"Work And Warfare"

by W. YOUNG, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada | Category: The Return From Babylon | Sept 1956

(Nehemiah, chapters 3 and 5).

The subject title summarizes the activities associated with God's remnant people if the purpose for which they set out from Babylon was to be successful. Corresponding continued exercise on the part of God's people today is equally essential if the spiritual house of God and its character are to be maintained.

Let us attempt to visualize the anxiety of this last stalwart of God, in the person of Nehemiah, in respect to God's earthly people, who made a supreme effort to resuscitate the testimony of the great God in Zion, the perfection of beauty, beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, the city of the great King. Jehovah had chosen the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which He loved, and had built His sanctuary like the heights, for He desired it for His habitation, yea the LORD loveth the gates of Zion. Had not Isaiah expressed the longing of Jehovah-" Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem" ? But what were now the prevailing circumstances? It was well nigh 90 years now since the 50,000 had made the 700 mile trek, taking a period of 4 months, and had come to Jerusalem, responding to the decree of Cyrus. This was surely adequate time to have rebuilt the city that had been destroyed, and to have re-established the ordinances of Jehovah with the priests accomplishing the services of God! yea to have attained that status expressed in 2 Chronicles 8.16, "So the house of the LORD was perfected." But contrariwise, Nehemiah's anxiety is occasioned by reports carried from Jerusalem to Shushan to the effect that the remnant were in great affliction and reproach, the wall of Jerusalem broken down, and the gates thereof burned with fire. Sorrow filled the heart of this zealot, and sincere prayer followed, in which he associated himself with a sinful nation, and in his fervent zeal offered himself to the LORD, if Jehovah would create the circumstances to free him from his obligations to Artaxerxes, for he was cupbearer to the king. Since the king's heart is in the hand of the LORD as the watercourses, He turneth it whithersoever He will, Nehemiah found favour in the eyes of the king and was granted leave of absence to go up to Jerusalem, and moreover was commissioned to act as governor of Jerusalem. We know that to them that love God, all things work together for good, to them that are called according to His purpose (Romans 8.28).

In the economy of God men are raised up for specific responsibility and only they can fill the particular niche. Thus it was with Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David and Solomon, to mention a few outstanding eases. These men were God's choice ; the people's choice could only result in misfit, as with king Saul. Great care requires to be exercised in choosing men for specific responsibility as evidenced m the apostles' prayer-" Thou Lord, which, knoweth the hearts of all men, shew of these two the one whom Thou hast chosen." In choosing for divine service, whether it be oversight or other particular employment in God's house, it should be ever borne in mind the choosing is for God, and partiality should never be the basis of choice. We should avoid what is natural, to looking on the outward appearance, and have regard to what is divine-God looketh on the heart. When Paul addressed the elders of Ephesus at Miletus he said to them, "Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in the which the Holy Spirit bath made you overseers, to feed the Church of God, which He purchased with His own blood." God says, "To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at My word." What a contrast to proud and arrogant man! Nehemiah had the character of the former.

And so Nehemiah came to Jerusalem and as soon as opportunity presented itself he made a secret circuit and survey of the city walls by night. Aroused afresh by the ruin his eyes beheld, and out of sincere love for his God, he called the people together, and with powerful words he incited them and moved them to action, so that, as one man, they said, "Let us rise up and build." It is noteworthy that God has recorded the names of the builders and the specific work they did in the building of the wall. It is as significant too that a record has been made of those who refrained from building, and from participating in the work. The nobles of Tekoa, the town from which Amos came, put not their neck to the work.

The question arises, Is there any parallel to the above associated with the spiritual house today? What am I doing, what are you doing, to keep the wall intact? A wall creates a within and a without, and the gates regulate what should enter the within. Is not the circuit of the spiritual house defined by Jude 8-The Faith once for all delivered unto the saints? Jude's exhortation is to contend earnestly, to keep it inviolate. To contend is to strive against opposition. This is what the remnant had to do in repairing the wall. They had adversaries to resist, who despised them, and took counsel together to attack them and slay them and cause the work to cease. But the remnant laboured steadfastly, encouraged by the stimulating words of this man of God, until half the height of the entire wall was reached. For the people had a mind to work. Great things can be accomplished, things otherwise inconceivable, where there is a mind to work, not only individually, but collectively, when there is a sameness of mind, and a united mind. It is written, "Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." Can we comprehend the vastness of the blessing emanating from the mind that was in Christ? It was a will to do the will of God irrespective of the cost, for "though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might become rich." This was the will of God. It was after this manner that the apostle wrote - "I beseech you, brethren, through the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgement" (1 Corinthians i. 10).

Unfortunately weakness began to develop in the ranks of the remnant, with the prevailing feeling -" We are not able to finish the wall." Strange it was, just then the adversaries began to assert their opposition with more determination and with grave threats. They were malicious and crafty. Shall the work now fail? With open hostility thus threatened there must be adaptation to the situation. But for the loyalty of Nehemiah to Jehovah, and his unswerving zeal the work most surely would have failed, but Nehemiah proved equal to the occasion and armed the workmen with swords, and encouraged them against being afraid, pointing them to the source of their strength in the words, "Remember the Lord, which is great and terrible," and "our God shall fight for us." Thus inspired afresh, the builders builded every one with his sword girded by his side; moreover by night the entire working force abode in the city, prepared as one man to defend their contribution to the restoration of Zion's wall. The work was great and large, the wall was one wall, though extensive in its circuit, but armed for war the remnant wrought in the work. Theirs was the dual service of soldier and workman.

Can we reflect on that bygone day without observing the close parallel with the day in which our lot is cast? Reverberating are the words of Paul to Timothy, "0 Timothy, guard the deposit which is committed unto thee, turning away from the profane babblings and oppositions of the knowledge which is falsely so called," and again, "Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, handling aright the Word of Truth." The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but are mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds. We war to cast down reasonings and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God. The spiritual house is encompassed by the wall of truth and must be defended. Paul wrote to Timothy, "Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus," and again, "Fight the good fight of the faith"; and to war a good warfare he exhorted Timothy to be equipped with-" love out of a pure heart, a good conscience, and faith unfeigned." Peter in his second letter, wrote, "There shall arise false teachers among you, bringing in destructive heresies," and the Lord Jesus, in His revelation to the church at Pergamum stated, "So hast thou also some that hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans...Repent therefore; or else I come to thee quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth." Our only weapon is "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God," and it must be carried in the heart if it is to be wielded skilfully by the mouth. Paul warned Timothy (2 Timothy 2.14) to beware of Alexander the coppersmith, adding, "he greatly withstood our words," precursive of the future, for the apostle also wrote, "The time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine." And his charge to Titus was, "Speak thou the things which befit the sound doctrine " (Titus 2.1).

Among the qualifications of an overseer is the "holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able

both to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict the gainsayers" (Titus 1. 9). Deacons also are exhorted to hold the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. Oh, to be actuated by the word of the Lord! "That good thing (deposit, namely the ministry which both Paul and Timothy received from the Lord), which was committed unto thee guard through the Holy Spirit which dwelleth in us" was Paul's charge to his beloved child, Timothy (2 Timothy 1.14). As already stated our ambition should be to present ourselves unto God as approved workmen. It is written, "Other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 3.11). "But let each man take heed how he buildeth thereon" (1 Corinthians 3. 10). How do we look forward to the judgement-seat of Christ? "Each man's work shall be made manifest" (1 Corinthians 3. 18). "Each one of us shall give account of himself to God" (Romans 14. 12), "that each one may receive the things done through the body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5.10, R,V.M.). What distinctive individuality! Ought we not now attempt to visualize that scene after all of earth that fascinated us, and took up so much of our time unnecessarily, is past beyond recall, and we stand in the presence of our Lord and Master and hear His words-" I know thy works"? Why should we wait to regret then any waste of life instead of regretting now when we can make amends? Loss can be minimized if self is reproved now, but if this is neglected the loss will be irretrievable when we are called to give account. How sad the possibility, "He shall suffer loss"! But it is equally possible that we hear the commendation-" Well done, thou good and faithful servant." I would emphasize that it will be "each man's work" that will determine the loss or the gain. Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable Gift, whose work ensures that the judgement-seat of Christ will not affect our eternal salvation.

Nehemiah was no sentimentalist. He was essentially a man of God, a man of prayer. Every man of God must be a man of prayer. Every situation was primarily dealt with by prayer and then in acting for God he dealt firmly, righteously and zealously. His leadership had successfully frustrated the recurring efforts of opposition to stop the work but, unexpectedly, a new situation arises. Within the remnant internal strife was developing because of irregularities, bringing with it the fear of disintegration. Its disclosure aroused Nehemiah's indignation and he contended with the nobles and deputies who were accountable for the situation because of unjust dealings with their brethren. The situation having been dealt with firmly, righteously and without respect of persons, tranquillity was restored upon the acknowledgement of the guilty, "We will do even as thou sayest," and so the building of the wall progressed.

Well is it when leaders act in judgement as a unit and when submission to leadership (not lordship) prevails. When both are in evidence the word is applicable-"Happy is the people, that is in such

a ease: yea, happy is the people, whose God is the LORD" (Psalm 144.15).

May it be ours to defend the completed wall encompassing God's house today, as precisely summed up in Paul's words to the elders of Ephesus,-" I shrank not from declaring unto you the whole counsel of God" (Acts 20.27). Let us also guard its gates. The command of Philippians 2.29, and Colossians 4.10 to " Receive him" has its antithesis in 2 John 10-" Receive him not."

W. YOUNG, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada | Sept 1956
The Return From Babylon