Nehemiah, a prominent person in the court of Artaxerxes, was the king's cupbearer (Neh. 1:11 ). Having heard of the condition of his people at Jerusalem, and the disintegration of the walls of the city, he petitioned the king for permission to go to Jerusalem to assist his people in the tremendous task which lay before them. Nehemiah was provided with the necessary credentials, along with a military escort, in order that he might make the trip to Jerusalem which was a 1,000 miles away. Since "whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning," we will capitalize on some of the great lessons taught in the thirteen chapters of the book of Nehemiah at his return to Jerusalem.

THE NEED TO ARISE AND BUILD (2:20)

Nehemiah reached Jerusalem and surveyed the damage. The walls of the city were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire (2:13). The condition of the city was almost more than Nehemiah could bear. He told his people: (1) "We are in distress;" (2) "The gates are burned with fire; (3) "We are a reproach." When the people heard the report of Nehemiah, they said, "Let us rise up and build" (2:18). What great recognition of need and attitude! There is much work to be done in the kingdom of the Lord today and we need people who will involve themselves; people who will not wait to be "primed," or "pushed," or "persuaded." The world still has to be evangelized (Matt. 28:18-20) and local churches need to be confirmed in the faith (Acts 15:41). There is no need to stand idle (Matt. 20:6) with hanging hands and feeble knees (Heb. 12:12). It is urgent that we work while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work (John 9:4).

WE NEED A MIND TO WORK (4:6)

with the proper attitude. Paul explained the importance of attitude in these words: "For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according as a man hath, not according as hath not" (2 Cor. 8:12). And again, "...your zeal hath stirred up very many of them" (2 Cor. 9:2). Though the apostle is discussing a different subject, a proper attitude toward whatever we are doing is indispensable. Consider the work of local evangelism. The size of most congregations could be doubled in a relatively short time if the people really had a mind to work. Nothing that needs to be done will ever go undone if people are willing to work. One of the reasons for "placing membership" or "identifying with a congregation" (cf. Acts 9:26) is that it indicates a willingness to work in the vineyard of the Lord.

HINDRANCES CAN BE OVERCOME (6:1-2)

There are always hindrances to the Lord's work, and in many cases these hindrances come in the form of people. In the case of Nehemiah and his work of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, there were three people who tried to thwart the work: Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem (4:7; 6:1). "And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it" (4: 8). When they heard that Nehemiah had builded the walls they wanted to have a meeting in one of the villages in the Plain of Ono, not to offer their assistance but to hinder the work. Nehemiah understood their intent and did not stop his work to grant their request. "And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?" Preachers and other church leaders must not allow the Lord's work to be arrested by those who are either disinterested in the cause of Christ or without understanding as to what the work of the church is; such hindrances must be identified and removed.

THE NEED TO HEAR THE WORD OF GOD (8:1-18)