I am focused on pleasing the Master, without my ego standing in my way.
I will not make the mistake of John the Baptist, to say “I must decrease, and He must increase”.
No! Rather, “I must die, daily, so He must live in my place”.
What many who claim to have been called or put in leadership positions, in God’s Kingdom, do not fully grasp in the very important but confusing difference between THE MEANS and THE END.
If one misses the understanding or get distracted by the external movements to loose focus of that distinction, we end up, painfully like Solomon, John the Baptist and Elijah, to mention a few.
May I take us through, briskly, the works of Nehemiah, the reformer.
There were two (2) major aspects of the GREAT WORK done by Nehemiah (and also Ezra) –
(1) PHYSICAL RESTORATION and
(2)SPIRITUAL REFORMATION
The Physical Restoration:
Nehemiah 1 – 6
We all know the story of the rebuilding of the Walls of Jerusalem. The wisdom which God had imparted into Nehemiah for administration, management of resources (men, skilled & unskilled, money & materials, requisite authority backing), strategic reasoning and planning, excellent project management skill and discerning was evident and fully employed. The result was fantastic.
The Spiritual Reformation => Restoration + Revival:
This is the formula for building Zion.
The very first thing he, Nehemiah focused on, was to CAUSE THE PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THEIR GOD IN HIS COMMANDMENTS AND LAWS.
Suddenly God’s demands ceased to be a burden!
The First Assignment and Task:
Neh.8.1-18.kjv
And ALL THE PEOPLE GATHERED THEMSELVES TOGETHER AS ONE MAN into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto EZRA THE SCRIBE to BRING THE BOOK of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel.
And EZRA the priest BROUGHT the law before the congregation both of men and women, and ALL THAT COULD HEAR WITH UNDERSTANDING,…..
(Note: not everyone can hear with understanding)
And HE READ therein, …………before the men and the women, and those that COULD UNDERSTAND; and the ears of all the people were ATTENTIVE unto the book of the law.
And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:
THESE NAMES WERE SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED & RECORDED FOR US TO NOTE & FOR REWARD FOR ALLIGNING WITH THE OBJECTIVE.
What is the objective?
Without breaking of ranks, in alignment, make the PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND!
Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, CAUSED THE PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND the law: and THE PEOPLE STOOD IN “THEIR PLACE”.
So they READ in the book in the law of God DISTINCTLY, and GAVE THE SENSE, and CAUSED THEM TO UNDERSTAND THE READING.
And on the second day were GATHERED TOGETHER the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, EVEN TO UNDERSTAND the words of the law.
Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.
This will work if we really trust the grace of God in who ever God is using to teach us.
TWO OPTIONS
We can disagree and with a honest, sincere and true heart to enquire and learn present our doubt, and
we may choose equally, and decide to dig into our own opinion trench and make our own behind the curtain derogatory remarks and stand.
Then we get a UNION at the best and not a UNITY
ONCE THAT WAS DONE IN A UNITED FASHION, AFTER THE TEACHERS WERE GIVEN THE CHANCE TO TEACH AND MAKE THE PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND GOD, REVIVAL, FELLOWSHIP OF SPIRITS and SACRIFICIAL HARMONY OF GRACES FOLLOWED:
OTHER GRACES AND CALLINGS STARTED EDIFYING THE BODY!
Neh.9.1-38.kjv
Now ….the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them. And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.
And THEY STOOD up in their place, and READ in the book of the law of the Lord their God …..they confessed, and worshipped the Lord their God.
INTERCESSORS
Then stood up upon the stairs, of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, and CRIED WITH A LOUD VOICE UNTO THE LORD their God.
WORSHIPERS
Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, SAID, STAND UP AND BLESS the Lord your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.
……And because of all this WE MAKE a SURE COVENANT, and WRITE IT; and our princes, Levites, and priests, SEAL unto it.
THE ROLES OF THE OTHER GRACES – singers, porters, worshippers, etc:
Neh.10.28-39.kjv
…..And the rest of the people, the PRIESTS, the LEVITES, the PORTERS, the SINGERS, the Nethinims, and all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, EVERY ONE HAVING KNOWLEDGE, and HAVING UNDERSTANDING;
…… into an oath, TO WALK IN GOD’s LAW, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes;
For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the corn, of the new wine, and the oil, unto the chambers, where are the vessels of the sanctuary, and the priests that minister, and the porters, and the singers: and WE WILL NOT FORSAKE THE HOUSE of our God.
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ROAD MAP TO GOD’S REASON FOR CALLING YOU WITH THE ANOINTING HARMONY OF GRACES and not to dissemble:
Neh.11.1-20.kjv
[EVERYBODY IN THEIR OWN RIGHTS AS LEADERS, WATCHMEN, PROPHETS, PASTORS, GIFTED MEN & WOMEN, buried interpersonal differences, and came together, each supplying his or her own grace to EDIFY THE UNITED BODY]
And the RULERS of the people dwelt at Jerusalem: ……. AND THE PEOPLE BLESSED all the men, that willingly offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem.
Now these are the CHIEF OF THE PROVINCE that dwelt in Jerusalem: ……, to wit, Israel, the PRIESTS, and the LEVITES, and the NETHINIMS, and the CHILDREN OF SOLOMON servants.
And Joel the son of Zichri was their OVERSEER: …….. BRETHREN, MIGHTY MEN OF VALOUR, …… the son of one of the GREAT MEN.
Moreover THE PORTERS, ….. And the residue of Israel, …..in all the cities of Judah, EVERY ONE IN HIS INHERITANCE.
————
Neh.12.1-45.kjv
Now these are the PRIESTS and the LEVITES that went up with Zerubbabel………. OVER THE THANKSGIVING, he and his brethren.
And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem …………to keep the DEDICATION WITH GLADNESS, both with THANKSGIVING, and with SINGING, with cymbals, PSALTERIES, and with harps. And both the SINGERS and the PORTERS KEPT THE WARD of their God, and the ward of the purification, according to the commandment of David, and of Solomon his son.
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MY OWN, NEHEMIAH’s CONCLUDING PRAYER TO GOD –
“REMEMBER MY SINCERE EFFORTS OH GOD!”
Neh.13.14-31.kjv
REMEMBER ME, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out MY GOOD DEEDS that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof.
And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day.
REMEMBER ME, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy.
REMEMBER THEM, O my God, FOR GOOD.
REMEMBER ME, O my God, for good.