Snapshot
👀: Original post.
My Dear Friend,
Nehemiah 3 has a very modern message hidden in its very ancient story. And a very timely one. It is driven home by Nehemiah’s excessive repetition.
Every verse except one (v. 26) contains some form of two key words: “build” and “repair.” Some verses contain multiple uses. For the record, these words appear 44 times in 32 verses. God often uses repetition to drive home points, but this case seems excessive. Why? What is it God wants to communicate so strongly in Nehemiah 3?
As we read through Nehemiah’s lengthy list of God’s loyal laborers on the wall, we read again and again, they “built,” “built,” and “built”; or they “repaired,” “repaired,” and “repaired.” To understand God’s point, we must understand the times.
After the demise of Israel’s northern kingdom, the southern kingdom of Judah fell into idolatry and many gross sins, even defiling the temple courts with idols and practicing child sacrifice in a valley just outside Jerusalem. Offended, but still compassionate, God sent one prophet after another to warn the Jews of His impending judgment, but they mocked His warnings, and abused His prophets “till there was no remedy,” or no alternative left but to destroy them (2 Chronicles 36:16). For these ongoing, stubborn sins, God gave Judah over to a devastating Babylonian captivity.
For 70 long, desolate years the Jews were captive exiles in Babylon, Jerusalem was depopulated, its walls were broken down, its gates were destroyed, its temple lay in ruins, and all hope of the nation being restored to God’s purpose and blessing was gone. Despite all these depressing negatives, one positive remained to uplift the Jews with a sure hope: many prophecies assured them their Messiah was still coming! For this, then, Jerusalem’s temple, gates, and walls needed to be repaired so the people could be secure in their land, restored in their worship, united in their hope, and ready for their Messiah’s arrival.
So, God sent Nehemiah to build what had been broken and repair what had been torn down, so the way would be prepared for Jesus' first coming. He could not come to His people if they were divided and dispersed, without a place of worship, practicing idolatry and other egregious sins, and captive to Gentile oppressors. So, God released His people after sufficient punishment and authorized the restoration of their lives, worship, and mission - to be His light to the Gentiles - so Jesus, who personally fulfilled that mission, could come.
Now, let’s apply this story’s ancient message to our modern time.
At this very moment, in this very season, on this very day, as you read this very message, Christ is searching the world over for “Nehemiah men,” or faithful male and female Christian disciples willing to labor sacrificially to rebuild the “walls,” or spiritual strength and unassailability, of His beloved church.
The job description reads as follows. It’s a hard job - carrying large limestone blocks is exhausting. It’s a dangerous job - Jerusalem’s workers are targets of plots and attacks by surrounding enemies. It’s a humbling job - as few if any praise Nehemiah men and most if not all reproach them and their ambitious “super-spiritual” hopes. It’s often a lonely job - as few accept God’s job offer, preferring to live comfortably lukewarm and uncommitted lives. But it’s a divine job - God is personally summoning every worker and supervising their work. And it’s an inspiring job - the Holy Spirit powerfully refills every Nehemiah man morning by morning as they wait in God’s presence. And it’s a rewarding work - as Christ will repay every laborer with ample provisions in this life and abundant, enviable rewards at Christ’s Judgment Seat. “Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every [Nehemiah] man according as his work shall be” (Revelation 22:12).
Indeed, God is summoning committed disciples of Christ who will yield their lives to build again every good thing that has been broken in their lives and churches and nations. He’s sending them to repair all the damage caused by the sin, selfishness, world-loving, and idol-serving that has ruined our lives, worship, and service, and has for over a generation left us languishing as captives to the futile, fleeting, unfulfilling, spiritually corrupting “things that are in the world” (1 John 2:15-17). Why?
To restore genuine, biblical, Christlike Christian living. To restore heavenly praise and true, deep worship “in spirit and in truth” in our assemblies (John 4:24). To recreate New Testament churches focused on pleasing Christ and putting His kingdom interests first. To prepare us for the soon-coming appearing of the Messiah, Jesus!
Fellow believers, it’s time to rise, assume our places on the church’s wall, and “build,” “build,” and “build” - a much wider knowledge of God’s Word, Old Testament and New; a much deeper, more intimate, experiential knowledge of God Himself; a much clearer, more penetrating insight that recognizes God’s ways, hand, and voice in our daily lives; a much more thoroughly fire-forged, trial-purified, life-proven faith in all of God’s Word; a much more complete, radical abandonment to God’s will, whatever rejection and reproach it entails; a far stronger, Job-like trust in God’s unchanging character; and a Stephen- and Daniel-like faithfulness unto death!
It’s also time to “repair,” “repair,” and “repair” - the fear of God in our hearts; the supreme authority of God’s Word in our teaching and living; the sovereign guidance of the Holy Spirit in our lives and churches; spiritual attitudes, instead of carnal thinking; biblical, prayer-driven ways of ministry instead of Madison Avenue marketing; Christlike humility in ministry, instead of competitive pride and envy; joyful, “hearty” obedience, instead of slow, self-pitying, murmuring, half-hearted obedience; steadfast pursuit of our divine callings, even when they lead us to painful crosses; and deep, spiritual, unbreakable unity in and among our churches and pastors. Why?
So every day we may be spiritually strong, securely in place, offering worship that pleases God, pursuing our ministries, fulfilling our commissions, and preparing the way for the Messiah to come - the second time. That’s the very timely message hidden in Nehemiah 3. Run with it!
Building, repairing, preparing the way,
Greg Hinnant
