It's roughly 1,000 years after Moses and 400 years before the birth of Christ. Jerusalem is in a desolate state. The Jewish nations were destroyed, and the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem and deported almost everyone from the city and region. For some 70 years, Jerusalem was like a ghost town.
While in Babylon, the Jews built houses and settled into the surrounding area. Many were still God-followers but had no desire to return to the land promised by God to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Interesting how culture can change our hearts without us even realizing it.
Despite being in Babylon's worldly kingdom, there were faithful God-seekers like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And, remember, Esther was made queen in the courts of a Persian king. This is a testament to how God works, even in a land that doesn't follow God. His providential hand is upon all things, and we can rest assured that He is working even when we don't see it.
After 70 years in captivity, the Jews were given the opportunity to return to the Promised Land. Out of some two or three million Jews, roughly 50,000 (2%) decided to return to their God-given land. Wow. Let that soak in for a moment.
Small yet mighty, those 50,000 returned during the days of Ezra, and they rebuilt the temple and laid a foundation for Israel once again.
As David Guzik explains, the Book of Nehemiah begins 15 years after the Book of Ezra ends — nearly 100 years after the first captives came back to the Promised Land and some 150 years after the city of Jerusalem was destroyed. After this long time, the walls of the city of Jerusalem were still in rubble. Before this, the citizens of Jerusalem had tried to rebuild the walls but had failed.
In Ezra 4:6-23, we read that roughly 75 years prior, the Israelites tried to rebuild the walls, but their enemies stopped them. No one thought they could overcome this obstacle, so the walls lay in ruin, and the people were "exposed" without a wall of protection around the city.
Enter Nehemiah. Fourteen years after Ezra returned to Jerusalem, God raised up Nehemiah and called him to the task of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem (the temple was the focus in Ezra). We're going to talk about walls quite a bit over the coming weeks, so roll up thy sleeves and pick out your favorite Valspar paint color. Okay, well, it's not a sheetrock wall; it's stone. But, picking out paint color is fun [for some people].
Throughout this study, we'll continually hear God's still small voice about one critical verb to know and do as a Christ-follower: persevere.
To persevere means to "continue in the course of action, even in the face of difficulty or with little or no prospect of success." Make a note of those last several words: "with little or no prospect of success."
We're not necessarily going to discuss the kind of walls to tear down in your life (those exist too – the barriers that separate us from God). Rather, we'll focus on building walls to keep what's good in and what's bad out.
If you're concerned about the walls which should be removed in your life (because you've fallen captive, as all of us have experienced), then I'd recommend the Keys to Freedom study by Mercy Multiplied. Across eight weeks, with five daily readings each week, this study will take you on an interactive journey with God to explore:
Committing and connecting to Christ
Renewing your mind
Healing life's hurts
Choosing to forgive
Breaking generational patterns
Choosing freedom over oppression
Maintaining lifelong freedom
Let's take a few moments and ask God to prepare our hearts for this study of perseverance in Nehemiah and allow His Holy Spirit to speak to us. [Pausing for you to pray.]
Ask God to speak to you during this study and prompt you to see His Word freshly. Ask the Holy Spirit to instruct your heart as you seek God's Truth. [Again, I'll wait, go ahead and pray.]
It can be easy to see a new e-mail message with the blog post and think, "Okay, I need to read that." Then it can turn into a "to do" instead of a "renew."
Are you so foolish, having begun in the Spirit, to finish in the flesh? Galatians 3:3
One of the great struggles for humanity is to finish.
I'm brilliant at not finishing. I was thinking yesterday of the many things I've begun in life yet never followed through. When I was in high school, I started a local church bus route in my area. It lasted for a few months, and then I made up some "busy" excuse, and someone else took it over (thankfully).
In college, I wasn't into math, so I just didn't put forth the effort and consequently failed college algebra. [I did eventually get my act together and got an A the second time around.]
Over the past several years, God has gripped my heart repeatedly about finishing what He has asked me to start. No matter how difficult the task, no matter how inconvenient the timing, no matter how I feel or what I'm experiencing emotionally – whatever God has laid on my heart to do, I must persevere.
Have I mentioned perseverance isn't a strong suit of mine? Fortunately, our strength doesn't reside within our being but in the power of the Holy Spirit! When God asks us to obey, He provides the necessary strength to perform (and complete) the task.
When everything seems to be upside down, and I'm trying to remain balanced and grounded, and I feel like the world just vomited their problems on me, He whispers, "My grace is sufficient."
When I'm trying to be perfect instead of just being real, He reminds me, "My grace is sufficient."
His grace is sufficient, friends. When we operate within the boundaries of His perfect will and indeed seek His kingdom (Matthew 6:33) and stop constructing our own selfish empire, His grace floods all we do.
It is an incredible comfort to have God fighting alongside you and knowing that the trials you confront are for His glory. When God calls us to teach, write, share, be a wife, a mama, a leader, we cannot allow discouragement to win!
We must finish even when we become disheartened, feel alone, and have setbacks. We must press on and press forward. God ensured Philippians 3:14 was in His Word because He knew we'd need this Truth to help us press on toward the goal.
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14
He knew it would be easy for us to begin strong and then fizzle out at the end. However, over and over again, God shows us that He's the finisher and perfecter. What God started through Ezra, he finished through Nehemiah. And, He will finish it in you.
Let's choose to finish this race well and with the power and enablement of His Holy Spirit. Amen.