When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it—though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates— Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.” But they were scheming to harm me; so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer. Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter…
Nehemiah 6

What are common tactics that the enemy uses to hinder the work of God?

In this story, the Jews have been living in Israel without walls around the city of Jerusalem. Because they rebelled against God during the reign of the kings, the Lord judged them and sent them to exile in Babylon. After 70 years in exile, small remnants started to return to the land of Israel. In chapter 1, the Lord stirred Nehemiah, a man serving under the king of Persia, to come back to Jerusalem and inspire the remnant to rebuild the wall of the capital city and to help restore the worship of Israel.

In chapter 6, Nehemiah had completed the walls but had not added the gates. Because of the progress and the certainty of completion, the attacks of the enemy increased.

From the beginning of this restoration project, Nehemiah and the Israelites had enemies trying to stop the work. Sanballat and other Samaritans had been trying to discourage Israel. In chapter 2, they became angry and incensed that somebody had come to “promote the welfare of the Israelites” (2:10). In chapter 4, when Israel began to build, they mocked them saying that even if a fox went on the wall it would fall (4:10). However, when they saw that the building of the wall was progressing, they decided to secretly form an army and come against Israel (Neh 4:8). When Nehemiah heard about this, he warned Israel and set up guards to fight in case of invasion. The building continued as they worked with a brick in one hand and a weapon in the other (Neh 4:17), and now all that remained was adding the gates (6:1).

Because of this, the enemies of Israel make one last major assault, specifically targeting Nehemiah. If they can stop Nehemiah, they can discourage the people and finally stop this work. This is important for us to see and consider.

The contents of this chapter, I believe, apply specifically to the spiritual warfare of a believer and especially to leaders. In Ephesians 6, we are called to prepare for this warfare. Paul said, “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13).

Some commentators have said we always live in “the evil day,” the time between Christ’s first and second coming in which we are always under the attack of Satan. However, Paul is clearly referring to times when the enemy increases assaults for the purpose of discouraging God’s people and hindering his work. He said “when the day of evil comes.” We mentioned this briefly in chapter 4.

I think we get a picture of the evil day when Satan attacks Job. He loses his family, his wealth, and his health, all in a very short time period. There is an all-out attack on Job that he must stand against. Similarly, here in chapter 6, we see many different types of attacks that the enemy brings against Nehemiah. Nehemiah is going through an “evil day,” an evil season of assault on his life and ministry.

We also are called to do the work of the Lord. You may be a student, a teacher, a businessman, or a mom, but you should not be mistaken, you are doing the Lord’s work. Nehemiah’s building of the wall wasn’t preaching the gospel, but it was something that everybody eventually realized was “accomplished by God” (Neh 6:16). It was a work of the Lord. In the same way, when we are doing the will of the Lord, wherever he has called us, we are working for him and, therefore, will incur the attacks of the enemy in various forms.

How do we prepare for the attacks, and how do we defeat these attacks?

Yes, we must put on the armor of God, which is primarily a righteous life. But along with that, we must be aware of the enemy’s tactics. Satan wants to immobilize us and keep us from progressing in our spiritual lives, and therefore, he will come with many different attacks. He wants to keep us from building and completing the work that God has called us to. Because our enemy is both wise and relentless, we must be aware of his tricks and schemes. Second Corinthians 2:11 says this: “in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.”

One of the reasons many Christians become immobilized and ineffective in their callings is because they are unaware of the enemy’s tactics. We will see many of these tactics as we study this text. This will be especially important for those in leadership roles just as Nehemiah was. If Satan had one bullet, he would take out the leader because it would affect more people.

Big Question: What were the attacks on Nehemiah in chapter 6? How does our enemy similarly attack our lives, those in leadership, and God’s work through his people?

The Enemy’s Tactic of Deception

When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it—though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates—Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.” But they were scheming to harm me; so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?”
Nehemiah 6:1-3

In verse 2, Tobiah contacted Nehemiah to ask him to meet at a neutral site. The implication is that the enemies of Judah were seeking peace and wanted a meeting in order to accomplish this.

Nehemiah, the governor of Israel, realized it was probably politically wise for him to make peace. In fact, as we see at the end of the chapter, many Jewish nobles were putting pressure on him to make peace (v. 16-19). It would not be a good political move to ignore the pleas of the enemy to have a meeting.

However, the text says that Nehemiah discerned that they were trying to hurt him (v. 2), and Nehemiah, in response, said that he was doing a great project and could not go down (v. 3).

How did Nehemiah protect himself against the attacks of the enemy?

First, he did it by discerning the lies of the enemy. This is important for believers as well. Consider what Jesus said about Satan:

You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
John 8:44

Jesus spoke this to the Pharisees who were also trying to set him up so they could kill him. He told them that they were of their father the devil, who was a liar and the father of lies.

This is important for us to understand because Satan is always trying to deceive us as well. He lies to many Christians about their identity. He lies about their future. He lies about how they should think and what they should wear.

Many Christians struggle with great insecurities and fears because they have been listening to the lies of the devil. He makes them insecure about their body, their wealth, the car they drive, and the job they have. He says they must have this and that to be successful and accepted.

We have a whole society built on lies. We have lies about what is beautiful, lies about what it means to be successful, lies about God, lies about creation, etc. Scripture says the evil one is the prince of this world (John 14:30).

Why does he lie?

He lies because he ultimately wants to harm us and keep us from walking in the calling that God has for us. These lies sometimes come from people who love us, sometimes it may come from our family, sometimes it comes from our churches or friends. Certainly, it comes from the media that we entertain ourselves with.

This is important for us to understand as leaders, not only because the enemy will attack us with lies, but also, because we will be constantly ministering to people who have been lied to. They have accepted the lies of the enemy and are stuck in a spiritual trap (cf. 2 Tim 2:26). We will have to identify the lie and impart the truth of God’s Word to minister to them. Like Nehemiah, we must be able to identify the lies of the devil.

Application Question: How can we develop discernment like Nehemiah so we won’t be deceived by the enemy and also so we can better minister to others?

1. Discernment comes from knowing the Word of God.

Listen to what Hebrews says:

Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
Hebrews 5:13-14

The writer of Hebrews is describing the church as spiritual infants because they lived on “milk” and not the solid food of the Word. He said that the believers had not matured because they did not constantly “use” Scripture and therefore struggled with distinguishing between good and evil, just like an infant.

In the context of Hebrews, they were being tempted to go back to the Jewish law, and he writes to show them that the New Covenant is so much better. Christ is better than Moses; Christ is better than angels; Christ is better than the High Priest. They couldn’t discern this because of their lack of spiritual maturity and therefore were being drawn back into the Old Covenant.

With that said, numerous Christians are like this because they don’t constantly use the Word of God. They use it on Sundays when somebody preaches it and maybe they read it on occasion, but they don’t know how to apply it because they don’t constantly use it. Therefore, they lack discernment and are prone to be deceived by Satan’s lies.

They have no discernment in their dating relationships. They have no discernment about how to respond when mistreated. They can’t discern what’s best for their future or their career because they haven’t developed a mature understanding of the Word of God. This opens the door for many deceptions from the enemy.

In the context of spiritual warfare, Paul calls for believers to put on the belt of truth, which is probably referring to the truths of Scripture. Ephesians 6:14 says, “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist.”

In ancient armor, it was the belt that held all the other pieces together. Therefore, in knowing the Word of God—God’s truth—one will be protected from many of the enemy’s attacks. This is true primarily because one wouldn’t be fooled by many of the enemy’s lies.

Are you keeping on the belt of truth? By constant use of it, you will be able to discern the lies of the devil.

What else will help us gain discernment?

2. Discernment comes from understanding human nature.

Consider what was said about Christ in John 2:23-25:

Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.

This text says many people believed in Christ but that he did not entrust himself to them because he knew all men. In verse 25, the apostle John is telling us why Christ did not entrust himself to them. The reason was not based on his “omniscience” but his “doctrine of man.” He said it was because Christ knew what was in a man.

Jesus understood that even though the crowds were following him, the heart of man is deceitfully wicked. He knew people were following him for food and for healing but not really for who he was. He knew that men were prone to run after a person who did something sensational, though they were not truly committed. Christ didn’t entrust himself to these crowds because he understood the nature of man.

This is something that we need to understand as well to develop discernment. We need to understand the nature of man, the fickleness of man. Certainly, we learn this from looking at our own hearts and how we are tossed to and fro in our passions and our dreams. The person who seeks to understand himself will have a great understanding of man. But, it is also developed through studying the nature of man in Scripture. Men are like sheep that are constantly prone to go astray (cf. Isaiah 53:6). Man is prone to rebel against God and the things of God (cf. Rom 8:7).

This may seem cynical, but it is true. Christ didn’t commit to the crowds because he knew the nature of man. We are prone to go astray. I have no doubt that Nehemiah’s understanding of the Scriptural teachings about mankind, as well as his personal experience, gave him great discernment as he contemplated Tobiah and Sanballat’s request. I think he understood the nature of man, like Jesus did, and as we should as well.

If we better understood the nature of man, it would keep us from disappointment when friends, family, or church members fail us. This understanding would also help us put our hope all the more in God.

While in seminary, I asked my professor how he kept from discouragement when people in his congregation fell away from God or when friends he served with in ministry stumbled into sin. I asked how he stayed strong. At that time, the church where I was youth pastoring was going through a split, and I was very discouraged. He responded with this, “I have a strong theology of sin.” Essentially, he said, “I understand man’s sin nature, and I also understand Satan and temptation. This helps me minister to people and not become discouraged.” He understood man.

If we are going to have discernment like Nehemiah, we need to start to develop a doctrine of man as well.

3. Discernment comes from prayer.

This is what Paul prayed, for the church of Philippi:

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ.
Philippians 1:9-10

He prays for their love to abound in knowledge and depth of insight, so that they could discern what was best. The word “discern” is used of a metallurgist testing a metal to see if it was real. God wants us to have wisdom to test and see what is genuine and what is best. This comes through prayer.

Many Christians have an unwise, undiscerning love, which gets them in all kinds of trouble. They love lots of things which actually keep them from what is best. Paul is teaching that we need discernment with our love. “Following our heart” can actually get us in a lot of trouble. We often see people on TV say, “Just follow your heart.” I want to say, “No! Don’t follow your heart.” Get wisdom for your heart, and one of the ways we do this is by praying for wisdom (cf. James 1:5, Phil 1:9-10).

Many Christians commonly fall to the lies of the devil because they lack discernment.

Are you a discerning Christian? Are you seeking to grow in discernment? We need it because we have an enemy who, from the beginning, has used the weapon of deception. We need it to protect ourselves and also to help minister to those who are trapped in some deception of the enemy.

Application Question: What are some common lies that trip up Christians in their spiritual life and keep them from progressing in the work God has called them to? What lies does Satan commonly use to trip you up?

The Enemy’s Tactic of Persistence

so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.
Nehemiah 6:3-4

Next, Tobiah sent four requests to meet with Nehemiah and each time Nehemiah turned him down. The enemy in this narrative demonstrated tremendous persistence. It seems like he was trying to wear Nehemiah down so that he would eventually give in.

Interpretation Question: Can you think of other times the enemy used persistence in Scripture?

We see this all the time in the attacks of the enemy.

1. The enemy used persistence in the story of Samson and Delilah.

Do you remember? It said that she constantly harassed him, seeking the secret of his strength, and he eventually gave in. Look at the text below:

Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when you won’t confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven’t told me the secret of your great strength.” With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was tired to death. So he told her everything. “No razor has ever been used on my head,” he said, “because I have been a Nazirite set apart to God since birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man.”
Judges 16:15-17

She nagged and nagged and nagged until he relented and gave her the secret to his power. Satan is persistent in his attacks.

2. The enemy used persistence in the story of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife.

Genesis 39:5 says that “day after day” she kept asking him to lie with her. The enemy was persistent in seeking to draw Joseph into adultery.

3. The enemy used persistence in the story of Christ being tempted by Satan in the wilderness.

In Matthew 4, when Satan tempted Jesus, he came to him three times with three different temptations until he eventually left Jesus alone.

4. The enemy used persistence in Peter’s temptation to deny Christ.

Several people approached Peter and said, “Weren’t you following Christ?” and with each question there was a temptation to deny Christ. In response, Peter denied him three times.

We have all experienced this, whether it was with lust, depression, anxiety, foul language, or some conflict. Satan is persistent and the purpose of being persistent in warfare is to wear down the other side into compromise and eventually giving up.

This persistence is also used to create deeper strongholds of sin. The more we compromise with the world, the more we give into a particular sin, the greater and deeper its roots become and the harder it becomes to break it and follow Christ.

Satan uses persistence. We see this as Tobiah sends a letter four times to Nehemiah. The hope is that Nehemiah would be worn down, which would open the door to harm him.

How does Nehemiah reply to the four attacks?

He gave them the same answer each time. I am busy with a great work; I cannot come down. He made a stand and would not compromise. In the same way, when the enemy attacks us, God’s desire for us is to stand and not give in.

Application Question: What can we learn from Nehemiah’s reply about how to stand against persistent temptation?

We can stand against Satan’s persistence by realizing the magnitude of the work God has given us. If you don’t realize the magnitude of God’s work and plan for your life, it will be easy to compromise.

Paul taught Timothy something with similar ramifications. Listen to what he said: “Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer” (2 Timothy 2:3-4).

Paul told Timothy that he should consider himself a soldier for Christ. In understanding this, he should keep himself from becoming entangled with the things of this world. Practically, when our soldiers go to battle, they are fighting not just to protect themselves, but to protect what is behind them. A soldier fights for something greater than himself. He fights because the cause is more important than his life, his family, his country, and his home. And, ultimately, the attacker is not really after the soldier, he is trying to destroy or gain what the soldier protects.

Similarly, Satan’s attacks on us aren’t so much about us. The attacks are primarily about the kingdom of God and the things God is concerned about. It was the same with Nehemiah. Tobiah and Sanballat were not really after Nehemiah. They were after Nehemiah’s work.

That’s why Satan’s attacks are so persistent. He attacks all day long through the TV, the Internet, music, through teachings in the classroom, family, friends, etc., and by these attacks many lose their God-given convictions and give up ground to the enemy. They give up ground on what a biblical marriage is, between a man and woman. They give up ground on the inerrancy and sufficiency of Scripture. Satan constantly says, “Did God really say?” “Is this really true?” He persistently attacks the inerrancy of Scripture, just as he has done from the beginning of time with Adam and Eve.

Like Nehemiah, we must know that what we are fighting for is too big to compromise. It’s too great of a work. Compromise in sin will not only affect us, but it affects friends, family, our church, and even the lost. You must realize how important your battle is and what you are fighting for. If you don’t, you will be prone to compromise. Scripture says, “Where there is no revelation [no vision], people cast off restraint” (Prov 29:18).

When a person doesn’t realize God’s purpose for his life, he will constantly accept the lies of the devil or give up when attacked. This is because he doesn’t realize how important his battle is.

Nehemiah said, “I am carrying on a great project. I cannot come down.” If we are going to stand against the tactics of the devil, we must not only have discernment but we must realize how important our battle is.

Application Question: What are some of the ways you have experienced the enemy’s persistence? How can we better understand how great our work is so we will not be prone to compromise or be deceived?

The Enemy’s Tactic of Slander and Gossip

Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter in which was written: “It is reported among the nations—and Geshem says it is true—that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem: ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us confer together.” I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.” They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.” But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.”
Nehemiah 6:5-9

We see that the enemy also attacked Nehemiah through slander. Initially, he sent four personal messages to Nehemiah, but on the last one, he sent an open letter. Typically, when sending a letter to a government official, it would be a closed letter so that no one else could see the contents. However, Sanballat sought to pressure Nehemiah to respond to this meeting by slandering his name. Therefore, this open letter would not only have been read before Nehemiah but, probably, all along the way till it reached Nehemiah.

Sanballat lied about Nehemiah by saying he was trying to become king (v. 6-7). If this had gotten back to Artaxerxes, it could have potentially meant Nehemiah’s life, as Persian kings were known for quickly getting rid of any resistance.

Similarly with believers, when Satan is trying to stop the work of God, slander and gossip are common tactics. The very name “devil” means “slanderer” or “accuser.” That is what he does, he slanders God; he slanders people. He speaks slander to anyone who will listen. He will even slander us to our own ears—offering an array of condemnation. Consider the heavenly description of Satan in Revelation 12:10:

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.

Interpretation Question: In what ways do we see Satan’s slander throughout Scripture?

1. Satan slandered Job before God.

In the book of Job, he told God that Job only followed him because God blessed him. He said, “Touch his family, his riches, his body and you’ll see that he doesn’t love you.” He slandered Job before God.

2. Satan slandered God before Eve.

In the Garden of Eden, Satan said, “you will not die but you will become like God.” Satan slandered God before Eve, implying that God was keeping the best from her and Adam.

3. Satan slandered Jesus through the Pharisees.

Christ was slandered and accused by the Pharisees. They trumped up many false witnesses against him to lie about him.

The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward.
Matthew 26:59-60

Satan commonly uses slander. He brings discord and problems to individual Christians and the church by bringing false accusations. That is the devil’s character; he is a slanderer.

Application Question: Why does the enemy use slander?

1. Slander is meant to discourage the Christian.

Listen to what Nehemiah said: “They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, ‘Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed’” (Nehemiah 6:9).

A discouraged, depressed Christian isn’t very productive in serving the kingdom of God. Often they become so focused on their problems that it weakens their hands in serving the Lord. Therefore, Satan works relentlessly to weaken and discourage the Christian, especially through slander.

2. Slander is meant to change the focus of the Christian.

Many times in seeking to defend our own reputation, we will find ourselves drawn away from focusing on God and the work of God. Satan slanders in order to distract the Christian.

3. Slander is meant to bring division.

Solomon said, “a whisperer separates friends” (Prov 16:28). The enemy will divide the church through slander, as he sends his whisperers around the church.

Observation Question: How does Nehemiah respond to the slander? How should we respond to gossip and slander?

1. Confront slander by telling the truth.

Nehemiah 6:8 says, “I sent him this reply: ‘Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.’”

Nehemiah resisted the devil with the truth. He simply told them it was not true. Many times we cannot do much more than that.

2. Confront slander by trusting in God.

We see this by the fact that Nehemiah prays and puts the situation in God’s hands. Nehemiah 6:9 says, “They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, ‘Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.’ But I prayed, ‘Now strengthen my hands.’”

It should be said that at times, in entrusting things to God, it might be best to just remain silent and not defend ourselves. Because rumors are false, many times the truth will become evident. There were times when Christ was accused falsely, but instead of defending himself, he chose to remain silent and entrusted the situation to God. Consider Matthew 26:61-63:

This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’” Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” But Jesus remained silent.

Certainly, we should confront lies with truth, but sometimes, in trusting God, we should allow him to be our defense (cf. Rom 12:19).

3. Confront slander by living a life that is above reproach.

The lies about Nehemiah seemed to have had very little traction. This was because Nehemiah was a man who was above reproach in the way he lived. As governor of Israel, he brought reform to the previous administration’s corruptness; he never even used his food allotment but instead paid out of his own pocket to meet his needs and others’ (cf. Neh 5:14-18). He had a reputation for being upright.

It becomes hard for anyone to lie about you if you consistently live a life that is above reproach. We see nothing in this text about the Jews or the king of Persia responding to this gossip, and we can have no doubt that it was because of Nehemiah’s chaste and holy behavior.

Listen to what Peter commanded of the Christians being persecuted in the Roman Empire: “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us” (1 Peter 2:12). Let this be true of us as well.

Application Question: Why does the enemy use slander in the lives of believers? Have you experienced slander or gossip? How did you handle the situation?

The Enemy’s Tactic of Infiltration through False Teaching

One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home. He said, “Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you—by night they are coming to kill you.” But I said, “Should a man like me run away? Or should one like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!” I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me. Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who have been trying to intimidate me.
Nehemiah 6:10-14

The next tactic of the enemy was to intimidate Nehemiah through false teaching. In this scenario, Tobiah and Sanballat hired a prophet named Shemaiah to deceive Nehemiah. His intent was to get Nehemiah to protect himself from the enemy by hiding in the temple (v. 10).

It seems that Shemaiah was trying to give the illusion of a “prophet utterance.” When we see the prophet “shut in at his home,” he probably was acting out the prophecy. This was common for prophets in the Old Testament. For example, we see Isaiah prophesy naked against Egypt and Cush to demonstrate how Assyria would conquer them, take them captive, and lead them naked in order to shame them (Isaiah 20). We also see that Hosea was called to marry a prostitute to represent how Israel was adulterous in her relationship with God (Hosea 1).

Shemaiah said, “let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you, by night they are coming to kill you” (v. 10). This utterance seemed to be written in the form of a poetic couplet in order to trick Nehemiah into sin.¹ However, Nehemiah realized that this prophet had been sent by Sanballat to make him commit sin and to give him a bad name.

This is important because one of the common tactics Satan uses to try to lure people away from God and their callings is through false teaching and false prophets. Listen to what Christ said:

Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Matthew 7:15-16

Jesus said to beware of false prophets. They are deceptive; they come to us in sheep’s clothing. However, they are really wolves trying to destroy. We will be able to recognize them by their fruits.

The enemy has led many astray through his false teachers. In fact, Paul said this:

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15

Paul said that these people are in the church masquerading as servants of righteousness. This is still happening today, and we must be aware of it. Consider what Paul taught Timothy about the last days:

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.
1 Timothy 4:1-2

Paul said that false teachers and false teachings will be common in the last days. Essentially a new cult of Christianity pops up every day, and many people from the church are often led into them. If this will continue to increase in these last days, how much do Christians need discernment more than previous generations?

Interpretation Question: How did Nehemiah know this was a false prophecy? How can we know?

1. He tested it by Scripture.

Nehemiah knew this was a false prophesy because he knew it would be sin for him to enter into the temple and close the doors. The fact that the prophet talked about closing the door indicates that the prophet was calling him to enter the Holy Place, which was only for priests (Num 18:7).² For him to enter would have been sin and possibly led to his death.

He, no doubt, tested this prophecy by knowing Scripture. God would never tell him to enter a forbidden area of the temple. A king in the Old Testament actually entered the Holy place to offer a sacrifice and God struck him with leprosy (cf. 2 Chr 26:19).

The best protection from false teachers and false doctrine is through diligent study of the Word of God. Listen to the story of the Bereans:

Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
Acts 17:11

We need Christians who are diligent in the study of the Bible and test everything that comes out of the teacher’s mouth. God is calling all of us to be “noble” Christians.

2. He knew his identity.

Nehemiah said, “Should a man like me hide?” Nehemiah knew his identity as governor, but more than that, as a servant of God and the people of Israel. In serving God and man, he could not sin against them.

In the New Testament, this reality is also true of us. Part of the reason many of us fall to the deceptions of Satan is because we really don’t know who we are in Christ. When people don’t know their identity, then they will run around trying to find it in everything.

You will find your identity in wealth, education, relationships, or even sin, if you don’t know who you are in Christ.

For example, Christ taught his disciples about their identity as children of God in order that they would not struggle with fear and worry about future provisions. Listen to what he says:

So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:31-33

Jesus essentially said, “The world runs after what they will eat, drink or wear, but you have a Father who takes care of you. Stop living for food, drink and clothing. The world does that, but you don’t have to because your Father will provide.” Knowing your identity will help free us from the lies of the enemy.

One of the ways we will be kept from the myriads of false teachings that will continue to increase as we get closer to the end times is by knowing the Word of God. Nehemiah knew it would be sin to enter the holy place in the temple. It was only for priests. But Nehemiah also knew his identity as a leader of Israel and servant of God. Knowing who we are will protect us from much of Satan’s tactics.

Application Question: In what ways has knowing your identity in Christ helped set you free from various sins and temptations?

The Enemy’s Tactic of Psychological Warfare

I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me. Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who have been trying to intimidate me…. Moreover, they kept reporting to me his good deeds and then telling him what I said. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.
Nehemiah 6:12-14, 19

We have already dealt with this a little previously, but since it happens twice in this passage, I think it needs a separate point. One of the enemy’s primary tactics against Nehemiah was psychological warfare, more specifically, fear. We just read it in Nehemiah 6:13-14 and again in verse 19. In bringing a false prophet, Tobiah and Sanballat were ultimately trying to make Nehemiah intimidated or it can be translated frightened, which would have led him to sin. Tobiah also tried to intimidate him through the sending of letters (v. 19).

It’s important to see the enemy’s intent of bringing fear behind the tactic of false teaching and the letters because it was also the same intent behind the tactic of slander. Nehemiah 6:9 said, “They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, ‘Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.”‘

Behind the tactic of slander, false teaching, and the letters, the enemy was ultimately trying to make Nehemiah afraid. Satan also constantly tries to do that with us. He is always trying to promote fear, anxiety, and worry in those who follow God. In fact, Peter compares Satan to a roaring lion seeking whomever he may devour. First Peter 5:8 says, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

Why does a lion roar? The roar is strategic to paralyze his prey with fear, so he can attack and devour it. In the same way, Satan commonly uses fear to try to devour believers.

Tobiah and Sanballat were trying to use fear to immobilize and paralyze Nehemiah. They tried to frighten him with gossip, which could have led to the king of Persia’s wrath. The enemy tried to attack him with the threat of killing him. The enemy was trying to use fear to hinder the work of God. Our enemy, Satan, uses fear for similar purposes with us.

Interpretation Question: Why does Satan use fear as a tactic with believers and leaders specifically?

1. Satan uses fear to stop believers from doing God’s work.

We see this in the Parable of the Talents. Matthew 25:24-25 says,

“Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.”

In Matthew 25, the person with one talent never used his talent. His reason was fear; he was afraid. We see this same excuse all the time with believers. They are afraid of failure; they are afraid of success; they are insecure about their abilities. Many are paralyzed and kept from doing God’s work because of fear. They won’t serve in the leadership of a ministry; they won’t evangelize; they won’t pray. Fear keeps them from doing the work of God.

In fact, we commonly see this tendency with many God called for service. We saw this with Moses and Gideon. Both struggled with fear when God called them to serve. Similarly, many Christians are paralyzed by some type of fear which limits their usefulness. The enemy uses psychological warfare.

2. Satan uses fear to hinder the work of God in believers.

We see this in the Parable of the Sowers. Matthew 13:22 says, “The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.”

The worries of this life (fear) kept the Word from ever producing fruit in the thorny ground. The Word of God is ineffective in many Christians because of the thorn of worry. Maybe they hear the Word and agree with it, but their fears keep the Word of God from producing fruit. They are worried about the future, about the past, about family, about career, etc. These worries hinder the work of God in them. It chokes the power of the Word of God.

3. Satan uses fear to lead believers into sin.

That was the enemy’s plan with Nehemiah. He was tempting Nehemiah to fear with the hope that he would run into the temple and sin against God, weakening the people and causing them to doubt his leadership.

It’s the same thing in our daily lives. A person’s fear and insecurities will often lead them to sin. Abraham was afraid of losing his life because of his beautiful wife, so he lied to Pharaoh and said she was his sister. Abraham was afraid to not have a child, so he married a second wife, Hagar, and sinned against God. Fear led him into sin, and it is the same for us.

4. Satan uses fear to lead a believer into discouragement.

Nehemiah 6:9 says, “They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, ‘Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.’”

Tobiah’s and Sanballat’s desire was to make Nehemiah too weak to complete the work. Similarly, as mentioned before, a discouraged, depressed Christian won’t be very productive in serving the kingdom of God. Their fear weakens their hands in the work. Proverbs 12:25 says, “Anxiety in the heart of a man brings depression.” Because of this, Satan works hard in sowing seeds of fear to weaken and discourage the Christian.

Application Question: How do we combat the tactic of fear?

1. In order to defeat fear, we must recognize that fear is not of God.

Listen to what Paul told Timothy: “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7).

Paul tells Timothy, God has not given you that spirit of fear. He is calling Timothy to recognize that his insecurities, probably in ministry, were not from God. Paul said to the Philippians, “Be anxious for nothing” (4:6). We should not accept fear as from God. Certainly, there are healthy fears, such as the fear of the Lord, but fear that keeps us from serving God or trusting him is not from the Lord. In fact, Paul commands us to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts (Col 3:15).

2. In order to defeat fear, we must recognize our resources in God.

Paul did not simply tell Timothy to reject fear, he also gave him reasons. Look again at what he said: “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7).

Paul said, “Timothy you don’t need to be afraid because God has given you power for whatever task he has called you to. He has given you love for people who are difficult. He has given you discipline to get the task done. Timothy, there is no reason to be afraid. Look at the resources God has given you.” God has given us these resources as well: power, love, and self-discipline.

3. In order to defeat fear, we must pray.

In two of the times that Nehemiah was tempted to be afraid, both the open letter and the false prophet, how did he respond? He prayed.

They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.” But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.”
Nehemiah 6:9

Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who have been trying to intimidate me.
Nehemiah 6:14

Aren’t we encouraged to battle fear similarly in the New Testament? Remember what Paul told the Philippians:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7

We combat it by: (a) choosing not to fear, (b) choosing to pray about everything, and by (c) giving thanks in everything.

This is the reason so many are crippled by fear and kept from doing the work God has called them to do. They have chosen to be anxious, chosen to be afraid. They have chosen to not pray about everything. And finally, most Christians don’t give thanks in everything. They complain, they get mad, they get angry, and therefore, the enemy still wins the victory. The promise of peace only comes to those who practice all these disciplines. Nehemiah battled fear through prayer and we must as well.

Do you realize you have an enemy just like Nehemiah?

There are events that are happening to you and your family through which the enemy wants to immobilize you with fear; he wants to cripple you with worries. However, God wants you to have peace so that you can continue serving him. Do you recognize the enemy’s tactics?

Application Question: What are common fears that the enemy attacks you with? How do these fears immobilize or affect you? How is God calling you to get free from these fears in order to better serve him?

The Enemy’s Tactic of Attacking Immediately after Victory

So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God. Also, in those days the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah, and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them. For many in Judah were under oath to him, since he was son-in-law to Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah. Moreover, they kept reporting to me his good deeds and then telling him what I said. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.
Nehemiah 6:15-19

It says in verse 15 that the wall was completed in fifty-two days and all the surrounding nations were afraid because they realized God had helped. You might expect an end to the memoirs of Nehemiah or a “They lived happily ever after” because the wall was completed, but that doesn’t happen. The enemy attacked again immediately.

The next attack came through the nobles of Judah, who would have been very influential, as Judah was the royal line. They were bound to Tobiah through marriage and were sharing everything Nehemiah said with him. At the same time, they continually spoke good words about Tobiah. However, these good words were ingenuous, as Tobiah kept sending intimidating letters to Nehemiah (v. 19).

Attacking immediately after a victory is a common tactic of Satan. We get a picture of Satan’s opportunistic nature in Luke 2:13, right after Satan’s temptation of Jesus. Look at what it says: “When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time” (Luke 2:13).

The devil is always looking for an opportune time. Though Jesus had won the victory, Satan was still looking and ready to attack. I think a good picture of attacking after victory is seen with Jesus and Peter in Matthew 16:15-23. Jesus said, “Who do men say that I am?” and Peter responded, “The Christ, the Son of God.” Christ blessed him and said, “Blessed are you for man has not revealed this to you but my Father in heaven” and he also said, “On this rock I will build my church.”

Peter had been blessed by God; this was a great victory. Maybe, Peter felt really special after Christ’s blessing. However, only minutes later, he would stumble greatly. Christ told the disciples that he would be crucified and raised from the dead. Peter immediately rebuked Jesus saying that he would not die. Christ responded by saying, “Get behind me Satan for you are an offense to me.” Right after Peter’s victory, the enemy found a door to speak through him.

Similarly, in 1 Kings 18, Elijah had a tremendous victory over the priests of Baal, as God sent fire down on the altar, and Elijah had all the priests killed. However, in 1 Kings 19, Queen Jezebel promised to, likewise, kill Elijah, and he ran for his life. He became depressed and even asked for God to take his life. Right after his greatest victory came his greatest defeat.

Satan is always looking for an opportune time and typically that comes very shortly after a victory. Many Christians go to the mountain top only to stumble quickly down to the valley. This is a common tactic of the enemy.

As one who worked with youth over seven years, I saw this many times. The students would go to a retreat and get on fire for God, and it was right after the high that they would come stumbling down. It was right after the mountain top experience that they had a valley experience. They would have a major fight with a friend or family member, stumble on the Internet, start dealing with depression, etc. It was common.

Satan likes to attack right after a victory. Many couples stumble into an argument right after leaving a Spirit-filled service. Many are tempted right after getting out of their devotions and going to work. Satan attacks right after a victory. I think part of the reason this is common is because it is right after a victory that we have a tendency to let down our guard and relax.

Scottish minister Andrew A. Bonar said this, “Let us be as watchful after the victory as before the battle.”³ We must be as watchful after the victory as before the battle, especially because we know our enemy’s tactics.

Application Question: In what ways have you experienced the enemy’s tactic of attacking right after a victory or spiritual high? How can we more wisely protect ourselves from this tactic?

The Enemy’s Tactic of Infiltration through Compromise

So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God. Also, in those days the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah, and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them. For many in Judah were under oath to him, since he was son-in-law to Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah. Moreover, they kept reporting to me his good deeds and then telling him what I said. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.
Nehemiah 6:15-19

The last tactic the enemy used against Nehemiah was infiltration through compromise. As mentioned, the nobles of Judah were under oath to Tobiah through marriage. Like other Samaritans, Tobiah was ethnically mixed. He was part Jewish and part Ammonite (cf. Neh 2:9). His name in Hebrew meant “God is good.” He had married a daughter of Judah, and the tribe of Judah had great influence in Israel.

It is obvious that the nobles were compromising. This is not only seen in the fact that they gave their daughter to someone from the surrounding nations, which was forbidden by God, but also in that they were praising Tobiah who had been antagonistic to Israel from the beginning. Proverbs 28:4 says this: “Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law resist them.”

I think we see this in the church all the time, especially amongst our youth. It’s common to find them pumping certain music stars that teach anti-God messages. They will be watching shows that dishonor God’s design for man and woman or teach other forms of corrupt living. But not only do they watch and listen, they praise it. They boast about it. They honor those who dishonor God. Those who forsake the law praise the wicked.

Of all the attacks Nehemiah shared, compromise was probably the most dangerous because he doesn’t share a resolution. It just says that the nobles kept reporting the good Tobiah had done and sharing what Nehemiah said. In fact, Nehemiah later shares that this compromise was still happening many years after the completion of the wall, even after all the reform in chapters 8-12. When we get to Nehemiah 13:7, we see that Tobiah had moved into the temple. Israel had given a room in the temple to a person who was not a priest which was clearly forbidden.

In addition, in chapter 13, the Israelites again started to marry foreign women, which was also forbidden by God. It was the same compromise Solomon committed, which eventually led Israel away from God and into judgment.

Compromise is one of the enemy’s most dangerous tactics; it commonly destroys individual Christians, churches, and Christian organizations. It’s like a weed that is hard to pluck out. It can stay rooted for years, causing havoc amongst an otherwise healthy harvest.

Interpretation Question: Why does the enemy work so hard to bring compromise amongst believers?

1. Compromise spreads very fast like yeast.

Look at what Paul says: “Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?” (1 Corinthians 5:6).

Compromise and sin quickly spread throughout a congregation or ministry. It will open the door for more sin and deeper strongholds in a person’s life and a community’s life. Paul said that it must be removed because it will spread.

2. Compromise removes the blessing of God.

David said this: “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers” (Psalm 1:1).

David said that those who compromise lose the blessing of God on their lives. Only the one who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked is blessed.

What is the counsel of the wicked? It is anything that proclaims the opposite of God’s revelation. This includes things we read, watch, listen to, or meditate on. James says that friendship with the world is enmity with God (4:4).

Many Christians miss the blessing of God on their lives because of compromise.

3. Compromise hinders intimacy of God.

Consider what Paul said about being yoked with unbelievers:

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?… ”Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” ”I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
2 Corinthians 6:14, 17-18

Now this Scripture is often used for not marrying unbelievers, but its applications are much deeper than that. Paul gives a promise to those who separate from the world, “I will be a Father to you, you will be my sons and daughters” (v.18).

This seems like a weird promise since he is writing to Christians. Paul is writing to the Corinthian church. What does he mean by the promise, “I will be a Father to you”? It is a promise of intimacy with God. Many Christians lack the intimacy God wants to give them because of compromise. They say, “God where are you; I can’t hear your voice?” They find their time in the Word and worship as dull. The problem may be that they are compromised and, therefore, can’t hear the voice of the Father or truly experience his love. Paul says that we must separate from the world in order to have this promise.

Compromise spreads quickly. It removes the blessing of God and hinders intimacy with him. One of Satan’s greatest tactics is infiltration through compromise. Many Christians’ lives have been destroyed by a little compromise. Churches have been destroyed by compromise. They compromise their teaching because the doctrine is unpopular in the culture. Christian universities have been destroyed when they have allowed liberalism to creep in; they compromised the gospel by focusing on grants, money from the government, and the approval of the world.

Even today, there are many Tobiahs in the house of God, and we often have welcomed them in to our demise. Nehemiah clearly ends the chapter saying, “The problems are not yet over. The enemy is still attacking.”

In what ways are we compromising? A little leaven leavens the whole lump (1 Cor 5:6). Sin will keep spreading. Satan only needs a little room to destroy a harvest—to make a Christian or a Christian community ineffective.

Application Question: In what ways have you seen compromise harm Christians and Christian communities? What temptations to compromise does the enemy constantly attack you with?

Conclusion

As godly leaders we must be aware of our enemy’s tactics both to protect ourselves and also our communities. What are Satan’s tactics to stop the work of God?

1. The enemy’s tactic of deception: He is a liar and the father of lies.
2. The enemy’s tactic of persistence: He wants to wear believers down with his attacks and temptations.
3. The enemy’s tactic of slander and gossip: He will slander God, slander others, and he will slander us.
4. The enemy’s tactic of psychological warfare: He works through fear and discouragement.
5. The enemy’s tactic of infiltration through false teaching: We must know the Word and our identity to not be deceived.
6. The enemy’s tactic of attacking right after a victory: We must be as alert after victory, as before.
7. The enemy’s tactic of infiltration through compromise: This might be the most dangerous tactic. It spreads; it removes the blessing of God and hinders intimacy with him.

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¹ Kidner, D. (1979). Ezra and Nehemiah: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 12, p. 108). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

² Getz, Gene (1995-06-22). Men of Character: Nehemiah (Kindle Location 2841). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

³ Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Determined. “Be” Commentary Series (77). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed. I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most men do. I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut the doors and bar them. Also appoint residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some near their own houses.” Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt. So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families. I found the genealogical record of those who had been the first to return. This is what I found written there: These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town, in company with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum and Baanah)…
Nehemiah 7

What are the priorities of godly leaders?

If you go through the cities of Europe, you will find many great cathedrals; however, the problem with these cathedrals is that nobody worships there anymore—all the people are gone. Similarly, Nehemiah had rebuilt the walls around Jerusalem in fifty-two days, but only a few people were living in the city (v. 4). Therefore, he began to labor to rebuild and to restore the people. This labor is detailed here in chapter 7 and throughout the rest of the book.

If we are going to build up the people of God, what steps must we take? Many of our churches and Christian communities are just shells of what they used to be. They began with revival and were used to ignite the communities they were in, but now many of them are simply surviving. They are on life support. Many of our Christian schools started off with a mission to send out pastors and missionaries, but now they are secular. If many of us looked at our individual lives, we would see times where we loved God more and were more passionate for him.

How do we rebuild the community we serve and also our own spiritual lives? If we are going to rebuild, it must start out with a renewed focus. It must start out with a change in priorities. I think we see something of this in this chapter.

What are the first things that Nehemiah did in seeking to rebuild the nation of Israel after the completion of the wall? His first actions show us his priorities and, therefore, what our priorities should be in seeking to rebuild our communities, our churches, and our lives. When the first things are first everything else falls into place. Here in this text we will see six priorities of godly leadership in building up a people for God.

Big Question: What are Nehemiah’s priorities after the completion of the wall and how can we apply these truths to build up the body of Christ and our spiritual lives?

Godly Leaders Prioritize Worship

After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed.
Nehemiah 7:1

The first thing that Nehemiah did after the rebuilding of the wall is appoint gatekeepers, singers, and Levites. Why did he do this?

It seems very clear that Nehemiah does this in order to set up the worship of Israel. The Levites were called to maintain the temple, which probably had been neglected while the Israelites were just trying to survive without walls, and they were called to teach the people Scripture.

Nehemiah established the singers to lead Israel’s praise. Even the gatekeepers played a role in the worship of Israel. Now it is good to remember the walls that had been rebuilt weren’t around Israel, but only around Jerusalem, the capital city, where the worship was supposed to happen. Therefore, people from all over Israel and even other nations would go through the gates of Jerusalem to worship God. In fact, certain gates were particularly important for worship such as the Sheep Gate. This was not just for random sheep but for sheep that were to be sacrificed at the temple.

When Nehemiah appointed the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites, he was reestablishing the worship of Israel. That was his first priority. In fact, it should be noted that Israel had struggled with worship, especially while they were exiled in Babylon. Listen to what the Jews in Babylon wrote:

By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. There on the poplars we hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land?
Psalm 137:1-4

It was hard for them to sing while they were outside the land and being harassed by foreigners, and no doubt, they still struggled while they were back in Jerusalem without walls, similarly being harassed and attacked by their neighbors. Therefore, Nehemiah reestablished the worship of Israel starting with the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers.

In addition, this was also a problem with the church of Ephesus in Revelation 2. Jesus said to them:

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
Revelation 2:1-3

They were doing many good things but neglecting the main thing. They were doing good works, testing false apostles, persevering through hardship; they hated the practice of the Nicolaitans (v. 6) and yet had lost their first love. Consider what Christ said to them:

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
Revelation 2:4-5

The greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart and caring for our neighbor is second. To neglect loving and worshiping God breaks the greatest commandment and invites his judgment. He threatened to remove their lampstand, which meant their ability to be a witness in their community and maybe even destruction. Many churches are no longer effective for Christ because they put some issue, some good cause before him. Their worship is dead, and therefore, their ministry died as well. Worship must be first.

The church should be concerned about many good and worthy causes: feeding the poor, abortion, trafficking, evangelism, missions, etc. However, none of these should come before worship. Worshiping God and seeking his face must be the focus of the church (cf. 1 Peter 2:9). When anything else takes that place in the life of the church, we have lost our first love and are in danger of being disciplined by God.

If we lose our first love, if we neglect the worship of God as the priority of our lives and our communities, then God is just in disciplining us and removing our lampstand. “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever” (Westminster Shorter Catechism). We shouldn’t even neglect worship for the sake of ministry. Like Mary, we must daily rush to sit at the feet of Jesus, for it is the one thing needed that will not be taken from us (Luke 10:42).

How do we restore our first love, our worship? Christ said to the Ephesian church that they should remember the height from which they had fallen. Then repent and do the works they did at first (cf. Rev 2:5). We should remember when God was our first love, our delight, and then do what we did then. Were we faithfully reading the Bible, attending a small group, or serving? Then we should do that in order to put God first and restore our worship.

When Nehemiah rebuilt the walls, the first thing he established was worship. As godly leaders, we must always point people back to the Word of God, to corporate worship with the saints, and to seeking the Lord for that must be the priority of every believer.

In what ways has worship ceased to be your priority? What is taking the place of your first love? Is it work, family, hobbies, or ministry? Let us repent and turn our focus back to Christ.

Nehemiah appointed the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers probably because worship had been neglected. The people put their circumstances, their survival, their careers, their families, etc., in front of God, and therefore, worship became a lesser priority.

Is worship your priority? Or are you neglecting God and putting something else first in your life?

Application Question: What are your major distractions from prioritizing the worship of God? How can we help ourselves or those whom we minister to, to re-prioritize worship?

Godly Leaders Prioritize Raising up Leaders

I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most men do.
Nehemiah 7:2

Observation Question: What were the characteristics of Hanani and Hananiah, the two men appointed to leadership by Nehemiah?

The next thing Nehemiah did, after reestablishing the worship of Israel, was choose leadership for Israel. Nehemiah realized he could not lead Israel alone—he needed help. Therefore, he set up two leaders in Jerusalem: Hanani, his brother, and Hananiah.

Obviously, Nehemiah knew Hanani to be a man of God. In chapter 1, Hanani alerted Nehemiah to the problems in Israel, prompting him to go back and initiate the rebuilding of the walls. Hanani was a man with the same heart as Nehemiah.

He also selected Hananiah. Hananiah was the “commander of the citadel.” This means he was a military leader who protected the Persian palace, but more than that, he was a man of “integrity” or it can be translated “faithful” as in the KJV. Nehemiah also said he feared God more than most men.

Here I think we learn something about the characteristics of those we should consider selecting for leadership positions, those we should mentor for future leadership, and also who we should be. It is good to remember that when Christ came to build up the nation of Israel, he also selected future leaders—the apostles. He trained them throughout his three years of ministry.

Similarly, we are called to make disciples (Matt 28:19-20) and to specifically train up others to serve in the church (cf. Heb 10:24-25, Eph 4:12-16).

The priority of every godly leader should be mentorship and training others for future leadership. But also this should challenge us to make sure we have the qualities of one whom God could raise up into leadership.

Application Question: What can we learn about potential leaders, those we should mentor and raise up, by the characteristics of the men Nehemiah chose?

1. Potential leaders must be faithful.

Hananiah was a man of integrity or faithfulness. Certainly, the same was true about Nehemiah’s brother, Hanani. He was the one who told Nehemiah about the problems in Israel after returning from a visit. Then he followed Nehemiah back to Israel and served with him. No doubt, he was a faithful man.

When Paul was concerned about raising future leaders for the church, he told Timothy to find “reliable men” or it can be translated “faithful men” to train so they could teach others. He said, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2).

To have integrity means to be honest or to adhere “to moral and ethical principles.”¹ Hananiah and Hanani were people Nehemiah could trust; they were people who followed through with their commitments. Similarly, when God is seeking for someone to use, he finds somebody who is faithful. Christ said this in Luke 16:10: “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”

The person who is faithful with the little God has given him, will be faithful over much. We see these faithful qualities in the requirements for pastors. They must run their household well and their children must be obedient (1 Tim 3:4-5, Titus 1:6). If a husband cannot faithfully oversee the people in his house (little), then he cannot faithfully oversee the people in a church (much). Paul said that they must be hospitable, which means a lover of strangers (1 Tim 3:2). If they care for those they do not know by taking them into their home and providing for them, then they will faithfully care for strangers in the house of God.

This is what Scripture says: if one is faithful with little, then he will be faithful over much. But if one is not faithful with little, then he will be unfaithful with much.

I think one of the faithful things we must look for in future leadership is a consistent and disciplined devotional life. This seems like something little, but it is immensely important. David said he learned that the person who “meditated day and night” on God’s law prospered in everything he did (Psalm 1:2-3). If we want to raise up successful leaders, they must be people who are faithful in their devotional lives.

This little thing called meditating on the Bible day and night will make an effective leader. Those who are not faithful in this will not be effective and probably shouldn’t be in spiritual leadership at all. If a person is unfaithful in little, they will be unfaithful in much.

I have no doubt when Nehemiah looked at Hananiah, he saw a man who loved the Word of God, faithfully shepherded a believing family, and attended temple. He worked with integrity and honored God in all he did. That’s probably why he called him faithful and selected him for leadership. And, no doubt, with Hanani it was the same.

Are you faithful with the little things such as: your devotional life, your care of family and friendships, your work, your studies, etc.? God looks at the little things when selecting leadership. He finds the one who faithfully shepherds his little flock of sheep and raises him up to lead Israel. Are you faithful with little?

2. Potential leaders must fear God.

It also says Hananiah feared God more than others. That’s pretty interesting because “the fear of God” is not something we typically think of as being quantified or added up. But the reality is that some fear God more than others.

Interpretation Question: What does it mean to fear God?

• To fear God means to revere him—to understand and stand in awe of his characteristics—his perfections.

To fear God essentially means to worship him. Hananiah was a man who loved to worship. That’s the same characteristic we saw in David, the one God exalted to be king of Israel. He was the primary writer of the book of Psalms, the worship hymnal of Israel. He loved to sing praises to the Lord and honor him. It was David who said, “one day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere” (Psalm 84:10). When God selects a leader, he finds somebody who loves to worship and adore him.

Do you love to worship God? When we look for leaders, we must find people who love to worship and dwell in God’s presence. People who are apathetic towards worship are not fit for leadership.

• To fear God means to fear his wrath and discipline.

Scripture says, “the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son” (Hebrews 12:6). It can also be translated chastens and scourges as in the KJV. To chasten is to rebuke and to scourge is to whip. The people whom God selects for leadership are afraid of God’s discipline—his spankings.

Jonah told God, “No” and God sent a storm in his life. He would have drowned in the sea if it wasn’t for being swallowed by a big fish. God disciplines his children. He killed Ananias and Sapphira for lying to the church and the Holy Spirit (Acts 5). Some of the members of the Corinthian church were sick, weak, and some had died because they dishonored the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor 11:29-30). God is a God of wrath who is angry at sin all day (Psalm 7:11). When God selects a leader, he finds somebody who fears him.

Solomon said the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Prov 9:10). Fearing the Lord is important because it enables people to make wise decisions. Because we want wise decision makers in leadership, we must find people who fear God.

A lot of people lack wisdom because they do not fear God. They look at God as their buddy who is simply there to forgive their sins and answer their prayers. There is no fear of a holy God who is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29). And this is the very reason so many believers live such foolish and wasteful lives.

In fact, what makes this lack of fear so much worse is that it endangers other people. When Jonah was in sin, it almost killed a bunch of bystanders on a boat with him going to Tarshish (Jonah 2). When David, full of pride, counted the people of Israel, it led to the death of thousands in the nation (2 Sam 24). When Solomon stopped fearing God, it brought the judgment of God leading to a divided kingdom. A leader who does not fear God will lead his people into judgment.

When we look for a leader or someone to disciple, we must find a person who has a genuine fear of God, which makes him live a life of holiness.

Application Question: Why is a lack of the fear of God so common among Christians?

One of the reasons Christians lack fear is because we have so much anemic, feel good preaching in the church these days. There is no reason to fear God. A pastor at one of the biggest churches in the U.S. said on TV that he did not preach on sin anymore because his people were already discouraged, and preaching on sin would only make it worse—they needed encouragement.

Listen, if we do not preach on sin, then we are not teaching the Bible and, therefore, are raising up people who do not fear the Lord and consequently live unwise lives.

Godly leaders must be faithful, and they must fear God. They must be people of character. This is the type of person we must seek to place in leadership. This is the type of person we must mentor for leadership, and the type of person we must become.

Application Question: In what ways is God calling you to grow in integrity, faithfulness, and the fear of him? In what ways do you feel God is calling you to help raise up future leaders in the church?

Godly Leaders Prioritize Protecting the People of God

I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut the doors and bar them. Also appoint residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some near their own houses.
Nehemiah 7:3

After establishing leadership, Nehemiah focused on the protection of the people by establishing rules for the gates and walls. In those days the gates were typically open at sunrise and closed at sunset²; however, Nehemiah established even stricter regulations. He said they should only be open when the sun was hot. Derek Kidner said this phrase referred “to the morning and evening routine, directing that the gates should be opened late and closed early.”³ Instead of opening at six am, maybe they were opened between ten to noon when the sun was hot. This made sure the people were not asleep when the gates opened. This also probably meant when the sun was going down, no longer hot, that the gates were closed and locked. This meant everybody was still awake when the gates were closed and, therefore, were less vulnerable to attack. Then, he appointed residents throughout Jerusalem to guard the walls at strategic posts and near their houses. Nehemiah’s priority was to protect the people of God, and he went to great extremes to do this.

When we look at Nehemiah’s priority of protecting the people of God, we, no doubt, see God’s priority. Jesus said he was the good shepherd and that when the wolf comes, good shepherds give their lives for the sheep (John 10:11). The good shepherd would always watch the sheep and protect them with his life. As godly leaders, we must aim to do the same.

Application Question: How can we practically apply watching and protecting the people of God to our lives? How can we protect God’s people?

1. We must watch and protect the people of God by prayer.

Listen to what God said through Isaiah:

I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.
Isaiah 62:6-7

Here, God set watchman to pray over Jerusalem for the restoration of it and that it may be holy. A watchman typically sat at a strategic place on the wall of the city to alert everybody when an enemy approached. However, the watchmen God set up were primarily called to pray when they saw threats coming towards Jerusalem and ultimately for the nation’s prosperity. I believe God still has people praying for Israel until he restores the nation and fulfills his covenants with her.

Similarly, God has called us to be watchmen over his church by being alert and devoted to prayer. Listen to these texts:

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Ephesians 6:18

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
Colossians 4:2

We are to be alert watchmen, as we care for the church of God. We should keep our eyes open for any potential threats. If there is division, sickness, weariness, false teaching, etc., we should pray. We should give thanks when there are blessings: open doors, unity, fruitfulness, etc. We should, with all kinds of prayers and requests, keep on praying for Christ’s church. These prayers are not only for our local congregation but for “all the saints.” We must be alert and intercede for the entire body of Christ.

God seeks to find men and women who will covenant with him in this type of ministry. Remember what he said to Ezekiel: “I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none” (Ezekiel 22:30).

Often God can’t find people who are willing to guard and protect others from destruction. Are you willing to stand in the gap and pray for the people of God? This ministry of protecting God’s people through prayer is for everybody, but it is especially for leaders.

1. We watch and protect the people of God by being alert and sounding the alarm when we see the enemy.

Alertness was mentioned in the last point on prayer, but it will be given more attention here. First Peter 5:8 says, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

Christians and Christian leaders, specifically, must be alert to the work of the devil amongst God’s people. No doubt, we saw a good picture of this with Christ and Peter right before Peter’s denial. The Lord said, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you like wheat but I have prayed for you that your faith will not fail” (Luke 22:32, paraphrase). Christ was alert and sensitive to the plan of the evil one and warned his disciple.

Certainly, we should be alert to the plans and activities of the evil one in other people’s lives as well. We should be sensitive to any type of decay in their spiritual lives. Have they stopped attending small group or church? Have their conversations changed? Are they hanging around the wrong people, making wrong decisions? It is there we can trust that the evil one is at work. It is there we must aim not only our prayers but also our attention as we warn, rebuke, and encourage so they may be protected.

John the Baptist told the tax collectors to stop stealing and to make right whatever wrongs they committed. He told the wealthy to share their wealth, and he told the Pharisees to repent (Luke 3). He was a watchman over Israel, warning the people and calling them to repent.

Are you willing to be watchful over the church of God? In the same way Nehemiah set watchman over Israel and God set prayer warriors to watch over Israel, we must be willing to take part in this ministry for the church. The church has an enemy called the devil, and his only desire is to steal, kill, and destroy (cf. John 10:10). It is for this reason we must be alert and warn those in danger.

2. We watch and protect people by being aware of the enemy’s tactics.

It must be remembered that if we are going to be watchful, we must be aware of the enemy’s tactics (2 Cor 2:11), as mentioned in the previous chapter. We can be sure that is why Nehemiah set specific regulations in Jerusalem. He knew the enemy would attack at certain times and in certain ways. We must, therefore, be aware of our enemy’s tactics as well.

Interpretation Question: What are some of the enemy’s tactics we can discern from Nehemiah’s regulations on the gates?

• The enemy likes to attack while people are resting.

Nehemiah told them they must not open the gate until the sun was hot. Again, this probably meant sometime around ten to noon. The people were more vulnerable early in the morning while they were asleep. Therefore, Nehemiah had the gates opened later in the day to decrease their vulnerability to a surprise attack.

Certainly, Satan also likes to attack when Christians are resting. We should be aware of our times of leisure. It is then the enemy likes to attack. He will attack with loneliness, depression, discouragement, lust, anger, etc. It is in our leisure time that addictions are often developed. We are vulnerable at our times of leisure, when we are resting. It is then we often let down our guard and are more susceptible to attack.

As mentioned in chapter 6, the enemy also likes to attack right after a victory. After a victory we typically let down our guard to rest. After finishing some great project, some great work, or after a time of spiritual renewal, those will be strategic times for the enemy to attack. We should be aware of this and, therefore, be especially alert. Satan is a cunning enemy. He has tempted man for thousands of years, and because of this, he understands human nature. He understands the vulnerability of man at times of rests—during our leisure or after a victory. We must watch ourselves and also our people at these times.

• The enemy likes to attack at night.

Enemies commonly attacked while it was dark, and therefore, Nehemiah closed the gates when the sun was no longer hot. Again, the night is often a time of relaxation when a person’s inhibitions naturally lower, making us more susceptible to temptation and sin. Certainly, Satan understands how strategic night time is as well. Listen to what Paul said:

You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.
1 Thessalonians 5:5-8

Paul described the world as those who belong to the night. They typically get drunk at night, are less self-controlled at night, and fall into various other temptations. But, Christians should not be characterized by the night but by the day. They should live self-controlled, godly lives. As Christians, we should always be on guard, but at certain times, we should be more alert and one of those is at night.

When do people typically fall to lust on the Internet? At night. When do conversations on the phone with one’s girlfriend or boyfriend go astray? At night. When do people have a tendency to get drunk or break the law? At night. Even when people accused Peter and the apostles of drunkenness on the day of Pentecost, he said, “It’s only nine in the morning!” meaning that nobody gets drunk this early (Acts 2:15). It was clearly understood those type of activities typically happened at night.

Let us be on guard during the day, but let us especially be on guard in the night hours. Being on guard includes getting a good night’s sleep. I would say Satan often wins the battle at night simply by people not getting proper rest. They stay up late, typically neglecting their times of prayer or devotion, and then start off the next day too tired to meet with God. Through a pattern of being undisciplined and frivolous at night, the enemy keeps the gates open to cause havoc in people’s lives. Yes, let us guard the night. Nehemiah’s strategy certainly applies to us as well.

• The enemy likes to attack the family.

Nehemiah tells them to post guards right by their homes to protect the wall by their houses. This way they would have guards to sound the alarm and alert the city in case of attack. Attacking enemies would often neglect the front gate and try to enter through the side. Listen to what Nehemiah says: “Also appoint residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some near their own houses” (Nehemiah 7:3).

This is significant because our enemy, Satan, also likes to attack our homes. The family is the basic unit of the church and society. When God wanted to start a kingdom, he started it with a husband and wife (a family) in the Garden of Eden. Because of this, Satan realizes if he can destroy the family, he can destroy the foundation of both the church and society. It is a very strategic target. When sin came into the world, one of the consequences was the battle of the sexes. The woman would try to control the husband and the husband would try to dominate her (cf. Gen 3:16).

From that faulty relationship, we later saw the first murder. Cain, the son of Adam, killed his brother, Abel. And this battle in the family continued throughout the rest of Scripture. In fact, the Scripture is a story of dysfunctional families.

Abraham broke the marriage order and married two wives who battled with one another. Isaac, the son of Abraham, favored the oldest son, Esau, and created jealousy with the younger son, Jacob. Jacob cheated the older brother, Esau, out of his inheritance. Jacob, the grandson of the polygamist Abraham, committed the same sin by marrying multiple wives and, similarly, had great marital strife.

Joseph, the son of Jacob, had ten older brothers who sold him into slavery. David, the king of Israel, had a son who raped his daughter Tamar. Absalom, the older brother of Tamar, killed the brother who raped his sister. Absalom, the son of David, eventually overthrew his father’s kingdom.

One of the major themes in the narrative of the Bible is how Satan continually attacked the family, and it is no different today. Not only does Satan commonly attack while people are resting and when it’s dark, he loves to attack the home—our families.

Therefore, we must guard and protect our families. We must especially protect our children from the godlessness taught through TV, music, and the Internet. Satan often destroys homes through the media. We must guard our homes by saturating them with prayer, the study of Scripture, and being involved in a Bible preaching church. We must not be unaware of Satan’s tactics.

When God sent John the Baptist to prepare Israel for Christ’s coming, one of his jobs was to restore the family. He was called to turn the fathers back to the sons and the sons back to the fathers (Mal 4:6). This must be one of our priorities as well, as we seek to build up the people of God. Godly leaders must protect the family, as that is one of the enemy’s primary targets.

Application Question: In what ways have you seen Satan use the tactic of attacking during times of rest (times of leisure and after victories) and at night in your spiritual life or others? In what ways do you feel God is calling you to better protect yourself and others from the works of the enemy?

Godly Leaders Prioritize Discerning God’s Voice

So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families.
Nehemiah 7:5

One of the common themes seen throughout Nehemiah’s memoirs is his discernment of the voice of God. He said in verse 5, “So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families.” He said something similar in Nehemiah 2:12 as he surveyed the broken down walls of Jerusalem. He said, “I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem.” Nehemiah was a man who sought to discern the voice of God.

This is an essential priority for every godly leader. They must be committed to discerning God’s voice if they are going to effectively lead the people of God. This is important because God is the head of the church, and we are simply his under-shepherds. Some leaders abuse their leadership because they think they are the head. However, godly leaders prioritize discerning the voice of God so they can lead people according to God’s will. We see this in Nehemiah, as he discerned God’s voice and assembled the families for registration.

Application Question: How do we discern God’s voice?

1. We discern God’s voice by knowing the Word of God.

Throughout the book it is very clear that part of the way Nehemiah discerned God’s voice was by knowing Scripture. When he prayed in chapter 1, he talked about how God promised to scatter Israel for their disobedience and to restore them if they were obedient (v. 8, 9). In that prayer, he was praying the promises in Deuteronomy 30:1-5, which are reaffirmed in many other Old Testament passages. He knew it was God’s will to restore Israel’s fortunes if they repented.

When he rebuked the nobles in chapter 5, he rebuked them because they broke the law (5:9). The Jews were not allowed to charge one another interest on loans (cf. Exodus 22:25). Even in this text, as he felt led to create a census, it seems also prompted by his knowledge of Scripture.

The census was something very important. In the book of Joshua, the tribes of Israel were each given a part of the promised land (chapters 14-17). The census was necessary to establish the family rights. This was especially important for the Levites and priests who didn’t receive an allotment of the land but instead worked at the temple in Jerusalem and lived off the offerings of the people. The census or genealogy was needed to prove what tribe a person was from so they could receive their allotment and to determine the priests and Levites for service at the temple.

Again, Nehemiah’s actions show that he was a man who thoroughly knew the Scripture. In fact, at the end of the book, he rebuked Israel for intermarriage with the pagans and also for letting Tobiah, an Ammonite, live in the temple. This was another departure from God’s law. Nehemiah was clearly a man who knew God’s law and was zealous in keeping it.

In the same way, if we are going to know God’s voice, we must know Scripture. Many times the Scripture tells us exactly what to do, and at other times, it gives us principles to make wise decisions. When we live in the Word of God, we, like Nehemiah, often will discern exactly what God’s will is. David said, “Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). God’s Word gives us direction.

2. We discern God’s voice by putting him first.

Proverbs 3:6 says, “In all thy ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths.”

Nehemiah was a man who prioritized God and, therefore, heard his voice. When we make God our priority, when we acknowledge him in every way, he will also show us what paths to take.

When putting God first, you will not only find that God directs you, but he will also commonly use you to give direction to others. When they are seeking direction for their path, you will find that God gives you words of wisdom to help them discern which path to take.

As godly leaders we must know God’s voice in order to continually build others up and help them walk in God’s best for their lives.

3. We discern God’s voice by not being conformed to the world culture.

Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Many people can’t discern the will of God because the voice of the world is in their mind. They know what culture would tell them to do, what friends and family would tell them to do, but they can’t hear the voice of God. We must continually get rid of sin and the lies of the world culture to be able to test and approve what God’s will is. God’s will is often the opposite of culture, since Satan is the ruler of this world (cf. John 12:31, 2 Cor 4:4).

Application Question: What is God currently putting in your heart as you continually seek his face? In what ways does the culture of the world often hinder us from hearing the voice of God?

Godly Leaders Prioritize the Assurance of the People of God

Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt. So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families. I found the genealogical record of those who had been the first to return. This is what I found written there
Nehemiah 7:4-5

Interpretation Question: What was the significance of the genealogical records for Nehemiah and the Israelites?

Again, Israel rebuilt the walls, but the city itself needed to be rebuilt. It was large and spacious but had only a few people in it. God put into Nehemiah’s heart to have a registration by families of those living in Israel.

This was important to establish who was Jewish, as there were some privileges in worship that only Jews could enjoy. In fact, some priests could not minister because their records were lost. They had to wait until a priest could seek the Lord through the Urim Thummim (cf. Neh 7:63-65). It was also important to establish what tribes they were from because of certain land rights. God gave parts of the land to certain tribes as an enduring inheritance. We see that they had their own towns in Nehemiah 7:73:

The priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers and the temple servants, along with certain of the people and the rest of the Israelites, settled in their own towns. When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns.

The registration was also important to establish the line of the messiah. We see genealogies used in Matthew and Luke to establish the lineage of Christ.

In fact, this list of names Nehemiah used is almost the exact list found in Ezra 2, which documented the initial people who came back to Israel from Babylon. There are slight differences, but this is probably because the list was updated, as the people were registered. Some have speculated that the “minor discrepancies are possibly due to Ezra listing those who intended to depart [from Babylon to Israel], while Nehemiah listed those who actually arrived.”⁴

The fact we see two lists repeated in Scripture shows how special these people and their names were. They were the faithful families who came back to Israel to worship. The list marks them as such. God did not need the list, for he knew who were his. However, the Jewish people needed to know. They needed the genealogies to prove they were part of God’s chosen people in order to enjoy the rights given them.

It is good to remember that being Jewish, especially in the Old Covenant, was special. Listen to what Paul said:

For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.
Romans 9:3-5

It was through this nation God was going to reach the world; they were to be lights to the Gentiles.

Application Question: How can we as Christians apply the need for the people to have an official census to prove they were Jewish and the tribe they were from?

Similar to Old Testament Israel, the church is now the people of God, and he has called us to be lights to the world (cf. 1 Peter 2:9-10). We can be assured that God knows who are his and that he knows us by name. John 10:3 says, “The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” However, like the Jews needing to take the census to prove their lineage in order to enjoy their privileges, we also need to know that we are God’s. We need to have assurance of salvation.

God knew who were his and this Jewish census wasn’t important for God. It was important for the people so they could have the rights to their land, to work in the temple as priests, or to enjoy certain elements of worship only allowed for the Jew.

Scripture teaches a similar principle about our salvation. God knows who are truly saved, but we must know as well. Therefore Scripture teaches the necessity of believers having assurance of salvation. Second Peter 1:10 says, “Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure.”

Though we don’t have a genealogical list, we still have the command to make our election sure and to test whether Christ is in us (cf. 2 Cor 13:5). This is the doctrine of assurance of salvation.

Are you sure you are saved? It is the most important thing you can be sure about in your life. How can we be sure?

Well, after accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, the primary test for our salvation is growing in righteousness. Peter calls all believers to make their election sure in 2 Peter 1:10 but tells us how in the previous verses:

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall
2 Peter 1:5 -10

Peter says make every effort to add to your faith goodness, to goodness knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. Peter essentially commands them to grow and says if you are not growing in these things you might not be saved. Make your election sure by growing. We are not saved by growing in righteousness but bearing these fruits proves our election. They prove we are in the Lamb’s Book of Life—registered citizens of heaven (cf. Rev 21:27).

John the Baptist and Paul taught similar things. Listen to what they said:

Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
Luke 3:8-9

First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.
Acts 26:20

One of the things that was common in Peter’s teaching, John the Baptist’s teaching, and Paul’s was the necessity of proving one’s salvation by good deeds. Listen, nobody is saved by works, but works are necessary to prove one’s salvation. If we are without the necessary fruits, then we might not be saved. I think this is a fair application to the Jews needing to prove their Jewishness in order to enjoy the rights that came with it.

Many of the rights and blessings that come in Christ can only be taken by those who have assurance they are saved, and this assurance is more than just a confession. Listen to what Christ said:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
Matthew 7:21-23

These people had some type of faith because they called him Lord and served him on the earth. However, they never bore fruit; they continued to practice sin as a lifestyle and that is why Christ said, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evil doers!” They were never truly saved.

Christ knew them because he knows all things, but he didn’t know them personally. Are you making your election sure? I worry about Christians who stay in the church twenty years but never grow. They may simply be stagnant, but if so, they lose assurance of whether they are truly saved since they aren’t growing.

God wants his children to have assurance. They are his and that proof will be evident if they are truly saved. They will grow in love for God, love for his Word, love for others, peace, patience, faith, endurance, good works, etc. All these will prove the reality of their faith.

In Israel, a Jewish person without a genealogy would miss out on many of the privileges of his Jewishness, and I think Christians do as well. They miss the joy and the assurance that comes from knowing they are children of God and also significant protection from the evil one.

One of Satan’s primary attacks is on the Christian’s assurance of salvation. He works hard to cause those who are truly born again to doubt their salvation. That is why Paul commands believers to put on the “helmet of salvation” in the armor of God (Ephesians 6:17). The “helmet of salvation” is assurance. In spiritual warfare, Satan often aims for the head. If true Christians doubt their salvation, they will not be very productive for the kingdom. They probably won’t evangelize and serve others. They will be too worried about their own salvation to be concerned with others.

For people with false professions, Satan instead assures them that their faith is true. He promotes a false assurance. Therefore, we must make our election sure. We must test ourselves to see if we are in the faith (cf. 2 Corinthians 13:5).

This was a priority of Nehemiah with Israel, and it should be with us as well. We must know we are his and we must help those we disciple know. Assurance is important in order to walk in the full blessings of God.

Are we on the list (cf. Rev 21:27)? Have we been born again into the family of God? Does our continual progress in the faith prove this to be true or are we stagnant and living in rebellion towards God?

Are you making your election sure? Do you have assurance of your salvation?

Application Question: Do you ever struggle with assurance of salvation? What are some other texts that teach us how we can have assurance of salvation (cf. 1 John 5:13, Matthew 5:3-10)?

Godly Leaders Prioritize Giving

It also seems that Nehemiah reestablished the worship, not only by setting up the gates, the Levites and the singers, but by working on the temple. It says the leaders gave to the temple work at the end of the chapter. Look at what it says:

Some of the heads of the families contributed to the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 drachmas of gold, 50 bowls and 530 garments for priests. Some of the heads of the families gave to the treasury for the work 20,000 drachmas of gold and 2,200 minas of silver. The total given by the rest of the people was 20,000 drachmas of gold, 2,000 minas of silver and 67 garments for priests.
Nehemiah 7:70-72

Some scholars estimated that the nobles gave over 5 million dollars in today’s currency.⁵ No doubt, this was partially at Nehemiah’s urging, as he reestablished the worship of Israel.

Certainly, Scripture teaches that one of the priorities of a godly leader should be giving—supporting the work of the Lord financially—and encouraging others to do so as well. Paul also urged the Corinthians to give in support of the church in Jerusalem. He encouraged them with the many promises of God to those who are faithful givers. Let us hear these promises:

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
2 Corinthians 9:6-8

The promise to a giver is “all grace” in verse 8. This grace shows up in God providing for all our needs, but it also shows up in us abounding in every good work.

Giving is a priority for a leader because God promises to meet the needs of his people and also open the door for more righteousness in accordance to our giving. Some people may be anemic in their serving, evangelism, intercession, knowledge of Scripture, etc., and it could all be attributed to a lack of giving. God promises we will abound in righteousness if we are cheerful givers.

Consider what Paul said to the Philippians whom he was thanking for their financial support: “Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account” (Phil 4:17). Paul says, “I want you to give because I want you to be credited.” No doubt, this meant receiving riches in heaven and also grace on earth.

Are you a giver? This is the priority of godly leadership. When rebuilding the lives of others, we must train them to give for this opens the door for “all grace” in their lives.

Application Question: In what ways have you experienced “all grace” from God in response to faithful giving? In what ways has God been challenging you to grow in your giving (cf. 2 Corinthians 8:7)?

Conclusion

What are the priorities of a godly leader? How do we build up the people of God? As we look at the first things Nehemiah did after rebuilding the wall, we learn something about the godly leader’s priorities in building up the people of God and also his or her own life.

1. Godly leaders prioritize worship.
2. Godly leaders prioritize raising up leaders.
3. Godly leaders prioritize protecting the people of God.
4. Godly leaders prioritize discerning the voice of God.
5. Godly leaders prioritize the assurance of the people of God.
6. Godly leaders prioritize giving.

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¹ “Integrity” retrieved 11/14/2014, from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/integrity

² MacArthur, J., Jr. (Ed.). (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed., p. 668). Nashville, TN: Word Pub.

³ Kidner, D. (1979). Ezra and Nehemiah: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 12, p. 112). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

⁴ MacArthur, J., Jr. (Ed.). (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed., p. 669). Nashville, TN: Word Pub.

⁵ Boice, J. M. (2005). Nehemiah: an expositional commentary (p. 84). Grand Rapids, MI: BakerBooks.

Those who sealed it were: Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah. Zedekiah… “The rest of the people—priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, temple servants and all who separated themselves from the neighboring peoples for the sake of the Law of God, together with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to understand— all these now join their brothers the nobles, and bind themselves with a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God given through Moses the servant of God and to obey carefully all the commands, regulations and decrees of the LORD our Lord…
Nehemiah 10

What are marks or evidences of true repentance in a Christian’s life—repentance that saves? We have all seen people who claim to follow Christ but are lacking the fruits that prove the reality of their faith.

It is very easy to make a claim or to have a profession of faith, but how does one know if it’s a reality? Christ said in Matthew 7:21-23 that many would come in his name claiming to have a relationship with him but he would reply, “Depart from me you workers of iniquity I never knew you.” They had the talk but not the walk.

In fact, bearing fruit is a very important aspect of our faith. We saw this with John the Baptist’s and Paul’s teaching. Look at what John said when he showed up preaching repentance:

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
Matthew 3:7-10

John the Baptist in commanding repentance did not just say simply “confess” or make a declaration. True repentance always has the corresponding fruits. Paul said the same thing. Consider what he said: “First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds” (Acts 26:20).

Paul preached the need to repent, but like John, he also preached the necessity of proving one’s repentance. It is not enough just to confess; confession must be followed by the proper works. Now this is not a works salvation; it is a salvation that works—a salvation that changes us.

In the context of Nehemiah, we must remember that there was a revival happening. In chapter 8, the people listened and responded to Ezra’s reading and teaching of the Word of God. In chapter 9, the people put on sackcloth and ashes and repented of their sins and the sins of their fathers. But in this chapter, they responded by renewing their covenant with God and committing to prove their repentance by their deeds. Listen to what they said in Nehemiah 9:36-10:1:

“But see, we are slaves today, slaves in the land you gave our forefathers so they could eat its fruit and the other good things it produces. Because of our sins, its abundant harvest goes to the kings you have placed over us. They rule over our bodies and our cattle as they please. We are in great distress. ”In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement, putting it in writing, and our leaders, our Levites and our priests are affixing their seals to it.” Those who sealed it were: Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah. Zedekiah,

They made a commitment to God by renewing the Mosaic covenant. Eighty-four leaders of the community signed a document—a binding agreement. This document showed the priorities of their commitment to God. Even though we are not a part of Israel, we as Christians should have these same commitments. These same fruits will prove the reality of our repentance and relationship with Christ.

What are marks of true repentance—genuine faith?

Big Question: What commitments did Israel make in this chapter as a fruit of their repentance? How can we practice true repentance in our lives?

True Repentance Includes a Commitment to God’s Word

“The rest of the people—priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, temple servants and all who separated themselves from the neighboring peoples for the sake of the Law of God, together with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to understand—all these now join their brothers the nobles, and bind themselves with a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God given through Moses the servant of God and to obey carefully all the commands, regulations and decrees of the LORD our Lord.
Nehemiah 10:28-29

What is the primary focus of this covenant community as seen in the signed document? The primary focus was to submit to the law of God. Israel had disobeyed God’s covenant, which was given in the Pentateuch. But, in this text, they renewed their commitment to God’s Word. Look at what they said:

“The rest of the people—priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, temple servants and all who separated themselves from the neighboring peoples for the sake of the Law of God, together with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to understand— all these now join their brothers the nobles, and bind themselves with a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God given through Moses the servant of God and to obey carefully all the commands, regulations and decrees of the LORD our Lord.
Nehemiah 10:28-29

Here Israel committed to follow God’s Word. Jesus taught that practicing God’s Word was a proof of true faith in the Sermon on the Mount. He taught that there were two types of people who listened to his words. One listened and built the foundation of his house on these words, and his house stood in the storm. But, the other did not build his house on Christ’s words, and his house was destroyed. He said this in Matthew 7:24-26:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

It is very easy for us to look at the Scripture and say with awe, “No one ever spoke like this” as those in John 7:46 did, when listening to Christ, and yet not submit to him. It is also possible for us to pick and choose what we like about the Scriptures instead of submitting to the whole counsel of it.

The apostle John said the same thing as Christ. Listen to what he said: “We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:3-4). He said obeying God’s commands marks genuine faith and repentance. If we are not committed to God’s Word and following it, we are not truly saved and our repentance is false.

True saving faith and true repentance recognizes Scripture as God’s Word and commits to studying it and submitting to it. This should be the focus of the Christian life, and it is an evidence of true repentance.

Here Israel renewed their covenant to follow the laws of God which demonstrated true repentance. Do we need to renew our covenant to God’s Word as well?

Application Question: What are your thoughts about commitment to knowing and obeying God’s Word as a proof of genuine repentance? Why do so few Christians demonstrate this commitment in their lives? In what ways is God challenging you to both study and obey his Word more?

True Repentance Includes a Commitment to Fearing God

all these now join their brothers the nobles, and bind themselves with a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God given through Moses the servant of God and to obey carefully all the commands, regulations and decrees of the LORD our Lord.
Nehemiah 10:29

Not only did they commit to following God’s Word but they also put themselves under a curse if they failed to follow it. In those days when people made covenants, they would often slay an animal and walk through the parts of the animal. By doing this they were saying, “Let this happen to me if I don’t fulfill what I have committed to.” This is what God did in confirming his covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15. He walked through the cut-up bodies of animals, committing to fulfill his covenant with Abraham.

It is possible these leaders did the same thing. But more than likely, they “bound themselves to a curse” by reading Deuteronomy 27 and 28. God had essentially promised Israel that if they did not obey his words, he would severely discipline them. Look at what he said:

Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them. However, if you do not obey the LORD your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country. Your basket and your kneading trough will be cursed. The fruit of your womb will be cursed, and the crops of your land, and the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. You will be cursed when you come in and cursed when you go out. The LORD will send on you curses, confusion and rebuke in everything you put your hand to, until you are destroyed and come to sudden ruin because of the evil you have done in forsaking him.
Deuteronomy 28:14-20

By binding themselves to the curse, they recognized that God was faithful to his words and that he would curse, discipline, and even destroy them for disobedience. Now, under the New Covenant we are not under the curse of the Mosaic Law (cf. Gal 3:13); however, the fear of the Lord should still be a motivating factor in our lives.

Interpretation Question: Where do we see the necessity of fearing the Lord taught in the New Testament?

In contradiction to how some say God was a God of wrath in the Old Testament and a God of grace in the New, he is gracious and wrathful in both. Listen to what Philippians says: “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (2:12).

Why should we have fear while working out the completion of our salvation (sanctification, becoming like Christ)? We should fear because God is a God of discipline. Listen to 2 Corinthians 7:1: “Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”

We must remember our God killed Ananias and Sapphira for lying about their offering in Acts 5. Our God brought sickness and death to some of those who were abusing the Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 11. Our God is still a God of discipline.

And ultimately, it is good to remember that even though we are not under the law, we are still bound by the spiritual principle of “sowing and reaping” which God oversees. We will reap what we sow, whether in this life or after. Galatians 6:7-8 says,

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

When the Jews were recommitting, they recommitted not only to the Word of God but to fearing the Lord, which should be a sobering motivation for all Christians. Hebrews 12:6 says, “the Lord disciplines those he loves.” Discipline is a major aspect of our sanctification, and we should recognize this everyday as we are confronted with temptation and opportunities to sin.

Do you still fear God? Solomon said it is the beginning of wisdom—the beginning of living a wise life (Proverbs 9:10). Therefore, we must fear him if we are going to live a wise life, which is a holy life.

Application Question: Why should the fear of the Lord be a motivation in the Christian life? How would you describe your fear of God’s discipline? How do we find a balance between the motivation of God’s love (cf. 2 Cor 5:12) and fearing his discipline?

True Repentance Includes a Commitment to Holiness

“The rest of the people—priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, temple servants and all who separated themselves from the neighboring peoples for the sake of the Law of God, together with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to understand… “We promise not to give our daughters in marriage to the peoples around us or take their daughters for our sons. “When the neighboring peoples bring merchandise or grain to sell on the Sabbath, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day. Every seventh year we will forgo working the land and will cancel all debts.
Nehemiah 10:28, 30-31

Another focus of the Christian life and evidence of true repentance is the practice of holiness. Where do we see this commitment in Israel? Look at what they committed to:

The rest of the people—priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, temple servants and all who separated themselves from the neighboring peoples for the sake of the Law of God, together with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to understand--all these now join their brothers the nobles, and bind themselves with a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God given through Moses the servant of God and to obey carefully all the commands, regulations and decrees of the LORD our Lord. ”We promise not to give our daughters in marriage to the peoples around us or take their daughters for our sons. ”When the neighboring peoples bring merchandise or grain to sell on the Sabbath, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day. Every seventh year we will forgo working the land and will cancel all debts.
Nehemiah 10:28-32

This holiness was seen in two ways. They would not intermarry with the neighboring nations, and they would not sin against God by buying and selling from the foreigners on the Sabbath.

Israel lived amongst neighboring nations that wanted to interact with them spiritually by drawing them to worship their gods. They wanted to interact with them socially through marriage and the practice of other cultural norms. And they wanted to interact with them economically through trade, which was often done on the Sabbath.

However, God had called Israel to be holy and separate from the neighboring nations primarily so they would not be led into sin. Listen to the command about not marrying in Exodus 34:15-16:

“Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices. And when you choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons and those daughters prostitute themselves to their gods, they will lead your sons to do the same.

The call to not interact or marry with the surrounding nations was never racial but spiritual. They were called to be separate and holy in order to not be drawn into sin with them or to worship their gods. This is what happened with Solomon, who led the kingdom of Israel into God’s judgment.

It’s good to remember that Ruth and Rahab were both Gentiles, and yet they both married into Israel and were put into the lineage of Christ. However, they both were converts to Judaism—they worshiped the God of Israel. Moses also married an Ethiopian woman. Jonah was sent to prophesy to the Gentiles in Nineveh. They were not to be totally separate from the Gentiles but to be separate in the sense that they would not be influenced to sin.

It is no different for us. Second Corinthians 6:14 says to not be “unequally yoked,” and James declares that this practice of not being polluted by the world is a religion God accepts. Listen to what he said: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (James 1:27).

A religion our God accepts is one that keeps itself unspotted from the world. You must be careful of the music you listen to, the TV shows you watch, and the friendships you cultivate. We must not adopt the ideals and practices of the world.

Scripture says that in the same way that the neighboring nations were seeking to lead Israel astray, the world does the same with us. Listen to Romans 12:2:

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

The word “conform” has the connotation of being acted upon. We are being pressed and molded into the image of the world. We are being pressured into having the same passions, the same desires, and the same worldview, rather than that of the inhabitants of the kingdom of God (cf. Matt 5:3-10, Phil 3:19-21).

Scripture also commands us to not love the world, for whoever loves the world, the love of the father is not in him (1 John 2:15). There is a principle in the world system working to draw us away from the love of God.

Yes, our priority must be holiness. Are you living out a life of separation from the world? Or are you trying to love God and love the world as well?

In fact, John says that if we have not committed to holiness and are still living in sin, we are not truly born again. It is a genuine fruit of repentance and if we lack this desire and practice of being holy, then we are not truly saved. Listen to what he says: “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth” (1 John 1:6).

Israel committed to being separate from the nations in order to be holy unto God. We must make this commitment as well. Separation is necessary in order for us to not be influenced by this world, and it is also necessary for us to influence the world (cf. Matt 5:13). We must be different in order to influence the world.

Application Question: How can we reconcile the tension of being in the world and not of the world? In what ways is God challenging you to practice separation?

True Repentance Brings a Commitment to the House of God

Observation Question: In what ways did the people of Israel commit to supporting the temple ministry as seen in Nehemiah 10:32-39?

In the next verses, Nehemiah 10:32-39, we see the house of God mentioned nine times, referring to the restored temple.¹ As a fruit of their repentance, the people of God committed to support the ministry of the temple in four different ways.

1. The temple tax (Neh. 10:32–33). The annual census of the people twenty years of age and older was accompanied by the collecting of a half-shekel tax to be used to support the ministry of the house of God (Ex. 30:11–16).
2. The wood offering (Neh. 10:34). Since the fire on the brazen altar was to be kept burning constantly (Lev. 6:12–13), it required a steady supply of wood; and wood was a precious commodity.
3. The firstfruits (Neh. 10:35–37a). The Jews were taught to give God the first and the best, and this is a good example for us to follow today. “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops” (Prov. 3:9, NIV).
4. The tithes (Neh. 10:37b-39). The word tithe means “a tenth.” The Jews were to bring a tenth of their produce to the Lord each year for the support of the Levites (Lev. 27:30–34). The Levites then gave a “tithe of the tithe” to the priests (Num. 18:25–32).²

Application Question: What can we learn from the commitment of the people of Israel to support the work of the temple? How can we apply this?

1. Israel’s commitment to the house of God reminds us of our need to support the work of the Lord with our finances.

Israel committed to give the temple tax, the wood offering, the first fruits, and the tithe. In the New Testament, we are not under the Old Testament tithe or giving system, but we are commanded to practice faithful giving. We learn about New Testament giving in Paul’s command to the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 16:1-2. It says:

Now about the collection for God’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.

We are called to give “in keeping with our income”; other versions say “as the Lord prospers you.” What makes this harder than the Old Covenant is the fact that many people should be giving way more than 10% because God has prospered them so much. This may be especially true for the Western church, which is very wealthy in comparison to the rest of the world.

Christians are called to not store up riches on this earth (Matthew 6:19), and we are called to be cheerful in giving (2 Corinthians 9:7). Also, we are called to seek to excel in the act of giving in the same way we do in acts of love or mercy. Second Corinthians 8:7says this: “But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.”

In the practice of grace giving, we are not called to give our 10% and then say we have fulfilled the law. No, we are called to seek to increase our giving at all times, just as we are always trying to love more.

How does this look practically? Personally, every year or at certain times during a year, my wife and I will look at our finances and see how we are doing. We have a fixed giving each year but our priority is always to see if we can increase it. Can we give 5% or 10% more this year or semester based on our income? Or, should we consider lowering it because of new costs?

That’s one way we can apply the practice of grace giving and trying to continually grow in this grace. As Israel committed to support the work of God, we must continually make this commitment as well.

How else can we apply Israel’s commitment to the house of God?

2. Israel’s commitment to the house of God reminds us of our need to give our best to God.

Israel committed to give God their firstfruits. The firstfruits were considered the best and a picture of the future harvest. In what ways can we give God our best?

In Malachi, which was written to Israel during the days of Nehemiah,³ God accused Israel of bringing lambs which were blind and lame, and he rejected them. Look at what God said to Israel in Malachi 1:6-8:

“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the LORD Almighty. “It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name. “But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’ ”You place defiled food on my altar. “But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’ “By saying that the LORD’s table is contemptible. When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” says the LORD Almighty.

Many times we do this with God. We give him the last five minutes of the day and sometimes nothing at all. We give him our left-overs, not our best. We also should give God our firstfruits because he is our King. How can we give our King anything less? Are you giving God your best?

Application Question: In what ways is God calling you to give him your best practically? How does this affect your time management, your priorities, and your future goals?

3. Israel’s commitment to the house of God reminds us that we should labor to build up God’s church.

Another application we can take from this is our need to build up God’s church. Today, God does not live in temples built with hands, but he indwells the people of God—the living temple. Listen to what Peter said: “You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5).

Similarly, Paul teaches that we are the temple of God both corporately (1 Cor 3:16) and individually (1 Cor 6:19). Therefore, one of the ways we build God’s house is by being committed to the church and serving his people there.

God has uniquely given each believer a spiritual gift for the purpose of building up the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:7). Just as each person brought wood, firstfruits, etc., to build up the house of God, we must use our gifts and our time to build up God’s people as well. This is a true fruit of genuine repentance: serving the house of God.

John said this: “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death” (1 John 3:14). Love always results in service. If anybody does not serve the church—Christ’s body—he has not passed from life to death. They lack a fruit of true repentance.

Application Question: In what ways do you feel called to serve the people of God? What are your spiritual gifts and what sacrifices do you feel called to make in building God’s house?

General Applications

As we look at the covenant Israel renewed with God in Nehemiah 10, we learn a lot about our spiritual commitments and how we should continually practice them. As seen with New Year’s commitments, many people feel that making them is pointless. “We are just going to break them anyway,” they say. However, commitments are very important to any aspect of society and especially to our spiritual life. We make commitments when we sign a job contract, when we buy a house, and even when we get married. Commitments are important.

Application Question: What can we learn about commitments from Israel in Nehemiah 10?

1. We should not hesitate to make or renew biblical commitments to God. It doesn’t matter if we failed in the past; we can start over at any time.

What commitments is God calling you to make or renew with him today?

2. We should practice sharing our commitments with others in order to have accountability.

It seems that because only eighty-four leaders signed the document, the leaders were not only committing themselves but committing to help Israel keep their commitments. They were the nation’s representatives, and the contract was an accountability system for Israel. It also may be wise for us to share our commitments with spiritual leaders or those we trust so they can help hold us accountable.

Who are your accountability partners? What commitments are they helping you keep with God?

3. We should practice writing down our commitments.

The Jews wrote down their commitments to God and had the leaders sign and seal it (cf. Neh 9:38-10:1). There is something powerful about both verbalizing our commitments and writing them down.

Writing them down helps us clarify them and make sure they are attainable. This is another form of accountability for us. This helps increase our faith as we watch God’s faithfulness in helping us fulfill these commitments. This may be done with a journal or even a contract like Israel’s.

Application Question: In what ways have you found accountability helpful in your spiritual life? Why is it so important?

Conclusion

What are marks of true repentance and, therefore, saving faith? In this chapter, Israel followed up their repentance in chapter 9 with a renewal of the Mosaic covenant. They made many commitments to God, and, in many ways, these should be our commitments today.

1. The people of God must be committed to the Word of God. How is God calling you to renew a commitment to studying and practicing his Word?
2. The people of God must be committed to the fear of the Lord. Israel put themselves under the curse of the Mosaic law for breaking the covenant. They essentially committed to recognizing and allowing it to motivate them to faithfulness. Does the fear of the Lord motivate you?
3. The people of God must be committed to holiness. Israel separated from the neighboring nations and their ways of life. In what ways are you practicing separation?
4. The people of God must be committed to building the house of God. The house of God is not the temple anymore but it is our bodies (1 Cor 6:19) and the people of God (I Peter 2:5). We should be committed to serving and seeing God’s kingdom come in our own lives and the lives of others.

Application Question: In what ways is God challenging you to be more committed to him and/or to challenge others through this study on true repentance?

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¹ Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Determined (p. 123). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

² Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Determined. “Be” Commentary Series (126). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

³ MacArthur, John (2003-08-21). The MacArthur Bible Handbook (Kindle Locations 6969-6970). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

How can a person be saved? From what is he saved? How can someone have eternal life? Scripture teaches that after death each person will spend eternity either in heaven or hell. How can a person go to heaven?

Paul said this to Timothy:

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 3:14-15

One of the reasons God gave us Scripture is to make us wise for salvation. This means that without it nobody can know how to be saved.

Well then, how can a people be saved and what are they being saved from? A common method of sharing the good news of salvation is through the Romans Road. One of the great themes, not only of the Bible, but specifically of the book of Romans is salvation. In Romans, the author, Paul, clearly details the steps we must take in order to be saved.

How can we be saved? What steps must we take?

Step One: We Must Accept that We Are Sinners

Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” What does it mean to sin? The word sin means “to miss the mark.” The mark we missed is looking like God. When God created mankind in the Genesis narrative, he created man in the “image of God” (1:27). The “image of God” means many things, but probably, most importantly it means we were made to be holy just as he is holy. Man was made moral. We were meant to reflect God’s holiness in every way: the way we think, the way we talk, and the way we act. And any time we miss the mark in these areas, we commit sin.

Furthermore, we do not only sin when we commit a sinful act such as: lying, stealing, or cheating; again, we sin anytime we have a wrong heart motive. The greatest commandments in Scripture are to “Love God with all our heart, mind, and soul and to love others as ourselves” (Matt 22:36-40, paraphrase). Whenever we don’t love God supremely and love others as ourselves, we sin and fall short of the glory of God. For this reason, man is always in a state of sinning. Sadly, even if our actions are good, our heart is bad. I have never loved God with my whole heart, mind, and soul and neither has anybody else. Therefore, we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). We have all missed the mark of God’s holiness and we must accept this.

What’s the next step?

Step Two: We Must Understand We Are under the Judgment of God

Why are we under the judgment of God? It is because of our sins. Scripture teaches God is not only a loving God, but he is a just God. And his justice requires judgment for each of our sins. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death.”

A wage is something we earn. Every time we sin, we earn the wage of death. What is death? Death really means separation. In physical death, the body is separated from the spirit, but in spiritual death, man is separated from God. Man currently lives in a state of spiritual death (cf. Eph 2:1-3). We do not love God, obey him, or know him as we should. Therefore, man is in a state of death.

Moreover, one day at our physical death, if we have not been saved, we will spend eternity separated from God in a very real hell. In hell, we will pay the wage for each of our sins. Therefore, in hell people will experience various degrees of punishment (cf. Lk 12:47-48). This places man in a very dangerous predicament—unholy and therefore under the judgment of God.

How should we respond to this? This leads us to our third step.

Step Three: We Must Recognize God Has Invited All to Accept His Free Gift of Salvation

Romans 6:23 does not stop at the wages of sin being death. It says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Because God loved everybody on the earth, he offered the free gift of eternal life, which anyone can receive through Jesus Christ.

Because it is a gift, it cannot be earned. We cannot work for it. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Going to church, being baptized, giving to the poor, or doing any other righteous work does not save. Salvation is a gift that must be received from God. It is a gift that has been prepared by his effort alone.

How do we receive this free gift?

Step Four: We Must Believe Jesus Christ Died for Our Sins and Rose from the Dead

If we are going to receive this free gift, we must believe in God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Because God loved us, cared for us, and didn’t want us to be separated from him eternally, he sent his Son to die for our sins. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Similarly, John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life.” God so loved us that he gave his only Son for our sins.

Jesus Christ was a real, historical person who lived 2,000 years ago. He was born of a virgin. He lived a perfect life. He was put to death by the Romans and the Jews. And he rose again on the third day. In his death, he took our sins and God’s wrath for them and gave us his perfect righteousness so we could be accepted by God. Second Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” God did all this so we could be saved from his wrath.

Christ’s death satisfied the just anger of God over our sins. When God saw Jesus on the cross, he saw us and our sins and therefore judged Jesus. And now, when God sees those who are saved, he sees his righteous Son and accepts us. In salvation, we have become the righteousness of God.

If we are going to be saved, if we are going to receive this free gift of salvation, we must believe in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection for our sins (cf. 1 Cor 15:3-5, Rom 10:9-10). Do you believe?

Step Five: We Must Confess Christ as Lord of Our Lives

Romans 10:9-10 says,

That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

Not only must we believe, but we must confess Christ as Lord of our lives. It is one thing to believe in Christ but another thing to follow Christ. Simple belief does not save. Christ must be our Lord. James said this: “Even the demons believe and shudder” (James 2:19) but the demons are not saved—Christ is not their Lord.

Another aspect of making Christ Lord is repentance. Repentance really means a change of mind that leads to a change of direction. Before we met Christ, we were living our own life and following our own sinful desires. But when we get saved, our mind and direction change. We start to follow Christ as Lord.

How do we make this commitment to the lordship of Christ so we can be saved? Paul said we must confess with our mouth “Jesus is Lord” as we believe in him. Romans 10:13 says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

If you admit that you are a sinner and understand you are under God’s wrath because of them; if you believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that he died on the cross for your sins, and rose from the dead for your salvation; if you are ready to turn from your sin and cling to Christ as Lord, you can be saved.

If this is your heart, then you can pray this prayer and commit to following Christ as your Lord.

Dear heavenly Father, I confess I am a sinner and have fallen short of your glory, what you made me for. I believe Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins and rose from the dead so I can have eternal life. I am turning away from my sin and accepting you as my Lord and Savior. Come into my life and change me. Thank you for your gift of salvation.

Scripture teaches that if you truly accepted Christ as your Lord, then you are a new creation. Second Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” God has forgiven your sins (1 John 1:9), he has given you his Holy Spirit (Rom 8:15), and he is going to disciple you and make you into the image of his Son (cf. Rom 8:29). He will never leave you nor forsake you (Heb 13:5), and he will complete the work he has begun in your life (Phil 1:6). In heaven, angels and saints are rejoicing because of your commitment to Christ (Lk 15:7).

Praise God for his great salvation! May God keep you in his hand, empower you through the Holy Spirit, train you through mature believers, and use you to build his kingdom! “The one who calls you is faithful, he will do it” (1 Thess 5:24). God bless you!