Nehemiah 4:19

Nehemiah 4:19 says, And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another.   Nehemiah told the people that they were working separately on different sections of the wall, so they needed to listen for the sound of the trumpet, and if they heard it, they were to gather where the trumpet sounded.  Matthew Henry points out that Nehemiah was continually walking around the wall overseeing the work, and he would be in a position to see any upcoming danger.  We as Christians are all working separately in different parts of the world, though we work united in purpose under God’s leadership.  One day, when God’s trumpet sounds, we will all be gathered together, not to fight, but to go to our heavenly home.  In the meantime, we need to be alert to the dangers of the world and rally to help each other if necessary. 

Verse twenty adds, In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.  Nehemiah told them if they heard the trumpet to come to where it sounded, and that God would fight for them.  We may not be stronger physically than the enemies of God today, but as longs as we are followers of Jesus Christ, we don’t have to be.  God is fighting for us and the victory is already won spiritually.   

Verse twenty-one continues, So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.  They continued to labor, with half of them working and the other half holding spears and ready to fight.  Even as we are on alert and ready to battle the forces of evil today, we still need to be doing the work that God has called us to do, which is first and foremost to spread the gospel I believe. 

Verse twenty-two states, Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day.  Nehemiah said that they should all lodge in Jerusalem with their servants at night, so that they could be on guard and continue to do the work by day.  Even while we are resting at night, we need to know that God is still with us, and we should rest easy so that we can continue to do the work the next day. 

Verse twenty-three adds, So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing.  Nehemiah said that all those on guard and he himself remained dressed and ready to fight at all times, and we as Christians should have on the armor of God at all times, ready to battle against the forces of evil