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“So they strengthened their hands for this great work.”—Nehemiah 2:18
While I am taking this text, it is my thought to emphasize some of the practical truths that lie on the surface in the first five chapters of this wonderful book. Nehemiah was a man whose life was a perpetual testimony to the faithfulness of his God. He lived a long way from what we term “means of grace,” but as someone remarked years ago, when we are farthest from the “means” we may be nearest to the thing itself. It isn’t the means, but grace that is sufficient.
We …
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“Neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God, of that which doth cost me nothing,” (2 Samuel 24:24).
The burnt offering is the Old Testament picture of entire consecration. It was voluntary. It was all upon the altar. It was made by fire, a sweet savor unto the Lord. I want to use this text as the basis for what is recounted in Nehemiah 2, for the principle of the burnt offering is the principle behind the preparation and equipment of this man, and all others, for the service of God.
The Burden He Carried (Nehemiah 2:2) …
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Voting with a Christian Conscience
I believe the evangelical church has finally been forced to conclude we cannot depend upon politics to turn this country around, bring us back to biblical principles, or reverse the anti-Christian bigotry developing in the courts, the media, and the wider culture. Only the church, armed with the Gospel, is able to bring lasting change in the hearts and lives of people. God’s House—and not the White House—holds the key to the future of our nation.
If there’s ever been a time for the church to stand tall, it’s today—whether it’s with or without support …
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The books of Ezra and Nehemiah, the first post-captivity books, belong to each other. Zerubbabel led the first company of exiles back to the land of promise. Eighty years later he was followed by Ezra with a company of probably fifty thousand. Ezra’s mission was purely religious. He brought gifts to the temple and sought to restore the worship of the fathers and revive the spiritual life of the nation. He was faced with very discouraging conditions, for the Jews had intermarried with the heathen and corrupt and idolatrous practices had been introduced which created a great problem.
The book …
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In accordance with his agreement with the Persian king, Nehemiah had returned to the court upon the completion of the building of the wall. Twelve years later, seeking renewed permission, he returned to Jerusalem. The last chapter of this amazing record in the Word of God reveals to us the unswerving loyalty of Nehemiah to his God, right through to the very end.
“I came to Jerusalem and I understood...” (verse 7).
Those few words are the clue to the whole zeal and character of this man Nehemiah. He came to Jerusalem, the place from which all divine strategy in …
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The Old Testament institutes tithing as an obligatory act of worship by God’s people. Israelite tithes supported the landless tribe of Levi and the priesthood of God (Numbers 18:25-32, Nehemiah 10:38). They also served the giver’s family and the nation’s disadvantaged (Deuteronomy 14:22-29). This command of God was often abused or ignored (Malachi 3:8-10). As in the case with all visible acts of worship, self-righteousness cropped up among the Israelites who actually did tithe (Luke 18:12).
Through the fulfilling work of the Messiah, New Testament believers are no longer obligated to perform the particulars of the Law. Tithing is never …
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