A Sermon by A D Davidson
Nehemiah 4:17. They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.
Daniel had prophesied that the walls of Jerusalem would be rebuilt, in troublous times, after the people returned from their captivity. And the history of the period verifies this. From the first, the jealousy of the Samaritans was excited against the Jews who returned from Babylon, and this jealousy developed into actual opposition. The high priest’s son had married the daughter of the governor of Samaria. As some regulations which Nehemiah framed when governing the infant city were disagreeable to many Jews, the high priest’s son fled to the Samaritans and became the Jews’ irreconcilable enemy. He made many attempts to assassinate Nehemiah, as well as to obstruct the work which lay so near that good man’s heart. So determined were the efforts to prevent the restoration of Jerusalem that Nehemiah and his friends had to be on the watch night and day against their enemy.
The text furnishes strong evidence of the dangers when the holy city was raised from its ruins. For safety “every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon”. These words may be aptly applied to illustrate some aspects of the Christian life; we would endeavour to apply them to the solemn work of last Lord’s Day. The first temple, built in the peaceful, prosperous days of Solomon and irradiated by God’s glory at its consecration, is an appropriate emblem of man’s condition when he came from his Maker’s hands perfect, and adorned with his Maker’s image. But sin entered and this noble fabric was laid in ruins. The erection of the second temple, in the troublous times of Nehemiah, amid the perpetual opposition of the Samaritans, is no less appropriate an emblem of man’s condition when he becomes the subject of God’s saving grace.
Scripture, in various places, forces these similitudes on our notice when it represents believers as temples of the Holy Ghost – and more particularly, when it describes Jesus Christ as the true foundation, the corner stone laid in Zion, elect and precious; and His people as so many living stones built upon that sure foundation, cemented to it by faith, and to each other by the bond of love. A vast spiritual structure is in progress, and the Holy Ghost is the great agent in erecting it. This structure is the Church of the living God, and believers are sometimes spoken of as constituting the materials which
1Abridged from the preacher’s Lectures and Sermons and delivered after a communion season. Davidson (1807-72) was latterly minister of the Free West Church in Aberdeen.
the Spirit moulds according to His own fashion, and sometimes as the workmen He employs to accomplish His purpose. It is in this latter way we must regard them in the light of the text. Every true follower of Christ is the Spirit’s workman; not only does the Spirit call him from serving sin and Satan to God’s service and qualifies him for that service but also, from the moment of conversion, it becomes his great object to do the Spirit’s work.
Now I would speak of (1) some of the difficulties which the believer must meet in his work and (2) the attitude he must always have.
1. The difficulties the believer must meet in his work. The Christian life is a scene of perpetual conflict. Yet it is to be feared that there are many with the name of Christians who know no more of the Christian’s difficulties than what they have learned by rote. The truth is: it is not until a man has begun seriously, with some devotedness, to serve Christ that he becomes aware how numerous and formidable are the adversaries that stand between him and heaven. While there is nothing but profession, it is as if one was gliding along a smooth current, where no exertion is necessary; but when the power of heart religion is felt, and Christ’s glory is truly and resolutely aimed at, it is as if the little boat has to be impelled against both wind and current.
No doubt there are crosses and trials in every situation of life, which disturb a man’s quiet and cause him much perplexity. So, when the difficulties of the Christian life are spoken of in a general way, most people suppose they understand what is meant. No doubt these crosses must sometimes be reckoned among the troubles which afflict the just, from which the Lord has promised to deliver them; but they are not religious difficulties. On the contrary, they are made to work together for good to them that love God, who agree that their best interests have been promoted by them.
We speak of other difficulties – hindrances to the believer’s advancement in holiness and to his perseverance in well doing, such as arise from the temptations of the world, the subtlety of Satan and the state of his own heart. The nominal Christian thinks little of these, for he is carried along by their influence, without attempting to resist; his principal struggle is not to overcome his spiritual adversaries, but to drown the voice within him which testifies that he is allowing them to drag him along to perdition. But look at the confessions of God’s people, as recorded in Scripture or elsewhere; they all felt they were in a perpetual warfare in which they were often cast down, although never destroyed. And if you have entered the narrow path, you will testify also that every inch of ground in the Christian life must be contested, that there are fiery darts to be quenched; and that Paul speaks truly when he describes the believer as fighting the good fight of faith.
I would only offer a few remarks on the conflict which the Christian has
to wage with the corruption of his own heart. Here he is beset most sorely with opposition. Satan does indeed watch for opportunities to inject the poison of his counsels, and to rivet the chains which he has already wound about the soul; but it is because the heart is corrupt and is not guarded that he is able to do either. The citadel has a thousand weak points about it; but if it were not for internal rebellion, the enemy would be successfully repulsed. Consider anyone that has had any experience in the great work of subjugating his affections and desires to do the will of Christ and is really in earnest about the salvation of his soul and the service of Christ. Will he not acknowledge that often, when he would have been most anxious for profitable thoughts and a spiritual frame of mind, he has been hurried hither and thither after vanity, and into what is sinful and impure?
He that has experienced what we have referred to will confess that, again and again, when he thought he could have depended upon himself and could have defied the power of any temptation, some little incident has awakened the dormant tendencies of corrupt nature and has taught him to feel bitterly that he was still deeply tainted with earth’s pollutions. Truly the heart even of the holiest in this world may be well compared to the little pool which seems all brightness and purity when it is unruffled but, when slightly stirred, shows that there is sad defilement beneath. Is it not most humiliating that we cannot pray or read the Bible without being distracted with thoughts which savour more of the regions of darkness than those of purity, where the heart should be? Is it not fearful to think that the world should come in and that the wicked one should enter and find materials to work upon, where Christ, the King of glory, should reign supreme?
This is because of our depraved nature, which is not laid off until death. It is impossible to single out all the varied ways in which this corruption displays itself. It gives the world a hold of us which it should not have. It poisons ordinances, or strips them of their value. It makes us forget God and yet think all is right because we are engaged in necessary duties. It robs prayer of its very soul because, if we regard iniquity in our hearts, the Lord will not hear us. And while there may not be much in our outward behaviour that can be blamed, it makes the world within a place of death instead of all holiness and blessedness. Heart corruption is the Christian’s greatest foe. From that he cannot flee. It is a coiled snake, whose den is in his breast.
If the Christian had nothing to fear except this corruption while he strives to rear up the spiritual building – to advance in grace and godliness – he would yet require to be furnished, as the people were under Nehemiah, with the weapon to defend as well as the implement to build. But some may be present who willingly acknowledge that such statements describe their state
accurately, while they may never have earnestly desired to be delivered from this state. A man can look self-convicted, and say, This is the exact picture of my feelings and experience – while he has never made any effort to have different feelings and experience. The mere formalist may confess that he has thought of many things while in prayer which should not have entered his mind. Just because what he feels is so similar to what the true followers of Christ are described as feeling, he may think he is one of them.
Let us therefore understand that the corruption of heart we have been speaking of is not something that may make anyone comfortable about his state, but something to be detested in ourselves; not something to be looked on with a passing sigh, but something to be contended with, conquered, destroyed. It is our sleepless enemy, where Satan works – the avenue by which the world gains access to our hearts. It must be opposed with the weapon for war as well as the weapon for building.
2. The attitude the believer must always have. When we consider the very dangerous position which the Christian thus occupies, with a crafty adversary, Satan – besides the world, and a treacherous heart within – his proper attitude is that which was assumed by the people spoken of in the text: every one worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other. When we contemplate these builders of the wall of Jerusalem maintaining this attitude and endeavour to analyse their spirit, we obtain a practical answer to the important question, How ought the follower of Christ to act when surrounded by so many spiritual enemies, by whom he is perpetually in danger of being ruined?
(1.) The Jews, with a weapon in one hand while they built with the other, were constantly watchful. They knew that evil was meditated against them, but not when it might begin; they were therefore, like wise men, prepared for it. This exactly resembles what Christ enjoins on all, in spiritual things: “Let your loins be girded about, and your lamps burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord”. Christian watchfulness is one of the most indispensable, yet comprehensive, duties to which Jesus’ disciples are called. He has Himself taught us the necessity of it, when He prescribes it along with prayer as the grand antidote to temptation. Its comprehensiveness may easily be shown by considering what the Lord requires of all who believe in His name: “Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God”. They have to abound in well-doing, that they may adorn the doctrine of the Saviour.
Who then is watchful? Evidently the person who always makes it his great study to advance in personal holiness, and be active in doing good to others. What a field is opened up here for Christian energy! If we are watchful, we
shall mark all the occasions when we have been betrayed into coldness and deadness of spirit in time past, and shall endeavour to avoid them in the future. If we are watchful, we shall judge from what we have learnt of ourselves and the weak points of our character – to keep away from everything that would draw us to forget God, to break solemn engagements, and to do what is inconsistent with our profession. Thus we shall not make shipwreck of our comfort and peace where we have lost them before.
If we are watchful, we shall observe what trains of thought have drawn us into unsuitable frames of mind, and what circumstances have led to these trains of thought; and we shall shun all such circumstances and, with God’s help, resist the first kindling up of such trains of thought. If we are watchful, we shall notice what kinds of reading have tended most to secularise or corrupt our minds, and shall shun all similar dangers for the future. If we are watchful, we shall take good heed to the counsels and friendships that have formerly led us astray and shall, whatever the effort may cost us, give them up. If we are watchful, we shall keep before us the good resolutions we have formed and endeavour earnestly to let nothing interfere with fulfilling them.
If we are watchful, we shall be most scrupulous in avoiding everything in any way connected with indulging our besetting sin and infirmity, lest we please ourselves and give the adversary an advantage over us. If we are watchful, we shall be jealous over ourselves with godly jealousy, lest by speech or thought or look we should be drawn out of the path of devotedness to Christ into the mazes of folly and error and sin. All these things come under the head of watchfulness about one’s personal holiness.
In the other matter of doing well to others, if we are watchful, we shall observe where we have come short in time past. If we are to abound more and more in time to come, we shall make it a duty to discover means and opportunities of being useful to our fellow creatures, even though it should subject us to personal trouble and inconvenience. This is only a sketch of Christian watchfulness. If anyone should ask for a short practical rule as to how best to follow it out, we would answer that the daily and searching exercise of self-examination – under a deep sense of our responsibility to Christ, who gave Himself for us and is to be our judge – will be one of the most likely means to make our watchfulness both strict and profitable.
Before leaving this part of the subject, I would refer to one point which has an important bearing upon the whole question. When the people under Nehemiah were equipped with a weapon of war, and when they could only use one hand in the work of building, their progress must have been very slow. Some may suppose that it would have been better for them to build at all hazards than thus impede their progress. But when we remember the
circumstances in which they were placed, we shall perceive that their course was the wise one; and in the analogy between their case and that of Christ’s followers, we shall find a most useful lesson suggested on the subject of Christian watchfulness.
It is true that if every workman on the wall of Jerusalem had been free to employ all his efforts in building, he might have pointed to a greater amount of work done than he could possibly carry out in his posture of self-defence. But then, had he lost sight entirely of the means of self-defence, one attack of the enemy might have destroyed him and his work together. So, if there were no enemies in the Christian’s way, he might put forth his energies more resolutely in the work of doing good to others. If he did not require to spend so much of his time in secret religion – in maintaining personal intercourse with God – he might point to much more good as the fruit of his labour. But he is surrounded by enemies, and hence the necessity of keeping watch to prevent their inroads; hence the necessity of spending a portion of time in ascertaining how it fares with his own soul.
He who does nothing except attend to his own interests, and watch over his feelings, is certainly an unprofitable servant; but he who gives all his time and labour to furthering outward religion, and overlooks the state of his heart and the duties of the closet, is unfaithful to his Master. The religion of the one has too much selfishness in it, and that of the other too little personal communing with God to be the religion of Christ. Combine the two, and you have what is necessary – what is signified in the text by the weapon in the one hand and the implement for building in the other.
(2.) The attitude of the Jews, as described in the text, shows not only that they were watchful against treacherous enemies, but that they were careful to provide means of defence. There is a very close connection between this point and the one we have just considered, but there is an obvious difference. When a man grasps a weapon of defence and will not part with it, this shows he is conscious of danger and is watching against it; but it also shows that he is prepared to defend himself. So, as we have spoken before of the Christian’s need to be watchful in his present position of difficulty, we must now speak of the armour he has to maintain it successfully.
As previously, we cannot enter into every particular. Two pieces of armour were specially regarded as indispensable for a soldier: the shield and the sword – the one to parry a blow and the other to strike. These, among other things, are mentioned in Scripture as part of the Christian soldier’s armour. He has the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. See how they assist him. The feeling of his own worthlessness and guilt, excited by some outbreak of the corruption of his nature, becomes some-
times so strong that he would sink under it and be reduced to utter despair, if that faith did not catch hold of a Saviour’s love and righteousness, as that in which the soul is to find its strength. Thus faith is, as it were, a shield between the soul and the despair which would destroy it. Judas did not have this shield; therefore he was destroyed. Peter with all his weakness had it; though the blow brought him down, yet he recovered through faith.
A follower of Christ is sometimes exposed to fiery trial in maintaining his integrity; everything seems to be against him, and the insidious suggestion is whispered in his ear that God makes poor provision for His servants, and if they are wise, they will abandon such a master. He would be overcome if faith did not come in between him and these suggestions; revealing the realities unseen at present, it strengthens his fainting soul. Demas did not have this shield of faith; so he forsook Christ, having loved this present world. Paul had it; so he was satisfied with God’s dealings – he counted all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord.
As to the other part of the armour, the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. How marvellously does it open a path for believers through all their difficulties! It is the weapon with which Christ Himself conquered the great adversary. He cut through all the tempter’s subtle arguments with the Word of God. And if it was His weapon, what better one would His people choose? A text of Scripture suitably applied and acted on is the surest means of putting our spiritual enemies to flight. Indeed, if we would conquer that corruption of heart which, as we have said, is the most dangerous of them all, the Word of God is the weapon. What does Christ Himself say? “Sanctify them through Thy truth; Thy word is truth.”
Who then is best furnished with the armour needed for the spiritual conflict? The man who believes in Christ and in His Word, who believes the Word of God is the shield of faith and sword of the Spirit put together. With this God’s people may cope with any adversary. Schools of learning may teach men to utter noble sentiments; faith in God’s Word enables them to do great things. It carried a whole host through the Red Sea. It made a stone thrown from a sling more effective than the spear of the greatest warrior. It will nerve you for every trial and make you victorious over every enemy.
But how are we to get this shield and sword? They are given by the Holy Spirit Himself, in answer to fervent supplication. And they can only be used successfully when accompanied with fervent supplication. Hence when Paul lists the various pieces of armour which the Christian has to use in his warfare, he concludes with the admonition to pray always. Satan is strong, but the Word of God is stronger. The world is powerful, but faith is more powerful still; for “this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith”.
Heart corruption lies deep, but prayer can reach it, faith can master it, the Word applied by the Spirit can slay it.
(3.) The attitude of the Jews, as described in the text, indicates the firmest determination to make progress in their work. If ever people were tempted to stop short and give up so desperate an undertaking, they might have been excused for doing so. But no; though they would add but one stone each to the building, at the risk of their lives, they will do it – a good lesson for us. Advancement must be the watchword of the Christian. Let each one act upon it. When a believer surveys the vast field of duty spread out before him, the gospel of Christ knows no such plea as this: I can do nothing. When men come indeed with the question, What shall I do to inherit eternal life? the Bible answers, You can do nothing. Christ has done all to gain a title to life for sinners. If you will receive Him, life is yours.
But when those who have received Him say in their indolence, We can do nothing, Scripture says, You can do all things, through Christ strengthening you. Some have a wider sphere of outward labour opened up to them than what falls to others. But in subduing the heart to Christ, the duty of all is very much the same. Let us therefore prosecute that labour with all our energies; and before another communion season arrives, if we are spared to see it, let us be able to say with thanksgiving that, through the good hand of God upon us, we have conquered this and that sin, and have made some advance in cultivating those graces in which we have been most deficient.
Conclusion. All believers are engaged in a great work. These bodies of ours must be the temples of God, if we shall ever see Him in glory. You are not rearing a fabric for time, but for eternity, if you are striving to purify yourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit. This object will be opposed. So while you build, you must fight. But God gives you the weapons for the combat: the Word, prayer, faith; and He Himself fights with you. There may be fear and sorrow while the work advances; there may be mountains of difficulty in the way; but hear the word of the Lord by Zechariah: “Who art thou, O great mountain? . . . thou shalt become a plain;” and the headstone of the building shall be brought forth “with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it”.
Let us carry on the great structure; let our bodies be temples of the Holy Ghost. Then, though death will lay its rude hand on the temple and make it moulder into dust, Christ Himself will raise it up again on the resurrection morning and make the glory of that second temple far transcend the highest glory of the first. At the best there are the seeds of corruption here; hence it is called a vile body; but what Christ will bring out of the grave will be free from all corruption and fashioned like His own glorious body.