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The Things That Are Above - Meditations on Colossians 3

2011-07-29T15:35:00.001-05:00

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." (Colossians 3:1-4)

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Based on the fact that believers have been united with Christ, not only in his death, but more importantly in his resurrection and life, Paul commands them to “seek the things that are above” (Colossians 3:1) and to “set [their] minds on things that are above” (Colossians 3:2). There are two things that we need to understand here. The first is what the “things that are above” are; the second, what it means to “seek” and “set our minds on” them. This post will consider the first; the next post will consider the second.

The Things That Are Above

The first things that usually come to mind when we think about heaven are pearly gates, streets of gold, and reunion with friends and loved ones. Perhaps there are harps and chubby little angels in the mix, too. All of these are acceptable when we talk about heaven in our over-spiritualized, post-Christian American culture. But Paul doesn’t allow believers to think about heaven like that. He makes sure that there is no room for misunderstanding. The “things that are above” have nothing to do with heaven unless by heaven we mean “where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” All of the other benefits of that happy place are minimal in comparison to Christ who is the center and focus of every joy and blessing. So, when Paul says to seek or set our minds on the “things that are above,” he means for us to understand these things as the blessings that come from Christ, particularly, the blessings that come from His position at the right hand of God.

God’s Right Hand

The phrase “seated at the right hand of God” is a reference to Psalm 110:1: “The Lord said to my Lord. ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’” The New Testament takes up this refrain over and over again and attributes it to Jesus. What is its significance?

First, sitting at the right hand of God is a reference to Jesus’ power and authority. In Luke 22:69, Jesus calls it “the right hand of the power of God.” God has exalted Jesus “above every rule and authority and power and dominion” (Ephesians 1:20-21; 1 Peter 3:22). There is no power or authority, be it human or spiritual, that is exempt from Christ’s rule.

Second, the fact that Jesus is seated indicates that His work of salvation is accomplished, it is completely finished. That he is seated at God’s right hand indicates that God has approved of what he has done (Hebrews 1:3; 8:1). The priests of Old Testament times stood in the temple offering sacrifices over and over, sacrifices which could never really take away sins. Jesus, on the other hand, offered only one sacrifice, Himself, and then sat down at God’s right hand. By that one sacrifice, He has “perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:11-14).

Third, Jesus’ position at God’s right hand is a reference to His ongoing work of intercession for believers (Romans 8:34). It is there that he “lives to make intercession” for us by appearing “in the presence of God on our behalf” (Hebrews 7:25; 9:24). Nothing can separate us from God so long as the risen Christ, our Great High Priest, is there praying for us.

Our Blessings in Christ

So what, specifically, are the “things that are above?” Or, what are the blessings that we have as a result of being united with a Christ who has been exalted to the right hand of God? Paul calls these things “the unsearchable riches of Christ” in Ephesians 3:8. Or, in Colossians, he prays that his readers may “reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:2-3). More explicitly, he says that God has made known “how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).

So, in a sense, the “things that are above” are so rich, so numerous, that we could not possibly articulate them all in this lifetime. It will take heaven to come to a full comprehension of all that he has given us in Christ. But there are some things that we can know for sure. Although we could scour the New Testament for these blessings, I will focus only on the things that Paul mentions in Colossians. Let’s consider them in light of what He has done for us, what He is doing for us, and what He will do for us – all guaranteed by Christ’s position at God’s right hand: His power, His completed work of redemption through His death and resurrection, and His continued intercession for believers.

What Christ Has Done

First, Christ has redeemed us, purchased forgiveness for our sins, and brought us into His kingdom. There is no longer any power or authority able to bring a charge against us (cf. Romans 8:33). He defeated them all and has taken away all of the ammunition that they used to accuse us.

“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:14)
“And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death.” (Colossians 1:21)
“And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to an open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” (Colossians 2:13-15)

What Christ is Doing

Second, Christ is now building, growing, and protecting His church. His power and continued intercession assures the growth of the church, as well as each individual believer, into maturity. He is the church’s head, and she His body (Colossians 1:18, 24; 2:19). As Paul says in Ephesians, Christ was exalted “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion…And [God] put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body” (Ephesians 1:21-22). So it is as head over all things that Christ relates to the church, not just as head of the church. There is no power that can keep the church from becoming what God has designed her to be. As Jesus himself said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). And that he “lives to make intercession” for us (Hebrews 7:25), means that there is never a moment when He is unconcerned about His body’s well-being. He purchased her with His blood; He prays for continually; and He sustains her with His unsurpassable power.

Related to this, is Paul’s repeated prayer that his readers be filled with the knowledge of God, His will, and His mystery, which is Christ (Colossians 1:9, 10, 2:2). This knowledge is directly related to the church’s sanctification and each believer’s growth in holiness. It enables us to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work (Colossians 1:10). It strengthens us “with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy” (Colossians 1:11). Knowing God encourages our hearts and knits each believer in the church together in love (Colossians 2:2).

What Christ Will Do

Third, we have a promise of what Christ will do for us. Paul points to this several times. He gives thanks that the Colossian believers have responded with faith and love “because of the hope laid up for you in heaven (Colossians 1:5). He encourages them not to shift “from the hope of the gospel” (Colossians 1:23). And he says that “the hope of glory” is, in fact, Christ in them (Colossians 1:27). Even in our passage, it is mentioned, although not by name. He says that “when Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:4).

The promise of the gospel is not only about the forgiveness of sins. It includes, also, a promise of eternal life, abundant satisfaction, and inexpressible joy in the presence of Jesus Christ and God our Father. This is what Paul means by hope. There will come a day when Christ returns, and in that day all of our hopes will be made reality. There will be no more suffering or death, no more sin or wickedness, no more sorrow, pain, or grief. Instead, there we will be made new. We will be made like Christ, because we will see Him as He is (1 John 3:2).

To sum up, the “things that are above” are all of the blessings that we have as a result of having been united with Christ in His death, resurrection, life, exaltation, and future return in glory. In essence, Paul is joining his voice with the author of Hebrews and saying, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). He is the source and sustainer of our life. For believers, “Christ is all, and in all” (Colossians 3:11).

United with Christ - Meditations on Colossians 3

2011-07-25T17:23:00.000-05:00

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A New Standard for Relationships
Sunday morning, we continued the series The Gospel in Real Life by talking about how the gospel impacts our relationships. Pastor Norm walked us through Colossians 3:1-17 and showed us how the gospel doesn’t lower the bar of expectations here, but raises it. It gives us a new standard for relationships. Our affections, attitudes, and actions toward other people should be noticeably different because we know and trust Christ.

There are nine imperatives, or commands, in this section; they tell us either what we need to stop doing or, more importantly, what we must begin to do. These are more than the basic childhood instructions that we’re all familiar with (for example, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all”). In fact, they go beyond the most profound moral or sociological teaching of every other religion or philosophy. Before we can understand what the apostle Paul is saying in the last seven imperatives, though, we must understand the first two.

Christ’s Fullness and Yours

Actually, we need to go back a little further still. The first two imperatives (seek and set your minds) are based on the fact that you have been raised with Christ. This is Paul’s habit. He never gives a command without first giving the basis for it. What is fact (what some have called the “indicative” of the Christian life) always serve as the motivation and reason for what must be done (the imperative of the Christian life).

The language that Paul uses in these verses is unique. “You have been raised with Christ” is actually only one word in Greek, and it is emphatic: “You have been co-raised with Christ.” The language carries over from Paul’s argument in chapter 2, where this kind of wording abounds.

He begins this section of his argument in Colossians 2:6, “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him.” In other words, the way that you continue life as a Christian is the same way that you began: by faith. This is why he wants the Colossians to be “rooted and built up in him and established in the faith” (Colossians 2:7).

In Colossians 2:9, Paul makes one of the clearest assertions to the deity of Christ: “For in him the whole fullness of the deity dwells bodily.” But, amazingly, Paul’s goal is not to teach doctrine, no matter how wonderful it may be. He is more concerned with how this beautiful truth impacts the lives of the Colossian believers. He goes on to say, “and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority” (Colossians 2:10). So, God’s fullness is to be found in Christ, and you, because you also are in Christ, are full as well. God fills Christ, Christ fills you. This is the foundation of everything he says about living the Christian life.

United with Christ

Paul then explains how this fullness works: you have been made one with Christ. Everything that Christ has done has been done in you. Everything that Christ has earned has been graciously given to you. Everything that Christ is, everything that He has promised, belongs to you because you have received Christ Jesus the Lord by faith. In Him, you have been circumcised; not the removal of foreskin, but the removal of the “body of flesh” or corrupt sinful nature (Colossians 2:11). You have been co-buried with Him, as symbolized by baptism, and co-resurrected with Him by the power of God (Colossians 2:12). You used to be dead in sin, but have now been co-made-alive (awkward, I know, but it gets at what Paul is saying) with Christ and your sins have been forgiven (Colossians 2:13).

A New Way of Life

So how does this union with Christ affect the way that we live? How does it affect our relationships and our battle against sin? The basic principles that the world offers for self-improvement are really of no value here (Colossians 2:20-22). Self-imposed religious discipline won’t do you any good either (Colossians 2:23). Neither of these offers any effective or lasting results. What is needed is a complete overhaul, not a removal to the expectations of God’s law, but a new way of living, indeed, a new life.

This brings us to the point of our passage. Colossians 2:20-23 and Colossians 3:1-4 are parallel. Notice the way that Paul begins these sections: “If with Christ you died…” (2:20); “If then you have been raised with Christ…” (3:1). On the one hand, your union with Christ means that you have died to this world. You are no longer governed by its standards or rules or suggestions. To put it plainly, you need to stop trying to be a better Christian by watching Oprah or reading Dr. Phil; you’ve died to human teachings (Colossians 2:22). On the other hand, your union with Christ means that you have been made alive, really alive, to God. This new life requires a new life-goal and a new way of thinking. It is to be characterized by seeking “the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1). And it matures by deliberately setting your mind on and thinking about “things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:2).

In our next post, we will look at these two commands (seek and set your minds) in more detail.

Refuse to Be Afraid - Meditations on Nehemiah 6

2011-06-16T13:24:00.000-05:00

“But I said, ‘Should such a man as I run away? And what man such as I could go into the temple and live? I will not go in.’ And I understood and saw that God had not sent him, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. For this purpose he was hired, that I should be afraid and act in this way and sin, and so they could give me a bad name in order to taunt me.” (Nehemiah 6:11-13)
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Sanballat knew that fear is a powerful force. It lurks in the shadows of the unknown and undermines our every action. It floods the soul with questions and anxiety. What if I can’t do this? What if I fail? What if I lose everything? Am I being a fool? Fear betrays our insecurities and exposes our weaknesses. It’s a pessimist that fights against our hope by making us see only negative possibilities.

Nehemiah saw past the deception. He knew that the consequences of acting in fear were worse than anything that fear could imagine. By acting in fear, he would have run away from his responsibilities, he would have went to a place that was forbidden for him, he would have sinned against God and tarnished his reputation with the people who followed him.

But Nehemiah refused to act in fear. Not that he was never afraid, but he didn’t allow his fear to control him or to determine his actions. He knew that Sanballat and Tobiah were plotting to kill him; he knew that Shemaiah, a man who ought to have been his friend, was working for them. And yet, Nehemiah didn’t think his life is worth saving if it meant compromise. Instead, he did as he always did: he prayed that God would take care of it and then went on about his business (Nehemiah 6:14-15).

How was Nehemiah able to look the threat of death in the face and turn his back on it? How did he overcome his fear? Notice the two questions Nehemiah asks in verse 11, specifically the phrase he repeats about himself: “such a man as I…man such as I.” The key to Nehemiah’s courage was found in his understanding of who he was, both in relationship to people and in relationship to God.

Nehemiah’s first question was, “Should such a man as I run away?” What kind of man was he that it would have been unacceptable for him to run away? He was the leader of the people, the man responsible for the completion of the wall. He understood that he had undertaken a great task that would require a lot of effort to keep the people motivated. He had already had to deal with multiple issues that distracted the workers and drew them off task. He had urged them when they were idle, encouraged them when they were discouraged, rebuked them when they were disruptive, and praised them for their sacrifice and dedication. What, then, would become of the people and the wall that they were building if Nehemiah ran away? Worse than being without a leader, they would have a leader who demonstrated to everyone that nothing he had said was a reality for him. So because Nehemiah was in a position of honor, authority, and responsibility, he could not and would not run away.

Nehemiah’s second question was, “And what man such as I could go into the temple and live?” What kind of man was he that it would have been unacceptable for him to hide in the temple? The answer is not the same as the answer to the last question. There, Nehemiah stressed his position of honor and authority. Here, the stress is on his lowliness and sinfulness. Yes, he was a man who was above other men, but even more important, he was a man who was infinitely below God. God had not permitted him to enter the temple, only priests were to do so. Nehemiah’s position of authority over people did not give him the authority to disregard God’s instructions. So he would not act in fear of Sanballat. The fear of God displaced the fear of man.

If we are to overcome fear in following God, we must learn to cultivate a view of ourselves that takes in both of these aspects. Christians are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for [God's] own possession, that [we] may proclaim [God's] excellencies” (1 Peter 2:9). We are called to live in such a way that when unbelievers speak evil against us and try to make us afraid, they might see our “good works and glorify God in the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:12). We need to know the great honor that God has given us in calling us by his name, to display His glory in a world that is ignorant of it. Should those who have been honored like this disregard their calling and cower in fear? Certainly not!

Along with this, we need to cultivate a proper understanding of our position before God. We have, indeed, been called by his name. But we have not been made God's equals. God is still holy, and he requires us to be holy like Him. We call Him Father, but He will still judge the way we live. We must still “conduct [ourselves] with fear throughout the time of [our] exile” (1 Peter 1:15-17). Can a person who is intimately aware of his Father’s presence carelessly disregard His promises and precepts? Will he compromise his relationship and spurn the price with which he was purchased because of fear?

May the Lord deliver us from fear by teaching us who we are in Him!

Strengthen My Hands - Meditations on Nehemiah 6

2011-06-15T14:11:00.000-05:00

“For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, ‘Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.’ But now, O God, strengthen my hands.” (Nehemiah 6:9)

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Nehemiah knew Sanballat’s intention. His previous tactics had been aimed to hinder Nehemiah by force and intimidation. Now he aimed at making him afraid (cf. Neh. 6:13-14, 19). If he could get Nehemiah to fear what might happen, Nehemiah would be crippled and would give up.

Oh, to be like Nehemiah! He knew that in himself there was every possibility to run out of strength. He knew that his hands weren’t strong enough for the work. But he also knew that the work was not his own and that the strength required to complete it would have to come from another source. He looked to God for that strength.

Jesus taught that you and I are no different. He said, “As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me…apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5). The life that God has called us to is a hard one. In fact, it’s an impossible one. Just as we didn’t have the power to save ourselves, so we don’t have the power to continue to grow in grace. The promises that God has given us are too radical; the hope too countercultural; the life of sacrifice and love too demanding. The only way that we can succeed is to get our strength from Christ.

Have you ever reached a point where you just didn’t think you could go on? When was the last time you gave up living intentionally for God because it was too hard? Maybe that particular sin has beaten you one too many times and you’re ready to throw in the towel. Maybe you’ve taken a step of faith into the unknown. You’ve been okay so far, but now you’re in a situation where failure is certain if God doesn’t come through. Whatever the details are in your case, the fear is real and you are painfully aware that you don’t have the strength to continue.

Learn from Nehemiah’s example. Having weak hands is not a bad thing. It teaches us to cry out to the One whose power is perfected in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Say to Him: “Father, I don’t have the strength to do this on my own. This is what You have called me to in Christ. Give me Your strength to do what I can’t do myself.” Prayer offered to God in faith and complete dependence is the kind He loves to answer. In doing so, He demonstrates His power and faithfulness to His children and confounds the wisdom of the world.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.” (Ephesians 6:10)

You Don't Need to Justify Yourself - Meditations on Nehemiah 6

2011-06-14T15:18:00.000-05:00

“In the same way Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand. In it was written, ‘It is reported among the nations, and Geshem also says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel; that is why you are building the wall. And according to these reports you wish to become their king. And you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in Jerusalem, “There is a king in Judah.” And now the king will hear of these reports. So now come and let us take counsel together.’ Then I sent to him, saying, ‘No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind.’” (Nehemiah 6:5-8)

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If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again - and, of course, change your tactics. The first four requests that Sanballat send to Nehemiah were verbal requests sent by a messenger: “Go ask Nehemiah to come.” Nehemiah had refused each of these requests, so Sanballat decided to attempt something different. Instead of extending a verbal invitation, he would send an official document. It was an invitation laced with formalities and pleasantries, somewhere between a casual letter and a subpoena.

Dear Nehemiah,

You have been charged with rebellion and treason. People (and especially Geshem) are saying that you are planning to declare yourself king! We would love to meet with you so that we can clear this up. We’re here to help.

Sincerely,
Sanballat

Sanballat's efforts would be laughable if they weren't so sinister. Did he really think that Nehemiah would fall for his trick? “I know we haven’t been on the best of terms, Nehemiah, but I really think we can be friends.” A wolf putting on his sheep skins right in front of the shepherd would have had a better chance of deception. And then what is this comment about Geshem? “If Geshem says it, it must be true!” Really? I’m sure that he was an important person and all that, but this sounds like the third grade again.

Did he really believe that Nehemiah wouldn't catch the insult? Letters were supposed to be sealed so that the contents would not be public information. This was true especially of formal documents or appeals, such as this letter purported to be. Sanballat didn’t bother; he sent an open letter. Its contents were public information.

Nehemiah’s response was typical. He wasn’t convinced of Sanballat’s change of heart, he didn’t take offense at the insult, and he didn’t try to defend himself. He could have published an official document himself, refuting the charges brought against him. He could have met with Sanballat to try and clear things up. He didn’t do either. He simply dismissed the letter as he had the verbal invitations: “You’re making this stuff up. Now go away.” He let the accusations stand and went on with his work.

Nehemiah wouldn’t have been able to respond like this if he had not been grounded in truth. He knew that he was doing God’s work; he knew that his motivations were pure and right; he knew that God would give him the strength to complete the work; and he knew that God would protect him from his enemies. In short, he knew himself and he knew his God. Because he was secure in his God, he didn’t have to worry about what Sanballat, or anyone else, said.

You probably won’t experience the kind of opposition that Nehemiah did, but you are no stranger to accusation. You may be accused by your friends, family, or coworkers. You may be accused by your own conscience. Satan is “the accuser of our brothers…who accuses them day and night before our God” (Rev. 12:10). He loves to point out what you’ve done wrong, how you’ve failed, the sins that you love.

The only way that you will be able to respond correctly to these accusations is to know who God is for you in Christ and to know who you are in Christ. You must be grounded in the truth that God is for you and that you are accepted by God because of Christ. No accusation, whether true or false, will ever separate you from Him. Jesus Christ has taken all of your accusations upon Himself and then faced the consequences of those charges. You are free in Him – you don’t have to answer the accusations – and free of guilt in Him.

The devil’s singing over me an age old song
That I am cursed and gone astray
Singing the first verse so conveniently
He’s forgotten the refrain.
Jesus saves!

From the song Embracing Accusation, by Shane Barnard

How do you respond to insult and accusation? Do you feel it’s necessary to defend yourself? If so, why? How does knowing your identity in Christ free you from the need to justify yourself?

Don't Go to Hakkephirim! - Meditations on Nehemiah 6

2011-06-13T15:54:00.000-05:00

"Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, 'Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono.' But they intended to do me harm. And I sent messengers to them, saying, 'I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?' And they sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them in the same manner." (Nehemiah 6:2-4)

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As I sit here and type, there is a fly that keeps trying to land on my head. I keep swatting at it, but it doesn't give up. It's made up its mind that it wants to be there. I didn't think much about it at first, but since it keeps on trying it's become a nuisance. Sometimes I think that flies just believe it their responsibility to distract and annoy me.

I'm not sure if that's the way Nehemiah felt about Sanballat and Tobiah, but I wouldn't be surprised. Those guys just would not give up. They have ridiculed Nehemiah, attempted to entice the workers away from their task, and rounded up opposition. Now they're attempting a new scheme. Nehemiah must have been getting annoyed with these two flies.

Their latest attempt to foil Nehemiah's plans was to draw Nehemiah out of the city to a place called Hakkepherim. We don't know exactly where this place was; this is the only reference to it in the Bible. We are only told that it was in the plain of Ono (called the valley of craftsmen in Nehemiah 11:35), a town about 30 miles north-west of Jerusalem. They probably hoped to pass the invitation off as an attempt at a truce, meeting at a half-way point between Nehemiah's base of operations and their own.

I wonder if the name, Hakkepherim, tipped Nehemiah off to their real intentions. Sanballat certainly could have picked a place with a name that didn't carry the implications of this one. The word Hakkepherim is related two other Hebrew words. The first word means to cover or hide. It came to indicate the covering over of sin that was accomplished by the Jewish sacrifice. By extension, it referred to a ransom or the price of a life. The second word is usually translated "young lion."

If the name is any indication of what went on at Hakkepherim, we might assume that it was a place that had to do with sacrifice. Perhaps it was where the remains of sacrificial animals were discarded. Or perhaps it was a place that was inhabited by wild animals. In either case, it couldn't mirror more precisely what Sanballat and Tobiah had in mind for Nehemiah. They wanted to get him to a secluded place and quietly dispose of him. They were the wild animals; he was the sacrifice.

Four times Sanballat and Tobiah asked Nehemiah to meet them at their ambush and four times Nehemiah refused. It would have been easy for him to give in to their requests. He might have justified it by thinking that he could finally put an end to their pestering. But Nehemiah was a man committed to finishing his task. If he had stopped to confer with his opposition, he would have implied that what they had to say was more important that what God had said. Instead, he considered the task that God had entrusted to him more important than his personal convenience or safety. He concerned himself with his work and trusted God to deal with the lions prowling about in his back yard.

How do you respond when opposition is constant and unyielding? Most of us can withstand a few blows of opposition, but we soon buckle if the pressure refuses to let up. We need to remember that it doesn't matter what threats or enticements may be put before us, if we leave off what God has called us to do in order to pursue other things, those things may very well prove to be our Hakkephirim.

How to Confront Sin – Meditations on Nehemiah 5

2011-06-09T10:31:00.004-05:00

So I said, "The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies? Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest. Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them." (Nehemiah 5:9-11)

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I hate confrontation. It's uncomfortable and I never know when it's going to backfire. But sometimes confrontation is necessary. The consequences are too great if certain behavior is not addressed. When I used to manage a restaurant, I was always having to talk to one person or another about their behavior. To be honest, I wasn't the best at it. Usually, I either blew up and attacked the person along with the behavior or I blew smoke - I fumed and worried about their behavior and then, when I finally spoke with them, the speech that I'd rehearsed in my head for so long turned out to be more of an apology for bothering them than a reprimand.

I doubt that I'm the only one who dislikes confrontation. I'm also pretty sure that there are others like me in the way that they respond. We don't like what confrontation does to us: it forces us to expose our emotions to ourselves and ourselves to others. Will we find something in ourselves that we don't like? Will the other person take offense and quit the job, relationship, church? Those of us who are positions of authority (and most of us are: parents, business owners, babysitters, teachers, managers, etc.) would do well to learn from Nehemiah's example.

Nehemiah didn't lose his temper and blow up when he heard that certain people were exploiting their fellow Jews. We saw this yesterday. He took a moment to take counsel with himself and evaluate the situation. But he also avoided the tendency to sugarcoat the reprimand. He didn't beat around the bush when he confronted them. He spoke plainly and described their behavior in specific terms: "You are exacting interest, each from his brother" (Neh. 5:7). He didn't make any attempt to hide his frustration or to apologize for being confrontational. He was still angry with them for selling their brothers to their own people (Neh. 5:8). He freely expressed his emotions without allowing his emotions to control his response. He then told them that their behavior was unacceptable and sinful: "The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies?" (Neh. 5:9). He also demanded that they make things right and give back every thing that they had taken (Neh. 5:11).

Notice that Nehemiah never demeans or belittles those whom he is reprimanding. He makes the reprimand about the behavior, not about the individual. The behavior is wrong, unacceptable, and must change. The consequences for refusing to change are severe. But there is no character assassination going on here. The aim is restoration, to correct the behavior and restore the individual.

How do you respond to the sinful behavior of people under your authority? Do you blow up or blow smoke? What can you learn from Nehemiah's example? Comment on this post and share your experience.

Take Counsel with Yourself - Meditations on Nehemiah 5

2011-06-08T10:49:00.000-05:00

"I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, 'You are exacting interest, each from his brother.' And I held a great assembly against them and said to them, 'We, as far as we are able, have bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!' They were silent and could not find a word to say." (Nehemiah 5:6-8)

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Nehemiah was angry when he heard about how some of the Jews were disregarding God's law and taking advantage of others. But he didn't immediately storm off and denounce their behavior. He first took some time to consider the matter and to consider his own attitude. Only then did he confront the guilty persons.

Nehemiah was angry, as he should have been. These people were exploiting others who were sacrificing their own comforts for the sake of Jerusalem. The broken-down walls were a reminder of God's judgment on Judah's past unfaithfulness. Now, even while they were trying to repair the damage done by forsaking God's law, they were disregarding the law. Nehemiah did right to be angry. But he didn't lose his temper and blow. He first "took counsel" with himself.

The text doesn't explain what he means by, "I took counsel with myself." All that we can do is speculate about what thoughts went through Nehemiah's head. I think it would be a good guess to say that he thought about what they were doing, what God had to say about what they were doing, and how he should respond. In other words, he got his facts straight and then determined how to proceed.

This is not our normal behavior. We act first and act questions later. Looking back, we see that our actions were motivated by pride, sinful anger, or ill will. Our first impulses are usually driven by passion rather than love of truth and righteousness. If we are to avoid these first impulses, we must learn to "take counsel" with ourselves before we act. We must get the facts straight, make sure our hearts are right, and then determine how to act.

How many times do you react to a situation without having all of the facts? Do you force yourself to stop in order to find out what God has to say about the situation? Do you take the time to take stock of what is going on in yourself before you respond? What is your usual way of responding to what you perceive to be violations of justice?

The Progression of Sin - Meditations on Nehemiah 5

2011-06-07T16:23:00.000-05:00

"Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards." (Nehemiah 5:5)

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Have you ever been in a situation where nothing seems to be going your way? Everyone and everything seems to be conspiring against you. Sometimes circumstances are just out of our control. This was the case with the Jews. Not only were they sacrificing their time, energy, and resources to rebuild the wall, not only were they being opposed by their enemies, but now there was a famine in the land. The fields were not producing, grain was scarce, there was no bread. The people began to wonder where their next meal would come from. How could they continue to work on the wall when they didn't even have food to eat? Shouldn't the next meal be the top priority?

Apparently, some of the Jews decided to take matters into their own hands. Even if everybody couldn't be fed, they would make sure that they and their families were. They outnumbered other families, so they could take advantage of their numbers to shift the food supply in their favor (Neh. 5:2). But they didn't stop there. Once they got control of the food supply, they realized that there was a way for them to make a profit, too. Some families who had land but no food were made to mortgage their properties in order to buy it (Neh. 5:3). Other families who had some food but were low on cash mortgaged their properties in order to get money to pay their taxes (Neh. 5:4). The situation got so bad that some people, when their mortgage ran out, had to give their children up to forced labor so that they could put food on the table.

Obviously, what these people were doing was wrong. Nehemiah reacted sharply to their behavior. But it should be noted that these were not particularly evil men and women. They were "Jewish brothers" (Neh. 5:1). When they were confronted about their actions, they responded positively and vowed to restore everything that they had taken (Neh. 5:12). They were not hardened in their rebellion; they were men who had gotten carried away and led into sin by their own desires and unbelief.

How did this happen? What can we learn from their behavior? Is there a warning here that we need to head? Consider two things:

1. They attempted to work a salvation for themselves. The people had been opposed by their enemies, enticed by their friends, and made to doubt by their own fears and weakness. Nehemiah had confronted all of these threats with the power and promises of God. Until now, God had been enough. What, then, made their faith waver at this point? They were afraid that God would not provide for their basic needs. They did not trust that God would sustain them in the work even in the midst of famine.

This unbelief led them to attempt to work a salvation for themselves. Since God was not doing anything, they determined to make things right in their own power. Inevitably, this is where things really go wrong. Unbelief is a sin making sin. Just as Saul, acting out of desperation, offered sacrifice instead of waiting on God (1 Samuel 13:8-14), these people decided that it was better to act now before things got worse.

2. They took advantage of their brothers for their own benefit. Maybe they didn't even think about what God had said about charging interest from their fellow Jews when they devised their plans (Ex. 22:25-27; Lev. 25:35-38). If they did, they probably justified their actions by telling themselves that it was necessary in order to survive. In either case, their first sin lead on to more and greater sins. This is standard operating procedure for sin: lawlessness leads to more lawlessness (Romans 6:19). It is like a fire that consumes everything in its path. You can't bargain with it. You can't tell it to take only so much and nothing more. The more it is fed, the stronger it grows and the more it demands. Just as David's failure to fulfill his responsibilities led to adultery, deception, and eventually murder, their sin had advanced far beyond what they had originally intended.

Take a moment to examine your own life. Are you desperate about anything, afraid that God will not come through? Or are you trusting in His promises even in the face of hardship? Is unbelief beginning to grow in your heart? You must confront it at its first stages with the promises, power, and faithfulness of God.

Perhaps you have already moved beyond unbelief and have taken matters into your own hands. Maybe you are already in a pattern of sin that has taken you further than you wanted to go. Don't give your sin any room to make excuses. Confront it now with the law of God and condemn it. Recognize the guilt of your sin, confess it and repent. Then turn to the cross and ask God for grace to sustain you. There is time now for you to get off the path to further sin.

A Triple Threat - Meditations on Nehemiah 4

2011-06-01T14:38:00.000-05:00

"And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night. In Judah it was said, 'The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble. By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall.' And our enemies said, 'They will not know or see till we come among them and kill them and stop the work.' At that time the Jews who lived near them came from all directions and said to us ten times, 'You must return to us.' So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people by their clans, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. And I looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, 'Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.'" (Nehemiah 4:9-14, ESV)

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Obedience to God is hard. Your faith will be tested and your patience stretched. There will be times when it seems that there is no hope of succeeding: that sin will never be defeated; that coworker will never be open to hearing the gospel; this church plant will never get off the ground. Threats arise on every side and at any time. The worst threats are those that come not from our enemies, but from our friends, those people that we thought had supported us, or from ourselves.

This is what is happening in Nehemiah 4. Sanballat and his gang were openly hostile to the work that God had called Nehemiah to do and were threatening the Jews with war. In these verses, we see their scheming again, "They will not know or see till we come among them and kill them and stop the work" (Neh. 4:11). They knew that the Jews were beginning to be overwhelmed by the size of their task. The Jews' anxiety, or so Sanballat figured, would cause them to be careless and unprepared for an attack. The Jews wouldn't know what hit them until it was too late. This was a significant threat, but it wasn't the only one, perhaps not even the primary one.

There were significant threats from people who should have supported the work. The Jews who lived nearby, attempted ten times to get the volunteers to give up (Neh. 4:12). These were the brothers, fathers, friends, and neighbors of the men who had travelled from other cities to help restore the walls of Jerusalem. Perhaps the nobles of Tekoa were among the number (Neh. 3:5). These threats were not threats of violence or physical harm, but they were threats. They were threats to the completion of God's work. They were threats to the prosperity and blessing of the Jews. They were threats to the unity of the people. They were masked in kindness and wrapped in concern, but they were, indeed, still threats.

There was still another threat that encroached upon the work: the internal threat among the people involved in the work. They began to struggle with despair and questioned whether they would have the strength to finish what they started. They began to complain: "The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble. By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall" (v. 10).

This, perhaps, was the greatest threat of the three. A man can continue to pursue his work in the face of adversity if he believes that it is worth it and attainable. He will press on if he has hope. But where hope has begun to fade, the onslaughts of others become increasingly effective. The threats of violence cause a man to cower in fear and avoid the work. The threats of kindness offer comfort and security and cause a man to long for something other than the work. Once this hole of despair begins to open up in the hearts of people, all other threats become palpable. It presses down on the man both from within and from without until his resolve must crumble beneath the pressure.

So how are we to deal with this triple threat? How did Nehemiah deal with it? He dealt first, with God, and then he dealt with the people. Much has already been said about prayer and the way that Nehemiah trusted in God. He understood the work to be God's work and so, ultimately, God would be the one to give success. Any opposition that arose, therefore, was something that was aimed towards God, and something that God would take care of. So Nehemiah prayed about everything. But he didn't just pray, he also pursued his prayers. After praying to God for protection and deliverance, he "set a guard as a protection against them day and night" (v. 9). He prayed and then acted like God was really going to answer his prayers. God would deliver them from the hand of their enemies and he would use the guards to do so.

Nehemiah also dealt with the people. This he did in two ways. First, he addressed their fear. He said, "Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome" (Neh. 4:14). This was not merely a pep talk, telling the people to keep their chins up because God was great and would deliver them. Nehemiah was pointing back to the mighty things that God had done in the past, the ways that God had delivered his people before from greater enemies than these. He was recalling the words of Deuteronomy 7:21, where God encouraged the children of Israel before they went in to take possession of the Promised Land. Were these present enemies greater than Egypt? Were they greater than all of the nations that Joshua drove out of Canaan? Were they greater than Assyria, Babylon, or Persia? If, then, the great and awesome God could deliver his people from such great enemies, what obstacle did Sanballat present?

Nehemiah also addressed the people's desires. He understood that they did not labor just under the threat of harm, but they also had the threat of promised pleasure. He said, "fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes" (Neh. 4:14). He made it clear to those working that the task in which they were involved was no trivial matter. It was a matter of life or death to those whom they loved the most. It had direct impact on their homes and families. Sure, they could leave the work and find immediate comfort back in the towns from which they came. But the cost of such short-term comfort would prove to be greater than they would really want to pay. Now was the time to give up a little comfort in order to secure the blessings and prosperity of their families.

Where are the threats in your life? They may be from the outside (those who are openly opposed to you pursuing God's will or those who wrap their opposition in concern) or it may be from the inside (despondency from fear or the promise of greater pleasure elsewhere). Take some time to identify the things that draw you away from actively pursuing God's will and then consider how you might counter these threats. Do you need to give your circumstances and their outcomes up to God? Do you need to remember God's unfailing faithfulness by recalling the mighty works that he has done in the past? Do you need to be reminded of the importance and the promises of doing the will of God? May God grant you grace to search yourselves and counter any threats that may arise.

A Prayer of Dependence - Meditations on Nehemiah 4

2011-05-31T07:43:00.000-05:00

"Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunt on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives. Do not cover their guilt, and let not their sin be blotted out from your sight, for they have provoked you to anger in the presence of the builders" (Nehemiah 4:4-5)

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Nehemiah's first response to opposition was prayer. This shouldn't surprise us. He prayed when he heard the news of Jerusalem. He prayed when he was pressed to give an answer to Artaxerxes. Now he prays when threats arise that might possibly hinder the work of rebuilding. This prayer demonstrates something about Nehemiah's attitude and something about Sanballat's offense.

Nehemiah's repeated prayers prove that he considered the work of building the wall to be God's business first of all. God had called him to it and God would grant him success. Too many times, we feel God's direction concerning a matter and then live and work as if the success of the thing was entirely up to us. But God does not call a person to a task and then sit back and watch. That belief is called deism. Instead, he expects us to work diligently, all the while depending on him. We are to have a constant awareness that our strength to work is produced by him and our progress and success will be granted by him.

Nehemiah's prayer also shows that Sanballat's offense was not, primarily, against Nehemiah or the Jews. His offense was primarily against God. Nehemiah could have prayed, "They have provoked the builders in your presence! Hear and judge them!" This would not have been wrong, but it wasn't the most accurate assessment of what was going on. Instead, he prayed, "They have provoked you to anger in the presence of the builders." Because the work was God's work, Sanballat's attempts to interfere were not, as he thought, an offense to the Jews. They were an offense to God, himself.

Examine your own motives and efforts. How are you approaching the things that God has called you to do? In may be starting a new church, sharing the gospel with your friends, or spending time in the Word and prayer. Are you approaching the task as if it depended on your strength, your efforts? Or are you consciously aware of your dependency on him?

How are you responding to the opposition to what God has called you to do? Do you see it as a personal attack? Do you feel the need to justify yourself? Remember, God has a greater interest in his work than you do. Give the matter up to him and trust him to deal with the opposition as he sees fit.

Opposition is Inevitable - Meditations on Nehemiah 4

2011-05-30T16:25:00.000-05:00

"Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews. And he said in the presence of his brothers and of the army of Samaria, 'What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?'" (Nehemiah 4:1-2)

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Opposition is inevitable when you begin to do something new and unexpected. Nehemiah's experience was no different. When he proposed to the Jews that they rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, there were men who attempted to intervene (Neh. 2:19). They ridiculed Nehemiah and accused him of rebellion. Nehemiah responded to their accusations by pointing out that God would make them prosper, that they would work diligently even in the face of resistance, and that men like Sanballat had no part in the blessing that God had promised.

This appears to have silenced the dissenters for a while, but Sanballat and his followers did not give up their attempts to stop the work. In fact, Sanballat was furious that Nehemiah had disregarded him and went ahead with rebuilding anyway. Since the voices of just a few men were not enough to stop the Jews from rebuilding, he turned to his "brothers and…the army of Samaria." His tirade against the Jews was meant to stir up animosity and thus to recruit more people to join in the resistance.

Sanballat's denunciation was fierce, a mixture of sarcasm and contempt. He accused the Jews of being feeble; they were weak and didn't have the physical or mental fortitude to complete the work. He laughed at the idea that they would "restore [the wall] for themselves," especially when they were surrounded by others who did not want the wall to be restored. Their numbers were just too small to be of any significance. He was amazed that they thought that they would be able to reinstitute the sacrifice, or that doing so would do any good at all. The sacrifices that they used to offer hadn't done them any good. He ridiculed their optimism; they were working as if they could finish the wall in a day. He pointed out the impossibility of success by making fun of the "heaps of rubbish" that they were working with.

There will always be men like Sanballat when you attempt to do what God has called you to do. Your faith and your lifestyle looks ridiculous to them. They don't understand why it is that you are doing what you are. They talk about you behind your back. They avoid you in the grocery store. They give you funny looks when they see you in your front yard. Under the pretence of concern, they point out the difficulty of the task. Sometimes, they question your sanity to your face. It may be outright: "You're doing what?" Or it may be implied: "Bless your heart."

Starting a new church is not something that most people understand. It requires you to give up your time, your money, and your talents. Many times the result of your sacrifice doesn't equal the amount of effort put in. It is a long, strenuous process, marked by frustration, obstacles, and setbacks. The very nature of planting a church presents enough difficulties. If we are unprepared for the Sanballat's that will surely come, we are in danger of capitulating under their disapproval.

We must be ready for opposition before it arrives. We must be sure of the vision and work to which God has called us. We must be consistent in encouraging one another. We must be diligent in prayer.

How have you experienced opposition when you attempted to do what God called you to do? How did you respond?

Hope is the Motivation for Holiness – Meditations on 1 Peter 1

2011-05-26T23:55:00.000-05:00

"Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'" (1 Peter 1:13-16)

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Peter makes a remarkable point in these verses that is often overlooked. Once we see it, however, we find that it is a truth that is evident throughout the New Testament. What is this point? It is that there is a direct link between hope and holiness.

There are two imperatives or commands in these verses. Peter begins by telling us to hope (command number one) and ends by telling us that we are to be holy (command number 2). There is something, then, about the living hope that he mentioned in verse 3 that compels the believer to grow more like Christ. On the other hand, the holiness to which God has called us is possible only when we learn what it means to hope fully.

This is not something that comes to us naturally. We tend to look at holiness as the product of religious duty: if we read our Bible, pray, go to church, give our tithe, etc., then we will become more holy. We think that in order to be holy we must focus on our sin and attempt to defeat it. The problem is that these things are the evidence of holiness, not the cause of holiness. To approach it in this way is to try to force fruit to grow on a branch that is disconnected from its stem and roots.

Consider these verses that make this point a little more clearly:

"Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God." (2 Corinthians 7:1)

Paul urges us to "cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, [thus] bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God." The motivation for the pursuit of this holiness is that we possess the promises of God about the new covenant (2 Cor. 6:16-18). Promises are the seedbed of hope. It is when faith lays hold of the promise that hope is born. Thus, the motivation for holiness is found in the hope that grows out of the promises.

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ." (Titus 2:11-13)

According to these verses, the grace of God has appeared to bring salvation; and what does it teach us? "To renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age." We are not to put off godliness until heaven, we are to strive for it now. And what is the motivation for holiness? "Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ."

"Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure." (1 John 3:2-3)

John presents the ultimate hope of the believer: we will one day see Christ face to face and be made like him. To be made like him is to be made perfectly holy, to be finally and completely freed from the power and presence of sin. This hope of ultimate holiness serves as the stimulus for holiness in this life. The one who places his hope in Christ "purifies himself as [Christ] is pure."

The question that we must answer is, "how does hope produce holiness?" Here are some points to consider:

1. Your hope is for things that are infinitely more valuable than anything this world has to offer. Men who are in elevated positions in society often look at menial tasks as below them, as not worth their effort or trouble. In the same way, you have been promised an inheritance of infinite value. You have been made a child of the King. The things of this world are infinitely below what is in store for you. When you learn to set your hope fully on the grace to be brought to you, you see sin for what it is, and look at it with contempt.

2. Since you hope for such great things, you will fight against anything that seeks to keep you from enjoying them. By its very nature, sin will deprive you of enjoying your hopes now. If your hope gives you "joy inexpressible and filled with glory," then you will look at sin as the enemy of your happiness and will long for its defeat.

3. The things that God has promised you should fill your heart with comfort and satisfaction. You find that your hope is enough and you don't need to seek comfort in anything else. The power of temptation lies in presenting you with opportunities to satisfy your desires with sensual pleasures. It attempts to get you to believe that sin will supply the comfort or satisfaction that you lack. When you are satisfied with the hope of heavenly things, temptation loses its power.

4. The greatness of your hope pushes you on to holiness because it enflames your heart with a love for God. When you remember that you used to be spiritually dead and deserving of God's judgment but that now you are the recipients of every spiritual blessing in Christ your desire becomes to live for him and please him. When temptation presents opportunities to sin, your heart responds with revulsion: "How could I do such a thing against God who has saved me from my sin and promised me such great and glorious things?"

These are just a few suggestions as to how hope produces holiness. More could be said on this point, but from what has been said, it should be clear that holiness is not something that is a mere effort of the will. It involves more than just turning over a new leaf. It is a process by which the heart is transformed. The hope set before us is such that it captivates our hearts and constrains our actions. The holiness that results is the product of a life transformed from the inside out. This is why we say that hope anchors discipleship.

A Guaranteed Hope - Meditations on 1 Peter 1

2011-05-25T13:59:00.000-05:00

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." (1 Peter 1:3-5, ESV)

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Hope may refer either to the act of hope or the thing hoped for. "Living hope" refers to the act of hoping, a hope that will not be disappointed. Peter goes on to identify what it is that this hope actually hopes for: an inheritance and salvation.

The Inheritance is Guaranteed

First, Peter says that we have been born again "to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you" (v. 4) He doesn't yet tell us what this inheritance is, but he does teach us about its character and certainty.

He uses three words to describe its character:

It is imperishable. The inheritance that we hope for is invincible. It cannot be destroyed, compromised, nullified, or killed. And since the inheritance (the object of our hope) is indestructible, our act of hoping can be indestructible as well.

It is undefiled. Do you remember the old Ivory soap commercial - "I want my real 99.44"? For soap, I guess, 99.44% is impressive. For an inheritance that sustains hope, though, that's not enough. It must be 100% pure. The inheritance that God has promised us is such an inheritance. It is undefiled, and undefilable.

It is unfading. Beauty fades, flowers fade, daylight fades. Our lives are fading. Our inheritance is unfading. It will always be as fresh, as vivid, and as vibrant as it is now.

One commentator has summarized these qualities like this: "The believer's inheritance is untouched by death ('incorruptible'), unstained by evil ('undefiled'), and unimpaired by time ('fadeth not away'), a supernatural combination of immortality, purity, and beauty."

Next, Peter explains why our inheritance is guaranteed, why it is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading: it is "kept in heaven for you." The word "kept" carries the idea of guarding or preserving and is used throughout the book of Acts with reference to the guarding of prisoners (Acts 12:5-6, 16:23; 24:23; 25:4). Also, the form of the verb (perfect, passive, participle) indicates that the inheritance was secured in the past and continues to be guarded. In other words, the inheritance is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading because God has placed it under lock and key and keeps it under guard round the clock, so to speak. It is in the vault of heaven, a vault that makes Fort Knox look like a house of cards. This is the message that Jesus preached, too:

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matt. 6:19-21)

We Are Guaranteed

Second, Peter tells us that this hope is "for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (v.5). As with the inheritance, he tells us about the character and the certainty of this salvation.

Our salvation has the character of completeness. I think about one of my favorite scenes from one of the best movies of all time. In The Princess Bride, Inigo and Fezzik bring Westley to Miracle Max to see if there is any hope after he has been tortured by the six-fingered man, Count Rugen. Miracle Max explains to them that there is a big difference between mostly dead and all dead:

Miracle Max: Whoo-hoo-hoo, look who knows so much. It just so happens that your friend here is only MOSTLY dead. There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive. With all dead, well, with all dead there's usually only one thing you can do.
Inigo Montoya: What's that?
Miracle Max: Go through his clothes and look for loose change.

Likewise, there is a difference between all done and mostly done, and this salvation is all done. It is "ready to be revealed in the last time." Everything is accomplished; there is nothing left to do but to reveal it. It's like sitting at a banquet table waiting for the servers to lift the covers from the platters.

The certainty of our salvation comes from the fact that we are being guarded. The word "guarded" is stronger than "kept." It indicates that a garrison has been set up. The difference between the two might be understood as the difference between a medium and a maximum security prison. Why should he use a stronger word for guarding us than he does for guarding our inheritance? Probably because if there is any possibility that we should fail to come into possession of this inheritance it would be on our part. We need to be guarded more closely than the inheritance itself.

Does this mean that there is a possibility that we might not obtain the inheritance? No. Peter says that we are guarded through faith by God's power. God himself has taken his post as the security guard of our souls. The power that created everything in existence is at work to make sure that we receive our inheritance. The power that raised Christ from the dead caused us to be born again and continues to sustain our spiritual lives until we get what has been promised (cf. Eph. 1:19-20).

More than You Thought It Was

So we see that the inheritance is guaranteed and that we are guaranteed to receive salvation, but what exactly is the inheritance? Is there anything more that can be said about what this salvation entails?

For Peter, there is one thing that stands out above the rest. That one thing is what is to be our highest hope and greatest joy. Consider these verses:

So that the tested genuineness of your faith - more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire - may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:7)

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:13)

But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. (1 Peter 4:13)

So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed… (1 Peter 5:1)

And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. (1 Peter 5:4)

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. (1 Peter 5:10)

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, your primary inheritance is glory, but not just any glory. You are to share in the glory of Jesus Christ. Like the Christians to whom Peter was writing, you have not seen Jesus but you love him, you believe in him, and you rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory (1 Peter 1:8). Because you have been united with Christ, your past has become his past and his past has become yours. Your life today belongs to him and his life has been give to you (see last post). This means that you can expect to suffer in this life because he suffered (1 Peter 2:20-21). Your suffering is a participation in his suffering (1 Peter 4:13). But there is an end to suffering. Christ, whom you love, will one day be revealed in glory. At that time, you will experience his glory as your own, even as you have experienced his sufferings. Today, Christ is in you as the hope of glory (Col. 1:27). On that day, he will be with you as the fulfillment.

"For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." (Colossians 3:3-4, ESV)

"Living the Gospel" Means Having a Living Hope - Meditations on 1 Peter 1

2011-05-23T18:14:00.000-05:00

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter 1:3, ESV)

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At True Life Church, we talk about truly living Christ and living the gospel in community. Yesterday, Pastor Norm spoke about what this means. A person doesn't believe the gospel in order to become a Christian and then move on to the real business of acting like a Christian. The gospel is essential for every moment of every day for every person, no matter how long they have been a Christian. We are never beyond the need for God's grace to cover our sin and we need to be reminded constantly that our identity is found in Christ rather than in our performance.

I think the main reason why we find it hard to live the gospel daily is that we have a wrong perspective or orientation regarding the gospel. We consider the gospel to be only about what God has already done for us in Christ: Jesus died and rose again. We think that the gospel simply demands that we believe that this is true and accept it. From where we stand, the gospel has to do only with what has happened in the past and very little to do with what is to happen now or in the future.

Please don't misunderstand me. The gospel is about what God has done in the past: Jesus Christ lived a life in perfect conformity to God's law, he died a bloody death on the cross to suffer the penalty for sin, and was raised from the dead, overcoming sin and death. But the gospel is also about the present and the future. The work of Christ in the past was not an end in itself; it was a means to an end. It was the beginning point of a plan that was drawn up by God before creation and set in motion with the birth of Jesus Christ. That plan was to deal with the sins of men (1 Peter 2:24), to make it possible for sinners to be brought into relationship with God (1 Peter 3:18), and to make the promises of the covenant available to them (2 Peter 1:4). This last part is the key for understanding how the gospel has just as much to do with the present and the future as with the past. In other words, the gospel is about hope, not just history.

The best place to see this dynamic of hope and history is Ephesians 2:12-13. Paul reminds the Gentile Christians in Ephesus that there was a time when they were "separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world" (v. 12). These things are related: because they were not a part of God's people, they were not the recipients of God's promises, and because they could not claim the promises, they had no hope.

That was their past; their present was very different. Now they had hope (Ephesians 1:18; 4:4). What made the change? Paul writes, "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ" (v. 13). They had been separated from Christ; now they are in Christ. They had been without God, now they have been brought near to God. The other elements in the string have been changed as well: they had been alienated from God's people but now they are one with them, Jews and Gentiles having been brought together in order to form one new people (Ephesians 2:14); they were strangers to the covenant of promise, but now they "are partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel" (Ephesians 3:6). And how has this happened? There was a conjunction of their past with Christ's past, of their present with Christ's present. His death and resurrection in the past has covered their past, and his life now supplies them with life, gives them access to God now, and provides them with hope for tomorrow.

This is, I believe, what Peter means when he says, "he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter 1:3). Your salvation was accomplished by the resurrection of Jesus Christ in the past. But when you were saved, you were given "precious and very great promises" regarding the future (2 Peter 1:4), promises that were purchased and guaranteed also by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in the past (2 Cor. 1:20). This expectation of a certain future guaranteed by the work of Christ is what the Bible calls hope. This hope is living because it belongs only to those who have been born again, i.e., those who have embraced the gospel for life.

When we live in this living hope, we are living in the gospel. We take the promises of God in hand, we look to the past, to a crucified and risen Lord who purchased the promises with his own blood, and then we look to the future, waiting and watching for God to do what he has spoken. This hope is what gives us the power to endure suffering (1 Peter 1:6-7), to overcome sin and grow in holiness (1 Peter 1:13-16), to be better husbands and wives (1 Peter 3:1-7), and to be faithful members (1 Peter 4:7-11) and ministers (1 Peter 5:1-4) in the church.

What Kind of Person Are You? - Meditations on Nehemiah 3

2011-05-21T14:25:00.000-05:00

"And next to them the Tekoites repaired, but their nobles would not stoop to serve their Lord." (Nehemiah 3:5, ESV)

"After him the Tekoites repaired another section opposite the great projecting tower as far as the wall of Ophel." (Nehemiah 3:27, ESV)

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There will always be people who can't catch the vision. For whatever reason, they don't see what you're so excited about. In this instance, it was the leaders of Tekoa, a city 12 miles south of Jerusalem. We don't know why they refused to help in the project. It may be because they felt that it was too far from home. Traveling was quite different 2400 years ago. The feet were the normal mode of transportation. At an average of 2.5 miles per hour, this 12 mile trek would have taken five hours, and that doesn't include potty breaks!

Of course, this is just conjecture. There could have been a hundred reasons why they didn't volunteer. They were just as creative at making excuses as we are today. Nehemiah indicates, though, that behind their excuses was pride: they "would not stoop to serve their Lord." Repairing the wall was beneath them. They considered in unimportant, not worth their time or effort.

By reducing all of their excuses to this one thing, Nehemiah makes a significant implication about pride: it is pervasive. Pride is one of the sins that usually lie behind all other sin (unbelief being the other). In other words, sinful actions do not sprout without the soil of sinful thoughts. Just as right behavior comes from right thinking, so wrong behavior comes from wrong thinking.

Pride is the mindset that develops when the self is the center and goal of our thoughts. We all know people who think that they are better than everyone else, that they are God's gift to humanity. But pride is not always so obvious; it is usually much more subtle. It is the unspoken motive that seeks to preserve one's own comfort, convenience, and aspirations. It is the attitude behind the belief that we don't need any help from anyone, from God or other believers. It is the driving force behind the false humility of those who see themselves as perpetual victims or those who insist that they don't have anything to offer. In a very real sense, we are all guilty of pride in one form or another.

Now compare the nobles of Tekoa with the men whom they governed. Nehemiah tells us that the Tekoites did not follow their leaders' example. They were willing to stoop. In fact, they were willing to stoop low enough to help repair multiple sections of the wall (along with Meremoth and Meshullam, Neh. 3:4, 21, 30). They could have done one section and called it good; they had done their part. But instead of saying, "That's not my job," they did what needed to be done. These men were humble enough to put the task and the good of the community above their own personal convenience.

What about you? Are you more like the men of Tekoa or their nobles? Are you so noble that you don't think it your job to do the menial labor that is often required in the life of the church? Or are you willing to be inconvenienced and offer yourself for the good of those around you?

(This is not to say that there are never instances where a person cannot help out. It is simply a reminder that we ought to keep our motives in check. I am grateful that most of you have proven your willingness to pick up a trowel. Your work and your humility have been a great blessing!)

Where is Nehemiah? - Meditations on Nehemiah 3

2011-05-19T22:43:00.000-05:00

Did you notice that Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah (the author) was not listed in this chapter? There is another Nehemiah mentioned, but he was Azbuk's son. Where, then was he? Hadn't God called him to return to Jerusalem in order to rebuild the wall? Yes, He did, and I am sure that Nehemiah did have a hammer in his hand at times. But he is not listed here because it was not his job to repair the wall on his own. There was no way he could. He needed to enlist, motivate, and equip others to work as a team in order to accomplish the task. You could say that Nehemiah was the coach.

Teamwork, which we looked at yesterday, does not develop naturally. It is usually the result of a coach who consistently elevates the importance of the team and demonstrates the ethic that he teaches. But the coach is not expected to be on the field executing the plays. He is on the sideline, making sure that all the players are in the right position and running the correct plays. During practice, it is the coach who is responsible for making sure that the players are trained properly and have the equipment that they need to succeed. When the team loses, it is the coach who first catches the flack.

Like a coach, Nehemiah had a very great responsibility. He wasn't assigned a specific portion of the wall to repair. He was assigned the entire wall. He wasn't responsible for swinging a hammer or using a trowel. He was responsible for making sure that the hammers kept swinging and the trowels kept moving. He was responsible for keeping the vision clear for those who were wiping the sweat off their brows.

Here, again, is a lesson for us to learn. Many churches adopt a mentality that sees the pastors as the ones who do the ministry. What Paul writes, however, is very different: "And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:11-12). In other words, the pastors are not the ones who do ministry in the church - they are not the ones building the walls. They are merely equippers, calling, organizing, and preparing the saints (the "average" Christians) to be the ones who do the ministry.

This means that we need to adopt a mentality that is probably quite different from what we have been accustomed to. Instead of going to church to get ministered to, believers ought to go to church in order to be equipped to do the ministering. The sermon on Sunday morning is not intended only to encourage you and help you live a better Christian life. It is intended to help you be an encouragement to your unbelieving neighbor, or your believing coworker. The Life Group is not designed only for you to get your community fix, but also for you to make yourself available to others.

The truth is, it takes good coaches to develop good players; it takes good pastors to equip good ministers. But once you are equipped, you must take responsibility for your section of the wall. Nobody else is going to do it. They are working on their own sections.

It’s a Team Effort – Meditations on Nehemiah 3

2011-05-18T18:00:00.000-05:00

"And between the upper chamber of the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and the merchants repaired." (Nehemiah 3:32, ESV)

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Teamwork is a concept that we all know well. We have heard about the importance of teamwork all our lives. Children in the classroom hear about teamwork. Eighth-grade band students hear about team work. The high school varsity football team eats and breathes teamwork. Your boss sends you to conferences about teamwork. It should come as no surprise, then, that teamwork is important in the life of the church as well. And Nehemiah gives us a great example of what that teamwork should look like.

One important aspect of biblical teamwork is diversity. It may be difficult to spot it here because we aren't familiar with the names and places, but let me point some of it out for you.

First, there is geographical diversity. This may be the most difficult to spot. Nehemiah lists several men, or groups of men, who travelled from other cities to assist in the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls. The men of Jericho travelled about 17 miles (Neh. 3:2); the Tekoites travelled 12 miles (Neh. 3:5); the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah travelled about 6 miles (Neh. 3:7); the inhabitants of Zanoah travelled 10 miles (Neh. 3:13); the ruler of Beth-haccherem travelled 3 miles (Neh. 3:14); the rulers of Beth-zur and Keila each travelled 15 miles (Neh. 3:16-17). These may not seem like such great distances to us in our age of automobiles and airplanes. In 400 BC, however, travel was not quite so easy. These people would have walked, or perhaps travelled by donkey. In either case, what would be to us a 20 minute drive was for them a 4-6 hour trip. An appropriate comparison would be if people who lived in Kansas City, Oklahoma City, and Tulsa travelled to help rebuild Wichita - not unlike what happened for New Orleans after hurricane Katrina.

Second, there is social and economic diversity. Several of the individuals or groups listed have a trade or occupation attached to their names. Eliashib was the high priest, the prominent religious leader of the day (Neh. 3:1). Ussiel and Malchijah were goldsmiths (Neh. 3:8, 31), as were others who worked on the wall (Neh. 3:32). Hananiah was a perfumer (Neh. 3:8). There are eight men listed who were rulers, or politicians: Rephaiah, Shallum, Malchijah, the other Shallum, Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, Hashabiah, Bavvai, and Ezer. There were men who worked as servants in the temple (Neh. 3:26), people who were common city merchants (Neh. 3:32), and a man, Shemaiah, who was a guard at one of the city gates (Neh. 3:29). So in this list we have religious leaders, political leaders, white collar workers, blue collar workers, and military enlistees. And all of them are holding a hammer and a trowel.

Third, there is gender diversity. This one is easier to spot. Shallum the son of Hallohesh, who was a ruler in Jerusalem, brought his daughters along to help repair the wall (Neh. 3:12). This also points to a diversity of age. Although I am sure that this is not the only case of both parents and children involved in the work, this verse does provide the clearest example of a multi-generational endeavor.

When we consider the work that the church is called to do, we will do well to keep this example in mind. No one person is equipped to do the work by himself. The work is too big and the demands too strenuous. What is more, there is no one who is unable to contribute. We are too quick to make excuses about why we can't do this or that, why we can't share Christ with our friends or invite our neighbors to church, why we can't help out with an outreach event.

But think about these men (and daughters). Were the priests trained in construction? Probably not. What about the politicians, temple servants, and young ladies? No, no, and no. The goldsmiths and merchants may have known a thing or two about construction, but the perfumer? I doubt it. My point is that there are no qualifications, except that you have an interest in the covenant and promises of God.

These people knew what Jerusalem meant to them. It was the symbol of God's promise and faithfulness. To see Jerusalem restored to her former glory would be to see God's hand at work, his promises fulfilled, and his blessings poured out. Each and every one of these people wanted to see that reality, and so they worked.

What about you? Do you have an interest in God's promises? Do you claim them for your own? Then drop the excuses and pick up a chisel. God has promised to make his glory known through the church (Eph. 2:7; 3:10, 20-21). And of the ways that he displays his glory is through the diversity (Gal. 3:28; Eph. 2:14-16; Rev. 7:9). If it is your passion to see God's glory on display, then be a part of the diversity that is the church.

How in the World is This Useful? – Meditations on Nehemiah 3

2011-05-16T15:49:00.003-05:00

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17, ESV)

"For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." (Romans 15:4, ESV)

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Paul was clear in his opinion of Scripture. Every word serves a purpose, whether it is instructing, teaching, reproving, correcting, or training. They equip and they encourage. The equipping is to prepare its reader for every good work, the good works that God has prepared in advance for him to do (Ephesians 2:10). The encouragement is so that the reader may hope, an activity to which every believer is called (Ephesians 1:18; 4:4). Since this hope and these good works are to be characteristic of the believer's life, it is important that he make the whole Bible an intrinsic part of his life as well. He can't afford to live in his favorite books or restrict himself to the New Testament. He must delve into the Old Testament, too.

This leads to a question: what about passages like Nehemiah 3? It is no secret that the Old Testament contains many chapters that seem irrelevant to believers today: long lists of funny names, meticulous details about geography, and cumbersome repetition. These are the places where Bible reading plans go to die. And yet, these passages, too, are inspired by God, and, according to Paul, useful for equipping and encouraging. How can this be? Can we really gain from these passages? Here are a few suggestions:

The details give the Bible credibility. Official records are boring. This is true today and it was true back then. Passages like Nehemiah 3 were probably official documents that were incorporated into the history of Israel. While these passages may not be fun (or they may – see point 4), they have an important function: they root the events in history. The meticulous attention to detail, just like official documents today, strengthens the material recorded by eliminating as many loopholes as possible. When you come to these passages, read them with this in mind. Let them serve as a reminder to you that the Bible is not merely a book of stories that convey moral axioms. It is a book rooted and grounded in history, and it has the little details to prove it.

Lists of names remind us that the people were real. If the Bible had used vague generalities and abbreviated narratives, it would be much easier for us to read but something would be lost. The genealogies and census-type information shows that the individuals involved in these passages were real. They were fathers and sons and brothers and uncles. They had ancestors and they had children. They had neighbors and coworkers and acquaintances. That these were real people, living in real places, allows the stories to resonate with us. We can imagine the sword and the trowel in our own hands as we work to repair a section of Jerusalem's wall (Neh. 4:17). We can imagine what it would have been like for Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah to journey with a group of people to the land of his forefathers, a land that he himself had never seen (Ezra 8:7).

Think about what the passage meant to them. Because these were real men and real women, we can look beyond the narrative to what was going on behind it. These passages were written for a reason. Some may have simply been political in nature, like a modern-day census. Others, like the genealogies of Jesus listed in Matthew 1:1-16 and Luke 3:23-38, provided a direct line of history to which the people could cling as a link to their past – it told them where they had been and what was their destiny. As mentioned in the last point, we can place ourselves and our families in these narratives. If God fulfilled his promise of giving the land to the twelve tribes of Israel (Joshua 15-18), then surely he will fulfill his promises to Aaron, Bethany, Kylen, Jayden, Kelsi, and Judson.

Read them out loud. This is not so much a spiritual benefit (although it may be) as a humorous one. Our family uses a Bible reading plan to read a few chapters of the Bible each night. When my kids were younger, they loved to listen to me read the names of the men in the Old Testament. I would read and they would laugh. Then they would try to pronounce the names and I would laugh. It was a great bonding experience. Instead of trying to work out all the names and places in your head, read them out loud. You may just amuse yourself, and those who hear you.

Beware of secret meanings. There are some people who argue that passages like the ones we are discussing are valuable not because of what they say, but because of what is hidden in them. They say that the Bible contains secret codes that reveal the end of the world, the Day of Judgment, or the return of Christ. According to Harold Camping, Judgment Day is only five days from now (May 21, 2011), a day that he determined by interpreting a secret code. Camping is not the first or only one who has made such claims. In fact, this is not the first time that he has made such claims. In only five days, he and those who have bought into his message will be disappointed. The Bible does not contain secret codes or patterns or messages. It was written plainly to be understood by the reader.

I hope that these thoughts help you to dig deep into the word and help you to persevere through the difficult passages. Every word is, indeed, profitable and every word is yours. Read it expectantly, soak it up, and live it out – because every word is inspired (Esther 9:8).

Dream Big, Pray Big, Plan Big – Meditations on Nehemiah 2

2011-05-12T11:46:00.000-05:00

"And I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah, and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy." And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me." (Nehemiah 2:7-8, ESV)

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Nehemiah did not stop at requesting a leave of absence. He pressed for more concessions: letters granting him what he needed to complete the job. First, he would need safe passage from Susa to Jerusalem, a trek of nearly 1000 miles through the desert. An edict from the emperor would keep him from being apprehended by provincial governors who wondered what a Jew was doing travelling in small caravan. In fact, they might even have served as a sort of police escort to Nehemiah, protecting him from bandits who raided such caravans. Second, he would need the physical material to complete the construction of the gates, the wall, and even a house for himself.

Were these requests a spur of the moment decision on Nehemiah's part? I don't think so. Notice the detail of the requests. Nehemiah knew that it would require official sanction for him to pass freely through the provinces that lay between Susa and Jerusalem. He was aware of the dangers that existed along the route and knew what would be required to avoid them. He knew the name of the man who was the keeper of the king's forest. He knew that he would need material to construct gates and wall. He foresaw the need for a dwelling for himself. Verse 6 tells us that he set a specific time frame to complete the expedition. If Nehemiah had not been prepared for this encounter with Artaxerxes, chances are he would not have been prepared to make these kinds of requests. Which of us would not have rushed into the opportunity only to think later about what we should have asked?

It seems to me that Nehemiah had given a lot of thought to what he would need if he should have the opportunity to do something about Jerusalem. When, then, did he take the time to investigate and plan what was needed? It must have been during those four months of fasting and prayer. Here, then, is another lesson that we can learn from Nehemiah.

Nehemiah dared to dream. There were plenty of reasons for him to doubt his ability to do anything about Jerusalem. After all, he was a cupbearer, not an architect or engineer. But Nehemiah had a promise from God and he allowed himself to think about the possibilities. He prayed, he investigated, he planned, and he dared to believe that God could use him to accomplish something great.

This needs to be our attitude, too. God has given us some "precious and very great promises" (2 Peter 1:4), promises that appear to be outlandish and impossible. Too often, we limit the possibilities because we think that God will not use someone as insignificant as we are to accomplish such great things. We are afraid to take God at his word, so we qualify our prayers with the phrase "if it be your will." Of course, our requests should be according to God's will, but we ought not use that as a copout because we are scared that God will not give us what we ask.

Consider some of the promises that God has given us about prayer. Jesus said, "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you" (John 15:7) and "In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you" (John 16:23). Think about what Paul said in Ephesians 3:20-21: "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

If you have a promise from God, you are given liberty to be creative about what you ask from God, as long as the requests are in agreement with the promise. You can dare to dream. There is nothing that you can ask, nothing that you can imagine, that is beyond God's ability to accomplish. No, God's ability to do is for more abundant than your ability to dream. Learn from Nehemiah. Refuse to allow your experience to be the measure of your expectation. Dream big, pray big, and plan big. Or as William Carey once wrote, "Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God."

"Oh, God, Help Me!" - Meditations on Nehemiah 2

2011-05-11T15:15:00.004-05:00

Then the king said to me, "What are you requesting?" So I prayed to the God of heaven. (Nehemiah 2:4, ESV)

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Nehemiah was devoted to prayer. The task consumed him. He prayed for four months. He prayed day and night. There must have been times when he spent hours in prayer pleading his case before God. There must have been other times that he returned to prayer over and over again throughout the day. The intensity is unmistakable.

Extended, persistent prayer often is the only kind that is answered. But not all prayer needs to be prolonged. Sometimes prayer needs to be short, punctuated, spur of the moment. Again, Nehemiah is our model.

Nehemiah finally had the opportunity to speak to Artaxerxes about Jerusalem, but the circumstances scared him. Artaxerxes read something in Nehemiah's face that led him to believe that he was sad – and to display sadness in the presence of the emperor was a mortal offense (Neh. 2:2). When Artaxerxes asked him about it, Nehemiah pursued his prayer and spoke plainly (Neh. 2:3). Artaxerxes pressed him further, "What are you requesting?" he said. Hesitating only long enough to pray to the God of heaven, Nehemiah answered (Neh. 2:4-5). Now not only did Nehemiah appear sad in Artaxerxes's presence, but he was also requesting to leave the ruler's service. He was in a dangerous position, indeed; if God did not come through, he was lost.

What was it that Nehemiah prayed in that moment? We can't be certain, but we do know that it wasn't like the prayers of the past four months. Artaxerxes had asked a question; Nehemiah needed to answer immediately. In that moment, Nehemiah must have recalled the specific request he had spoken to God: "Give me success! Give me mercy!" (Neh. 1:11). It was a quick shot, a rapid glance in God's direction: "God help me to do this!" He wasn't asking God to get him out of the situation. He was asking God to get him through it. He determined to make his request plainly and trust God with the outcome.

Perhaps the most significant thing about Nehemiah's short prayer has to do, not with the prayer itself, but with the man. He was facing a life or death situation and his first response was to speak with God. There was no effort at manipulation. He did not attempt to excuse or extricate himself. He abandoned himself to God's sovereign mercy. Now what kind of person automatically defaults to God, not for deliverance but for success, in a situation like that? The person who is regularly in communion with God. Nehemiah's spontaneous prayer grew out of his deliberate prayer. And both forms of prayer were the natural dynamics of a man whose life was about relationship with God.

You may have had people encourage you to pray by noting that you can pray anywhere – you can pray in the shower, you can pray while washing the dishes, you can pray while driving (just don't close your eyes!). This is absolutely true. You have freedom through Christ to approach God boldly – anytime, anywhere. But you will never have spontaneity in prayer until you have developed a discipline of prayer. Our minds just aren't wired to default to God when we aren't busy about "religious" activities. On the other hand, if all the praying you do is during a scheduled quiet time and it never spills over into the activities of your afternoons, then maybe your prayers lack the intimacy that should attend them.

The point is this: prayer should be both planned and spontaneous. You should be intentional about when and how you pray; you need to make room for it and do it. And you should catch yourself looking and speaking to God throughout the day, unplanned and unorchestrated. These are two elements of any vital relationship: planned and unplanned, scheduled and unscheduled interaction. A life of prayer is, after all, a life of relationship and a life devoted to prayer is a life devoted to knowing and communing with God.

Pursue Your Prayers - Meditations on Nehemiah 2

2011-05-10T23:57:00.004-05:00

"'O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.' Now I was cupbearer to the king." (Nehemiah 1:11, ESV)

"I said to the king, 'Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?'" (Nehemiah 2:3, ESV)

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This lesson is an important one for us to learn. We generally lean in one of two directions. We might pray earnestly and persistently and then expect God to answer our prayers in miraculous ways without us at all being involved. Or we may pray little (or not at all) and then expend ourselves as if the answer depended entirely on our own effort. Nehemiah shows us a better way, a way that I like to call "pursuing your prayers."

We saw last week that Nehemiah claimed God's promise concerning Jerusalem. We saw that he looked to God's character and so was convinced that God would certainly do what he had promised. Being thus convinced, he lived in such a way to obtain the answer that he knew would come, even if he did not know when or how.

When we read in chapter 2 that Artaxerxes asked Nehemiah about his "sadness of heart," we may be inclined to think that it was a chance encounter or that Nehemiah was unprepared for the question. But notice how Nehemiah ended his prayer in chapter 1. He asked God to give him success and mercy in the sight of Artaxerxes. He anticipated that there would come a time when he would be able to address his concern to the king.

The text tells us that four months elapsed between the report from Hanani and Nehemiah's conversation with Artaxerxes, but we don't know how much time elapsed between the recorded prayer and the conversation. I am inclined to believe that it was a relatively short time. Nehemiah had been fasting and praying for many days before he spoke the prayer. It is possible that the "many days" took up most of those four months. In any case, Nehemiah was preparing himself to be used by God to fulfill what he was asking God to do. When the opportunity came, Nehemiah recognized it and acted. He moved forward expecting God to grant the success that he had so earnestly prayed for.

The Bible is filled with stories of men and women who prayed and lived like this. Sometimes God gives clear direction about what people are to do in order to receive the answer to prayer. For example, when the kings of Israel and Judah were conducting a military campaign against Moab, their armies were nearly lost for a lack of water. When they consulted Elisha about the problem, the Lord told them to "make this valley full of trenches" (2 Kings 3:16, NASB). After they had done so, God sent water, without wind or rain, to fill the trenches.

There are other times when God does not give specific directions. He simply encourages the one praying to rely on his character and promise and expects that person to live as if the prayer is already answered. This was the case with the disciples in Jerusalem after the ascension of Jesus. Acts 4:23-30 tells us of the believers' prayer after Peter and John had been threatened by the Jewish high council. Like Nehemiah, they remembered God's character and promise and then asked God to grant them boldness even in the face of persecution. Verse 31 says that after they prayed, they were "filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness." They asked God and then acted on the request that they had made.

How does your life measure up with these examples? Are you praying for God to do something in your life? Does that request carry with it the authority of God's promise and character? If so, are you living like your prayer has been answered, even if you can't see it yet? Perhaps God is waiting for you to dig a trench. Or perhaps he is waiting for you to take a step in the direction of your prayers. That step may be what God uses to part the river between your prayer and its answer (cf., Joshua 3:15-16).

A Four Month Affair - Meditations on Nehemiah 2

2011-05-09T20:14:00.001-05:00

Allow me to draw your attention once more to Nehemiah’s prayer life. We read in chapter one that Nehemiah fasted and prayed for many days (Neh. 1:4). Now, in chapter 2, we find out just how long he prayed. He had received the report of Jerusalem in the month of Chislev, the ninth month of the Jewish calendar year. The events of this chapter take place in Nisan, the first month. So, if we are to understand the implications of the text clearly, this means that Nehemiah prayed day and night (Neh. 1:6) for four months. We should learn something from his example.

We live in what has been called a “microwave culture.” I suppose that the metaphor can be changed to a “wi-fi” or “4G” culture – anything that connotes hurriedness. We are not accustomed to having to wait for anything. Nor are we accustomed to beg for the things that we want. We ask and expect to receive immediately. Anything worth having is worth having now.

Prayer is no exception. We are not a people characterized by the kind of habitual, long-term prayer displayed by Nehemiah. We are strangers to the kind of labor that prayer often demands. Our prayers are typically short-lived – not to mention their short durations. If God does not answer us quickly, then the answer, according to our reasoning, must be “no.” So we stop praying.

When we look to the Bible, we find that Nehemiah’s commitment to prayer is not an anomaly. Instead, his is an example of the kind of prayer found repeatedly in the Bible. Jesus is very clear about this. He stressed the importance of persistent prayer: keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking (Luke 11:5-9). He encouraged his followers with examples of earnest, committed prayer in order to demonstrate that they “ought always to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1-8). Paul urged the same thing upon his readers (Rom. 12:12; Eph. 6:18; Col. 4:2; 1 Thess. 5:17).

George Mueller is a modern example of the kind of protracted prayer that Nehemiah practiced. Mueller lived in Bristol, England during the 19^th century. During his lifetime, he opened 5 large orphanages and cared for more than ten thousand orphans. Although he was known this and other works, he was best known as a man of prayer.

Mueller never asked any person for anything. Instead, he prayed about everything, and expected God to answer. There were times when he would continue for weeks, months, or even years, in prayer for a single request. But he did not give up or lose heart if there was a promise from God concerning the thing for which he was praying. Here is his own testimony, which I quote at length:

“All the children of God, when once satisfied that anything which they bring before God in prayer, is according to His will, ought to continue in believing, expecting, persevering prayer until the blessing is granted. Thus am I myself now waiting upon God for certain blessings, for which I have daily besought Him for ten years and six months without one day’s intermission. Still the full answer is not yet given concerning the conversion of certain individuals, though in the meantime I have received many thousands of answers to prayer. I have also prayed daily without intermission for the conversion of other individuals about ten years, for others six or seven years, for others from three or two years; and still the answer is not yet granted concerning those persons, while in the meantime many thousands of my prayers have been answered…One can only expect to obtain answers to prayers which are according to the mind of God; and even then, patience and faith may be exercised for many years, even as mine are exercised, in the matter to which I have referred; and yet am I daily continuing in prayer, and expecting the answer, and so surely expecting the answer, that I have often thanked God that He will surely give it, though now for nineteen years faith and patience have thus been exercised.”

Both Nehemiah and George Mueller are our examples in the life of prayer. Prayer is a great and serious matter that deals with issues of eternal significance. Surely, if God has been kind enough to allow us a part in it, we should be willing to invest ourselves, our time and our energy, in this great work. Sometimes the answer does not come quickly, but if there is a promise of God that we may lay hold of in our prayers, we can be sure that the answer will come eventually. Let us not lose heart; what God has spoken with his mouth, he will perform with his hand (1 Kings 8:24).

Encouragement from the Past - Meditations on Nehemiah 1

2011-05-06T15:22:00.003-05:00

"They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand." (Nehemiah 1:10, ESV)

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When Nehemiah looked toward the future, he found great comfort in the character and promise of God. God had given a specific promise that applied to this very situation, and his character guaranteed his promise. Here in verse 10 we find a third component that bolstered Nehemiah's faith and hope. He had the record of God's actions in the past. God had delivered his people from slavery in Egypt, he had led them to victory over all the nations of Canaan. He had preserved them from their enemies for centuries. By weighing God's promises against what God had already done, Nehemiah was able to see that his present situation was not beyond God's "great power" and "strong hand".

The past is filled with stories of God's power and faithfulness, both in the Bible and throughout history. All of these stories are to serve a purpose for us: to lead us to hope. Paul says in Romans 15:4, "For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." By reading the Bible and Christian history and biography, we see how God has worked in the lives of other people. We see how these people claimed God's promises and experienced God's delivery. We see them struggle and suffer and fail. We notice that they are not so different from us. If God worked like that for them, if his promises were realized in their lives, then certainly God can be trusted in our lives - this is the point of Hebrews 11.

Some people may object. Does God still enable 90-year-old women to get pregnant (Genesis 17:17), make young men fireproof (Daniel 3:25), and cause big fish to swallow men whole (Jonah 1:17)? Not usually, but make no mistake, God has not changed (Psalm 102:27; Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8). His specific actions may be different, but his power to accomplish his promise, and his character which governs his action, is the same today as it was in the days of Abraham, Daniel, and Jonah.

God has given us the threefold cord of his promise, his character, and the record of history. If a person you did not know came up to you and promised you great riches, you would not be inclined to believe. If, however, that person identified himself as Ed McMahon, your reaction would be quite different. Why? Because you know that when Ed McMahon has shown up at other people's houses and made a similar promise, the person received what was promised. God's track record is better than Ed McMahon's. Look to the past, find out for yourself how he has proven himself faithful for others. And then ask yourself, "Isn't God worthy of my confidence?"

Claim God's Promises - Meditations on Nehemiah 1

2011-05-05T14:56:00.002-05:00

"Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’" (Nehemiah 1:8-9, ESV)

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Oswald Chambers once wrote: “Prayer to Him is not a means of getting things from God. Prayer, that is, is not to be used as the petted privilege of a spoiled child seeking for ideal conditions in which to indulge his spiritual propensities” (If Ye Shall Ask…, 11). And, yet, how often do we come to prayer with this very attitude? We generally pray with an agenda; we tell God everything that we want to see happen. We treat God like a cosmic vending machine – if we pay the price (express the right emotions and urgency) and push the right buttons (use the right words), then God may hear us. But this kind of praying is not genuine prayer.

We have noted that Nehemiah remembered God’s character and he confessed his and Judah’s sins. Now we see that he claimed God’s promise. This is not an incidental detail. Knowing and claiming God’s promises is one of the fundamental aspects of prayer. Moses, David, Jeremiah, and Paul each modeled this practice in their prayers. Notice three things about Nehemiah’s prayer:

First, Nehemiah claimed God’s promise concerning exile and restoration (Deuteronomy 4:25-31; 30:1-5; cf. Leviticus 26:14-46). Because God had made a specific promise that pertained to Nehemiah’s exact position, Nehemiah did not have to wonder what God’s will was. He knew. The good news for us is that God has made many such promises. The Bible is filled with them. They apply to every circumstance in life, sometimes specifically, sometimes in general principle. If we come to prayer armed with these promises, we won’t have to wonder how we ought to pray. This should motivate us to read our Bibles – soak it up, hide it in our hearts, meditate on it day and night. Then, no matter what may happen, we can say with confidence, “There’s a promise for that!”

Second, Nehemiah prayed with boldness. There is a tendency to be timid in prayer. We think that maybe God won’t hear us or that our concerns are not important enough for him to be concerned. On the other hand, there are those who say that God will grant whatever we ask for if we just have enough faith. This kind of prayer is presumption. Claiming the promises of God keeps us from both extremes. We may be bold because we are simply asking God to do what he has said he would do, and we avoid presumption because we aren’t asking God to do anything that he has not already committed himself to do.

Finally, notice that claiming God’s promises is closely related to remembering God’s character. Nehemiah was able to claim God’s promises with boldness because he understood God’s sovereignty, faithfulness, and steadfast love. God’s sovereignty is such that he cannot be prevented from doing what he has promised. No obstacle is too great for him to overcome (Genesis 18:14; Job 42:2; Jeremiah 32:17, 27; Luke 1:37; Romans 4:20-21). God’s faithfulness is unwavering. It is impossible for him to lie, or even to be mistaken. Nor will he change his mind (Hebrews 6:18; Titus 1:2; Numbers 23:19). God’s love is unbounded. He has made these promises to us because he loves us, not because he had to. It is his delight to bless us, so we will not be met with refusal when we ask him to do what he has promised (Jeremiah 32:41; Ephesians 3:18-21; Hebrews 11:6).

How to Confess Your Sin - Meditations on Nehemiah 1

2011-05-04T17:32:00.002-05:00

"Let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses." (Nehemiah 1:6-7, ESV)

If we are to pray well, we must be real about the circumstances of our lives. This means that sin needs to be confronted, owned, and confessed. Nehemiah did not simply plead with God based on a belief that God hears prayer. He did not lay trust in his own earnestness to gain results. He looked at the situation and was honest about what had caused it. This is hard for us to do. We don’t like airing our dirty laundry. But this we must do if our prayers are to be heard and our past healed.

There are four things in Nehemiah’s prayer that we should keep in mind when confessing sin:

1. Nehemiah took his time. He fasted and prayed before the Lord for many days (Nehemiah 1:4). He prayed day and night (1:6). Nehemiah did not allow himself to fall into the trap of easy confession. He allowed himself to feel the guilt and grief that sin had caused. We must be careful of being too quick with our confessions. A simple utterance of words does not bring forgiveness where the weight of sin is not felt and grieved. This does not mean that we should be depressed all the time. The morning of joy and freedom must follow the night of grief, but the ones who most appreciate the morning are those who have endured the long hours of night. The next three items help us to do what Nehemiah did here.

2. Nehemiah confessed the sins of the people of Israel. Although these sins are not enumerated here, the implication is that Nehemiah named specific sins. Again, the human temptation is to generalize and minimize. Nobody likes to give exact details of what they did when they sinned. It’s easier and safer (or so we assume) to confess anger than it is to confess the specific words spoken in a fit of rage and why that outburst was wrong.

3. Nehemiah admitted his own personal guilt: “Even I and my father’s house have sinned.” Since Adam, the tendency has been to shift the blame. It would have been easy for Nehemiah to excuse himself, to leave the guilt at the feet of his ancestors. They were the ones who had rebelled against the Lord and forsaken the covenant. It was their sin that brought exile and led to the destruction of Jerusalem. But Nehemiah put himself in the camp of those responsible. He recognized that he had failed to live perfectly, just has they had failed. He was willing to let the responsibility lay on his shoulders. We, too, must be willing to take personal responsibility for sin. Even if we have reason to point the finger at others, in prayer this practice is unwarranted. We cannot do anything about another person’s conscience. We can only be real about ourselves.

4. Nehemiah acknowledged that it was God against whom the sin had been committed: “we have sinned against you.” These words remind us of David’s confession. David had seduced another man’s wife, got her pregnant, and then had her husband murdered to cover up his sin. In his confession, he cried to the Lord: “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight” (Psalm 51:4). David was not denying the evil that he had committed against Uriah and Bathsheba. He was acknowledging that, ultimately, every sin is a sin against God. This is what Nehemiah confesses as well. The sins of Israel, and his own sins, though perpetrated against many individuals and even against themselves, were ultimately perpetrated against God. When we confess sin, we too must see our sin in an ultimate sense. We have offended God, we have violated his commandments, we are guilty before him.

God has given us great encouragement to be this real about our sin. Although we are all guilty, God has provided a guaranteed way of forgiveness in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:23-24). Jesus, although himself innocent, died on a cross in order to take on himself the penalty that our sin deserves (Galatians 3:13). Those who trust in him are made righteous, declared innocent of all guilt (Romans 4:24-25). To them, the unconquerable promise is made: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

God's Character, the Foundation of Prayer – Meditations on Nehemiah 1

2011-05-03T17:19:00.002-05:00

And I said, "O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments" (Nehemiah 1:5).

Nehemiah knew what to do about his depression and about the situation in Jerusalem. He says that for many days he continued to fast and pray before the God of heaven (Nehemiah 1:4). Nehemiah's prayer is a model for us as we look to overcome the shame of our past. But more than that, it is a model for how we should pray in general.

The first thing that Nehemiah did was to remember God's character. By character, I mean the qualities of God's person that define who he is. For example, we have heard it said that God is love. We also know that God is just. This means that everything that God does is both loving and right. To do otherwise would compromise God and prove him to be something other than he is. It is impossible for him ever to act in a way that is contrary to his character.

The qualities of God's character that Nehemiah points out are his sovereignty, faithfulness, and love. Nehemiah addressed God as "Lord God of heaven" (v. 5). This expression does not mean that God lives in heaven. This is not "the man upstairs" theology. It is a phrase that emphasizes that God's rule is not limited to any place on earth. In Nehemiah's time, each nation believed in their own god or gods - Babylon had her own gods, Egypt had her own gods, Assyria had her own gods. Nehemiah's address to God meant that he recognized God as the sovereign ruler of everything. Even those who did not recognize him were under his dominion. Nehemiah was praying, "God, I know that you are in control and rule over every part of this earth. You are in control of what is happening in Jerusalem and you are in control over Artaxerxes. I am bringing my case before you because you are sovereign. You are the only one who can remove this shame and restore Jerusalem.

Nehemiah then mentions God's faithfulness and love in an expression that is reminiscent of the words God spoke to Moses (Exodus 34:6-7; Deuteronomy 7:9). He says first that God keeps covenant. A covenant was a sacred agreement between two parties, in this case between God and Israel. In this covenant, God promised to bless Israel if she was faithful to him. The idea that God keeps covenant means that God is faithful to do what he promised to do. Nehemiah is here saying, "God, I know that everything you have promised will come to pass. You are faithful to your word, and able to accomplish your word, so when you speak I know that it will be done."

Finally, Nehemiah says that God keeps steadfast love. The word for steadfast love is one word in Hebrew - chesed- and is sometimes translated lovingkindess. This word was used to signify God's unfailing, loyal affection for those with whom he is in covenant. It is his settled disposition. In other words, God's chesed means that he is committed to Israel's wellbeing, blessing, and happiness. And since he is both sovereign (able to accomplish his promise) and faithful, Israel should be a very happy people, indeed. Nehemiah, then, is praying, "Lord, I know that you are committed to this people's happiness. You are not simply bound to bless us because you promised, but you love us and long to bless us."

When it comes to our own prayer life, we need to be immersed in an understanding of who God is. Our prayers should be saturated with an awareness of the one with whom we speak. God has not changed. He is still sovereign over every circumstance of your life. He is still faithful to do what he has spoken; he would cease to be God before his promises fail. He is still abounds in chesed, steadfast love for you; he is committed to your good.

There is one place that we may look to see all of these attributes at work and on display - the cross of Jesus Christ. In the cross, God demonstrated his sovereignty. Jesus was betrayed, tried, condemned, and executed according to the plan of God (Acts 2:23; 4:28). The most horrific act in history, the murder of the Son of God, was sovereignly directed by God to accomplish the greatest good for man and the greatest glory for God. In the cross, God demonstrated his faithfulness. God had promised to send a Savior. He had said that this Savior would suffer and bear the sins of his people (Isaiah 53). This promise, as well as many others, was fulfilled in Christ. And in the cross of Christ, God demonstrated his unfailing love. Paul writes, "For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:7-8). May God's sovereignty, faithfulness, and love drive you, and me, to prayer this week.

Overcoming Shame - Meditations on Nehemiah 1

2011-05-02T20:04:00.011-05:00

"And they said to me, "The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire."" (Nehemiah 1:3, ESV)
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The Jews had begun restoring the walls of Jerusalem some years earlier under the direction of Ezra (Ezra 4:12). After certain people wrote a letter complaining to Artaxerxes, they were forced to stop building. Although they were later permitted to continue the work, they only finished the temple. The report that Nehemiah received from his brother indicated that the walls were still in a state of disrepair and the gates of the city had been burned. This news depressed Nehemiah, but why? The answer is to be found in the word shame.

In the Bible, to be put to shame means that a person' hopes or expectations fail. For example, Psalm 119:116 says, "Uphold me according to your promise, that I may live, and let me not be put to shame in my hope!" David hoped in God's promise; he expected God to be faithful to do what he had said. For David to be put to shame would have meant that God's promise failed and David's expectation was disappointed.

The Jews of pre-exilic Judah had not hoped in God's promises. They had forsaken God and had been unfaithful to the covenant. As a result, God declared that he would send the Babylonians to judge his people (Habakkuk 1:5-11). The city would be laid in ruins and the walls torn down. The people of Judah would become the object of scorn and ridicule to the surrounding nations (Jeremiah 24:9; Ezekiel 5:14-15; 22:4-5). God would prove to them, and to everyone else, that the things in which they put their trust, the things that they believed would deliver them from foreign armies and keep them secure, were powerless. God would put them to shame. This prophecy was fulfilled by Nebuchadnezzar in 587 B.C.

The reason Nehemiah was depressed at the news, therefore, was that he considered the current condition of the walls of Jerusalem to be a reason for continued shame. But while the initial shame of the Jews was due to their unfaithfulness, the shame experienced by the Jews of Nehemiah's day was quite different. Now, the shame had to do with their trust in God. Whereas the former shame came from God's stripping away all false hopes, the present shame came from opponents who ridiculed them for believing that their God would help them.

Psalm 79 tells us about the situation. Asaph questioned God, "Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?'" (Psalm 79:10). He recognized that their taunts were not ultimately directed against the people, but against God: "Return sevenfold into the lap of our neighbors the taunts with which they have taunted you, O Lord!" (79:12). The shame to which Jerusalem was being subjected was the assertion that God would not hear, that God was powerless.

We all know that past sins often have consequences that affect both the present and the future. Like the Jews of Nehemiah's day, you may be suffering from the lingering consequences of past sins, or perhaps from the sins of others. Like the broken down walls of Jerusalem, the circumstances in your life serve to remind you of your shame and guilt. Perhaps there are even others around you who believe it their personal responsibility to remind you of your past failure.Perhaps you are beginning to wonder whether God would accept someone like you.

Nehemiah and Asaph both responded to their shame in the same way. They sought comfort, not in their circumstances, but in the covenant faithfulness of God. If we are to overcome our own shame, we must follow their examples. Look to God's character and promises; he has promised to receive those who come to him in Christ and he will do so. Confess your sin and guilt; he has promised to forgive those who confess. Plead with God for mercy - he has promised that everyone who calls on his name will be saved. Place your confidence in God's loving care and in your relationship with him; he is your Father and is committed to exalting you in Christ.