When you use a curriculum in your church Bible study that comes from a publisher, there is always the thought that the theme of the lessons might not be as specific to the needs of your class members as you would like, and if you've taught the Bible this way for a while, you will occasionally experience this. Seeing that the first five lessons this quarter were from Nehemiah left me wondering how this would relate to us. But the theme of the book fits our situation quite well.
Nehemiah felt a calling and a longing from the Lord to go to a place where he had never been before. Though he was a Jew, he was one who had been born and raised in the Persian capital of Susa, almost a hundred years after the exiles who had been taken into captivity in Babylon had been allowed to return to Jerusalem. He also had a very comfortable and important job, as cupbearer to the King. Yet God placed on his heart a calling and a desire to accomplish a needed work in Jerusalem, a place he had never been, but where his ancestors had dwelled. Nehemiah's concern for the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls, and for the safety and security of the people there was so great, that the King noticed his sadness, and inquired about it, and then became an instrument in God's plan for the rebuilding, commissioning Nehemiah to go, and giving him resources to help.
So what do we learn from Nehemiah?
First, when we desire to do something that God has led us to do, we will encounter opposition. There were those who lived in the land around Jerusalem whose best interests did not include seeing the city walls rebuilt. They made several attempts to discourage the workers and stop the project. Nehemiah kept his eyes focused on God, and kept praying for God's help, and his faithfulness was rewarded. It was his enemies who became discouraged and desperate. As a church body, when we seek to rebuild the body, repair damage and attempt to become viable, there will be outside opposition from the enemy, whose best interests do not include having a church in a community that serves God and seeks to help people find the life-changing gospel.
Second, while there is opposition from outside, we must also be aware that opposition can come from the inside as well. There were those among the Jews in Jerusalem during Nehemiah's time whose personal interests and influence were threatened by the progress that was being made and over time, these began to conflict with the general interest of the community. The use of the church as a place for personal influence or to build a personal kingdom of influence is always a hindrance to the greater good of the Biblical community, and is a demonstration of selfishness and sin. Sometimes, the enemy's best helpers are church members. But the focus must always come back to what God wants his church to do together, and he is the one to depend on to set things straight.
Ultimately, Nehemiah completed the job of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, according to the scripture in 52 days. He was able to do so because, in spite of all the opposition, he kept his focus on God and depended completely on him for strength and leadership. God had called him to do this work, and he remained obedient to his calling, in spite of all of the attempts his enemies made to stop him. There is a definite principle in this lesson that we can apply.
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