Opposition and fear
Every day we’re asking four questions about part of the Bible. Today Liz Nixon answers:
What did I like about today’s passage?
Nehemiah prays and acts - a great model that my husband Greg has always particularly loved about Nehemiah. We are to pray first, to seek God and ask for His help. Then we are called to do! Surely seeking Him first means the doing is more likely to be in line with His heart and His wisdom for that situation?!
Nehemiah reminds them that they are to treat the poor well, and in doing so, set an example to the Gentiles. He understands the bigger story of God – that Israel was chosen to be a light to the Gentiles, to show them the way to the Father. But with wealthier Israelites taking advantage of the poor, the Gentiles reproached them for their attitude. God was at work within the hearts of His people because they responded positively to Nehemiah’s rebuke in this injustice and they promised to repay money taken unfairly.
Nehemiah does not take what he is entitled to as Governor of Judah, following a promotion. He could tax the people to provide for himself, but he doesn’t. Instead, he shared what he did have (which seemed to be plenty given the daily food amounts described!) with more than 150 people who ate with him every day. God kindly blessed Nehemiah richly, and Nehemiah blessed others with what he’d been given.
Near completion, there is increased opposition, particularly with plots to harm Nehemiah. But Nehemiah refuses to be afraid, understanding that the enemy is trying to frighten them so that the work will stop. It’s ironic that when the wall is completed, we see it is the enemy that is afraid, and they lose their self-confidence. They know that God is with Israel, seen in the impossible 52 days taken to rebuild the wall!
What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?
When God is at work in the hearts of His men and women, anything is possible!
It typically takes 6 – 12 months to build a house and so it should not be possible to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem in 52 days. Apparently, the walls of Jerusalem would have been more than 4000 metres around, 12 meters high and 2-3 metres thick. But this was God’s initiative and He saw it through to completion. And in record time! This was not the work of mere human hands!
What am I going to do differently as a result?
I love that Nehemiah’s heart is to share that which God has given him. I want to hold all that I have more lightly and be more willing to share what I have with others.
Who am I going to share this with?
I’m going to share this with those on The Gold course, as Nehemiah perfectly demonstrates a “belong” first approach to life, praying first to His heavenly Father who shapes who he is and how he thinks, before then acting in line with His Father’s heart.