OLD TESTAMENT: Nehemiah 1-3
POETRY: Psalm 147
NEW TESTAMENT: John 19:1-16
The Berlin Wall.
The Wailing Wall.
The Troy Wall (famous for the Trojan horse fiasco in Homer’s mythological “The Odyssey”)
The Wall of Jericho.
The Great Wall of China.
Seattle’s Gum Wall.
These famous walls from history were built primarily to keep enemies out of the territory and protect the residents – with the exception of the touristy Gum Wall, of course. If you live in the USA or are in tune with any of our news, you have probably heard about our Wall, too. The Wall in recent American history refers to a literal wall that was planned to line the entirety of the USA’s southern border with Mexico, and it has been the topic of many a political rant from both political parties.
Those of us who are far removed from the concept of once-prevalent city walls and who are not residing near country borders probably don’t comprehend the significance of a wall. Historically, though, city walls were gravely important to the safety of the residents, as they provided a barrier for defense against enemies. The state of the wall often reflected the state of the people who lived within it. In Nehemiah, we read about The Wall of Jerusalem being in shambles, and God’s people were quite broken as well.
Nehemiah was the cupbearer to the King of Persia, a very important position; the king quite literally trusted Nehemiah with his life! After Nehemiah received word that the walls of Jerusalem were in major disrepair, he committed himself to prayer; still, the sadness was evident on his face as he went to work. Though Nehemiah was fearful that being sad in the presence of the king could cost his head, King Artaxerxes took pity on Nehemiah and allowed him to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall. Not only did the king send Nehemiah with his blessing, but he provided Nehemiah with many provisions for the journey.
(Interestingly, the text mentions the queen being with the king when he noticed Nehemiah’s unusually melancholy demeanor. Many scholars believe that this queen is none other than Queen Esther! The book of Esther occurred before the book of Nehemiah; the stories are not in chronological order in our Bible. While God definitely used Esther to save his people in the biblical book bearing her name, she was probably also instrumental in allowing Nehemiah to rebuild the wall.)
I can’t help but think of how comfortable Nehemiah likely had been in his position. He worked in the palace, which allowed for a lifestyle much more posh than the vast majority of the people in the territory of Persia and definitely more comfortable than his relatives in the rubble of Jerusalem. And yet, he was willing to give up everything in order to meet a deep need for God’s people. I just can’t help but wonder if I – if we – would be inclined to do the same? We have an abundance of possessions and time-saving resources: I’ll be the first to admit that I love how my house heats itself on chilly winter days, Walmart grocery pickup is my favorite modern convenience, and Amazon next-day delivery has saved the day on many occasions. Lights, indoor plumbing, DoorDash – we have so much more even than Nehemiah had. Would I be willing to forgo it for a long period of time so I could instead take on a very difficult and dangerous task?
And yet Nehemiah ventured into the unknown to lead the charge to repair the wall, knowing that he was forgoing so much comfort, yet unable to settle his soul until he completed the assignment to which God had called him. Nehemiah chose to leave everything so he could rebuild the wall, embracing the burden that God had placed on his heart for his people. He accepted the sins of his people and asked God’s forgiveness on behalf of everyone. Nehemiah stayed focused and kept in touch with God despite adversaries trying to distract him and spoil his plans.
Nehemiah focused on the bigger picture – helping his people for years to come. Similarly, we too must have an eternal perspective. One day, there will be a New Jerusalem which will have a wall with 12 gates that will never be shut. Praise God for the hope of the Kingdom!
Interesting connections from Nehemiah to the other readings:
Psalm 147:2, 13 – “The LORD builds up Jerusalem… He has strengthened the bars of your gates.”
In the John passage, the leaders have turned Jesus over to be crucified, which would lead to the fulfillment of Jesus’ words from John 2:19 in which he called himself the temple. (The temple was in Jerusalem).
-Rachel Cain
Reflections:
*What burdens has God placed on your heart that might require you to figuratively or literally leave your comfort zone?
*Are there any “walls” (boundaries) you need to put into place to protect your family or yourself?
*Pray this prayer (attributed to Sir Francis Drake) to ask God to help to venture out of your comfort zone and be ready to do the work he has called you to do.
Seek Grow Love 