Title: Nehemiah the Builder (Nehemiah 02:11-20)
Contents Nehemiah was the son of Hacaliah of the tribe of Judah. He was living in the palace of Persia as an official instead of the palace, when he heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being destroyed and that the people were suffering. With the king's permission, Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem to repair the wall and rebuild the gates.
1. Nehemiah rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem1) Arriving in Jerusalem, Nehemiah investigated the reality of the destruction of the wall during the night and asked the leaders of the people for cooperation, and they all worked together with strength (verse 18).
2) The more God's work, the more we need to cooperate. Nehemiah organized the walls in an orderly manner and assigned responsibilities to each department, so that everyone worked diligently to complete the wall construction.
3) Nevertheless, opposition to the contraction of the fortress wall arose, and the obstacles from the outside and difficulties from the inside had to be overcome.
2. The secret of success 1) Nehemiah was able to complete God's work even in difficult circumstances because he had a firm sense of duty. He had the conviction that the building of the wall was for God, that it was God's will, and that it was God's work, so he believed that God would prosper even when the enemies ridiculed and ridiculed him (verse 20).
2) Nehemiah had absolute trust in God. Hearing the news of Jerusalem's desolation, he fasted and prayed (1:4), and prayed to God when answering the king's questions (2:4). He prayed when there were slanderous enemies or when he heard that enemies were attacking him (4:4, 8-9). Even when my hands were tired from the interference of the enemy, I prayed, “Now give me strength” (6:9).
3) Nehemiah had a strong fighting spirit. While praying to God, he sent watchmen to guard against the enemy day and night (4:9), mobilizing half of the people for construction and half armed and defending the enemy. When the trumpet sounded, they gathered together (4:16-20) and never let go of weapons (4:23).
3. Nehemiah's faith 1) Nehemiah did not forget gratitude and joy. Even when the people heard the word of the law and repented and wept, they said, “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (8:10). During the work, there was someone in charge of singing (12:8, 27, 31, 38), On the day the wall was completed, the rejoicing of Jerusalem was heard from afar (12:43).
2) When Nehemiah went to Babylon and returned again, he corrected his wrongdoings as a chosen people and removed all corruptions. He drove out the mixed-bearing Gentiles, provided a way for the priests and Levites to live, prevented Sabbath violations, and forbade marriage with Gentiles.
3) The rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem was more difficult than the conquest of Canaan in the days of Joshua. Even in the midst of these overlapping afflictions, his thorough trust in God and the faithful faith of Nehemiah were the strength that allowed him to complete all these tasks.