Nehemiah 1:11-2:20

“The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire.” Nehemiah 1:3

The people are in despair and the walls in disrepair. What now? Nehemiah is the final volume of a three-volume trilogy of Old Testament Jewish history.

• Volume One: Ezra
• Volume Two: Esther
• Volume Three: Nehemiah

One hundred and forty years after the total devastation of the glorious city of God, the Holy Place where the Living One agreed to meet with His people, the rubble lies untouched. So, what now? Where does one begin to put back together what has been destroyed? Reading the three-volume work, we conclude at least three stages of rebuilding.

Stage One: Restore the Altar
(The rebuilding the Temple ministry of Zerubbabel)
Confession and commitment must be the first step when we seek to return to former joys and soul-deep satisfactions. Acknowledging failure and offenses opens the door to rebuilding one’s faith. Sacrifice testifies to honest recognition of sin, rebellion, offenses against the Lord. And when confession is followed by sacrifice, it is a declaration of commitment in that what has been placed on the altar is consumed and cannot be returned. Confess and Commit = Stage One

Stage Two: Receive the Word
(The hearing again the Word ministry of the great teacher, Ezra)
“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” Psalm 119 The Google Map to our return and restoration is discovered in the hearing and embracing of God’s Word. The first thing it reveals with its searchlight intensity is how far we have strayed and how deeply we have fallen. But it is also a word of hope. By blue-dotting “where we are” the path to where we seek to go becomes increasingly clear. Has your world fallen apart? Are the glory days just fading memories? Does your life lie in tragic rubble? Sit long in the hearing of His Word!

Stage Three: Rebuild the Walls
(The restoration of security and identity wall-construction of Nehemiah)
Walls in ancient cities served several critical purposes. But two of those are key. First, the well-laid wall was a source of protection. It was a barrier against the assaults of the enemy. It was a fortress for security. It was a testimony to a refuge. When your life has fallen apart, you will begin to realize that the “walls” of protection have been torn down. Regrettably, often destroyed by our own rebel hands. But secondly, ancient city walls had gates in strategic openings. The purpose was to distinguish those who belonged within and those who were to be outside. They were a form of “exclusion” but for a purpose of identifying who belongs and can be trusted versus who does NOT belong and therefore must be viewed with suspicion. (Consider the Joshua story of the spies and the closing of the gates at night.) When your life has fallen apart you will soon discover that you have lost your identity—that you have blurred and confused your association—that you have failed to distinguish yourself as a Child of God but have been seduced into blending in among those who are not.

The Altar: Have you been brutally honest about your rebellion and brought your confession to the One who made the irretrievable sacrifice for your offenses?

The Word: Has dust accumulated on your Bible and your footsteps been infrequent in gathering with others for the hearing of His Word?

The Walls: Have you recognized your defenseless posture and your indistinguishable identity?

The people are in despair and the walls in disrepair. Your fallen apart world does not have to remain in its present condition of disrepair and rubble. You CAN rebuild your faith. You just simply begin at the beginning! When we “confess our sins, He WILL be faithful to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness!” 1 John 1:9

See you Sunday, Church!
Pastor Tom