Three days after his arrival in Jerusalem Nehemiah rose up at night, and taking a few men with him, he made an inspection of the walls of Jerusalem on horseback. He would acquaint himself with the nature of the work which lay before him. But as yet he had not told any man what God had put into his heart to do there. Thus far he was alone with God in it. There was no pomp or show, no bringing a number of engineers and other skilled workmen to see what was to be done. He went out by night in order that he might take a view at once without attracting attention, and he saw it all in the depth of sadness. Do we, in our day, in the same spirit view the ruin outwardly of that which is nearest and dearest to the heart of Christ — the Church, for which He gave Himself?
Nehemiah inspected several gates and found them burned with fire and in ruins. He mentions the fountain gate and the king’s pool, but there was so much rubbish in the way that his horse could not pass. Then he went up by the brook to view the wall, and turning back, he entered by the same gate by which he had started out.
The fountain gate, we believe, was that through which the water flowed into the city, and perhaps this would speak to us of the precious truths of salvation and redemption, first made known by the blessed Saviour Himself, who is “the way, the truth, and the life,” John 14:66Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6), and then by His apostles and prophets. But how these precious truths have been corrupted and the fountain stopped in many places in Christendom today! Such are the things we find in and around the Church in ruins. This is the Church as seen in the hands of men. Nehemiah and his helpers were used of God to clear away the rubbish and to restore the gates. In the history of the Church God has raised up His servants through whom these precious truths have been recovered to us, from underneath the accumulated rubbish of the ages, and how thankful we ought to be that salvation by grace alone, through the blood of Jesus, is clearly preached so that thirsty souls can now come and drink of those pure streams of the water of life, that flow down from the throne of God!
The sight of the ruins did not cause Nehemiah to give up in despair. On the contrary he called together some of the Jews, the priests, the nobles and rulers, and said to them: “Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem.” He went on to tell them how that the good hand of God was upon him, and that the king had given him authority. Then we see the effect of one man’s devotion and zeal on others. Their answer was all encouragement, for they said, “Let us rise up and build.” And he tells us that “they strengthened their hands for this good work.”
So it is that when a man of faith goes forward, he goes forward not in his own strength, but with a humble spirit and in dependence on God; and the hands of the feeble are strengthened for the work. It is God that prospers; He gets the glory, and His people the blessing.
ML 06/21/1959