Nehemiah

I spent the better part of the day today in Nehemiah. I’ve heard his story before… well part of it anyway. I’ve heard, somewhere in some half forgotten sermon, that he rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem. Maybe it was a VBS or Sunday school lesson. I don’t know but as always the Word says so much more than our words.

My spirit does not often stir lately. I don’t know if I’m journeying through a season of hardness, if I’m just to exhausted and wounded to move anywhere, even in my spirit, or if there just isn’t anything that penetrates the pain. Likely it is a combination of all three.

Today, my spirit stirred.

I imagine it a bit like a person who lay on the edge of death, too exhausted to process or grasp any pieces of information that penetrate the fog…  but then a sweet familiar voice grabs something inside and for a moment there is a whisper of consciousness.

I do so dearly love the Old Testament, the stories of the old covenant.

Nehemiah describes the Israelites reclaiming their heritage after rebellion and exile. Oh how I can relate! They, working together, rebuilt the walls of sacred Jerusalem. Everyone worked, Levites, Priests, leaders of tribes, the people of Tekoa, merchants and goldsmiths, Shallum and his daughters… each on their own section of the wall. How beautiful!! How beautiful! Oh you should read it.

The local rulers are intimidated by the Jews rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls. They taunt and threaten them. Nehemiah claims God’s protection and provision AND assigns half of his workers as guardsmen. I love that. The Word says that with one hand they worked on the wall and with the other they held their sword.

I am rebuilding the ruins of my life. Well, actually I’m starting to begin to think about contemplating  rebuilding the ruins. I dang well better do it with one hand on my sword and with armed warriors at my back.  

In the course of this amazing story that I can’t even begin to do justice the chosen nation of God comes together for the reading of His Holy Word. They assembled, the men and the women and the children who were old enough to understand (I wonder who was keeping all the littl’ns?). Then, Ezra read the Book of the Law of Moses. When they saw him open the book they all rose to their feet. Oh how this stirs my spirit. They had such reverence for God’s Word, these thousands of people rose together as one just at the opening of the book!

They read from the Book of the Law of God and clearly explained the meaning of what was being read, helping the people understand each passage. – Nehemiah 8:8

Beautiful.

The people wept. Hearing the Word read aloud brought them to tears!

Their leaders bid them celebrate such a beautiful and holy day, rather than mourn. So, the people celebrated.

Then, the leaders got together and examined the scriptures more closely. They discovered that they were supposed to build shelters to live in for an upcoming festival. So you know what they did? They got off of their bums and went and got the materials and built their shelters. I love it. They read it, realized they weren’t doing it so they went and did it. Beautiful.

So much happens in this book , and it’s so well…. Yeah beautiful. But here’s my last stab at capturing what only the scriptures can do justice. After their festivals and celebrations they came together and remembered. They recited the history of their ancestors, good and bad. They purposely remembered their heritage. They remembered the faithfulness of their God. Not in only in the quiet of their minds but aloud in an assembly of the peoples. They credited God with His mighty acts and they didn’t even kind of gloss over Israel’s sins. They acknowledged why they had  been captives in Babylon and… here’s the beautiful part… they repented. They confessed their sins. They called their elders to sign a binding document and as a nation swore to honor their Yahweh. 

  

It stirs me. This stunning picture of what our spiritual ancestors did. I believe this book is a prescription for worship and Yahweh reminded me today that nothing soothes my soul like worship.