SITUATION- a matter of perspective
Review
We started a series on Nehemiah last week. It was introductory and we looked at the SETTING. We covered:
• Importance of Nehemiah in its historical context
• Relevance of Nehemiah to us in the modern context, and
• (Briefly) Nehemiah, the person.
“God is the ultimate leader and He calls on every believer to lead others”, says John Maxwell. He goes on to quote Oswald J Sanders from his book on Spiritual Leadership, “Leadership is influence”. We saw (last week) that we are not talking about Christian Leadership in terms of the gift as mentioned in Rom 12:8 or the office held, but in terms of impact and influence and therefore the lessons from Nehemiah are applicable to all of us who follow Christ as our Leader and Lord.
Positive Influence: Christians are therefore in the business of ‘positively’ influencing one another. The adjective ‘positive’ is important, since there are negative influences too; and Jesus was quite emphatic on what was better for those who negatively influence God’s children:
Matt 18:6 – “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and [that] he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”
Today, God willing we will look what I’d like to call the SITUATION: Christian Living is a matter of Perspective.
What do we understand by perspective?
The most common story that is shared when we talk about perspective is that of a disheveled man traveling in a New York subway with his children. The children were boisterous, and unruly. The oldest seemed to be sulking as she sat by the window staring at nothing. The youngest, barely a year old, stood crying desperately needing attention. The three other siblings in between were unruly, and a public nuisance. During all this time the father sat with his head in his hands blissfully unaware of the plight his children were causing the morning commuters. Finally in exasperation, one woman spoke up and told the man rather curtly, “Sir, are you aware that you need to do something about your children? You better do something before they get reported”. The man lifted his head up, ever so slowly, looked around and barely whispered, “I guess I must do something”, and he sighed before he continued, “we are just returning from the funeral home; their mother died earlier, and the children must be missing their mother”.
It didn’t take a whisker of a second for the entire environment in that coach to be transformed. From an unforgiving crowd to a sympathetic one, all in a mere blink of an eye. One woman picked up the crying child; some offered their lunch bags to the hungry children. You couldn’t believe the change in the attitude of the very people who believed they were the victims.
What changed? The mother hadn’t come back to life, but that place sure did. Paul Harvey would have said– “Now they knew the rest of the story”.
A Christian perspective is viewing the world through Christ’s eyes. It is only Jesus Christ who can give the clearest and complete picture. It is this perspective that Nehemiah had. He understood the heart of God; a good Christian therefore is a man or a woman after God’s own heart.
To understand this fully, we will look at: Christian Perspective through the eyes of Nehemiah
• Perspective to the calling
• Perspective to work
• Perspective on the gates
• Christian Watergate - the make or break essentials of a Christian perspective
Christian Perspective through the eyes of Nehemiah
I Nehemiah’s perspective to the calling
Let us look at how Nehemiah acted to the calling on his life.
Neh 1:4 - “And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned [certain] days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,…”
Broken walls, and piled up rubble had become a common sight and were taken for granted. Yet when Nehemiah heard of it, and saw it from the perspective of His God, he couldn’t be the same. Perspective changes the picture. It was the same with Isaiah, Jeremiah, Paul and the many others in the Bible.
A Christian calling: Someone has said that the marks of a strong church are wet eyes, bent knees, and a broken heart. If we can talk to someone about their sin and their lost-ness, or venture to correct or even build up a fellow believer without first weeping over the ruins, we are only acting out our flesh.
We cannot be good builders, if we are not good weepers. This is NOT about being mushy and weak, Jesus wept over the ruins of His people, and over Jerusalem.
A weeping that is not in self-indulgence… my state, my situation, my circumstance. A crying at our misfortune, because we are born selfish. The first cry of the baby is I,I,I…feed me, clothe me, hold me. Godly perspective gets us off ourselves and focuses it on the others, even as Christ Himself did. That is why we read:
Phil 2:5 - “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:…” A mind not on Himself, but on the will of the Father and on serving, just as His Father had sent Him.
A perspective of our calling will lead to selfless involvement.
1. True perspective to our calling is the understanding that it is personal.
Neh 2:5 – “And I said unto the king, “If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchers, that I may build it.””
Consultancy Services: We all want to serve God… as His consultant. Sometimes we want to advise God, and sometimes His people. It is not easy to be a mere labourer. Imagine carrying around a business card that reads ‘Christian Slave’. In Nehemiah we see a cupbearer willing to be a brick-layer.
Strategic Support: Nehemiah could have reasoned that Hanani, his brother was best suited for the job — Hanani was a resident of Jerusalem; Hanani knew the logistics; Hanani understood the people. Nehemiah could have suggested that he would provide all the support from the palace.
“Hanani, I think it will be wise for me to stay here at the palace and provide the necessary ground support. I will be there in the spirit, Hanani. I will be praying for you, too”.
All our reasons fall flat when we realize that the call is PERSONAL. The king’s provisions could never replace a life lived in obedience to God’s calling.
When God says “Go”, He meant us. We all have a personal part. It is not exclusive to certain Christians.
2. True perspective to our calling implies planning.
Blind faith: Sometimes we think that faith eliminates planning. We make an assumption that in spiritual matters, we must go with blind faith. That is NOT Biblical.
First, because there is nothing like ‘blind faith’. You are either blind, or you have faith (in Jesus Christ).
Second, a lack of planning screams lack of faith.
Don’t leave home without an umbrella: Let me explain with a story I heard my mother say a long time ago.
There was drought in the land and it was decided that people would come together to pray for rain. As people were walking to church during that dry and parched afternoon, there was an old man who brought along an umbrella. Some snickered, and some scorned, some called out mean things, and one young man even teased, “Grandpa, why don’t you use your umbrella to cover your head?” The old man simply replied, “I believe God answers prayers”. That evening he was the only one who did not get wet as they headed back home after the prayer.
Planning implies that you are ready to act when God begins to work. Faith involves being ready when God is.
Nehemiah 2:6-8.
Nehemiah had a project plan ready (those of us who work on projects understand what I mean). God in His grace gave Nehemiah four months to be ready, and ready he was.
Delays are sometimes God’s opportunities for us to get prepared.
The three things that were part of the plan were:
• Neh 2:6 - Plan. He had a time table.
• Neh 2:7 - Passage. That he would be able to pass through the different provinces to reach Jerusalem.
• Neh 2:8 - Provision. He petitioned provisions from the King’s forests.
II Nehemiah’s Perspective to Work
Let us see what Nehemiah considered of the work that God had entrusted him with. (I don’t need to remind you that God has entrusted each of us with work in His Kingdom. As the song goes, there are no lazybones in His Kingdom).
1. Good Work:
Neh 2:18 – “Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king’s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for [this] good [work].”
His attitude to a potential 900 mile trip (that is the distance from Toronto to Minneapolis and there were no I-90 or I-94 to travel at 60mph); the need to confront an unpredictable king with the proposal; the certain sacrifice of the kingly comforts (he essentially ate the king’s food and drank his wine to prevent the king from the possibility of food poisoning), was great. It was a good work – he had the right perspective to work.
2. Work of the Lord:
Neh 3:5 – “And next unto them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord.”
Enjoyable or not, Nehemiah realized that this work was the work of the Lord. He notes how there were a certain group of people who refused to work.
The core principle is that we don’t do God’s work because ‘it is enjoyable’. I don’t do it because, ‘It is something I like to do anyways’. Or ‘I am a natural at it’. Or ‘I am trained in it’. We do it because it is God’s work, even if it is below our dignity, outside of our comfort zone, or I hate doing it. If we believe God has sanctioned it, we just do it to the best of our ability. I don’t do it for myself; for my family; for the church, I do it as unto the Lord (Col 3:23).
Some of us confuse living a holy life which is pleasing to the Lord as our work to Him. Romans 12:2. Acceptable living is only our reasonable service, which means, that is only expected of us. That is not the work or labour that is implied here.
3. Great Work: (Great and large: Neh 4:19)
Neh 6:3 – “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?"
For the right perspective, we must consider the work we do for the Lord to be the greatest work ever. For that is the only one that will last for eternity.
My prayer is that when we are all on the other shore and all the members of NLBC come together, we can say, ‘thank God, for all the work we did together. We can now see the difference it has made. It indeed was a great work we were involved in’.
A story is said about a car race that was held between US and Russia during the cold war. The US prototype won, but this is how the Pravda reported the news the next day, ‘US car comes in last but one, while the Russian car came in second”.
Today’s learning phrase is “Right Christian Perspective”.
III Perspective on the Gates
What do the gates mean to us in the spiritual sense? (Though we will not spend much time on this part, I understand from the various scholarly reading that the names of the gate and its functions provide a wonderful perspective).
a. The Sheep Gate: (Neh 3:1) Nehemiah lists the gates beginning with the Sheep Gate, moving counter clockwise around the walls.
The animals for the sacrifices were taken through this gate, since it was near the temple.
• Priests were involved in building this gate.
• The only gate (at least as per the narration) which was “sanctified”.
• What a way to begin the building up – begins with a need for our redemption.
• There is no mention of “locks and bars” for this gate. It reminds us that the way is ever open to come to the Saviour.
b. The Fish Gate” (Neh 3:3) Between the Sheep Gate and the Fish Gate stood the Tower of Hammeah and the Tower of Hananeel (v.1). These towers were used by the soldiers to guard the temple.
Fish for the people was brought in from the Mediterranean Sea, and formed a key entrance to the city. It speaks to us about Mercantile or Business.
It is interesting that every mention of Fish Gate is either of corruption or the results of it (Zeph 1:1-2, 10). That is because when society becomes corrupt, the two public manifestations of the corruption are seen in religion (Jer 32:34) and business (2 Chron 33:14, Neh 3:3, 13:16).
c. The Old Gate: (Neh 3:6) Probably the Corner Gate of 2 Kings 14:13; Jer 31:38, or Mishneh Gate (Zeph 1:10).
Mishneh in Hebrew means “second quarter” or “new quarter” and this gate led into it. The old gate led into the new quarter. It is from the old that we derive the new (Matt 13:52).
Lev 26:10 – “And ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new.
It means the new shall give way to the old.”
2 Cor 5:17 – “Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
It reminds us of the new things we enjoy in Jesus Christ.
d. The Valley Gate: (Neh 3:13) It opened into the Valley of Hinnom or the ‘Valley of Lamentation’. (Josh 15:8 – This is the valley that led to where the giants lived).
It is a reminder there are valleys in this life, but with Christ beside us we can say, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou [art] with me…” Ps 23:4.
e. The Dung Gate: (Neh 3:14) This is near the Pool of Siloam, and where the city disposed of its garbage.
The dung gate was the main exit to the Valley of Hinnom or ‘gehenna’. Jesus used gehenna as a picture of hell (Mark 9:44). King Manasseh had sacrificed children to idols in that valley (2 Chron 33:6), and King Josiah had desecrated the place by turning it into a rubbish heap (2 Kings 23:10).[1]
This gate performed an important service. It reminds us that, like the city, each of us individually must get rid of whatever defiles us, or it may destroy us (2 Cor 7:1; 1 John 1:9).
f. The Fountain Gate: (Neh 3:15) Located near the Pool of Siloam, and the old City of David. The spring that provided water was located here. This is where the water tunnel was built by King Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:20).
Water is a picture of the Holy Spirit (John 7:37–39), and of the Word of God (Eph. 5:26).
Spiritually speaking, we move from the Valley Gate (humility) to the Dung Gate (cleansing) to the Fountain Gate (fullness of the Spirit).
g. The Water Gate: (Neh 3:26) This was located adjacent to the Kidron Valley. Jerusalem was one of the few cities that was not built near a river, and the city depended on brooks and springs for its water. We don’t read that this gate was repaired, but that the walls around it were repaired.
The Water Gate is a picture of the Word of God. It was here that Ezra read the Word of God and explained the Scriptures to the people (Neh 8:1). The Word of God stands forever and will not fail (Matt 24:35) and is still relevant to us today. It does not need repairs to accommodate the modern needs.
h. The Horse Gate: (Neh 3:28) The Horse Gate speaks of Christian warfare (2 Tim 2:1–4) and that we must always be ready for the battle (Eph 6:10–18). Note that it was the priests who repaired this gate. They repaired the Sheep Gate too.
i. The East Gate: (Neh 3:29) or the Golden Gate. This gate led to the temple and the gate Jesus used to enter the city riding on the donkey. This gate is now sealed up with graves on the outside of the gate. When the Lord returns and descends on Mt. Olives, it will be through this gate that He will enter Jerusalem to establish His Kingdom.
Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord depart from the temple at the East Gate (Ezek 10:16–22; 11:22–25), and the Lord will return to the city the same way (43:1–5).
j. The Gate Miphkad: (Neh 3:31) (NIV and NASB translate it “the Inspection Gate.”)
It reminds us of the time when there will be an inspection of all our works in Jesus Christ. When our Lord returns, He will review each Christian’s work to reward them (1 Cor 3:10–15; 2 Co 5:9–10; Rom 14:10–12).[2]
In this report, Nehemiah does not mention the Gate of Ephraim (Neh 8:16; 12:39) or the Gate of the Guard (12:39). The former may have been on the north wall, looking toward the area of Ephraim; and the latter may have been associated in some way with “The Inspection Gate.” Some translate it “The Prison Gate.” It may have been the “court of the guard” named in 3:25.
Nehemiah starts with the Sheep Gate (v. 32) and ends with it. The people of Israel today have no sacrifice, no temple, and no priesthood (Hos 3:4) because of their rejection of the Messiah. When they see their Messiah upon His return, they will believe and be saved (Zech 12:10–13:1).
Christian Watergate – The make or break essentials of a Christian Perspective.
When we speak of a perspective, there are at least three approaches.
1. Worldly perspective
2. Christian perspective
3. Personal perspective (or how I interpret the two perspectives)
It is easy for us to differentiate the worldly perspective and the Christian perspective. However, we struggle with the personal perspective. How can I be sure my personal perspective is aligned to the Christian perspective?
I am suggesting that Neh 8 provides us with the best understanding. Chapter 8 describes in spiritual sense a Christian’s Watergate (Richard Nixon. 1972). It will either be their downfall or the opportunity to prove their faith. We saw (last week) that Nehemiah knew both God and God’s Word. Here we see from the life of the people involved:
1. Hunger of the Word of God: (Neh 8:1)
Came as one with a desire and hunger for God’s Word.
Spiritual hunger is unique from the physical hunger. Physical hunger is satisfied when we eat; however, spiritual hunger makes us hungry for more (of God’s Word).
The biggest Christian scandal is the lack of spiritual hunger among Christians. The lack of desire to read and study God’s Word dumbfounds the angels; excites the devil; and is a blow to Christianity.
2. Hearing the Word of God with Understanding (Neh 8:2-3)
Not just hearing but understanding the Word of God. They heard with attentiveness.
It is important that we seek to sincerely understand what God is saying to us.
3. Honour for the Word of God (Neh 8:5)
It would be good to stand up when we read God’s Word, but more importantly it is the honour and priority we give that is important. The question is are we willing to give the Word of God top priority. Make God’s Word the basis of our living.
4. Handling of the Word of God (Neh 8:8)
Not just reading, or reading with respect & honour, but we ask for it to be explained and ‘give sense’. I understand this to mean that it is important to seek out the understanding of the difficult passages from teachers of the Word of God.
5. Heeding the Word of God (Neh 8:9-10)
And finally, the Word of God requires that we read, organize, analyze, illustrate and apply it to our lives.
See what happens when we understand God’s Word.
i) Mourning: Broken heartedness. There is no perspective without brokenness. However, do not let the devil abuse your brokenness. There is a difference between being broken and being morose.
ii) Joy: Brokenness in the Lord will always bring joy. Let us not stop at the first part. The Lord Jesus Christ came so that our joy may be full (John15:11).
The joy of the Lord should indeed be my strength.
Getting the right perspective is from God’s Word. Not merely picking it up when we are in trouble, and interpreting it to suit our convenience or understanding, but by living a life that is so steeped, soaked and grounded in the Word of God that our responses are lived out according to His direction.
The Holy Spirit will then use our reading to remind us on the basis of living and provide the strength to do so.
John 14:26 – “But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
A Christian therefore is to make sure his or her perspective is the right Christian perspective. This is the constant endeavor. The choices we make, the decisions we take, and the lives we live must be based on the right Christian perspective. This will make us sensitive to the Spirit of God, so that we can listen to the call of God; and be the man and woman of God.
From Nehemiah we learn that this comes through dependence on God and on His Word.
Paul Harvey in his radio show “Now you know the rest of the story”, talks about a farmer in Oklahoma.
The farmer jumped up and down on the side of a road, shouting “Pig! Pig” at a State Highway Patrolman as he was driving by in his Police car. Agitated, the policeman shouted back “Redneck!”, only to turn round the bend in the road into a herd of pigs. The farmer was trying to warn the policeman of the herd of pigs ahead on the road.
Perspective! One of the greatest needs a Christian needs is a right Christian perspective. A perspective that will help with the journey ahead.
Nehemiah had it and it is my prayer that God can say that about us too.
Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be determined (43). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.