We can learn from what happened when Nehemiah finished the wall

By Dean Collins

We all have different assignments. And we will likely have numerous assignments over the course of our lives. While we each have been given different gifts and abilities, once we reclaim our identity through our acceptance of Jesus as our Savior King, we do have a common work of restoration. All we have to do is look around us and we can see so many things that need the hands of those committed to restoration.

Mission finished

So what happens when God gives you an assignment to fix or build and you accomplish the mission? Nehemiah finished the wall in just 52 days. It was a massive undertaking with constant resistance from the outside and at times from the inside, and yet God gave Nehemiah the courage, the will, the protection, and the strength to finish the wall. However, we should take note that Nehemiah didn’t simply pack his bags and leave on day 53. He made sure there was a team in place to carry on the rest of the work that needed accomplishing.

Good leaders not only take on projects. They also develop the people that will lead when they have finished their assignments. The first step Nehemiah took was to appoint leaders for different functions to extend and continue the work of the city. The walls had been restored and the gates hung, but without leaders and people living within the gates, the purpose of the restoration work would have been narrow in scope. The walls and gates were critical for safety, but God’s restoration work both then and now is more than just building infrastructure. God’s restoration projects bring life to others.

God’s Word read

To make sure everyone involved in the community of Jerusalem understood the greater purpose, Ezra the priest was called upon to read the Book of Law to the men and women and to all who could understand. When Ezra finished reading it, he gave praise to God and the people lifted their hands in praise to God and said Amen. Their amen was a declaration that the will of God go forth in and through the people of God.

It’s worth noting that as a leader Nehemiah knew when to take center stage and when to step back. God stirred Nehemiah to go to Jerusalem and to build and restore the infrastructure. But Nehemiah recognized there were some things he was not assigned to do. As Ezra the priest stepped into his role, Nehemiah backed out of the light. As God’s agents of restoration, we need to understand when we step forward and when we step back. Stepping back or aside isn’t quitting; it is simply acknowledging that God calls and equips different people for different roles in his community.

Conviction experienced

As hundreds of listeners heard the Law read aloud, it brought tears to their eyes. It may have been decades since some had heard the Law read aloud. It may have been the first time some had ever heard God’s Law read. We need to remember the Word of God is living and active and when it is read or heard, it brings conviction of sin and purpose for living. Reading God’s Word and sharing it with others is a part of the restoration work God continues to this day.

Ezra saw the conviction that came over those listening to the Word of God. He watched as sins were confessed and a broadening understanding of God’s provision and protection was realized. Ezra then spoke a phrase that is powerful: “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” Walls and gates may give some protection, but it is God in us that gives real strength and protection. Conviction of sin and the work of reconciliation may bring a season of weeping, but it will lead to joy as we embrace the healing and transformation God desires for us.

God’s presence embraced

As we continue the kingdom work God calls us to in 2022, let’s do it with an understanding that he has given us each different roles and assignments. Our work must include not just physical repairs to external things but must also include internal restoration, first of our lives and then to provide spiritual assistance to others. If the joy of the Lord never emerges in the days ahead, I suspect it is an indication that we have not fully embraced the presence of God who is longing to give us strength for the journey but also joy along the way.

Your time with God’s Word
‭‭Nehemiah‬ ‭7:1, 3-4‬; ‭8:1-2, 4-12 ‭ESV

Photo by Adam Winger on Unsplash

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