Nehemiah did not have to deal with earthquakes as he set out to rebuild the decimated walls of Jerusalem, but he did have to face some fierce opposition from the surrounding peoples, and a wildly diverse work force in which there were significant internal conflicts. Even so, the wall was completed in only 52 days, which seemed to Nehemiah's enemies to be a miracle of God (Neh.
6: 15). Shortly after the completion of the walls, Ezra the priest led thousands of Jews in a moving prayer in which he shares four
bedrock convictions that sustained them throughout this rebuilding process, convictions which have the power to sustain us through the fiercest of life's earthquakes, fires, droughts and storms.
Conviction
#1: We were made by God. “You are the LORD, you alone; you have made
heaven, the heaven of heavens, with their host, the earth and all that is on
it, the seas and all that is in them. To
all of them you give life….” (Neh.
9: 6) Many of us have been taught that with every advance of science, the need for God has
retreated. But this is because of a
false understanding (by many secular academics) that our God is only a “god of
the gaps.” If God is only there to fill
the gaps of our knowledge, than with every new piece of information about the
world, God seems to retreat.
But in fact the God of Scripture is not a “god of
the gaps” (see Diogenes Allen, Christian Belief in a Postmodern World). The God of Scripture created the
heavens and the earth, all of it (with
nothing left out) just as we read in Ezra's prayer: “You alone, have made heaven…with all their host [and] the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them…to all of them you give life.” The key word is “all.” There are no gaps in God’s creation which he
must fill. God is not a member of creation, he is the Maker of it! Everything in creation fits together by his design…and science
is in the process of understanding that design. Our peace comes not from inserting God
wherever we have a gap in our knowledge, but in knowing that God reveals himself
in and through every dimension of his creative work (cf., Psalm 8, 19:1-4, 24: 1-2). Stephen Hawking admits that, “Science may solve the problem of
how the universe began, but it cannot answer the question: why does the universe bother to exist?” (Stephen Hawking, Black Holes and Baby Universes). Only revelation can answer that; and the revelation
is this:
You and I were made by God. The arrangement
of everyone of your 25,000 or more genes, the history of your father and
mother’s families and the generations before them have joined together in the
creation of you (the good and bad), your personality, your abilities, your
spiritual heritage, are all part of
your God-given uniqueness. You
were made by God (every part of you).
Even the pain and negative things you’ve experienced, God promises to
work together for good. And God invites
you to open yourself to that goodness; to claim the bedrock truth that you are his
blessed child…called to follow him. For
we were not only made by God…
Conviction #2: We were chosen by God. “You are the LORD,
the God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and
gave him the name Abraham; and you found his heart faithful before you, and
made with him a covenant to give to his descendants….” (7-8). People of biblical faith believe in a God who always takes the first step, who always
takes the initiative; a God who from the dawn of creation fully intended to
reveal himself to us that we might know him and serve him. Some may object: The promise Ezra
describes was made to Abram. What does that have to do with me? God chose
the children of Abram and his descendants, but what right do I have to claim the
promises of that God for my own? The key is to understand the call of Abram in
Gen. 12:2-3: There are two parts:
The Top Line: “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great so that you will be a blessing.” The Bottom Line: “I will bless those who bless you and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” In other words, in so far as we follow this one true God and number ourselves among God’s people, we share in his blessings.
In Mark 3: 13-15 we learn that Jesus called those “whom he desired.” He handpicked his followers; and he has handpicked us as well, in fulfillment of God’s promise to bring every nation and tribe to the throne of God in worship and service, A person who knows he or she has been chosen will never be the same again. This summer we had the opportunity to visit the National Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. We were given a tour by a petite young woman who was articulate and enthusiastic…but it wasn’t until the very end of the tour that we learned why she was so enthusiastic. She was training to compete as a member of the US weightlifting team, and she had all the pride that comes with being chosen for that honor. The most enthusiastic spectator cannot imagine the honor that she feels, the honor of being chosen. That’s the honor, the bedrock conviction that you and I should feel as we consider that the Lord of the Universe has hand-picked us to serve him, and to carry out his great purposes for this world. We were chosen by God and…
The Top Line: “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great so that you will be a blessing.” The Bottom Line: “I will bless those who bless you and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” In other words, in so far as we follow this one true God and number ourselves among God’s people, we share in his blessings.
In Mark 3: 13-15 we learn that Jesus called those “whom he desired.” He handpicked his followers; and he has handpicked us as well, in fulfillment of God’s promise to bring every nation and tribe to the throne of God in worship and service, A person who knows he or she has been chosen will never be the same again. This summer we had the opportunity to visit the National Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. We were given a tour by a petite young woman who was articulate and enthusiastic…but it wasn’t until the very end of the tour that we learned why she was so enthusiastic. She was training to compete as a member of the US weightlifting team, and she had all the pride that comes with being chosen for that honor. The most enthusiastic spectator cannot imagine the honor that she feels, the honor of being chosen. That’s the honor, the bedrock conviction that you and I should feel as we consider that the Lord of the Universe has hand-picked us to serve him, and to carry out his great purposes for this world. We were chosen by God and…
Conviction #3: We can be led by God. “You saw the distress of our ancestors in Egypt and
heard their cry at the Red Sea….Moreover you led them by day with a
pillar of cloud, and by night with a pillar of fire, to give them light on the
way in which they should go. You came
down also upon Mount Sinai, and spoke with them from heaven, and gave them right
ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments….” (9, 12-13). Our Lord calls all who will, to come; and he promises to faithfully lead all
who will follow. He does not force his
leadership upon us…but what a burden is lifted when we submit to his leadership
in our lives.
When I was about four years old, I became very aware that my parents were the ones who gave the orders. "Steven, go put on your pajamas. Steven, you need to try at least one bite of those lima beans. Steven, please go brush your teeth." One day, I'd had enough. I let them know at about age four that from now on, “I want to be the orderer!” I imagine sometimes what life at home would have been like if I had been given my wish…if I had gone to bed whenever I wanted to, had cookies for every meal, and crossed the street without looking both ways. I think life as "the orderer" would have been a short life, indeed! When everyone is the orderer, when everyone does what’s right in their own eyes, there is no order… there is only disorder and chaos…which is why Ezra reminds us that God gave the gift of his Word and Spirit. “You spoke to them from heaven, and gave them right ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments” (13); and you gave your good spirit to instruct them (20). The Spirit of God speaks to us through prayer, circumstances, his people…and especially through his word.
A softball coach was once overheard speaking to one of his youngest players:
When I was about four years old, I became very aware that my parents were the ones who gave the orders. "Steven, go put on your pajamas. Steven, you need to try at least one bite of those lima beans. Steven, please go brush your teeth." One day, I'd had enough. I let them know at about age four that from now on, “I want to be the orderer!” I imagine sometimes what life at home would have been like if I had been given my wish…if I had gone to bed whenever I wanted to, had cookies for every meal, and crossed the street without looking both ways. I think life as "the orderer" would have been a short life, indeed! When everyone is the orderer, when everyone does what’s right in their own eyes, there is no order… there is only disorder and chaos…which is why Ezra reminds us that God gave the gift of his Word and Spirit. “You spoke to them from heaven, and gave them right ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments” (13); and you gave your good spirit to instruct them (20). The Spirit of God speaks to us through prayer, circumstances, his people…and especially through his word.
A softball coach was once overheard speaking to one of his youngest players:
“Do you understand what cooperation is and what teamwork
is all about?” The little boy nodded in
the affirmative.
“Do
you understand that what really matters
is not whether we win or lose, but that we play together as a team?” The little boy nodded yes.
“Good,”
the coach continued. “And, when a strike is called, or you’re thrown out at first, you don’t
argue, curse, attack the umpire with a bat, or throw dirt in the opposing team
member’s face. Do you understand all
that?” Again, the little boy nodded.
“Well, sure, coach. That’s what
you taught us.”
“Good,”
said the coach, “Now, please go over and explain all that to your father!”
You can't enjoy the game when no one is following the rules of the game. It's not just the four year olds, it's also the adults who are still trying to make their own rules. Let me ask you this: Do you believe that the rules in the Bible are “right, true, and good,” as Ezra declares? Let's just say you don’t… I would still challenge you to read and study it with others, and to actually try living by it! Because it’s only by experience that we will come to learn that his “instruction manual” is more than a “rule book”, but a “play book” on which to build an unshakable life. We were made by God. We were chosen by God. We can be led by God, if we will follow. And finally….
Conviction #4: We are cherished by God. When Ezra first reads from the Torah, the first response of his people was one of sorrow (see Neh. 8: 1-12). Why? Perhaps it is because they had come to understand the seriousness
of their sin and its consequences for their nation. But seeing their grief, they were encouraged to remember that, “The joy of the Lord is your
strength.” What did Ezra mean by
this? Later, in his prayer, Ezra explains: In the past, O God, your
people “refused to obey, and were not
mindful of the wonders that you performed among them…but (and I’m so glad
there is a “but” here) you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and
merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and you did not
forsake them” (17)!
Here in this verse is the most important word in all of Hebrew Scripture. The word is חָ֫סֶד “hesed” and it is translated here, “steadfast love.” It refers to God’s relentless commitment; his bottomless compassion, his undying faithfulness; his promise to never give up on us even when we have given up on him. For he knows that as long as we have breath…there is reason to hope that we may yet turn from our sin and return to him, receive his forgiveness, and begin to live the eternal kind of life for which he made us. Hesed means that God cherishes us – a word derived from the Greek word charis, meaning “grace.” Grace, God’s undeserved love, is the New Testament word for hesed. Would Nehemiah have had the courage to return to Jerusalem, assemble a fragmented population, face fierce opposition and deal with injustice if he did not in his innermost being believe in the cherishing hesed of God? The joy of the Lord was his strength, the love of God was his hope, and this is why he and Ezra were able to so boldly lead their people.
Let me ask you: Do you believe that such a love exists? Some don’t. They believe the world is about nothing more than the struggle for survival; and the implications of that idea are both sad…and terrifying. It gives birth to ruthless dictators, self-absorbed materialists, communities without hope, children who grow up to be cynical and faithless, a generation unable to make or keep a promise. Despite this, there are still many who believe that such committed love does exist. In the words of Lewis Smedes,
Here in this verse is the most important word in all of Hebrew Scripture. The word is חָ֫סֶד “hesed” and it is translated here, “steadfast love.” It refers to God’s relentless commitment; his bottomless compassion, his undying faithfulness; his promise to never give up on us even when we have given up on him. For he knows that as long as we have breath…there is reason to hope that we may yet turn from our sin and return to him, receive his forgiveness, and begin to live the eternal kind of life for which he made us. Hesed means that God cherishes us – a word derived from the Greek word charis, meaning “grace.” Grace, God’s undeserved love, is the New Testament word for hesed. Would Nehemiah have had the courage to return to Jerusalem, assemble a fragmented population, face fierce opposition and deal with injustice if he did not in his innermost being believe in the cherishing hesed of God? The joy of the Lord was his strength, the love of God was his hope, and this is why he and Ezra were able to so boldly lead their people.
Let me ask you: Do you believe that such a love exists? Some don’t. They believe the world is about nothing more than the struggle for survival; and the implications of that idea are both sad…and terrifying. It gives birth to ruthless dictators, self-absorbed materialists, communities without hope, children who grow up to be cynical and faithless, a generation unable to make or keep a promise. Despite this, there are still many who believe that such committed love does exist. In the words of Lewis Smedes,
“They choose not to quit when the going gets rough because they promised once to see it through. They stick to lost causes. They hold on to a love grown cold. They stay with people who have become pains in the neck. They still dare to make promises and care enough to keep the promises they make….When a person makes a promise, he stretches himself out into circumstances that no one can control and controls at least one thing: he will be there no matter what the circumstances turn out to be. With one simple word of promise, a person creates an island of certainty in a sea of uncertainty….I want to say to you that if you have a ship you will not desert, if you have people you will not forsake, if you have causes you will not abandon, then you are like God.” (Lewis Smedes, “The Power of Promises”, from A Chorus of Witnesses, Thomas G. Long & Cornelius Plantinga, Jr., eds., Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1994)
Like those who
gathered around Nehemiah and Ezra, some of us are weeping today because we have
tried to build on foundations other than the unshakeable love of God. Some of us are saddened by the things we’ve
done to others, or by things that have been done to us, broken promises and unfulfilled
expectations. Some of feel the shaking of an unstable world.
We are uneasy about the future, about 9/11 or 2012 or April 15th or just going back to school. Some of us are
unsure that the kind of love we’ve talked about really exists. May God give us a supernatural revelation of his love for
us today…that we would experience
it in the kindness of someone in this worshiping community…in the prayer of a friend, in the courage to read and obey God’s word…and supremely in the love of Y'shua, who neither
death on a Roman cross nor the sorrow of a cold dark tomb could destroy.
"For everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them" said Jesus, "will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock" (Matt. 7: 24-25). You were made by God. You were chosen by God. You can be led by God again. And yes, you are cherished by God. "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness O Lord!” (Lam. 3:22-23).
"For everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them" said Jesus, "will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock" (Matt. 7: 24-25). You were made by God. You were chosen by God. You can be led by God again. And yes, you are cherished by God. "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness O Lord!” (Lam. 3:22-23).
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