitting down, sometimes you may mourn and cry.

Psalm 30:5 says “weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”

What is God saying, you can be preparing and planning to overcome your circumstances.

While you’re sitting down, we cannot afford to become immobilized or bogged down in pity.

Praying and interceding on other’s behalf, even while sitting down, suggests movement (i.e., action).

Noah could have become too emotional to do the work, but he did not (Genesis 6:13-15; 22).

After Lot’s wife turned into a pillar of salt, Lot could have given up right there, but he did not (Genesis 19:27).

Psychology tells us exercise can reduce anxiety, depression, negative mood, and improve self-esteem, change cognitive function, alleviate low self-esteem and remove feelings of social withdrawal (Sharma, A., Madaan, V., and Petty, F.D., 2006).

References

Merriam-Webster, I. (1996). Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary (10th ed.). Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster.

Sharma, A., Madaan, V., & Petty, F. D. (2006). Exercise for mental health. Primary care companion to the Journal of clinical psychiatry, 8(2), 106. https://doi.org/10.4088/pcc.v08n0208a