Nehemiah
11 reminds me of one of our primary responsibilities as believers.
We are called to be salt and light in a dark world. In Matthew 5:14,
Jesus said, “You
are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden… In
the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your
good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
It is true that once we make a public declaration of our faith,
people will look for inconsistencies in our life. We make ourselves
a target to those who refuse to accept that God is the creator and
author of all things. Some feel threatened by any standard of
righteousness. As
the chapter begins, we have the Jerusalem urban renewal project near
completion. After more than 70 years of neglect and abandonment, the
Temple and walls of Jerusalem had been rebuilt. I am sure the
surrounding peoples saw them as an easy target because there were
simply not enough people to adequately
run and defend the city. Remember the life in Babylon was pretty
cushy and many Jews saw no reason to leave. The chapter begins, “Now
the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem, and the rest of the
people cast lots to bring one out of every ten to live in Jerusalem…
the remaining nine were to stay in their own towns. The people
commended all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem“.
I believe that when we “regular people” willingly accept the
responsibility to live out our faith, it emboldens our workmates,
classmates and neighbors. It might just take an encouraging word.
Their
goal was to repopulate the entire nation, but the focus was on the
capitol city. I am reminded that wherever you are and whatever you
do, God can use you as an example to those around you. Who is better
prepared to speak to a construction worker than another construction
worker? Who can demonstrate the Peace of God better to a police
officer than a fellow policeman? The chapter list the “the
provincial leaders who settled in Jerusalem”
that were from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. We are told, “Some…
lived in the towns of Judah… each on his own property in the
various towns, while other people from both Judah and Benjamin lived
in Jerusalem“.
We are given names of the Priests, the Levites, the Gatekeepers and
Temple Servants. In each group the names and family lines are
listed.
“The
rest of the Israelites, with the priests and Levites, were in all the
towns of Judah, each on his ancestral property“.
Sometimes the old and comfortable relationships are the people that
need God’s presence most. It is hard to exhort and old friend, but
maybe that was God’s plan from the beginning? Ephesians 5:2 tells
us to “Walk
in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an
offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma“.
Each
one of us has unique talents and abilities that God can use for His
purposes. You don’t have to be a great speaker; in fact most of us
came to Christ because of an act of compassion. The greatest
evangelist in the world is the individual that pauses long enough to
see and react to the needs around them. In many ways pastors are
limited. “The
chief officer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi… responsible for
the service of the house of God. The singers were under the king’s
orders, which regulated their daily activity“.
Our pastors teach so that we might be equipped to meet needs where
we live. “As
for the villages with their fields, some of the people of Judah lived
in… its surrounding settlements“.
Still not sure you are up to the task of living out your faith?
Philippians 1:5 gives us a promise. “He
who has begun a good work in you will complete it
until the day of Jesus Christ“.
God is faithful; all that is required from us is willingness. Are
you willing?