Nehemiah – Page 3 – Be Still…

Nehemiah 8:13-18 – Festival of Shelters

Read Nehemiah 8:13-18

I appreciate when I can learn more about Jewish traditions and what the Law of Moses instructed the Jewish people to do. After all, these are the traditions that Jesus would have known and participated in. This feast or festival is also known as the Feast of Tabernacles and is still celebrated today for nine days sometime during the months of September or October. It is associated with the gratitude for the bounty and provisions of God.

Because the returnees were trying to do things “by the book,” literally, reviving this festival was one of those activities being renewed. Rather than “guess” at what God wanted, the leaders met to learn more by reading the law together. When we want to know how to act in a certain situation, our “go-to” should always be, “what does the Bible say,” or “what would Jesus do?”

Nehemiah 7:73-8:12 – Hearing God’s Word

Read Nehemiah 7:73-8:12

Don’t be distracted, the next three chapters will seem a bit out of place. Whatever the context, meaning, or intention, they do stand out. In this passage, we see Ezra gathering the people to continue his mission of making sure they were grounded by following God and abiding by the laws of Moses. I liked how the people even “asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had given for Israel to obey.” What did the people do when they saw Ezra open the book? They stood to their feet in a grand display of reverence!

The people living in Jerusalem had been given a “do-over.” Ezra’s mission was to make sure they didn’t fall away from God’s teachings like their ancestors taken into exile had done. The Levites read from the law and offered clear explanation so the people would understand.

Nehemiah 7 – What’s Next?

Read Nehemiah 7

What’s next? The construction project was done, and it was time for Nehemiah to move the people into their new, safer reality. However, the powers of evil had not been eliminated, and the threats and intimidation were still fresh. Nehemiah deemed it necessary to set up some unusual security precautions.

From what we’ve learned so far in Nehemiah, the walls and towers may have been constructed for protection, but it is really God’s protection that shines through. God is the only one we can truly count on to keep us safe.

Nehemiah 6:15-19 – It’s Done!

Read Nehemiah 6:15-19

The wall is completed. It only took fifty-two days. That’s not even two months! Granted, there were many people working on that huge project, but I’m amazed at the short duration of time it took. I don’t imagine there were any cranes or bulldozers around to help move away the debris. Construction sites would have looked a lot different back then.

One of my favorite lines in this reading is about what the enemy’s thought about this great feat. Nehemiah said, “They realized this work had been done with the help of our God.” I feel like going into my storage boxes to find my cheerleading pom poms! It’s always a victory when people who don’t belong to our family of believers (yet) recognize God’s hand at work and give him the credit. It doesn’t happen much these days.

Nehemiah 6:1-14 – Intimidation

Read Nehemiah 6:1-14

What intimidates you? Maybe it’s speaking in front of groups, handling an overbearing boss, or volunteering to work with children at church. Those types of intimidation are more self-imposed by some fear or anxiety. Whereas Nehemiah is being intimidated by people who feel threatened by him and God’s people. As their governor, Nehemiah is a prime target to face all sorts of challenges.

We’ve seen how Nehemiah is a godly man devoted to God. He has listened to God’s call on his life, which includes his mission to rebuild the wall in Jerusalem. Nehemiah is also intent on leading God’s people to follow the laws of Moses.