Nehemiah: May 2018
Table of Contents
Nehemiah
The fulfillment of God’s purposes rests upon the person and work of a man, the man Christ Jesus. The record of His life and death displays His perfection. In His perfect wisdom, God has chosen to teach, humble and exercise us by also recording for us the lives and service of many imperfect men. When we consider them, we are seeing our own human natures on display. In some cases, the inspired Word records their thoughts, their motives, and their actions even when they are writing about their own weaknesses and sins. Jonah writes the Book of Jonah. Yet, when the book begins, he is out of fellowship with the Lord and when the book ends he is out of fellowship with the Lord. Nehemiah is another who records things about himself that show both strength and weakness and un-Christlike behavior. We may profit by pondering their lives to learn from their failures and be thankful for their acts of faith. And we are to be like the Apostle Paul, who said of his own life, “I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but He that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God” (1 Cor. 4:4-5). I look forward to being present when Nehemiah receives his praise of God.
The Character of Nehemiah
We see in Nehemiah himself a heart touched with the affliction of his people, a precious token of the grace of God, and He who had produced this feeling disposed the king’s heart to grant Nehemiah all he desired for the good of the people and of Jerusalem. We see also in Nehemiah a heart that habitually turned to God, that sought its strength in Him, and thus surmounted the greatest obstacles. The time in which Nehemiah labored for the good of his people was not one of those brilliant phases which awake the energies of faith and even the energy of man, imparting to it their own luster. It was a period which required the perseverance that springs from a deep interest in the people of God, because they are His people—a perseverance which, for this very reason, pursues its object in spite of the contempt excited by the work, apparently so insignificant, but which is no less the work of God and which pursues it in spite of the hatred and opposition of enemies and the faintheartedness of fellow laborers (Neh. 4:8,10-11), a perseverance which, giving itself up entirely to the work, baffles all the intrigues of the enemy and avoids every snare, God taking care of those who trust in Him. It is also a beautiful feature in Nehemiah’s character that, in spite of his high office, he had all the detail of service so much at heart and all that concerned the upright walk of God’s people.
The Perseverance of Faith
This history shows us first of all how, when God acts, faith stamps its own character on all who surround it. The Jews, who had so long left Jerusalem desolate, are quite disposed to recommence the work. Later, however, they became somewhat discouraged by the difficulties. This brings out the perseverance which characterizes true faith when the work is of God, be it ever so poor in appearance. The whole heart is in it because it is of God. Encouraged by Nehemiah’s energy, the people are ready to work and fight at the same time, for faith always identifies God and His people in the heart. And this becomes a spring of devotedness in all concerned.
Let us remark that in times of difficulty faith does not show itself in the magnificence of the result, but in love for God’s work, however little it may be, and in the perseverance with which it is carried on through all the difficulties belonging to this state of weakness, for that with which faith is occupied is the city of God and the work of God, and these things have always the same value, whatever may be the circumstances in which they are found.
J. N. Darby
Nehemiah
The Book of Nehemiah is closely tied to the Book of Ezra; in fact, the two form a single book in the Hebrew Scriptures. Thirteen years had passed since Ezra’s return to Jerusalem and he was still to be found in that city (Ezra 7:7; Neh. 2:1; 8:1). The Book of Nehemiah, however, opens in the courts of the palace at Shushan (in present-day Iran) where we find Nehemiah, the cupbearer, in the service of king Artaxerxes.
Temperament
In comparing the individuals—Ezra and Nehemiah—we find them to be quite different in temperament. Ezra seems more subdued; he was the ready scribe and the priest of God. Ezra was sent to Jerusalem to restore things ecclesiastically. He was to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of God and to teach those that did not know it (Ezra 7:14,25). For this work, he was perfectly fitted. Nehemiah, on the other hand, was a man of action and, it would appear, a natural leader. His position in the court of the king may well have had some bearing on this. Often God uses seemingly insignificant circumstances in our lives to prepare us for greater things. In contrast with Ezra, Nehemiah’s return to Jerusalem was connected with the restoration of the civil state of things. One should be careful in elevating the one over the other; each walked according to the measure of faith that they had received. Why was it necessary for God to send Nehemiah to Jerusalem when Ezra was already there? Had Ezra failed? No, each had a role that the other could not fulfill.
Different Roles
We should avoid ranking our brethren and, worse still, exalting ourselves. “We dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise” (2 Cor. 10:12).
It is human nature to delve into things that we have not seen and to promote one’s sense of spirituality and superiority, but let us be clear, this is not of God. “Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding the Head” (Col. 2:18-19). It was this very thing that led to the Gnostic errors that the Apostle John had to counter through his epistles late in his life. This is not to say that all believers are spiritually minded or that all exhibit the same degree of maturity. We see this clearly in the books we are presently considering. Those who made the sacrifice to leave Babylon and return to the land were exercised to do so. Some, however, seemed to be satisfied with merely being there—they were at God’s center, were they not? Others, however, were willing to put their necks to the work, and of some we read, “They were counted faithful” (Neh. 13:13). Sad to say, there were also those for whom this place of privilege meant very little, and their behavior only served to undermine that feeble testimony that God in His grace had permitted.
In the New Testament, James, Cephas and John were conspicuous as being pillars in the assembly (Gal. 2:9). For one, however, to take a superior view of their position among their brethren and to lord it over God’s heritage is condemned by the Apostle Peter (1 Peter 5:3). The Lord did not ask Peter to condescend to feed His sheep, but rather it was to flow from Peter’s affection for Christ. Anything that exalts man, whether it is myself or another, detracts from Christ. “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).
N. Simon
Ezra and Nehemiah – Approach to Failure Among God’s People
Nehemiah and Ezra lived approximately at the same time, and they were both faithful men. Each had a heart for the Lord, and each was raised up of the Lord for a specific purpose. However, it is evident that their characters were very different. Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem some years after Ezra had been there, and some have suggested that there had been failure on Ezra’s part, in that he concentrated on teaching the people and dealing with their sins, while the walls of Jerusalem lay in ruins. He had surely seen all the rubbish and the desolation of the wall, and some have questioned why he did not address the matter, as well as being occupied with the people and the temple.
To this we can only reply that God uses His servants according to His own purpose, and it was important that the state of the people be right before they were exercised as to rebuilding the wall. Thus God used a Zerubbabel to build the temple, an Ezra to teach the people and to recall them to the Lord, and a Nehemiah to build the wall. Each was chosen by the Lord and fitted for the work He had given them to do.
However, I would suggest that there is an important lesson that we can learn, if we observe the different ways in which these two faithful men approached failure and difficulty among God’s people. Both recognized the failure of God’s people and identified with it. Both had a desire for the honor and glory of the Lord and sought diligently to address the problems they found. But again, each approached those difficulties in a different way, and we can learn from their experience.
Ezra’s Mission
Ezra, who came to Jerusalem some thirteen years before Nehemiah, had to face a decline in the spiritual state of the people who had gone back to the land of Israel. Nearly fifty years had passed since the dedication of the temple, and no longer was there the same energy for the Lord and His interests as there had been when “the children of Israel, which were come again out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek the Lord God of Israel ... kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy” and strengthened their hands “in the work of the house of God” (Ezra 6:21-22). Evil had come in, and it was reported to Ezra that “the people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands ... for they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands” (Ezra 9:1-2).
Ezra’s reaction is admirable, for we read, “I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied” (Ezra 9:3). The result was that “then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel” (vs. 4). Ezra then fell upon his knees, confessing the sin of the nation as his own, and recognizing their present situation as being the result of serious failure in the past. In turn, God Himself worked in the hearts of the people to desire to correct the problem by the putting away of those heathen wives, while Ezra continued in fasting and mourning. The outcome of this humility of heart before the Lord was a thorough dealing with the matter, painful though it must have been. It was a work of God, and He received the glory.
Nehemiah’s Mission
As we have noted, Nehemiah came some years after Ezra, and they knew one another, for they are seen working together (see Nehemiah 8:9). Nehemiah was an active man—one who was practical in his outlook and who wanted to get things done. As we have already mentioned, he too confessed the sin of Israel as his own, mourning and fasting, and especially when a report was brought to him concerning the sad state of the wall and gates of Jerusalem. It was his energy and enthusiasm that galvanized the people into rebuilding the wall, which evidently had been in a sad condition ever since it had been broken down by Nebuchadnezzar more than 130 years before.
Then later it came to his attention that some of the nobles had been oppressing the poor, exacting usury of them, and causing great hardship. Instead of sitting down before the Lord, it is recorded that Nehemiah was “very angry,” and he records that “I consulted with myself” (Neh. 5:6-7). More than this, concerning the nobles, he “set a great assembly against them” (vs. 7). The Lord worked in the hearts of those nobles, and restitution was made to those who had been wronged, for which we can thank the Lord. But then later, Nehemiah could say to the Lord, “Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people” (Neh. 5:19). Instead of the Lord’s getting the glory, Nehemiah took it for himself, wanting the Lord to remember all that he had done.
Nehemiah’s Second Visit
It seems that after some years in Jerusalem, Nehemiah went back to Persia, but then he came again to visit his people in “the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon” (Neh. 13:6). Again he found that serious failure had developed in his absence, both in desecration of the temple and in profaning the Sabbath. As well, some of the people of Israel, including those who were rulers and priests, had once again married wives of other nations, so that their children spoke in dialects of mixed languages.
Once again Nehemiah’s response was characteristic of his strong personality, for it is recorded that he “contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair” (Neh. 13:25). Concerning one of the chiefest offenders, Nehemiah states that “I chased him from me” (vs. 28). All this was, no doubt, righteous indignation and was well deserved by the wrongdoers. But while the Lord’s glory was before Nehemiah, it seems that self and the energy of nature entered into his way of dealing with the evil. Again, the final word in the book is, “Remember me, O my God, for good” (vs. 31).
We call attention to all this, not to cast stones at Nehemiah or malign his character, but simply to point out that it is much better to humble ourselves and allow the Lord to work in guilty hearts, rather than resort to human energy. The Lord in His ways may allow human energy to accomplish His purpose, but how much better to allow Him to work. Then cold hearts are warmed and brought back to Him, and ultimately He gets the glory, not we who may be used of Him.
W. J. Prost
Building the Wall – Opposition
The matter that greatly concerned Nehemiah while he was in the Persian court at Shushan was a report that “the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire,” on account of which the people there were “in great affliction and reproach” (Neh. 1:3). Nehemiah in turn requested of the king (Artaxerxes II of Persia) permission to go to Judah and rebuild the wall and the city. The wall was indeed built and its gates set up over a period of years, but it was during “troublous times,” as Daniel had prophesied many years before.
The opposition did not come from the heathen, nor from the Persian Empire; rather it came from the Samaritans—those who inhabited the northern territory of Israel. These were a mixed group of people with a confusing religion, for when the Assyrians took the ten tribes of Israel captive about 721 B.C., they introduced other peoples into the land. The religion in that area, already corrupted by Jeroboam, eventually became an even worse mixture, consisting of a smattering of what God had given through Moses in the beginning, but combined with many of man’s thoughts and much error. Thus many years later, the Lord Jesus could say to the Samaritan woman at the well of Sychar, “Ye worship ye know not what” (John 4:22). It was from these people and their allies that most of the antagonism came.
Forms of Opposition
Satan was behind all this, just as he opposes today anything that seeks to honor God and to go back to His Word for instruction and guidance. The resistance took many different forms, calculated to wear out, discourage, and even frighten those who sought to please the Lord. Let us look at some of the ways that Nehemiah and those who built the wall were attacked.
First of all, Sanballat the Horonite (likely a Moabite) and Tobiah the Ammonite heard of the plan to rebuild the wall, and “it grieved them exceedingly, that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel” (Neh. 2:10). Later these two men were joined by Geshem the Arabian, and in succession Nehemiah records that (1) “they laughed us to scorn” (Neh. 2:19), (2) charged us with rebellion—“will ye rebel against the king” (Neh. 2:19), (3) anger—“he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews” (Neh. 4:1), (4) ridicule—“if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall” (Neh. 4:3), and (5) ready to fight—“conspired all of them together to come and fight against Jerusalem” (Neh. 4:8). While all of the attempts to stop the building were foiled, nevertheless these threats took their toll on the people, for we read, “Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall” (Neh. 4:10).
So it is today. Satan attacks in many different forms, but if we rely on the Lord, we can be confident of victory. However, it is often in discouragement that Satan succeeds, for if he cannot stop the work of the Lord by force, he wears down God’s people so that they become disheartened and give up. We all want peace and quiet in this world, and if we are willing to compromise and forget about the wall of separation, we can have it, at least in some measure. But to honor the Lord and continue in faithfulness will certainly bring trouble and difficulty.
Wiles
The wall was eventually finished, or nearly finished, but then the enemy tried a new tactic. Instead of attacking like a “roaring lion,” we find “the wiles of the devil” being used. The world has a saying, “If you can’t lick ‘em, join ‘em!” A meeting was proposed, although Nehemiah quickly saw that the underlying motive was “to do me mischief” (Neh. 6:2). Four times a meeting was offered, but not in Jerusalem; no, it was to be in a village in the plain of Ono, some 30 miles from Jerusalem. When Nehemiah steadfastly refused this, his enemies raised a false report, to the effect that it was being widely circulated that Nehemiah intended to rebel and make himself a king. His enemies feigned friendship, again wanting a meeting, allegedly to try and protect him. Later still another enemy proposed a meeting in the temple, where supposedly Nehemiah would be safe from attack. Nehemiah again refused all these meetings, and his enemies were frustrated in their purpose.
Again, we see Satan using the same strategies today. Often opposition to the truth comes from those who have a measure of truth and thus resent keenly those who seek to embrace and walk in the whole truth. Agreeing to a meeting with them, with a view to eventual union with them, will salve their conscience and defuse the resistance to the truth, but such a union will always be at the expense of the truth. We must be prepared for such maneuvers on Satan’s part, and, like Nehemiah, be able to see through them and refuse to be trapped into unfaithfulness.
Serious Opposition
Finally, Nehemiah encountered what was perhaps the most serious kind of opposition and, no doubt, the most difficult to bear. In Nehemiah 12, we find the wall of Jerusalem completely finished and dedicated with much joy. All this was accompanied by singing, music and sacrifices. But then it seems that Nehemiah, after having been governor of Judea for twelve years, was temporarily recalled to Shushan by the king. After some time he came back to Jerusalem, only to find how quickly things had degenerated in his absence.
First of all, he found that the high priest Eliashib, who had oversight of the chamber of the house of God, was allied with Tobiah and had “prepared for him a great chamber” (Neh. 13:5). This was the chamber in which they were supposed to store the tithes of the people, for the use of the priests and Levites. Yet now it was a comfortable place for Tobiah, one of those who had strenuously opposed the building of the wall. As a result of all this, the Levites had not been cared for, and they had been obliged to flee to their fields to sustain themselves.
More than this, the son of Eliashib (Joiada) was “son in law to Sanballat the Horonite” (Neh. 13:28). Sanballat was another strong opposer of building the wall, and together with Tobiah and others, he had devised the previous attempts to stop the work. This intermarrying with other nations, which had already been dealt with once by Ezra some years before, evidently had begun again. Encouraged by the bad example set by their leaders, other Jews “had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab,” so that “their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews’ language” (Neh. 13:23-24).
The Sabbath
Finally, in a direct affront to Jehovah, the sabbath was being profaned, so that Nehemiah saw “some treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses” (Neh. 13:15). Also “men of Tyre ... brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem” (Neh. 13:16).
Nehemiah dealt with all this, and in a very forcible and effective way, but it must have deeply grieved him to see how little the people really valued the honor and glory of the Lord. His presence kept things under control, but as soon as he was absent, declension set in rather quickly.
Worldly Associations
Again, we must bow our heads in shame as we see similar declension today, and we must all own our part in it. It often happens that a strong and faithful believer will keep many bad tendencies in check among the Lord’s people, but let that one be taken away and things often degenerate quickly. A spiritual believer once remarked that he feared worldliness among the saints more than he feared bad doctrine; not that bad doctrine is not serious, but it can more easily be identified and dealt with. Worldliness and worldly associations are insidious, for we must live and move in this world, and it is all too easy to be linked with that which, while having a “form of godliness,” really denies the power of it. The men such as Sanballat and Tobiah had a semblance of godly religion, but did not really want the full truth as God had given it for that day. So today there are those who will gladly seek to be connected outwardly with the people of God, while staunchly opposing separation from the world and from worldly religion.
It is only by having the Lord Himself before us that we can honor Him in the confusing state of the world today, but He will give us the grace and moral courage to do so, just as He gave it to Nehemiah in his day. The Lord took notice of those like Ezra and Nehemiah, who were faithful in their day, when many were giving up. He will also reward those who seek to be faithful today!
W. J. Prost
The Towers of Jerusalem
Towers in the Scripture speak of two main things. The first is shelter and safety, and thus we read, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe” (Prov. 18:10). The second is detection and protection. The position of the watchman in Scripture is so important, requiring ongoing awareness, diligence and continuance. See 2 Kings 9:17-21.
In addition to the gates of Jerusalem mentioned to us in the Book of Nehemiah, Scripture mentions a number of towers in the wall around the city that are very instructive as well. While there are twelve gates mentioned in Nehemiah, there are only six towers mentioned. Chapter 3 gives us ten of the gates and all of the recorded towers.
The Tower of Meah
The first tower given to us is in Nehemiah 3:1—the tower of Meah. Meah means “one hundred” and is the tower right next to the sheep gate. It is the first tower mentioned, and perhaps the thought is that the salvation of a soul is totally a work of God and that once a soul is saved, it is only by staying near to the Lord that a saved one can be happy, fruitful and preserved. The Lord desires to have us 100% for Himself, and in a coming day He will reward faithfulness.
The Tower of Hananeel
The second tower mentioned is the tower of Hananeel, which is also closely connected with the tower of Meah in the first verse. Hananeel means “God is gracious,” and we can relate this to both His saving grace and His goodness to us through our whole journey as believers (Eph. 2:8; Gen. 48:15; Psa. 23:6).
The Tower of the Furnaces
The next tower seems to have been in disrepair, and so it is recorded in verse 11 that “Malchijah ... and Hashub ... repaired ... the tower of the furnaces. Perhaps this would speak of the need for self-judgment in our lives. No doubt this was needed in Jerusalem for things to go on well once the wall was finished, in order to get rid of rubbish. Its lack of use might have been the reason the city had fallen into decline in the first place (Neh. 4:10). Malchijah means “my king is Jehovah” and Hashub means “thoughtful,” so these men were very fitting volunteers to rebuild this tower. Those who love the Lord want to be near to Him and so realize the importance of self-judgment to stay near to Him (1 Cor. 11:28).
The High Tower
The next tower mentioned in Nehemiah 3 is in verse 25. It is the high tower (JND trans.). What a resource we have in our Lord Jesus! “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower” (Psa. 18:2). The kings were to be always near the Lord for his keeping grace, protection and direction. It is no wonder the high tower was by the king’s house which was by the court of the prison.
The Tower That Lieth Out
The next tower in verse 26, the tower that lieth out, was near the water gate. When we go out to the world with the gospel, we need to remember that, despite man’s responsibility to come to Christ, it is the sovereign work of God in the soul that imparts new life and saves (Rom. 10:13; Rev. 22:17; John 17:24-26; Eph. 1:4-12).
The Great Tower
The sixth and final tower mentioned in Nehemiah 3 is the great tower in verse 27. Scripture mentions that it also “lieth out.” Our labors for our brethren need to have the Lord and His glory as their object. The Lord Jesus is the good Shepherd, the chief Shepherd, and also the great Shepherd. As “under” shepherds, we have Him as an example for our ways with His people. (See 1 Peter 5:1-4.)
Long before Nehemiah’s time, Solomon was busy with upkeep and repair on the wall of Jerusalem. In 1 Kings 11:27, we read that at that time Jeroboam “lifted up his hand against the king.” He was “a mighty man of valor” and also “industrious” (vs. 28), but perhaps his thoughts were for himself rather than the defense of Jerusalem and the good of God’s people. We know what evil Jeroboam later introduced into Israel. May we value the work of the Lord in our lives and do our work for the Lord with more of a realization of His love and the resource we have in Him.
P. E. House
The Ten Gates of Jerusalem
When the remnant of Judah returned to Jerusalem from their captivity in Babylon, they were few in number and had many enemies, but they determined in the fear of the Lord to repair the ruined walls of the city. This was a great work, but it was “the work of their Lord” (Neh. 3:5), and He had stirred up their hearts to do it. No part of the wall was overlooked. Every gate was repaired, and as they built each in his place, they had the whole in view. An important lesson is taught us here: Nothing less than the whole circle of God’s truth and work must occupy our thoughts. We may not be able to do great things, but what we do must be done with the whole of God’s interests in view.
The Sheep Gate
The first of the gates to be repaired was the sheep gate, and at this gate we must all start. Happy is that soul that has heard the Shepherd’s voice and can say, “The Lord is my shepherd.” He came seeking the sheep. He was the good Shepherd who laid down His life for them (John 10:11). Amid the whole universe that He has brought into existence by His power, there is one company He calls “His own,” and you and I, through grace, form part of this flock. He gave His life for us, and that is why we must begin at the sheep gate. Notice too that there were no locks and bars on this gate; it was always open, as is the way to Christ.
The Fish Gate
“The fish gate did the sons of Hassenaah build” (Neh. 3:3).
This seems to be the gospel gate. When we have been established in the precious truth that we are Christ’s sheep, it is our privilege to go out and fish for souls. God would have us earnest in this blessed work: The heart of the Lord was set upon it, for He said to His disciples, “Come ye after Me, and I will make you to become fishers of men” (Mark 1:17).
We can all be of some use in this service. If we cannot preach, we can pray for those that do. May we be kept closely in touch with this work of the Spirit of God, and so help to build “the fish gate.” Keep it repaired and wide open that souls may “be added to the Lord” daily.
There is one important note in connection with this: “Their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord” (Neh. 3:5). It is a wonderful privilege to be associated with Himself in any way; let us not be like these men of position that put not their necks to the work of their Lord.
The Old Gate
“Moreover the old gate repaired Jehoiada” (Neh. 3:6).
The old gate reminds us of the passage, “Ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls” (Jer. 6:16). There is many a saint of God who needs to have the old gate repaired, to be built up in that which was established from the beginning in Christ. May God remove the rubbish and enable us to build up our souls in the truth that existed in His eternal purpose before all worlds. Man changes; God does not. He has established all the blessed truth in the death, resurrection and ascension of His beloved Son, and those who by His grace are built up in that which was from the beginning are able to help others back to the old paths.
The Valley Gate
“The valley gate repaired Hanun” (Neh. 3:13).
We may feel our lack of power, and how feeble are the desires of our hearts after Christ, but do we remember that these things can be gained only by the way of the valley of humiliation? It is a wonderful moment when we are willing to be led into the valley and have to do with God there. There must always be a going down before the going up, the valley before the mountain, the cross before the crown, the sorrow before the reigning. This is always God’s way, that we may be “bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body” (2 Cor. 4:10).
The Dung Gate
“The dung gate repaired Malchiah the son of Rechab” (Neh. 3:14).
Paul knew something of this place; he accepted the cross, and in his practical experience had to say, “We are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day” (1 Cor. 4:13). We may shrink from it, yet what shall we say when we think of that way which was trodden by the Son of God? He, the Eternal Son, the Infinite One, was cast out, rejected, rebuffed, scorned, despised, spit upon! He has no other place for us here. “It is enough for the disciple to be as his Master” (Matt. 10:25).
The Fountain Gate
“The gate of the fountain repaired Shallun the son of Colhozeh” (Neh. 3:15).
If we know something of what it is to be an outcast, there is the gate of the fountain—the fountain of John 4:14 (JND), springing up to everlasting life. This gate, as the remainder of Nehemiah 3:15 shows us, is intimately connected with the king’s garden by the pool of Siloah and with “the stairs which go down from the city of David,” which He, the sent One, descended, when He laid aside His Messiah glory, that He might open up the way for His own into the garden of His own delight—the Father’s love (John 14:1).
It may be our portion to be cast out here, but in the power of the Spirit we may have the foretaste of the joys eternal. “With Thee is the fountain of life” (Psa. 36:9).
The Water Gate
“The water gate towards the east” (Neh. 3:26).
If there is the springing fountain of John 4:14, there must also be the flowing waters of John 7:38. If the fountain within us springs up to God, there will be the flowing out also of streams of living water for thirsty souls around. How great a privilege to be channels of that of which Christ is the source! “This spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive” (John 7:39). Thank God, His Spirit is still with us, and He is not less occupied with the whole interests of God than He was at the beginning of the church.
The Horse Gate
“From above the horse gate repaired the priests, every one over against his house” (Neh. 3:28).
The horse is used in Scripture as the symbol of power, and power, whether for joy, worship, service or endurance, is always connected with the Spirit of God. He it is who recalls to us the words of our Lord, leads us into the deep things of God, and, unveiling the future, shows us things to come that we may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit and so repair the east gate.
The East Gate
“After him repaired also Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah, the keeper of the east gate” (Neh. 3:29).
The east gate is the gate of the sunrise. Are we waiting to see the Morning Star arise? May we be as men that wait for their Lord. Is it less bright in our souls than when it first came to us? It ought to have grown brighter, for we are nearer to that moment when we shall see Him as He is. “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20).
There is only one gate more—ten in all—for the wall in Nehemiah is connected with us in our responsibility here, and ten in Scripture stands for this. There are twelve gates in the heavenly city of Revelation, for there all is perfect—the true administration of God’s will with men.
The Gate Miphkad
“After him repaired Malchiah the goldsmith’s son...over against the gate Miphkad” (Neh. 3:31).
That word, “Miphkad,” is translated in 2 Samuel 24:9 “number,” and in Ezekiel 43:21, “appointed place.” Beloved saints, that blissful moment is soon to dawn when God shall make up the number of His elect in the appointed place; soon the Lord will fulfill His own word for us, “I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am there ye may be also” (John 14:3).
May God grant us to keep before our souls the whole circle of the truth with which the Spirit of God is occupied, and may He grant that our hearts may rejoice in carrying on earnestly any part of that work which falls to our lot.
There is just a word for our sisters in connection with the building of the wall. You will find in verse 12 that the daughters of one of these men took their share in the work: “Next unto him repaired Shallum ... he and his daughters.” I think that is very precious; everyone has some work to do, something to build up of Christ in the soul of another, however obscure her place may be. You have the opportunity for passing on that which has been made precious to your own soul, to those you come in contact with. Whatever you yourself, dear sister, have received of Christ, pass it on, and His name shall be glorified.
J. T. Mawson (adapted)
Faith’s Encouragement in Evil Days
As the history of God’s people darkens, God ever raises a light; the deeper the darkness, the brighter the light. This principle is sweetly illustrated in the Old Testament, and I turn to three scriptures which show that the greater the ruin, the brighter the light, where faith was operative.
First, 2 Chronicles 30. Things were bad enough in Hezekiah’s day, with doors shut and lamps put out, but he addresses all the people of God, and they came together and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the second month, taking advantage of a privilege God allowed (see Num. 9:13). “Great gladness” prevailed, so they determined to have other seven days, and we read, “They kept other seven days with gladness” (2 Chron. 30:23). Hezekiah simply got before the Lord, and as a direct and natural consequence, “there was great joy in Jerusalem; for since the time of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel, there was not the like in Jerusalem” (vs. 26).
They were very balmy days in Solomon’s reign, doubtless, but these were even better than they. You find, too, that when all were thoroughly happy before the Lord, they began to be occupied with the Lord’s interests. The people brought in the tithe of all things “abundantly,” and the priests and Levites were “encouraged” (2 Chron. 31:4-5). When they began to give, the Lord began to bless. As the joy in the Lord rises, the interest in and care for His things break out, and “heaps” (vss. 6,12) meet the eye of the gladdened king. The Lord has given us a brightening up many a time, but, alas! how soon we sink down. So was it also in Judah’s history.
A Revival
Second, things got very low indeed till Josiah’s time. Then there was another revival. Evil was judged (2 Chron. 34:3,7); then “Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the Lord,” and “Shaphan read it before the king” (vss. 14,18). The Word of God produced repentance and humbling, and thereafter “Josiah kept a Passover unto the Lord in Jerusalem” (2 Chron. 35:1). And the record is given, “There was no Passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet, neither did all the kings of Israel keep such a Passover as Josiah kept” (vs. 18). It was the most remarkable Passover since the kingdom had been established. Not even Solomon’s could approach it. What an encouragement for faith!
Third. But, alas! enjoyed blessing will not keep the soul unless the eye is single; deeper failure follows; the people go away again from God, and then into captivity. God’s grace, however, never gives up His own, and, through mercy, there is partial recovery in Ezra’s time. A remarkable revival occurs, and many return from Babylon to God’s earthly center, Jerusalem. This is but a type of what has happened in our days, in which the Lord has worked blessedly by His Spirit, revived interest in His Word, and gathered back His saints to divine ground. Nehemiah, following Ezra, begins to build the wall.
A Wall of Separation
That was separation. Zerubbabel built the temple, Nehemiah the wall, with many true helpers. Nearly all were in the work, sisters and all. Again the Word of the Lord became precious and heeded (Neh. 8:1-8). “This day is holy to the Lord” twice fell on their ears, and “the joy of the Lord is your strength” was the trumpet call of the Spirit. If our hearts are delighting in Christ, there is always strength and power, and understanding too; so the next thing is, They kept the feast of tabernacles. They anticipated the millennium; in fact, there was more apprehension of the mind of the Lord at this moment than there had ever been in their previous history—for “all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths; for since the days of Joshua, the son of Nun, unto that day, had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness” (vs. 17). Never in the brightest day of kingly power did such a thing happen. I just show this principle in the history of God’s people, that if there is faith and a desire to follow His Word, the darker the day, the brighter will be the blessing, if there is obedience. The further into the ruin you trace them, the bolder does faith become in its action.
W. T. P. Wolston (adapted)
Building and Warfare
Was there hope amid the rubble?
And the gates so charred?
Could the people build, united
In a city marred?
Strength decayed, outsiders mocking—
Taunts and cruel words;
Can they do both building, fighting—
Chisels, trowels, swords?
But their hearts were strong, encouraged,
Their joy ... in the Lord;
Families, rulers worked together
Lifting stone and board.
Gate and gate, and wall between them—
Watchful of the plains;
Little did they know as workers
We would know their names!
So today God’s work continues,
And His record’s straight;
He appreciates and honors
Building walls and gates.
War and building are not easy,
But a needful task;
We can count upon His promise—
For His strength we ask.
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