Nehemiah 6:2 – How did he know it was a trap? Did he have inside info or was it just a hunch or intuition?
Nehemiah 6:5-9 – Nehemiah shows a cool, level head in the face of lies and provocations. I’m not sure that I would have been able to keep my cool and stay focused on the job at hand. My nature is to try to smooth over every disagreement and eliminate all confrontation. Nehemiah’s example of ignoring their threats and calls to dialog and staying focused on his plan is needed.
Nehemiah 6:13 – His enemies simply wanted him to be afraid and in his fear be distracted from the work, to run and hide and then, not only would the work be hindered but he would be discredited. Fear for our lives can , or our image more likely for us today, can quickly put a halt on anythign God has planned for us to do for His sake. I wonder how much good has not been done because of fear? How is fear stopping me today? Father, strengthen my hands and my resolve.
Nehemiah 6:14 – Rather than pursuing his own revenge, he simply asked God to remember what these enemies of his had done, and left it at that.
Nehemiah 6:15 – Because of Nehemiah’s determination and perseverance, they completed the rebuilding of the wall in less than 2 months.

Nehemiah 5:1-5 – I suspect that they were simply conducting business as usual. Those who didn’t have borrowed from those who did, interest was charged, etc. Not necessarily evil or cheating, but normal business. But they forgot that God had commanded that Israel be different. In Leviticus 25 God laid out rules for lending to each other including not charging interest, not enslaving each other and the year of Jubilee where debts are forgiven and servants freed. God called them to be a family and treat each other with uncommon love.
Nehemiah 5:6-11 – Nehemiah calls tehm on their sin, challenging them to fear God and do what’s right.
Nehemiah 5:12-13 – And they responded in repentance. I had a great talk with my girls last night about how to respond when challenged on their own sin. The human response is to defend immediately, to list out why it was OK, or in the very least what led you into sin. The goal is to excuse your behavior, minimize the offense and avoid the hard work of character change. This is not what the nobles did here. They listened quietly, took responsibility and committed to change. What I told my girls that I do is firs, immediately, even as the other is speaking, pray silently for humility and a willingness to see the truth. Then I listen considerately. Then I need to own my sin, not minimize it or excuse it, but own it. Sometimes there is discussion needed to clarify what’s happening, and of course sometimes I don’t see it as they do and we need to work it out. Tha’s why the first part, the prayer and desire for humility is so important. With humility I can deal with either a false accusation or a legitimate rebuke.
Nehemiah 5:14-19 – His concern was for the people and the honor of God. He even refused what was rightlyhis from the governor in order that God would be honored int hat time and place.

Nehemiah 4:1 – With a name like Sanballat you know he was going to be a curmudgeon.
Nehemiah 4:2-3 – I have this classic image in my here of two guys having a ‘private’ conversation loud enough that everyone around them hears, which is obviously their intent. “HEY TOBIAH, DID YOU HEAR WHAT THE ISRAELITES ARE DOING? …”
Nehemiah 4:5 – But Nehemiah reponds in prayer, askiong for God to notice and pointing out they have provoked Him to anger by insulting His people.
Nehemiah 4:6 – And then he moves on, “And so we built the wall …”
Nehemiah 4:8-9 – They’re back, but this time they are prepared to fight to stop the work. More prayer – and a guard is posted.
Nehemiah 4:14 – He refuses to be dissuaded. He prays and he acts to continue the work adn he reminds the people to “remember the Lord, who is great and awesome” – and then tells tehm to fight. Good advice, I need to remember this when things are tough. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome – and then fight. It’s the remembering that embowers us to fight against enemies that are stronger than us. For when we remember, we are reminded that God is fighting with us, for us and he will make us able to stand.
Nehemiah 4:15-23 – Though God had frustrated the attack, they continued to work, but were prepared, always at the ready for another attack.

This is one of those chapters that I’m tempted to breeze through. Lists of people. Yesterday, however, our minister shared that it is one of his favorites. Why? Look at the list of people, most of them not builders by trade, but they each pitched in.
Nehemiah 3:1 – The high priest – building.
Nehemiah 3:2 – men of Jericho (Jericho?) – building.
Nehemiah 3:5 – The nobles – NOT building. I wonder why? Did they think it foolish or was the labor beneath them? Nehemiah doesn’t dwell on it, rather concentrates on those who were building.
Nehemiah 3:7 – Gibonites and Meronothites – building.
Nehemiah 3:8 – Goldsmiths & perfumers – building.
Nehemiah 3:9 – District rulers – building.
Nehemiah 3:10 – Building and repairing what was near their homes.
Nehemiah 3:12 – More rulers, and daughters (Go daughters!) – building.
Nehemiah 3:13 – Inhabitants of Zanoah – building.
Nehemiah 3:14 – More rulers – building.
Nehemiah 3:15 – More rulers – building.
Nehemiah 3:16 – More rulers – building. Guess those nobles above were the exception, not the rule.
Nehemiah 3:17 – Levites – building.
Nehemiah 3:19 – More rulers – building.
Nehemiah 3:22 – Priests – building.
Nehemiah 3:23-24 – Building and repairing what was near their homes.
Nehemiah 3:26 – Temple servants – building.
Nehemiah 3:27 – Tekoites – building.
Nehemiah 3:28 – Priests – building and repairing what was near their homes.
Nehemiah 3:29-30 – Building and repairing what was near their homes.
Nehemiah 3:32 – Goldsmiths and merchants – building.
What a picture of everyone chipping in where they could. Common and noble built, each doing a part, some small some large. Some traveling to ehlp, some building right where they were.
Isn’t that what God’s church should be? But the question is, am I building? I think I easily fall back and rely on what has already been built. I know that I’m most content when I am building.
How about you, what are you building?

Nehemiah 2:3 – Considering that Nehemiah was in exile from his homeland, it stands to reason that this king may have been responsible for bringing him there. (Was he?) Even if he wasn’t he was responsible for keeping him there, so to express to the king his deep sadness at the state of his homeland I imagine could have been considered a slap in the face.
Nehemiah 2:4-8 – Not only was he bold enough to speak up to the king, he’s emboldened to ask to be allowed to go back and for letters from the king for safe passage and for timber to do the work.A bit like saying “King, while you’ve kept me here, my city is in ruins! So let me go back, provide me assurance of safe passage and materials to fix what you (or your predecessors) destroyed. OK?”
No wonder he stopped and prayed in the middle.
What’s more amazing than his request (or not, if you know God) is that the king grants it.
Nehemiah 2:9 – And he got a military escort!
Nehemiah 2:17-18 – “So they strengthened their hands to do the work.” he says. After his planning, his request from the king, it’s amazing approval, his journey there, his scouting the city and his telling the story, then “they strengthened their hands to do the work.” It seems that Nehemiah’s courage and boldness gave room for courage of their own. How long had they been there, looking at broken walls, but doing nothing about it. For whatever reason, paralyzed by fear or faithlessness maybe, they didn’t act. They just lived with it. By acting in faith and forging the way, Nehemiah made room for them to act on faith as well. The obstacles appeared too great but Nehemiah came and cleared them away.
Sometimes people just need to have the path cleared a bit before they can move ahead on their own.
Nehemiah 2:19-20 – They accused him of rebellion against the king, when they knew (verse 9-10) that the king had given his approval to what Nehemiah was doing. But Nehemiah’s response wasn’t to remind them of the king’s approval, but to affirm God’s approval for the work.