Leading and Guiding | Practical mindset, with help from above, emboldens character (Nehemiah 3-9)
Saying you’re a Christian is not enough, obedience needs to follow. To claim a position publicly without resolve or change in behavior is not a Biblical mindset (however, it may be one of the steps toward it). Similarly, speaking truth without abandon while showing concern for people comes from skilled orators. When it comes from a leader who boldly declares the Word of God AND helps those among him, it should flash as a beacon for you to turn your ear. This is not a person who merely hears words and repeats them. Caring for those around you signals a leading and guiding mindset, a heart that is tuning itself to God’s Word.
Most often, the position we envision for a leading and guiding person to direct us would be that of a Pastor, however, with Nehemiah, we see he was their governor.
It’s never too late to start….
The importance of a wall…
Nehemiah saw the plight of the people before him. The temple had been rebuilt in Jerusalem, yet, the city walls were still in ruins. The attempts to fix them had been thwarted relentlessly. When Nehemiah came back, it was with the expressed intent to rebuild the city walls.
Why was rebuilding the wall important to him?
Think back to the purpose of walls. Protection. Security. Safety. When you think about abodes, what often surrounds them? Does a fence protect those among you as well as your belongings? A wall around a city (or country) provides the same protection, security, and safety, for a much larger “family”.
Way back, Joshua was ready to take over Jericho, a highly fortified city. How was it overtaken? Only after God crumbled the walls to the ground (after their obedience to walk around it 7 times). Up until then, the wall was their greatest military asset.
Solomon was charged back in 1 Kings 3:1 to build (a portion of) the wall. Within Jerusalem even, were additional walls.
The practicality of a wall…
And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.”
As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
Nehemiah 1:3-4
Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision.”
Nehemiah 2:17
Nehemiah recognized the importance of a wall. His leadership was built off a sense of caring for those around him. He wanted to protect them, to ensure their security, and keep them safe from their enemies.
From cupbearer to governor…
Nehemiah was not only governor, but he also helped in rebuilding the wall. He chose to lead by example. If you think about it, his adult life was centered around doing what was best for the people around him and he appeared content. He was the cupbearer for the king. His job was to protect the wine served to the king, ensure it was kept securely, and was safe for the king to drink (even tasting it himself first in order to ensure it was not poisoned). Until he heard about the remnant living in the unwalled Jerusalem, he had not appeared before the king unhappy.
Leading and guiding, not only did he seamlessly transition into this new role, but from a sovereign perspective, God had PREPARED him for this role. Share on XIn the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. And the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart.” Then I was very much afraid. I said to the king, “Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”
Nehemiah 2:1-3
Leading and guiding, not only did he seamlessly transition into this new role, but from a sovereign perspective, God had PREPARED him for this role.
He helped them rebuild it, and while doing so recognized the real plights they were facing: ridicule, anger, plots of war, trouble stirred up, political threats, ambushes, and usury taxes.
Practical mindset starts with a proper view of sovereignty…
A steady eddy, Nehemiah presents incredibly well-grounded responses. You’ll notice, like Ezra, he attributes the success of the mundane to God’s grace. Nehemiah also governed with a sovereign view.
- Before answering the king, he prayed first and THEN answered.
- The journey it took to get him there with the king’s blessing was the result of God’s gracious hand upon him.
- Hearing insults and threats, he prays for help and to request God bring earthly vengeance upon their enemies.
- Upon physical threats of combat, they follow up their prayer with earthly action (posting a guard day and night).
- With even greater threats of battles, he places the builders on the wall near their families (protection) and they worked with their weapons on their person.
- He reminds them that even though threats abound, God is greater!
- They prepared a plan in case of war: the trumpeter would sound off, the peoples would gather, and God would fight for them.
- After finding out the people were poor and still held to high taxes, he pondered their actions first and then confronted them by telling them they were not walking in fear of God.
- Going a step further, he ensures their words are not empty through public oaths to do what they promised with Godly consequences.
- Out of reverence for God, he chose to not eat like a ruler nor gain land for himself.
He was leading and guiding wisely, because his viewpoint was solid.
A governor who cares…
Nehemiah displayed his character not only through his job but also through how he did his job. He easily could have chosen to eat the food that the other rulers did and not cared that the people were poor. Keeping unfair taxes could have meant more money in his own pocket. The gain of land and wealth was put aside by him to preserve the well-being of the remnant.
He cared about the people.
He took on a role most shy away from. He was bold to those that did not care for the people by calling out injustices. Share on XIn leading and guiding and protecting, he took on a role most shy away from. He was bold to those that did not care for the people by calling out injustices.
I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them and said to them, “We, as far as we are able, have bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!”
They were silent and could not find a word to say. So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies? Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest. Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them.”
Nehemiah 5:6-11
And I called the priests and made [the nobles and officials] swear to do as they had promised. I also shook out the fold of my garment and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied.”
Nehemiah 5:12b-13a
Recognition of deceit…
Sometimes, it’s okay to call out falsehoods and recognize deceit.
Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind.”
Nehemiah 6:8
For this purpose he was hired, that I should be afraid and act in this way and sin, and so they could give me a bad name in order to taunt me.
Nehemiah 6:13
Nehemiah recognized the attempts to thwart him and encourage him to sin. He put a hard stop to it by addressing it immediately.
Leading and Guiding…
Nehemiah led and guided with much character. He provides an excellent viewpoint to look toward the New Testament, with Jesus leading and guiding on earth with a sovereign, protective heart. Also, it provides us with a current example to emulate for leaders in the church. So too, it points to a future in the new earth where we will be protected and cared for by the Sovereign God, Himself.
Last Week
Ezra 6 – Nehemiah 2
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A less discerning leader would have been duped by the Trans-Euphrates hecklers, or tried to appease them by collaborating. Wonderful that Nehemiah held the line in accomplishing his mission.
Agreed, he’s definitely one to emulate!