I have been preaching through nehemiah on Sunday mornings and now, four months and six chapters into the book, the task of rebuilding the walls is complete. Interestingly, our own construction process in the corresponding amount of time has result in the laying of our foundation and the beginning work on the steel structure of our new facilities.
At this point in Nehemiah the story changes direction. One might expect an effusive celebration of the completion of the rebuilding of the walls in only fifty-two days--and that under duress--but, instead, Nehemiah continues the rest of the task God has given him. Back in 2:5 Nehemiah's request--attributed as God's idea--to "rebuild" the city utilizes a word for "build" that means more than physical construction. It implies even the building and development of a community.
In chapter 7-10 Nehemiah begins to address the true spiritual needs of the people, in order that they will not become so enamored with the completion of a significant physical task, that they forget the sin that brought them to this place of God's judgment and the grace that now allows them now to truly "rebuild".
Spiritual rebuilding of broken-down lives does not mean simply relocation and resolution, and other overt changes. For change to be genuine and enduring it must address the root causes of that which brought the "breaking down". That is almost always an issue of the heart.
Nehemiah, under God's direction, sees that.
So must we.
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