THE story of Nehemiah’s interest in the Lord’s cause, his heartfelt grief when he learned of the desolation of Jerusalem, his noble, determined and successful effort in building the wall of Jerusalem and finally setting up the gates in the face of determined opposition is one of the most interesting records we have in the Old Testament history. But the whole story is raised above the ordinary level of history, however interesting, when we bear in mind that “whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Roms. xv., 4). The cause of God lay very near Nehemiah’s heart, and it was with no feigned sorrow he “sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted; and prayed before the God of heaven” (Nehem. i, 4). The reality of his grief on the reception of the news from his brother Hanani soon showed itself in his countenance, and was speedily noticed by Artaxerxes the King when Nehemiah, in the discharge of his duties, appeared in the royal presence. With keen intuition the monarch detected that the sadness of his countenance was “nothing else but sorrow of heart.” Nehemiah then made known the cause of his sadness, and on being asked by his royal master what was his request, Nehemiah promptly replied:—”If it please the King, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me into Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it.” The request was granted, and there began in dead earnest a work of restoration, unaccountably hindered by many that professed warm sympathy to begin with, but who latterly turned out to be Nehemiah’s most determined and bitter enemies.
The story of the opposition, the manner in which Nehemiah courageously met it and his success in the end is the theme that occupies the most of the book that bears his name. One can readily glean from the sacred narrative that Nehemiah was a seriously pious man—in all his difficulties he betook himself to God by prayer. It was for God he was doing this work, and he looked to God to help him in every new effort that was put forth to stop the work. Men consecrated to God, conscious of their own weakness, but as conscious that the cause they are advocating is the cause of God, are not slender willows bending before the storm. Such a man was Nehemiah. But combined with his piety he showed he had in his character an intensely practical outlook. This showed itself in the manner in which he countered certain forms of opposition he had to contend with. If force was threatened he, without hesitation, armed his men and met force with force. In fact his enemies must have been at their wits’ end how to deal with a man of his disposition. Here was no idle boasting, but cool, calm determination to meet the worst that the enemy could do. He must have been a tower of strength to those that helped him in the great work.
To begin with, Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem, when they heard of Nehemiah’s work, “it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel” (Neh. ii., 10). They then took to mockery, and falsely insinuated that this building of the wall had as its ulterior motive rebellion against Artaxerxes. Nehemiah’s answer to his enemies was short and to the point: “The God of heaven He will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial in Jerusalem.” That last sentence must have been peculiarly galling to them, but its real sting was in its truth. The mockery of his enemies then gave place to “great indignation” as usually happens in all such cases. They belittled the work, and with contempt hinted that the wall was so frail that, if a fox would walk on it, it would not bear its weight. Nehemiah was not a man without feeling, and wincing under their scornful words he prayed to his God: “Hear, O our God; for we are despised; and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity . . . for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders” (Neh. iv., 4, 5). The next move on the part of Sanballat and his conferees was to resort to force. Calmly and with determination this new move was met by arming the builders. It was a strange sight—a trowel in one hand and a sword in the other—symbolic of so much of the work that is required in all ages of the Church—building and fighting. He encouraged the workmen, and, addressing them, said: “Be not ye afraid of them; remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives and your houses.” At length the wall was built, but Sanballat was a master of strategy, and though he failed to stop the work of building he thought to do Nehemiah mischief by asking to meet him in the plain of Ono. Nehemiah’s reply to the invitation was pointed and curt: “I am doing a great work, so I cannot come down; why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?” (Neh. vi. 3). Nehemiah was clearly a man of strong determination and resourceful to more than an ordinary degree. Determination neither to be moved nor turned aside when the cause is good is a praiseworthy feature in a strong character, but where the cause is of a different kind such determination partakes of the proverbial characteristic of that animal which is not generally noted for its intelligence.
The building of the wall, however good, would have left the work incomplete. So Nehemiah now sets about putting up the gates. If the places for the gates or doors in the wall had been left open every worthless character that pleased might have found his way into Jerusalem, but it was Nehemiah’s purpose to keep such on the outside, and the thoroughness with which he managed to carry out his purposes is fully recorded in the concluding chapters of the book. All this has its lessons for us. Christ has still a cause in the world which is very dear to many of His people, and which ought to be dear to them all. It is their desire that His cause should be defended by a strong wall. Hence the necessity of creeds based on Scripture. By the ultra-broad-minded these are evidences of bondage, but those who love Zion’s cause are not forgetful of the strenuous conflict waged by powerful adversaries ere such creeds as the Westminster Confession of Faith were framed. But, however sound the creed, unless discipline is exercised in connection with it its whole value will soon be a thing of the past. The necessity of setting up the gates in the wall is as imperative to-day as ever. No doubt many might have argued, and with logic on their side too, that if the gates were left wide open the number of people in Jerusalem would be far greater, and that Nehemiah’s policy was far too narrow for an enlightened age. Whether Nehemiah heard such arguments or not, we cannot say. One thing is certain, however, if he did, he paid no attention to them. And, if true zeal for the glory of God, and a desire to keep His Church as pure as possible, in accordance with the rule laid down in His Word, is one’s motive in setting up the gates, i.e., in maintaining strict discipline in the Church one need not unnecessarily worry over what may be said about such strictness, either by professed friend or open foe.