Your Place at the Line
“… I sat down and wept… I mourned and fasted and prayed...” (1:4)
“…this can be nothing but sadness of heart.’” (2:2a)
“I was very much afraid…” (2:2b)
Who wrote these words? So much emotion…weeping, mourning, sadness, and fear. These words were penned over 400 years before Christ was born by a man who never married, had no children, and spent his life serving a king and a city.
The man was Nehemiah.
“The wall is broken down…the gates have been burned with fire.” (1:3b)
“I was cupbearer to the king.” (Nehemiah 1:11b)
The book of Nehemiah is a quick read with a remarkable telling. Please pause and read it for yourselves, it’s a story of Biblical proportions, yet with with no flood, no ark, no burning bush, and no angel visitations. Instead it chronicles the response of a man who was heartbroken that the city of God was vulnerable with no boundary wall of protection.
The walls of Jerusalem have been built and destroyed time and time again. Around 586 BC they were destroyed by the Babylonians. Those taken captive became slaves in Babylon. Nehemiah became a slave at a young age; he worked in the palace of the king. Through the years, he proved himself capable and trustworthy. In time he became cupbearer to the king. This afforded Nehemiah high pay, authority among the palace staff, and close proximity to the king. But when Nehemiah’s brother along with other men from Jerusalem visited him, he was told of the terrible conditions in the old city. He had not known until their visit that the walls remained piles of rubble and the gates had been burned. When the sad state of the city was shared, Nehemiah reacted with great sorrow and strong emotion.
He prayed and fasted for weeks. He asked the king for permission, favor, and provisions to rebuild the walls.
He used his observations while serving the king to be aware of the trickery and deceit some men are capable of, for indeed many had tried to outsmart Artaxerxes and Nehemiah had learned much while in service to the king. The king granted Nehemiah all he requested; it’s our first glimpse in seeing God’s favor on this remarkable man.
When Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem, he was secretive as he journeyed around the broken down walls, sharing with no one the purpose for his visit. The walls were so dilapidated the donkey he rode could not make his way through the rubble. Then in the light of day, he began putting careful plans in place. The wall was to be rebuilt by the leaders of the city with Nehemiah guiding the work and providing what was needed. Very few of the workers were stonemasons or skilled builders, most, in fact, were priests, day-laborers, farmers, ordinary people. The work should have taken years to accomplish; the scope of it seemed an impossibility.
Almost immediately, when news traveled of plans to rebuild the walls and replace the burned gates — opposition came. Nearby wealthy, influential, dishonest, deceitful men came to distract, discourage, and even threaten Nehemiah and the workers. We know their names: Sanballat, Tobias, and Geshem. What was Nehemiah’s response to their insults and abuse? He prayed.
“Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders.”
Nehemiah 4:4-5
He prayed with a fervor… the workers built.
“The people worked with all their hearts…” (4:6b)
Oh but the threats and the oppressive challenges began to wear on them.
“… the people of Judah said, ‘The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the walls’. Also our enemies said, ‘Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.’”
Nehemiah 4:10-11
So Nehemiah set guards who carried swords, spears, and bows, as did the builders. In places half the workers built while half guarded.
The enemies of the work were furious that the secured walls were in place. The walls around Jerusalem had been rebuilt in 52 days!!
The work was almost complete, but not fully — the gates and doorways still needed to be built and put in place.
So they, the enemies, sent word to Nehemiah, “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.” (V 6:2)
What should have taken months, even years, was accomplished in less than 2 months. They needed to stop the work… and fast! With wisdom, Nehemiah writes, “But they were scheming to harm me; so I sent messengers to them with this reply ‘I am doing a great work and cannot come down…’” (V. 6:3)
Four times they sent their message and each time Nehemiah sent the same response. Threats and intimidations were sent, Nehemiah held his focus.
The heavy gates were replaced, the strong doors hung, the city was secure, the work was completed.
The obedience of one man, led many to obey alongside him. God guiding it all. The enemy was defeated.
Do you see the correlation between the wall around Jerusalem and the line?
Nehemiah Chapter 3 gives us exact instructions on who built which section of the wall. I’m tempted to type it out line-by-line, but please grab your Bible and read through the list of names. They worked side by side and miraculously one man’s section joined perfectly to the next man’s. If you visit Jerusalem today, the walls you see are not the walls built in Nehemiah’s day. There is one small portion of “Nehemiah’s walls” found on the southern side in the City of David. (I’ve attached a link that gives details of the many transformations Jerusalem’s magnificent walls have endured: destruction, expansion, and rebuilding.)
I’m stunned over the focus of Nehemiah’s obedience, and perseverance and how it directly correlates with “the most important line”; it’s proof that the Word of God is living still today. It’s not just words of long ago… it’s the true telling of a man whose longing for God inspires us too long for Him today. It’s a God-sized miraculous work accomplished by a man, beside others with like-minded hearts — and it speaks to us. It’s only that we must open our hearts to hear. As you read through Nehemiah Chapter 3, you’ll see their names —those who worked shoulder to shoulder with Nehemiah. Eliashib worked beside Zakkur who worked beside the sons of Hassenaah who worked beside Meremoth. The list goes on and on. Men of high standing worked beside commoners. Wealthy beside indentured servants. They all worked with one focus under one leadership. The women were not absent either, they worked too. Food was delivered to the wall so work would not be hindered.
Can you begin to see how the rebuilding of the wall in Nehemiah’s day directly correlates with the most important line today?
Did each worker have differing opinions on how this or that should be accomplished? Do you suppose some thought they could do it better than Nehemiah? Is it possible they murmured among themselves?
We can be certain they did. However, they did not allow their opinions or attitudes to hinder the common goal they held under Nehemiah’s leadership. Any “influencers” among them were quickly exposed. There was one leader who had been brave enough to step forward and shoulder the tremendous task. He would be followed. Naysayers would be dismissed.
Who is our leader?
What wall is He working to build? Can we see it more as a line than a wall today?
In my heart I see the cross firmly planted on that line and it faces the dark side, we are tucked securely behind it. ANY who can see that cross and choose to kneel there will find the blood of Jesus fresh, alive, healing, and able to wash them. It is that very blood that is the key that gives them access to cross the line and enter the heaven-bound side.
Jesus holds the line.
God commands angel armies at the line, and some of those angels are masters at special-force-operations that penetrate into the darkness and rescue souls. The Holy Spirit guides us, you and me, to carefully work at our section of the line.
My section joins to Steve’s section, joins to our family’s section, joins to our church family’s section, joins to our neighbors section, joins to…your section. And just as the men under Nehemiah’s leadership needed to build their sections to SEAMLESSLY connect to the next man’s section — so it should be with us today.
My focus should be on maintaining my small section of THE LINE with fervent prayer, faithful obedience and a perseverance that honors my GOD. I should not be trying to tell others how to maintain and hold their portion of the line. The Holy Spirit guides each of us. If I’m busy-bodying over someone else’s portion of the line…then who is attending to mine?
In Nehemiah’s day, if Eliashib had been busy telling Meremoth what he should be doing, what he should be thinking…then for sure, Eliashib’s section of the wall would have been weak and insufficient. Nehemiah would have intervened. Eliashib would be sent back to attend to his own section of the wall.
Does the Holy Spirit do the same with us today?
Indeed He does.
We each have a space on this most important line, where the cross was placed and the saving-blood remains — we each must both protect and persevere at our section of the line. The enemy is ever and always trying to call us “down” to “talk”. (The first time he did it was in the garden with Eve.) He looks for weak sections on the line between eternal life and eternal death…he never stops trying to penetrate, discourage, overwhelm, destroy.
Are we at the line, focused, attentive, brave, with a sword in one hand (which is God’s word, Ephesians 6:17b), and the tools of Heaven in the other?
Or are we at the concession stand of life, or lingering in the bleachers, or more comfortable on the sidelines, or criticizing another section of the wall while our own is dilapidated and giving way to enemy invasion?
We each have a section to attend to. Our sections should join seamlessly with other sections. We must stay focused and spur one another on in the good work of maintaining our portion of the line — and be ready to move that good line forward when our Leader gives the command.
Oh dear one…we’ve no time for the opinions of others or the influence of lesser leaders…we have work to do that drips of love from Heaven.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Ephesians 6:10-18 | NIV
