The great English philosopher John Locke, whose writings shaped the American experiment, once said, "The Bible is one of the greatest blessings bestowed by God on the children of men. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture for its matter. It is all pure, all sincere; nothing too much; nothing wanting." The French conqueror Napoleon Bonaparte said, "The Bible is no mere book, but a living power that conquers all those who oppose it." 

In Nehemiah 8, Ezra reads the law of Moses to the nation for 6 hours as the people stand and the Levites explain the text to them. The result is not a snooze fest but a revival. The people are moved to tears as they hear God's revealed words spoken to them and come under conviction as they realize their failures and God's gracious love towards them.

This Sunday, we will continue through Nehemiah 8, as we consider the power and fruit of God's Word as it works in His people. God's Word worked in 445 BC and still works in 2026 AD.  

For the nation to fulfill God's plan for them, rebuilding the temple, homes, and walls would not be enough. They would need their hearts and lives to be reoriented around God’s Word. The Law of Moses had been neglected and largely forgotten. As important as the walls were to their physical safety, God's Word was vital for their spiritual health. If God's Word was not returned to the center of their lives, the hearts of the people would continue, prone to wander. In Nehemiah 8, Ezra returns to the story. He ascended a wooden platform to elevate himself so the people could see and hear him. The people stood as Ezra read the law out loud for 3 hours straight. As the people listened to the Law of Moses, their hearts were gripped and moved. Nehemiah 8 records what can only be described as a spiritual revival that sweeps God's people.

This chapter of Nehemiah is an incredible example of the power of God's Word, but also serves to give us a pattern for worshipping God with the congregation of God's people. How important is God's Word in your life and congregational worship?

Rebuilding the People - Nehemiah 7

After 52 days of hard work, opposition, and threats, the wall and gates were finished. God used Nehemiah to get the approval of the King of Persia, gather the resources, and mobilize the Jewish people to finish the task of rebuilding their walls. It had been 90 years since the first wave of exiles returned to Jerusalem and 70 years since the Temple had been rebuilt. Finally, 140 years after Babylon had destroyed the walls and Temple of Jerusalem, the essential defenses and infrastructure were now in place for the people to thrive.

The greatest need of the people was not the Temple, walls, or gates. In 586 BC, they had mighty walls, gates, and an extravagant Temple. The reason Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians was because of their sin and idolatry. For the city and nation to flourish, they would need to rebuild the people, not just the walls. 

The rest of the book of Nehemiah (7-13) focuses on the work of rebuilding the people. This Sunday, we will look at Nehemiah 7 as they work on how to defend their new gates and walls, while growing the city. 

Every person, family, and church needs spiritual gatekeepers and guards. What and who are the gatekeepers and guards in your life?

At first, the enemies of Nehemiah and Judah mocked their goal of rebuilding. Next, they made threats and even planned sneak attacks. Nehemiah responded by setting up 24/7 defenses and armed the builders with swords. In Nehemiah 5, the unity of the Jews was unraveling as the wealthy were taking advantage of and profiting from those who were poor. Nehemiah confronted the sin and called them to share and serve one another, rather than exploiting their most vulnerable brothers. Now, as the opportunity to defeat Nehemiah's rebuilding effort was almost over. All that remained was to set up the doors for the gates, and the walls would be complete.

Left with no other options, the enemies of Nehemiah plotted to take him down directly. The only way to restore their power and keep the Jewish people living in defeat was to take down their leader.

How do you keep going when the opposition continues, and the personal danger increases?

The great task of rebuilding the wall had united the people and focused their resources because of the urgency of the task. As the walls were completed, the injustices and desperate state of the people came back into focus—only to be in a worse state than before the walls were rebuilt. 

In Nehemiah 5, we see the difficulty of living out a Kingdom Ethic. How are we to act when the laws of the land make it legal to do things that God calls immoral and evil? We also see the remarkable leadership of Nehemiah, as he not only leads by confronting injustices and requiring the people to live rightly, but also leads by example and at a great cost. 

We learn there can be a cost to living rightly and a cost to living wrongly. The question is, who are you living for, and to whom do you look for your reward? 

In Nehemiah 4, we find the walls progressing, but the resistance is growing increasingly dangerous. They have moved from mocking God's people to threatening them. Additionally, the momentum and excitment has worn down, and the people are growing tired and depleted. 

There is a great deal to learn from Nehemiah's response. Nehemiah prays and plans. How do you respond to resistance? What can we glean from Nehemiah's strategy in facing resistance? 

This is what Nehemiah experienced in Jerusalem while rebuilding the wall. In chapter 2, he assessed the broken-down wall and shared his vision with the people. In chapter 3, Nehemiah organizes the workers and families of Jews to spread out and each work on a different section of the wall. 

As they begin to see progress, their enemies start to challenge and mock their work (Neh 4:1-6). Their goal was to discourage the people so they would abandon their mission to rebuild the wall. 

How would you handle the difficult task of rebuilding something while being mocked and discouraged by your neighbors? Are you ready to do hard things in the face of hostility?

In Nehemiah 1, we see him respond in fasting and prayer, leading him to a time of repentance for the sins of his nation, family, and self. As he prayed, God stirred a burden in his heart that he had to do something to finish rebuilding the walls and gates of Jerusalem. As Nehemiah 2 begins, he had been waiting upon God for 4 months and was sensing the time to make his "ask" to the King was now, and the King approved Nehemiah's request to go to Jerusalem.  

Nehemiah's journey was just beginning. He travels to Jerusalem and now has to find out what is really going on. He knows the gates and walls are broken, but how to go about fixing them will be no small task for a King's Cupbearer. How will Nehemiah rally the people and deal with opposition? Getting permission to come to Jerusalem was just the beginning; now, Nehemiah has to come up with a plan and act.  

Nehemiah heard that the city of Jerusalem was still indefensible, and the gates and walls were still in disrepair. The city where the God of Nehemiah was to be worshiped continued in shame. In Nehemiah 1, we see him respond in fasting and prayer, leading him to a time of repentance for the sins of his nation, family, and self. As he prayed, God stirred a burden in his heart that he had to do something to finish rebuilding the walls and gates of Jerusalem. As Nehemiah 2 begins, he had been waiting upon God for 4 months and was sensing the time to act was now. 

Nehemiah was an ordinary man whom God used for an extraordinary purpose. He joined the ranks of Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Deborah, David, and Esther. Martin Luther said, “Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace. …It is so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times.” Nehemiah had a comfortable life with a position of prominence and was willing to risk it all because a problem was placed before him that he knew God was calling him to be a part of the solution. As Jesus said in Matthew 17:20, “For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” Have you ever trusted God for something big?

Have you ever felt like no one cares? More importantly, “what do you care about, or what moves you? Is there anything that has moved you to a level of concern, compassion, or care that resulted in your personal involvement, not just acknowledgement? Where does renewal begin? 

This Sunday, we are beginning a new series through the Book of Nehemiah. In this book, Nehemiah learns Hebrew people who had returned to Jerusalem and Judah after the exile were living in great danger. The walls and gates surrounding Jerusalem were broken and burnt. The people had no way to protect themselves or the Temple that had recently been rebuilt. Nehemiah was serving the King of Persia in Susa, at least a 2-week journey away. What could he do, and what was his responsibility? Nehemiah gathered the right information, he began to intercede, and he considered his intention.