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Bible Study from Book of Nehemiah Study Number 2 SURVEYING THE DAMAGE By Phyllis Corbin The Scriptures Speak Nehemiah 2:10 - 16 When
Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this,
they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare
of the Israelites. I went to
Jerusalem and after staying there three days I set out during the night
with a few men. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to
do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding
on. Which night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the
Jackal well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had
been broken down, and its gates had destroyed. by fire. Then I moved on
toward the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was not enough
room for my mount to get through. So I went up the valley by night,
examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the
Valley Gate. The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was
doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or
nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work. One of the most difficult jobs after
the Tornado hit the Red Deer; camping site in Canada was assessing the
damage that was done. Government officials and insurance adjusters waded
through the rubble, which once was people’s prized possessions. The
devastation was enough to stagger the imagination. Lives had been lost and
many injured as well as total destruction of homes. Other parts of North
America have had similar devasatation – from storms, earthquakes, and
even bombings. But you have to go back to the 19th century to
find devastation from war in North America. However, I am sure that the
devastation facing Nehemiah was more staggering for that time than what we
have seen here for so many years. This was the situation that Nehemiah had
returned to in Jerusalem. Setting the Scene The major hurdle for Nehemiah had been
passed. He was in Jerusalem, but now he stood among the rubble with those
who had accompanied him and his heart must have sunk a little. He took
three days after the journey to rest and then it was time to get a plan, a
strategy. Already there is a hint of trouble on
the horizon. Rebuilding from the ground up was not the only consideration.
The news of Nehemiah’s venture and the king’s favor had reached the
land before Nehemiah. Two officials of the region were not pleased that
someone was coming to promote the welfare of the Jews. Sanballat whose name means ‘ Sin has
given life” and Tobiah whose name means “God is good” were
disturbed. Sanballat the Horonite was the governor of Samaria. Here is one
clue why the Jews hated the Samaritans A temple had been set up on Mount
Gerazim, the books of Moses had been tampered with and a prostituted form
of worship established in Samaria. The animosity between Jew and Samaritan
is less a mystery when we understand these ancient differences. Tobiah was
governor of Ammon of the Transjordan. Their concerns were not religious.
however, but political. Nehemiah was a man to be reckoned with since He
came with the authority and assistance of the King. He would be the
governor of Judah There will be more heard form those two later. Nehemiah had been tight-lipped about
the reason for his trip to Jerusalem. He had not told anyone what God had
put in his heart to do in the city. He exercised great care taking only a
few men with him and going at night to inspect the city. He could not make
a complete circuit of the walls, but only of the southern area. The city
was always more vulnerable from the north so it is like this is where the
Babylonian’s attacked. He went out through the Valley Gate to
the Jackal Well and then to the Dung Gate and examined the broken walls
and the blackened places where the gates used to be. He moved on to the
Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but the going was too difficult for
his horse/donkey. Then after examining the wall in the night Nehemiah came
back on foot. Nobody knew where Nehemiah had gone or what he had in mind.
Inventory Time Nehemiah’s action makes a good point.
Before we arise to rebuild the walls and gates of our lives there has to
be an understanding of where we are. Surveying the landscape is a
necessity at times like that. It is too easy to take the state of affairs
for granted. Every year a business has to have a
year end and take inventory. It is the way of determining where the
business has performed well and where it may need some work. It is a time
to compare the expenditures and the revenues. What can be sad is a place
where a business has never gotten any attention and one-day the bank comes
and puts a lock on the doors. Parents have to continually examine the
landscape and look for signs of deterioration. Is the home as healthy as
it used to be? Are relationships coming apart? Are the walls and gates
down? Nehemiah surveyed the southern end of Jerusalem 130 years after
Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed the city. The physical structure could be
rebuilt. But a family is different. A life is quite another story. Let’s have the courage to walk around
the relationships of our life. Let’s look for cracks that are dangerous.
The largest rock can be broken if water can get into a crack. Frost and
pressure do the rest. Sometimes the damage is like Jerusalem; the walls
may be down and the gates burned It may mean total reconstruction. Motivated
to Build The next day Nehemiah spoke to the
leadership first: the priests, the nobles and the officials. It seems that
they had become reconciled to the condition Jerusalem was in. They needed
to be shaken out of complacency. That is why Nehemiah was such a brave
man. He was willing to take the night excursion around Jerusalem, survey
the damage and face the facts We need to be as willing to be honest about
where we are in our family, our marriage and our
relationships. Nehamiah stood with resolve before
these leaders - Nehemiah 2:17-18 Then I said to them, “You see the
trouble we are in; Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned
with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no
longer be in disgrace.” I also told them about the gracious had of my
God upon me and what the king had said to me. They replied, “Let us
start rebuilding.” So they began this good work. Nehamiah honestly outlined the
situation. He admitted the city was in ruin., but he did not dwell on the
condition of Jerusalem. He exhorted them to rebuild and he appealed to
their sense of national pride. He aroused their spirit by challenging them
to turn Jerusalem from being a disgrace to being the city of David again. Nehemiah built his argument on fact as
well. He told them all about events that led up to his arrival in
Jerusalem. He led them through his distress over Jerusalem, the king’s
interest and the king’s response to his sadness. He told them about the
military escort and the timber form the king’s forest to rebuild the
gated. It was a story that begins with devotion and humility and
culminated with provision and authority. They began to catch Nehemiah’s
vision. Nehemiah was a mover and shaker. There is another small piece of
evidence tucked away in Nehemiah’s own words. When he came back from his
night visit he said, “The officials did not know where I had gone or
what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the
priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the
work.” God has apparently spoken to Nehemiah as he surveyed his task. He
came back from his trip convinced the work could be done and with some
ideas on “the work.” He was inspired with great confidence in God and
he was able to make his enthusiasm infectious. When we really get down to
business on the walls, it will catch fire. The leaders replied, ‘let’s get at
it … so they began this good work.'
Answering
the Critics When you begin to rebuild, don’t
expect everyone to stand up and cheer. When you put walls around your
family expect some people to say, “ It’ll never work…” Others will
scoff and prophesy dom. Some will even interfere. When you build walls it
will point to the lack of walls elsewhere. Be ready for the conflict and
the interference. The decision to rebuild did not set
well with Sanballat and Tobiah. And by this time they have added a new
crony to the Three Blind Mice; Geshem the Arab was now in their camp. The
unveiled their first weapon - RIDICULE. Nehemiah
2:19-20 But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah
the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked ad
ridiculed us. ‘What is this you are doing?” they asked, “Are you
rebelling against the king?” I answered them by saying, ‘The God of
heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as
for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to
it.”
They mockingly suggested that Nehemiah
and his people had rebelled against the king. They did not want a new kid
on the block. especially the children of Israel. Again the nation was
arising form the dust heaps of the centuries and it worried the Samaritan,
the Ammonites and the Arabs. Nehemiah was not fazed. He knew who he
was. He knew God and by faith he could already see a wall being built. He
pointed to this faith in God and expressed confidence that as servants of
God they would see the work done successfully. Then he tells the three
critics, “You have no share in Jerusalem and claim to the city.” put
it in plain English; ‘Boys, mind your own business.” When you become convinced that God
wants you to rebuild the walls around you, when He has spoken to you and
your survey tells you there’s a need to rebuild, be ready to answer the
critics. I see glimpses of Jesus in the wilderness as Nehemiah answered
his critics. Both had heard from God to Nehemiah, the gracious hand of God
upon him and this venture had convinced him that God was on his side.
Jesus said, ‘It is written…” Don’t let anyone dissuade you from
rebuilding. Take a look, be encouraged that God is with you and pick up a
brick. and start the building. Bible
Study Questions 1.
Who
were the three critics who opposed Nehemiah in rebuilding the wall? 2.
What
was the animosity between the Jews and the Samaritans caused by? 3.
Name
three gates in mentioned in this lesson. 4.What
did Nehemiah do before he started to build the walls? 5.What must we do if we see our walls
damaged and broken down? 6. How did Nehemiah answer the critics?
Bible Study No. Three will be Workmen
on the Walls. Please read Nehemiah chapter three in preparation. Answers
to Question from Bible Study
No
Two 1.
Sanballat,
Tobiah, and Geshem. 2. The animosity between the Jews and
the Samaritans was caused by the fact that the form of worship held by the
Samaritan that involved a prostituted form of worship. Also a temple had
been set up on Mount Gerazim, and the books of Moses had been tampered
with. 3.The Valley Gate, the Dung Gate, and
the Fountain Gate. 4.
Nehemiah
took inventory before he began to build the walls. 5.We must also take inventory of our
lives if we see the walls around our families or our own lives broken down
or damaged. We must seek God’s help in rebuilding these broken down
walls. 6. Nehemiah said to his critics, ‘The
God of heaven will give us success, We his servants will start rebuilding,
but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic
right to it.”
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