Nehemiah 2:16

Nehemiah 2:16 says, And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work.  While Nehemiah was looking over things at night, he hadn’t told anyone he was doing so.  He hadn’t told the rulers, priests, or the Jews, what he planned to do, not wanting glory for himself, but was quietly looking at what needed doing.  As we do God’s work today, I believe we would be better off just quietly doing what He calls us to do than making a big production of it that calls attention to us. 

Verse seventeen adds, Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.  Then, after he saw for himself what needed doing, he called on the people who could also see the waste that Jerusalem still lay in to help him rebuild the walls of the city.  He did not demand that they do it because he said so but asked that they join him in the task.  Even if we are in a position of leadership in the church today, I don’t believe that we should demand that the members of the congregation do something just because we demand it.  Instead, as a leader, we should ask them to join us in doing what we think God is calling us to do, and if God is behind it, they will willingly join in as long as they are being obedient to God as well.  Nehemiah said that the fact that the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem had been neglected was a reproach to all of the people of Israel.  I wonder if the state of the church today is a reproach to Christians.   Have we allowed concerns for our own success to keep us from building up the church? 

Verse eighteen continues, Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.  Nehemiah then told them that God’s hand was on him to do the work and that he also had the approval of the king.  It would be nice if we always had the approval of the government in everything we do to build up the church, but often the opposite is true.  Still, as long as we have God’s hand on us in what we are doing, nothing else should matter.  The people agreed to help him, and we need to work together as followers of Christ today to do His work. 

Verse nineteen states, But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?  Not everyone in the area agreed with what Nehemiah was going to do.  Some of the people who were not a part of the nation of Israel despised them and laughed them to scorn.  They then asked if they would rebel against the king by rebuilding the walls.  We can expect opposition from the lost people of the world today when we do God’s work.  They may even laugh at what we are doing and accuse us of going against the government, and at times we may have to do so.  Yet, no matter the opposition, if we know God has called us to do a work, we need to be faithful in doing it. 

Verse twenty adds, Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.  Nehemiah told those who opposed them that God was with them, and they really had no say in it, so as servants of God, they were going to rebuild in accordance with His will.  This needs to be our reply and our belief if we face opposition to God’s work today.  We are going to arise and do what God has called us to do.  Of course, to do what God calls to do, we must be one of His people by accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.