Walking with God

 

Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Israel were assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth on their heads. And the Israelites separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped the LORD their God. (Nehemiah 9:1–3 ESV).

 

Our reading today describes a solemn day of national assembly for the Israelites as they sought spiritual renewal following the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls. Eugene Peterson writes in his book Answering God, “God works with words. He uses them to make a story of salvation. He pulls us into the story. When we believe, we become willing participants in the plot… We can do this recklessly or robustly, throwing ourselves into relationships and actions. When we do this, we pray.”

 

Israel got pulled into the story of reconciliation by confessing their sins through prayer. But they had to prepare themselves to enter God’s arena. First, Israel prepared an atmosphere of reconciliation. They gathered before the Lord, knowing that they and their ancestors had all blown it. Then they fasted, pushing out sinful desires and creating space for God. Next, they remembered their holy identity and separated themselves from the practices of other nations. And they told God their story of sins through prayer. There was a cycle of reading the Law, confessing their sins, and worship.

 

In their prayers, they gave honor and praise to God alone. They remembered that salvation was God’s idea, not theirs. Their prayers returned them to the story of God, who kept his promise to make something out of them despite their sins.

 

Jesus is God’s idea too. We are invited into a story we did not write. Jesus wrote us into the book of life by his great love for us, ushering us into the big story of God’s mercy and grace. That’s the story you and I get to tell!

 

Making a List and Checking It Twice

 

Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles and the officials and the people to be enrolled by genealogy. And I found the book of the genealogy of those who came up at the first, and I found written in it: These were the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried into exile. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his town. They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. (Nehemiah 7:5-7 ESV).

 

I know you are familiar with the phrase "Making a list and checking it twice." It refers to the classic Christmas song lyrics from "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town," where Santa keeps track of who's been "naughty or nice." However, it's also a common idiom for careful planning or double-checking tasks, reflecting a diligent, organized approach, often associated with Christmas preparation or general thoroughness. I must confess that I am such a list maker. I don’t make lists of people as much as I incessantly make lists of things to do. And I change my list only as absolutely necessary for convenience or accuracy.

 

But God is a God of accuracy. Nehemiah made a big deal about names and numbers. As the exiled people of God transformed from an unsettled people to a restored people, names and numbers were important. God cared about every family and each person’s life. There were lives and stories behind every name and number. No one is invisible in God’s family. The priests mattered because they helped with and conducted worship for the people. The singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants assisted the priests and Levites. In order to fill the city of God with right living and worship, Nehemiah needed to get the rules and numbers right. God cares deeply about every detail of his salvation plan.

 

Jesus cared about getting the details of salvation right. He healed a blind man and told him to go visit the local priest. He cleared the temple from being a place of commercial business that crowded out prayer. He submitted himself to death on a cross because it was the only way to redeem sinful humankind.

 

This ought to help us the next time we are tempted to cut corners in our walk with God. We ought to think about the details, because they matter to him.

 

A Person of Integrity

 

Now when the wall had been built and I had set up the doors, and the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed, I gave my brother Hanani and Hananiah the governor of the castle charge over Jerusalem, for he was a more faithful and God-fearing man than many. And I said to them, “Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot. And while they are still standing guard, let them shut and bar the doors. Appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, some at their guard posts and some in front of their own homes.” The city was wide and large, but the people within it were few, and no houses had been rebuilt. (Nehemiah 7:1–4 ESV).

 

A person of integrity is someone who is honest, trustworthy, and acts with strong, consistent moral principles, doing the right thing even when difficult or unobserved, thereby building trust and respect through their ethical behavior, accountability, and authenticity. They align their actions with their values, demonstrating qualities like fairness, responsibility, and courage in all situations. We certainly don’t live in a culture that values such behavior. Regardless of your political leanings, surely you will agree that most news media do not merely report on events; the commentary is littered with opinion and information designed to sway those who read/listen to their beliefs. Often, the truth is lost somewhere in the oratory. Many of those in leadership, political and religious have been accused of various behaviors, often criminal in nature, further eroding a sense of trust.

 

Our reading today helps us to determine what real integrity ought to look like. Nehemiah knew some people that he could trust to do the right thing. He had observed Hananiah, for example, in his work as commander of the citadel. Nehemiah had seen Hananiah’s spiritual life in action, giving evidence of godly, discerning leadership and a heart willing to serve the Lord. Hananiah “feared God more than most people do.” In other words, his everyday life showed great respect for God as his King. He accepted that he was small and God was sovereign over his life. That’s what integrity looks like.

 

Jesus is our model of integrity. His life matched his character and being. Maybe that’s why people gathered around him; he was different from the teachers of the law and other religious leaders. Jesus was who he was, inside and out. Integrity, for Jesus, was to show what God was like—truth and grace wrapped into a human package.

 

Jesus wants us to be people of integrity. Commit yourself to being a person whose inner life is one of patience, goodness, and self-control that flow outward into deeds and words that bless others. Ask Jesus to fill your life with his holy character.

 

Sunsets and Endings

 

So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God. (Nehemiah 6:15–16 ESV).

 

Several years ago, while driving through Cade’s Cove Loop in the Smoky Mountains, Mary and I stopped to watch the sunset before exiting. We had spent the afternoon riding the loop, looking at the cabins and churches, walking a bit on some easy trails, and enjoying seeing all the wildlife. The picture I’ve attached is looking over a field where we had already seen several deer cross and I thought “what a great way to end the day!” Sunsets are God’s way of reminding us that a part of our journey is ending. Whether the day was filled with simple tasks and projects or hard experiences and circumstances, it has come to an end.

 

It’s a great feeling to finish a long and difficult project. Imagine how it felt for Nehemiah and the Jews to have completed their building project. They had worked under threats of attack and delays, under a cloud of tension day and night. Finally, after fifty-two days of nearly constant work, the wall of Jerusalem was finished. However, they knew their journey was not finished. Tensions with their enemies continued.

 

Nehemiah knew that opposition would not stop just because the work was finished. When the final touches around the doors and gates were complete, Israel’s enemies “were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of [Israel’s] God.” As a result, threats from their enemies kept coming. The people had to remember why they began the rebuilding in the first place—God had called them to be his people and to be a light for the other nations. Their enemies could not defeat God, but they would surely keep trying.

 

We should let every sunset remind us of this great truth: while the day may be ending, we have not finished. God has called you and will always be with you. Even if people are not celebrating God’s work in your life, you have a Savior who is always for you, not against you. You can trust him!

 

DEFCON 1

 

Now when I went into the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home, he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple. Let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. They are coming to kill you by night.” But I said, “Should such a man as I run away? And what man such as I could go into the temple and live? I will not go in.” And I understood and saw that God had not sent him, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 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. Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, according to these things that they did, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid. (Nehemiah 6:10–14 ESV).

 

DEFCON (Defense Readiness Condition) is the U.S. military's alert system with five levels (5 being lowest, 1 being highest threat) for national security, signaling readiness for conflict. The system, developed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, ensures standardized communication of readiness, though the specific level is kept secret for security reasons. If we take this scale and apply it to the circumstances Nehemiah was facing in our reading today, he would have been at DEFCON 1. This was not because of a physical threat. It was more insidious than that. His enemies had gone to great lengths to discredit and tarnish Nehemiah’s reputation.

 

Nehemiah knew when people were trying to trick him. His enemies tried again and again to stop the work of rebuilding God’s city. They even sent Nehemiah a false message about a rumor of revolt against the king, hoping he would fall for it. But Nehemiah was aware of their plot and wouldn’t take the bait. So, the enemies tried a different tactic. They hired a prophet to try to trick him. But he prayed that the Lord would strengthen his hands and sharpen his mind, and he was able to resist. He said, “I realized that God had not sent [this prophet], but that … he had been hired to intimidate me.”

 

Jesus taught his disciples that he would be sending them out like sheep among wolves. He warned them to be “as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves”; he said, “Be on your guard” (Matthew 10:16-17). We also are called to be on high alert with people who wish to deter us from keeping our focus on serving God. In a world such as we live in today, we are certainly at DEFCON 1… stay alert!

 

Restoring Hope

 

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.” Then they said, “We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you say.” And I called the priests and made them 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.” And all the assembly said “Amen” and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised. (Nehemiah 5:6–13 ESV).

 

In our reading today we find a very important message for our current culture. The entire chapter tells the story of how people were struggling to make ends meet and that many of their fellow Jews were taking advantage of them. It is important to note that Nehemiah was not silent. He addressed this matter of injustice with grace and firmness.

 

First, Nehemiah took seriously the cries of injustice. Rich nobles and officials were mistreating many of their poorer brothers and sisters, charging interest on debts and even selling their children into slavery for payment. Nehemiah heard their cries for justice.

 

Second, Nehemiah acted. Justice must be addressed with appropriate remedies. Nehemiah gathered the nobles and officials and pointed out that they were not acting in a God-fearing manner. Nehemiah told them to give back the fields and houses—and the interest they had charged. The rich nobles and officials took Nehemiah’s words to heart. They responded by giving back what had been taken from the poor people who cried out. Justice is an important value to God. Jesus came to bring justice into the world, and he calls us to follow his example. We are to work toward justice where it is in short supply. We must call people back to the will and purpose of God. That restores hope!

 

When Circumstances Are Tense

 

In Judah it was said, “The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble. By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall.” And our enemies said, “They will not know or see till we come among them and kill them and stop the work.” At that time the Jews who lived near them came from all directions and said to us ten times, “You must return to us.” So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people by their clans, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. And I looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes. When our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had frustrated their plan, we all returned to the wall, each to his work. From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. And the leaders stood behind the whole house of Judah. (Nehemiah 4:10-16 ESV).

 

Israel’s opponents mounted a fierce campaign against them. Sanballat and his friends tried to bully God’s people to stop the work of rebuilding. They ridiculed the people and threatened violence. And the people reacted in a very normal way. Their emotional strength began to falter. Tension began to rise as exhaustion set in and the fear of attack surfaced. Nehemiah handled this situation in a way that is a wonderful lesson for us when we find ourselves in circumstances that are tense.

 

With their enemies breathing down their necks, Nehemiah encouraged the people to keep up the work. He prayed for God’s protection. With hands lifted to heaven, he prayed, “Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads.” In addition to prayer, he stationed people as guards. If an attack was evident, they were ready to fight. Nehemiah’s words and wisdom provided solace and strength to the people. He spoke into the tension by saying, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”

 

Tension is a gift if we seize it as an opportunity to strengthen our faith in the Lord, who is strong and mighty. Jesus never ran away from tension. He embraced it as a gift that can be used to become courageous in the midst of fear. We don’t seek out tension, but it may be a gift we really need.