“But I said, ‘Should such a man as I run away? And what man such as I could go into the temple and live? I will not go in.’ And I understood and saw that God had not sent him, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. For this purpose he was hired, that I should be afraid and act in this way and sin, and so they could give me a bad name in order to taunt me.”

“Later I went to visit Shemaiah son of Delaiah and grandson of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home. He said, ‘Let us meet together inside the Temple of God and bolt the doors shut. Your enemies are coming to kill you tonight.’” Nehemiah 6:10 NLT

Last time we listened in on Nehemiah’s response to Sanballat’s 5th inquiry to meet. Our governor held his ground, pointing out how the reports Sanballat was spreading were made up from his own leb – mind/inner man. Today we see the next phase in our drama.

“Then I met secretly with Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, at his house. He said:

“Then I sent to him, saying, ‘No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind.’ For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, ‘Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.’  

But now, O God, strengthen my hands.”

Nehemiah 6:8-9 ESV

Last time we saw the end of Sanballat’s 5th appeal for Nehemiah to leave the work and meet with him, using false rumors the king might hear about our governor wanting to become his own king. Today we see the response Nehemiah gave to the enemies of God’s work.

“I urgently sent away (shalach) saying, ‘No such (elleh) things (dabar) have been done, for surely (ki – because, since) you yourself are inventing (bada – devise, feign) out of your own mind (leb – inner man, will, heart, one’s own mind, the center of anything).'”

Or: I urgently sent away that no such reports are true for surely you yourself are making it up out of your own mind.

Don’t you love that reference to leb – our inner man, the center of everything? We can know based on experience and the authority of God’s flawless Word that whatever is on the throne in that place is what drives our lives. It is what we think on, what our affections delight in, and what drives our actions. Leb matters my friends.

Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life. (Proverbs 4:23)

Everything you do flows from it.

Let’s make sure what is on that throne can sustain the weight of all our thoughts and affections and worship. No thing can, no fellow human being can. Only the One worthy of all reverence and awe, our Consuming Fire, can sustain our ultimate delight. And only He consumes our lives without torching them to ashes.

If we find something else has been placed on that throne, we don’t have to fret or scramble to do PR. We can simply repent beginning today and ask Him for help to put Him back in His rightful place. He created that place for only One Thing and He’s too good of a Creator to let anything else there satisfy. So today, in your heart, set Him apart as Lord. Every hour if you have to. The entire direction of your life depends on it.

For they all wanted to frighten (yare –  affright, reverence) us thinking, “their hands (yad) shall slack (raphah – fail, abandon, lose courage – as seen before), and the work (melakah – work, business, cattle, craftsmanship) will not be accomplished (asah).

Or: They wanted to put wrong fear in us thinking our hands would get discouraged and slack, and the work would not be accomplished.

Funny thing when our leb is not focused on what is focus-worthy how easily we’ll fall into the wrong kind of yare. Fear of approval, fear of scarcity or change, of losing love or security or reputation. But how interesting it is we can still experience and grieve those same things, but they’re not a snare that causes us to abandon purpose or hope when our yare is securely focused in Him. Our reverence and healthy fear of Yahweh keep all other fears at bay. What a beautiful reality to grow in.

Finally in these verses we see our governor ask for the courage he will need to continue on in the task:

“But now, O God, strengthen (chazaq – firm, strong) my hands (yad).”

The work is still daunting. Fears still can nag at us and doubts creep in. We fall into pleasing others and temptations still have their sway. We want control or security or our desires fulfilled more than we want to move forward. And that’s why we need a perfectly-faithful, Covenant-keeping God to supply the power. Our weakness an infinite canvas upon which He can paint His strength.

In His hands – yad, powerful help alongside – we have all we need. Moment to moment, not just down the road or for certain tasks. For our all-encompassing life. He wouldn’t ask for our total allegiance and worship if He didn’t intend to give us power for all of our days. There is no down side with His ways, no reason to hold back bits of our hearts, though we still do. As we allow Him to take over more and more we only see Him come through increasingly. What a Savior!

Are there areas in which you doubt He will come through in your life right now? In your community or our nation or a particular setting? Me too. But we serve the God of Hope. We can know He is up to only the good and beautiful in our surrendered lives and corporate communities. Astonishing splendor is awaiting us in a future too exquisite for us to now comprehend. The ultimate way He has promised to come through can keep us focused on our disappointments in the here and now.

Life is hard and the work challenging. But He makes it all worth it.

Now, O God, strengthen our hands.

“And you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in Jerusalem,

‘There is a king in Judah.’

And now the king will hear of these reports. So now come and let us take counsel together.”

Nehemiah 6:7 ESV

Last time we read some untruthful venting for all to see from Sanballat. Today we see the rest of the accusations in the letter.

“And (gam – moreover, also, likewise) you have appointed (amad – to take one’s stand) prophets (nabi – spokesman, speaker, prophet) to announce (qara – cry, invite, make proclamation, call forth, be famous, preach) saying (amar):

‘There is a king in Judah.’

The king will hear (shama – listen with intention to obey) these reports (dabar). So come (halak – go, walk, come, depart, be eased, be conversant) let us take counsel (yaats – consult, advise) together (yachad – completely, safely, one accord, united, together in unity).

Or: Moreover, the word is you have appointed prophets to take their stand and proclaim/preach/make famous the fact there is a king in Judah. The king will listen carefully to these reports. So let’s walk and talk about this as we consult together safely and in unity.

There is so much irony in these verses and some of the Hebrew definitions. Remember, Sanballat is seeking to get Nehemiah out from his work and brothers and co-laborers so he might kill him. But he has used this word yachad more than once in his appeals to our governor. It means “safely together, complete unitedness, one accord”. Under the guise of safety and united helpfulness, Sanballat is setting Nehemiah up.

Friends, God is turning things upside down in our day. The Spirit is shaking and we see the results everywhere. No matter how committed we are to Jesus and the Church, there will be times when we want to shrink back from all the madness. And sometimes we’ll do this in the name of unity.

Friend, if you recognize yourself in that last sentence, I’m right there with you some days. The crazy can overwhelm and conflict can make me sick to my stomach. But a false sense of unity that ignores what’s broken is no unity at all. And someone is usually left to struggle with injustice if our go-to is to sweep things under the rug.

Let’s take courage today. Without bitterness or resentment, let’s acknowledge the shaking and speak the truth to one another because it’s the loving thing to do. Let’s refuse the lie that seeking only our own interests never hurts anyone else.

Another irony of these verses and Sanballat’s appeal is how insistent he is Nehemiah come to him versus going to Nehemiah. If it was really that urgent, if he genuinely cared about the welfare of the new governor, wouldn’t he be willing to go directly to him? Particularly if he’s asked four previous times and been turned down?

There’s so much to be said for going to our brothers and sisters instead of waiting for them to come to us. Whatever the situation, if we’re committed to genuine unity, let’s be willing to make the trek. We all have blindspots, gaps, and areas of blatant sin. We do not need to get defensive or retreat; we can simply move toward each other, united in our common humanness.

Of course, our trek toward each other may not be face to face. We can make the first move in how we interact online, the way we speak about someone else in our daily lives, and the space we hold in conversations for people or positions with which we disagree. But, please, if there is someone in your community with whom you do need to get face to face, let’s obey there too. We won’t be going anywhere as a Church or a nation without this step, friends. And we all know we need to.

In every appropriate venue, let’s genuinely “walk and talk about this as we consult together safely and in unity.”

“In the same way Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand.

In it was written,

‘It is reported among the nations, and Geshem also says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel; that is why you are building the wall. And according to these reports you wish to become their king…'”

Nehemiah 6:5-6 ESV

Last time we saw our governor’s persistent resolve as the enemies of rebuilding urgently sent messages 4 times to have Nehemiah abandon the work and meet them. Today we see the persistent, but rebellious, resolve of these same enemies.

For a 5th time Sanballat urgently sent away (shalach) an open (pathach – to loosen, to vent) letter (iggereth) in his servant’s hand (yad).

Or: An open, venting letter was in Sanballat’s servant’s hand.

I’ve been wondering about the significance of this letter from Sanballat being open. The other option would be sealed with his signature, for Nehemiah’s eyes only. Instead, the definition “vent” seems appropriate in this instance. The messenger likely could read it, along with anyone else who had a mind to. When sealed with wax and a signature in tact, the only person who could open it was the intended recipient; it would be apparent if the sealed had been tampered with by anyone else curious to see.

Why do you think Sanballat sent it as an open letter? Why venting for anyone to see?

Personally, I think it’s frustration. Four times his plan to take out Nehemiah had been denied. The fifth time came with not only an open letter, but one full of untruthful rumors and accusations.

There are few things that can spur us to action like trying to defend ourselves, huh? It genuinely bothers us when others think poorly of us – especially if they have wrong information. I think Sanballat was trying his best to get some compliance to his evil plan of killing Nehemiah by tapping into his pride.

Has the enemy done this to you? Made sure you knew just enough false information was being said about you by others to get you abandoning your purpose and focusing on taking up for your reputation? Oh man, me too. There’s something so upsetting about knowing people think wrong things about our character or actions – even if some truth is laced in there. And it is so hard to trust God with our reputations and continue on with our work.

But that Hebrew word yad? In the context of Yahweh, our Covenant God, it is translated “powerful help alongside”. And He is faithful even in this area. He can vindicate our character and heal relationships without us abandoning love or our purpose.

But I want to make sure and add a caveat for us in our days of unrest and injustice. There is a time when advocating for ourselves and others is our purpose. When speaking truth to lies and repairing broken relationships has nothing to do with being obsessed with our reputation, but rather has to do with love and genuine justice. In fact, it will look like laying down our reputations even more often in order to speak truth to power and right wrongs.

“It is reported (shama – to hear, call together, discern, announce, give earnest heed, listen attentively, keep on listening, truly obey) among the nations you (yourself – attah) intend (chashab – consider, calculate, devise, plot, purpose) to rebel (marad – absolute against the king, in this particular instance) and have hovering over you (al) to become (hava – to be/breathe) king.”

Or: The open letter said, “Among the nations it is announced you have a plot hovering over you to absolutely rebel and become king.”

First of all, let’s chat. If this is a true motive of your heart – if one of your reasons for committing to your work and advocating for yourself or others is from rebellion or even bitterness, please seek God on your knees. He loves you too much to let such plans succeed. Further, although becoming king is likely not a practical goal of any of ours, if fame is right up there, please repent. If your work or advocacy is to make your name great not only will it surely fail, but it will never, ever satisfy. It’s not what any of us were designed for.

There is only One King. No one can usurp His throne. Our boys ask about Jesus taking on the bad guys often. Youngest said just today, “What’s the enemy’s name? I keep forgetting.”

Friends, we only have to remember one Name: Jesus. If His Name and ways and Word are in our minds, on our hearts and tongues, that is what we will be calling others to and announcing. That word shama has an understood obedience attached to it. Did you notice some of the definition included “call together, give earnest heed, listen attentively, keep on listening, truly obey”?

He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Oh, let’s listen, friends. God is doing something in our day and we want – no, need – ears to hear. We need to choose surrender and service daily. And a posture of humility which listens to Him and our brothers and sisters. May the only thing we as a Church are known among the nations to be devising is lifting high the True King and each other above ourselves.

Let that be our open letter to the darkness.

“So I sent messengers to them with this reply:

‘I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?’

Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.”

Nehemiah 6:3-4 NIV

Last time we saw Nehemiah discern the intent of a message sent from those who were enemies of God’s work of rebuilding in Jerusalem. Today we see the reply and persistence of our governor.

So I sent (shalach – cast off, forsake, urgently sent away) messengers (malak – angel, ambassador) with this reply:

“I (myself – ani) am doing (asah – accomplishing) a great (gadol – exceedingly, major, mighty, prominent, spacious, far, high) melakah (work: craftsmanship, cattle, business) and am not able (yakol – endure, have power) to come down (yarad – come down, descend, bow, to a lower region/shore) to you.

In other words: I myself am accomplishing an exceedingly spacious project and am not able to descend to you.

If we follow Jesus, we know descent is a primary purpose. To follow our Savior’s lead by humbling ourselves, bowed down in a position so any lifting comes from His own hand. Our takeaway from Nehemiah is clearly not to avoid bowing but to hold fast to our purpose. If you have seen God working and joined Him, spurred on by His Spirit, His Word, and His people, you know distractions and attacks will come. The goal is not to waste precious energy focusing on it. Rebuilding is hard work and will require us to live decided. Resolved. There is no need to descend to the attacks or negativity. We course correct as trusted people in our life speak truth, but we still stay the course.

I think it’s also important to remember exceedingly spacious work is a posture of humility and obedience. It may not seem world changing, but if we’re surrendered to the Exceedingly Spacious Spirit and allowing Him to move in our faithfulness, it changes our spheres of influence. And that is world changing. Speak up when you need to, sit down and listen when it’s right. Take time for your most important relationships and be a person of honor. Be kind with your words and be a genuine friend to someone different than you. Use any influence you possess to build others up and point to Him.

Nehemiah continues in his reply with “Why (mah – of what end/good purpose) should the work cease (shabath – cease, desist, cause to fail) while I leave (raphah – fail, abandon, lose courage, slack) the work and come down (yarad again) unto you (el – against, toward, beside)?”

In other words: “Of what good purpose should the work sabbath while I slack on it to descend toward you?”

We know Sabbath is crucial. The art of regularly resting to acknowledge God is the Giver of all Good Things, Jehovah Jireh our Provider, is a command. But this form of ceasing, giving up when God is clearly on the move, is an act of rebellion. One way we can know this is so in this context is the use of raphah for leave. For Nehemiah to leave the work, it would be slacking or abandoning God’s call on his life.

One way to keep us on course with exceedingly spacious projects of the Spirit is to ensure healthy resting. Pray so you remember Who is in control. Sabbath so You can focus on relationship over results. Meditate on His Word so truth guides you not emotions. Live in healthy community to avoid burn out and temptation. Cook a meal, paint a picture, walk in nature, laugh over coffee. Play a board game, read a book, write someone a handwritten note. Fill your lungs with air and let it out slowly. Relish your creatureliness and your Creator. Give away something, play in the rain, get off your phone. Look at old photos, listen to people, exercise, be generous with hugs. Play with children, say you’re sorry, look people in the eye. His world is exceedingly spacious and delightful. So is His love. Rest in that regularly, even as you work.

In the last verse we see Nehemiah’s persistent resolve:

“They urgently sent away (shalach) this (zeh) same answer (dabar – word, answer).

And I refused (shub – to turn back, return, refuse) and returned this (zeh) same answer (dabar).”

In other words:

“They urgently sent away this same word four times.

And I refused with this same answer each time.”

To be resolved means to cling to what is true. There is a way to cling to truth that alienates others and lacks the fruit of the Spirit. And there is a way to hold fast to truth in one hand and love in another. Grace and Truth like our Master. Resolve is very different from needing to be right. Resolve puts obedience ahead of popular opinion without putting self above others. Resolve clings to truth because it is the best way to love.

Where do you need to cling to truth in a situation? Not so you can be right, but so you can be obedient to God and loving to others? Nehemiah knew to obey the message would be to disobey God’s call to complete the work, put those he loved at risk, and descend toward the enemy. So despite the repeated attempts to get him away from his calling, he persistently refused.

Let’s be loyal like Nehemiah. Let’s put obedience to God above approval so we can love others. Let’s use our voice and influence on behalf of others in an exceedingly spacious and joyful work. And let’s refuse to be deterred from what He’s called us to do, no matter how urgent or persistent the message.

Let’s resolve.

Last time we saw Nehemiah recounting the ways he’d laid aside his political rights as governor to not tax the already-burdened people. Today we get a glimpse of what happens when the wall rebuild nears completion.

“When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem and the rest (yether – abundant, plentiful) of our enemies (oyeb – adversary) heard (shama – announce, proclaim, attentively) we had rebuilt the wall…”

Friend, if you have been obedient to what God has called you to do, perhaps at the same time not doing what others may want you to do, you can be guaranteed to have plentiful enemies. Not only other flesh and blood humans who may disagree, but evil in the spiritual realm who would rather see anything other than someone fully devoted to a God-given task.

When the Spirit moves and we join Him, it will be announced, proclaimed in the spiritual realm. Suddenly evil that seemed to have previously missed your home pulls up to your address. We can wonder why everything seems to be falling apart if we are doing God’s will. We must fix our eyes. Things will be shaken when the God of the Universe is on the move.

One thing that intimidates our enemy is the lack of gaps (perets – bursting forth, gap, breakthrough, mishap) in our rebuilding. As we walk closer and closer to Him, refusing to hold back sections of our heart or obedience in certain tasks, there are fewer and fewer breaches in our lives and work for evil to break through. Our walks become more airtight, our integrity in tact because of His grace upon us. And nothing could make the enemy of the Good more furious.

It’s interesting to me that Nehemiah points out here how he and the rebuilders had not yet set up the doors in the gates. The work remained unfinished yet the plentiful enemies were shaken. Feeling compelled to somehow stop the work.

If we keep in mind the battle is never ultimately against flesh and blood, we can move forward in conflict with confidence in His protection. Praying against powers and principalities in His authority, and loving and serving others in His Name. But that doesn’t mean we give up the work. What He’s given us to do will be done even if we don’t obey. But what a thrill we miss out on if we shrink back in fear or self-doubt or because of past failure. Fortunately, if that’s been our situation, we can start today – right now – asking for the faith to jump back in and join. He is worthy and His work in our lives fills us with purpose.

At this point, the human enemies of God’s work in Jerusalem sent word for Nehemiah to meet (yaad – appoint, assemble, summon) together (yachad – unitedness, one accord, unity) in a village on the plain. But Nehemiah knew they were scheming (chasab – calculate, devise, plot) to do (asah – accomplish) harm (ra – adversity, affliction, distress, grief, evil) to him.

Discernment is so crucial during our time here, isn’t it? Some situations might not even be in the categories of evil or enemy, but they may personally be an enemy to God’s best for our focus. And disappointing others doesn’t tend to be super popular. And then there are other times when what is requested seems to genuinely sound like a good thing. Something that would come under the category of best for our focus. After all, being united in one accord is our goal. And here is where we need to be diligent in discernment.

Nehemiah’s enemies wanted to get him alone on the open plain to take him out. Our enemy wants to do the very same thing. Anything that comes under the guise of unity but seeks to tear you away from trustworthy relationships will cause more divisiveness than unity. If seeking to be in one accord takes you out from under the protection of God’s flawless Word, such accord will fall out from under you. And if unity itself becomes more of a goal than relationship with and obedience to the Creator and Sustainer of Unity, it will become an idol that can take us out of the fight.

Yes, this is tricky. But that’s why the battle – and even the work – is not the main goal. Clinging to Jesus is. Only as we are can we move forward with clear eyes and a protected mind to accomplish the task He has set before us. Let’s close the gaps in our lives in which the enemy would seek to devour us. The places in our hearts we haven’t given over to Him to have authority. None of us are gap-less, but as we move forward with Him and each other, His Spirit brings together genuine unity in the work.

Let’s cling to Him, beg for discernment, and close the gaps together.

Moreover, there were at my table 150 men, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us. Now what was prepared at my expense for each day was one ox and six choice sheep and birds, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Yet for all this I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the service was too heavy on this people. Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people. Nehemiah 5:17-19 ESV

Last time we listened in as Nehemiah shared how living on mission, completing the work assigned him, kept him from distractions. Today we see him recounting the ways he served the folks he sought to lead.

Nehemiah begins with his table (shulchan – table, by implication a meal) which is one of the most intimate places to start. Who we share a meal with is very significant. It is difficult to remain enemies with someone after you have broken bread together, even for a government official entertaining Gentile nations surrounding (sabib – all around, every direction) Jerusalem. The likelihood of each person around Nehemiah’s table agreeing on politics is very, very low. But this did not stop our governor from hosting all who came (bo – abide) to Jerusalem (el – towards, adjacent, together) at his own expense.

How about us? We may not be government officials, but most of us can probably think of those with whom we inherently disagree, whether politically, relationally, or spiritually. What is our genuine disposition toward each other in those situations? How often do we consider abiding together over a common meal and listening to each other? Are we willing to show such hospitality at our own expense – perhaps the expense of our time, our reputation with others, or our finances?

There is something so humanizing about breaking bread together, acknowledging we require sustenance to keep on. That none of us can survive without an outside source. We are needy creatures, all of us together. What if we took such intimacy and applied it to areas in which we can all grow? I believe it would make a difference, perhaps not in changing each others’ minds, but in uniting our inherently diverse hearts toward each other in our common humanity. The worst thing that could happen during our tenure here is for us to become callous toward fellow image bearers.

Nehemiah goes on to explain why he did not demand (baqash – seek, request, require) the governor’s food allowance despite such lavish hosting: the heavy burden (abodah) already hovering over the folk (am). To demand a tax to pay for political banquets on top of famine-poor families serving to rebuild the wall would not exactly promote unity and good will. Mind you, Nehemiah was totally within his rights to request this tax. But love often relinquishes rights. Sets aside what might be rightfully ours in order to put others ahead of ourselves. Lets go of demands and trusts the Author of Love to supply needs.

Nehemiah’s final memoir section in these verses intrigues me. He addresses Elohim, Creator God, to remember (zakar – call to mind, keep in remembrance) for his good (towb – beautiful) all he has accomplished (asah) for the people. He wants to be remembered for the beautiful. Don’t we all? To be remembered for the hardest seasons, worst decisions, broken choices would be horrible. Oh, praise, praise Him our Creator God doesn’t do that in Christ.

The fact that He was God with skin on, died a criminal’s death a perfectly innocent man, and came back to life – never to die again – means He can do this. He can be just in forgiving unjust people. And because He now lives inside of us, we too are remembered for the beautiful. His beauty disarming all our fears masquerading as rights. We can lay it all down, over and over if necessary, as we immerse ourselves in all His beautiful splendor.

What a duty and delight. Let’s remember His beauty.

“Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we did not acquire any land.”

Nehemiah 5:16 NIV

“I had work to do; I worked on this wall. All my men were on the job to do the work. We didn’t have time to line our own pockets.”

Nehemiah 5:16 The Message

Last time we saw Nehemiah working through his personal leadership integrity in writing. He compared how the previous governors laid heavy taxation burdens on the people, but out of reverence for God, he refused to act that way. Today we see one more way Nehemiah sought integrity and one more reason.

Nehemiah and all his men helping him had work to do. They didn’t have time to “line their own pockets,” obtaining land they didn’t need. There’s something about being on mission with God. A sense of purpose that, along with holy reverence of Him, helps keep us on track, avoiding pitfalls and distractions.

The Hebrew word for work here is melakah and we’ve seen it on here before. It can mean anything from craftsmanship to cattle; from business to property to service. It is dignified and varied and worth our focus.

The other Hebrew words surrounding this are fantastic as well. All (kol – the whole, totally) my men assembled (qabats – to rally) and continued (chazaq – to strengthen, take stand) to (al – hovering over) work. Or: the whole of my fellow workers rallied together and a spirit of purpose hovered over us to strengthen the work.

How about you? Do you have a beloved community in which a God-given spirit of purpose unites you all? It doesn’t have to be fancy, you know. It could be your close-knit family loving each other and opening your hearts to those outside of your unit. Or a group of friends who have become a close-knit family. Or fellow prisoners seeking to encourage each other. Or a neighborhood united to better each other’s existence. Or a Bible Study seeking to know God’s Word better and falling into purpose as you begin to love and live life together.

Unlike Nehemiah, we don’t seek to build walls, do we? During our time on earth, our charge is to build bridges. To seek reconciliation with God and each other. It’s such beautiful craftsmanship, a worthy charge. Not to mention a sense of purpose that can help us keep our integrity in tact. He is worthy of our reverence and His call on our lives worthy of pursuit.

I love that I’m typing this on Resurrection Sunday. No more sacred act of reconciliation purpose ever existed than the God-Man becoming sin so we could become righteousness.

“Tell me did the enemy panic as You took up that cross?

Tell me did the darkness cry mercy as You rolled back that rock?

I know Your life is the life in mine

And I know Your love is the reason why…”

His love and hovering purpose built the ultimate, unattainable bridge between God and people. It is finished. And now? Enduring power to lean into the Spirit’s working in each of our walks.

I’m so glad He’s Alive.

“Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year—twelve years—neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. But the earlier governors—those preceding me—placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that.”

Nehemiah 5:14-15 NIV

Last time we watched Nehemiah hold the people accountable to their vow. Today we see his personal leadership accountability: Not just asking followers to do certain things, but going above and beyond to do those same things. Not expecting more from others than we ourselves are willing to give.

“Also (not only asking them to follow through on their vows) since the charge was laid upon me to be governor, neither I myself nor my brothers ate the food allowance. The preceding governors before me let heavy burdens hover over the folk, by taking away forty shekels daily in addition to the food allowance.

Also (not only did they put heavy burdens on the folk) but they bullied people unmercifully and took advantage of them.

But I did not do this for fear/reverence before the face of Elohim.”

We as citizens, ordinary folk, have integrity to fulfill. But if God has set a charge upon us to lead others, the bar is raised. More is at stake and, although we all have influence, more people’s lives are affected in leadership decisions. So, do you? Have a charge from God set upon you to lead others? If so, you cannot do it alone. We must be immersed in His Word and His Spirit – and deeply known & accountable to others. We all know our hearts’ capacity for duplicity is endless.

But not just our personal integrity is in question here, is it? There is also the way in which we seek to influence others. Jesus’s way was not the way of the world. He insisted our role is never to lord any power over others. There are many ways to place heavy burdens on people we seek to servant lead: comparison, graceless striving, withholding benefits, flaunting successes, performance-based standards. But I think the most obvious is leading with a lack of love. Turning people into business transactions and service into accomplishments.

It’s how we take away others’ humanity. Which is necessary to do if we have an agenda more important than love. But God’s agenda is always rooted in love. And we celebrate this week, the world over, how such love drove Him to sacrifice all. And because He did that, we are set free. Nothing more to prove, no need to dominate, no reason to lord over. His yoke is easy, burden light. Unforced grace.

Nehemiah compares his actions with his predecessors, coming up favorably. If you are able to do that, wonderful. What a gift of grace. If you are not, you are in good company. Some of us have learned the hard way through failure. But the good news is all of us can have a similar motivation as we run our race: Fear or holy reverence (yirah) before the face of Elohim, Creator God.

This reference isn’t even to Covenant Yahweh. It’s to a Creator Who made us all. Out of the simple reverence that we are created beings who cannot take credit for making ourselves, we can be rightly humbled. He is God and we are not. Reminding ourselves daily of that basic fact can save us from much misplaced pride.

In our positions of influence, let’s bow down and let the daily burial come. Let’s pour ourselves out like the Master we follow. The Savior Who washed feet and wept for those who killed Him. The rest of it fades, friends. It won’t satisfy. We were created for sacrificial love by a Sacrificial Lover.

May we be swept away this Holy Week.