"Rebuilding the City of Our Fathers" (Part 1)

In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before; so the king asked me, "Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart." I was very much afraid, but I said to the king, "May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?" The king said to me, "What is it you want?" Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, "If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it." (Nehemiah 2:1-5 NIV).

Nehemiah has been “brewing” a bit in my heart over the last few weeks. I have read it several times and in the next few days we’ll be looking at some selected passages that have struck me as very contemporary. Today’s reading is one of those where just a few words lit up before me as if a spotlight had been trained on them! The last verse is Nehemiah’s answer to the king’s question of what he wanted. He said he wanted to go home, “where his fathers were buried,” to rebuild the city that lay in ruin.

There are two things about this verse that are interesting. First, he uses the plural for the word “father.” All of us know that we only have one biological father; therefore, Nehemiah must be referencing something more than that. I believe he is talking about all of the men who have influenced him. These were the leaders of the nation of Israel that had proven such a faithful inspiration to him. Second, he says they are “buried” there. Undoubtedly it is a reference to the fact that these men of the faith had died and were either literally or figuratively buried there.

Doesn’t that sound very contemporary to you? Israel was a great nation that associated itself with God. They represented all that was right and good to the world. They were the chosen people of God and at least a part of their calling was to bless the other peoples of the world with that knowledge of the incredibly loving God. We know how the story ends. They were disobedient and rebellious, turning away from God. There judgment came at the expense of there freedom.

I would not say that the United States stands on equal ground relationally with the Israel of the Old Testament. However, I would say that we were founded clearly on the principles of the will and purpose of the God of Israel. America has uniquely been a nation of people called together under the principles found with the Judeo-Christian mindset. The men who are our “fathers” were men committed to God. Yet, when I look at our nation today we are on the verge of collapse. Our nation’s walls have been breached and we teeter on the brink of losing our freedom. The family, which has been at the heart of our nation’s success, is in danger of complete destruction. The church seems impotent and unaware as it busies itself with programs, while ignoring people who desperately seek an answer. The clear call for me is to be like Nehemiah! We need to rise up and go “home” to rebuild the “city”! There are some practical principles that we’ll look at in the next few days, but will you join me in a commitment to rebuild the city? Email me back and let me know! Forward this challenge to your friends!