“Nehemiah was a man who, like Ezra, Prepared his heart to follow God. Therefore, when he heard about the broken down walls of Jerusalem, he wept, he mourned, he fasted, and he Prayed before the God of Heaven.” (Ezra 7:10, Nehemiah 1:3,4)
“He developed a Plan, and all the people Participated in it. Despite strong opposition, they Persisted, and in only 52 days, they Prevailed in rebuilding the wall. Finally, in celebration, they gave all Praise to God for their success.” (Nehemiah: 1-13)
“Silence in the face of evil is evil. God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)
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Broken Down Walls: Then and Now
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be takes hostage and exiled to a foreign country, as Nehemiah was 2500 years ago? What had he done to deserve this?
And then to find out that your friends and family who had been left behind are being mistreated, the city walls had been torn down, and the country was in shambles?
It was terrible! However, Nehemiah was the cupbearer to the king – a very comfortable position. Why should he get involved with troubles back home? That’s their problem. And what could he do to help anyway?
Do you sometimes feel like that today? That the solid “walls” of our Judeo-Christian values and Constitutional principles which have protected America for 400 years are being broken down and destroyed?
But so what? It’s not our problem. And we ask, why should we get involved? And again, what can we do anyway? Send someone else.
What Makes Us Weep?
Moreover, is it really so bad that, like Nehemiah, we are brought to tears when we examine our walls today? Well, what about the following examples?
— Should we not be weeping at the way that enemies of God are trying to expel Him from our culture, from our schools, and from the public square?
— Or at the continued legalized murder in America of over 63 million unborn babies since the tragically misguided Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade in 1973 – more than 3,500 per day?
— Or at the coarsening of our culture, increased crime, rioting, and mass murders. Or at rampant pornography that leaves a trail of ruined men, exploited women, damaged children, disease, crime, and even violent death? It’s not an innocent pastime. No, it’s addictive and it’s destructive.
— Or at the many marriages and families that have been broken by divorce and at the Court-approved redefinition of marriage in 2015 to include same-sex partners?
— Or at the attacks on our religious freedoms by groups like the ACLU, LGBT activists, radical Islamic jihadists, and even at times by members of our own government at all levels?
— Or at the immoral national debt of over $31trillion that we’re passing on to our children. That’s more than $94,000 for every American citizen!
— Or at the hands of urban guerrillas like BLM, Antifa, Islamic extremists, and Marxist activists to destroy life and property under the pretext of “protesting” systemic racism and white supremacy?
Thirteen Leadership Principles: For Action
Yes, we will weep and we will also pray, but that is just for starters. It must also lead to action or, as one pastor put it, “Pray and grab a hoe!”
We can learn a lot from the life of Nehemiah, because he applied 13 leadership principles to repair and rebuild the broken-down walls of Jerusalem 2500 years ago. It’s a great plan that we too can use to rebuild the broken-down walls of America today.
They all begin with the letter “P” to make them easier to remember and to provide a roadmap that leads us, like Nehemiah, to a great victory celebration, even though it may take us longer than the 52 days that he required. Here they are:
1. Prepare (Ezra 7:10): “He prepared his heart to seek the law of God and to do it!”
2. Pray (Neh. 1:4, 11): “I wept, mourned, fasted, and prayed before God.”
3. Purpose (2:5): “Send me to Judah, that I may rebuild the city of my fathers.”
4. Plan (2:12-15): “I took a few men and went by night to view the walls of Jerusalem.”
5. Proceed (2:17-18): “Come, let us build up the wall. And they set their hands to work.”
6. Participate (Ch. 3): “The priests, the rulers, the Levites, and the merchants all pitched in.”
7. Passion (4:6): “So built we the wall, for the people had a mind to work!”
8. Protect (4:14-21): “Put on your swords and fight for your families and your homes.”
9. Purify (5:7): “I rebuked the nobles and rulers for abusing the people.”
10. Pattern (5:14-18): “I and my brothers did not eat the governor’s bread or buy land.”
11. Persist (6:3, 11): “Why should I stop work to listen to your lies or to hide from you?”
12. Prevail (6:15): “Their work was finished in 52 days!”
13. Praise (8:12): “The people prayed, feasted, worshipped, and celebrated before God.”
Crossroads: Where Faith and Culture Meet
Because of its continued application to our world today, Rita and I are repeating our program on Nehemiah this weekend on the following Valley radio stations: WBTX (1470 AM and 102.1 FM) today (Saturday) at 4:00 p.m. and again on Sunday at 7:30 a.m., followed by WSVA (550 AM and 92.1 FM) at 8:30, ESPN (1360 AM and 106.9 FM) at 9:00, and WNLR (1150) at 11:30. You can also listen online by clicking on the menu of Crossroads’ programs on our web site’s home page at www.valleyfamilyforum.org.
Crossroads is entirely listener supported, and we are so grateful for your prayers, your encouragement, and your financial support. If you would like to help, please send your check to Crossroads at PO Box 881, Harrisonburg, 22803. All donations are tax-deductible.
Thank You, for God and Country,
Dean
Working and Walking Together, We Can Make a Difference!