Author: Bryan Richardson

Re:Verse passage – Nehemiah 5:6-13 (day three)

“Please, let us leave off this usury.”

Philosopher Dallas Willard said, “Business is God’s way of taking care of people, so when someone says, ‘It’s just business,’ watch out! They’re getting ready to hurt you.” Nehemiah understood this. In fact, his understanding expanded beyond business to include the concept of city. He rightly discerned that the purpose of a city is to help people live face to face with one another and take care of one another. That’s a far cry from how people often view the city today. It’s not uncommon to hear of people “escaping” the city, getting out of the “rat race,” and holing up in solitary rural enclaves. Maybe that’s you. It makes sense. Who wants to live where people cannibalize each other? Nehemiah displays the nurturing care that all people need, and it starts with the city.

Re:Verse passage – Nehemiah 4:1-8 (day three)

“What are these feeble Jews doing?”

A well-worn aphorism: “When you have the facts on your side, pound the facts, when you have the law on your side, pound the law, and when you have neither, pound the table.” All the harrumphing going on here betrays the weak position of Nehemiah’s enemies. Confident people don’t employ ad hominem arguments, and Nehemiah knew it. He could see through their ridiculous rhetoric. But would his resolve envelop the people he led? This question fueled his prayer. The resulting calm and courage in him provided a steady voice to which all the people rallied.

Re:Verse passage – Nehemiah 3:1-5 (day three)

“Next to him the men of Jericho built, and next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built.”

The people followed Nehemiah. He facilitated their skills, helping them channel their engineering, masonry, and stonework abilities to rebuild an entire city. But Nehemiah also followed the people. That is to say, Nehemiah responded to the hopes and desires already present in their hearts. These longings were not wishful thinking or flights of fancy, but deep yearnings long dormant from ancient times, passed down from generation to generation from the time of the exodus, full of the fervor of Moses’s preaching and the promises of the law. These were dreams – initiated by God – that would not die. It was these dreams, present in Nehemiah’s own heart too, that Nehemiah heard and followed.

Re:Verse passage – Nehemiah 2:11-20 (day three)

“I did not tell anyone what my God was putting into my mind to do for Jerusalem.”

When you hear someone say to you that “God has laid it on my heart” to do some action, or that “the Lord is leading me” towards this or that, or that “I’ve prayed and I’m being directed” towards a certain decision, how do you feel about your freedom to disagree? “The Lord led me” is something that is often hard to counter. That’s why it can be used to gain power over someone’s reasoning or better judgement. If you disagree, it’s as if you’re fighting against God. Nehemiah eschewed such tactics. He displayed his integrity as a leader at every turn. He could well have said “follow me because the Lord is with me.” Instead, he let his actions do the talking.

Re:Verse passage – Nehemiah 1:4–11 (day three)

“O Lord, I beseech you, may your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant…”

When you call out to God, do you experience him as someone who pays attention and responds in a way that feels like he cares? You might bristle and claim that feelings aren’t to be trusted – only facts. But emotions are the guidance and safety system of every sentient being. Trust, mistrust, anger, joy, surprise, sorrow, shame, grief – these and other emotions move one toward another or away from another. God of course knows this, which is why he deals with a person’s fear in the Bible before anything can get done: “Do not be afraid, it is I.” God will take as long as it takes to help you move from negative to positive feelings, just as he did with Nehemiah.

Re:Verse passage – Nehemiah 1:1–3, 11 (day three)

“The wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire.”

From the time David made Jerusalem the center of his kingdom until this news reached Nehemiah’s ears, a whole world had come and gone. The uniting of Israel, the return of the Ark, the expansion of territory, the building of the temple, the pilgrimages of the nations to the holy city to hear storied wisdom, the dark hours, the secession of ten tribes, the fall of the northern kingdom, the revivals, the faltering, the persecutions, reduction to vassal state, the destruction of the temple, deportation and captivity. By order of Cyrus, Jerusalem began to be rebuilt from the ashes, and hope had sprung to life. Now, in the bitterest turn of events, this nascent hope had died. Bad news comes. Even to those whom God loves.