Ed and Patsy now live in Athens, Alabama and are members at the Pepper Road church. As administrator of this blog, he enjoys sharing thoughts about spiritual maters. Not only his thoughts but good articles from other authors. He is also thankful to have been able to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ for over sixty years.
“So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work…And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah. They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon…So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.” (Nehemiah 4:6, 16-17; 6:15)
After Babylon, who had taken the Jews captive, fell to the Medes and Persians many Jews were allowed to return to their homeland under the rule of the new regime. They returned to a land left in ruins by the Babylonians. The new rulers assisted in the rebuilding.
Nehemiah, a Jew, was cupbearer, a prestigious position, to the king of Persia, was allowed to go to Jerusalem for the purpose of rebuilding that ruined city – with the blessing and support of the Medo-Persian government. He was later appointed governor of the province.
Not everyone wanted Jerusalem rebuilt. So, there was strong active opposition to the project from neighboring regimes. Yet, despite the open strong opposition, the wall around the city was finished in 52 days – a remarkable feat. How? By a balanced approach. Half the people worked while the other half brandished weapons. It also says that “every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.” Without this balanced approach the wall would not have been finished.
There is a parallel to this story in the building up of the church. It would be great if the church could be built up without opposition. But that is not how things are. Yet, we cannot spend all of our time and effort in warding off the opposition. That would leave no time and effort for building. Nor can we spend all of our time in building. That would leave our work open to be torn down with impunity faster than we could build. It takes both!
On one hand, we have known churches to be well-nigh destroyed because about all the preaching/teaching was against something or someone – seldom speaking out for something. The results: a doctrinally strong and morally upright church that was spiritually bankrupt. Much like the church at Ephesus, they could not “endure evil men” and “put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and … found them to be false” – but, have left their first love and need to repent of it (Rev. 2:1-4). There is so much out there that needs exposing and refuting – like all the doctrinal “isms” and gross immorality threatening the purity and peace of the church. This needs attention from the pulpit and the class room, but not all of the attention.
On the other hand, we have known churches virtually destroyed because about the only preaching/teaching was aimed at developing strong Christian character and positive spirituality – even a strong academic knowledge of the Bible. But, they became a people tossed to and fro for every wind of doctrine because they had not been challenged to really discern between good and evil doctrinally. They were not told, in specific terms, about the “enemies of the cross of Christ” that are out there ready to pounce on them and take advantage of their naivety concerning false doctrine and “respectable” worldliness. They saw all doctrinal issues as “much ado about nothing” and put their heads in the sand or looked the other way. The church’s effectiveness was destroyed by those who have “crept in unawares” and taken them captive at will. They may have even been upbeat and happy while subtle doctrinal error and “respectable worldliness” ate away at their spiritual fibre, because they had become so desensitized to the harm that such causes.
We sometimes sing a wonderful song: “Dare To Stand Like Joshua.” I love the song. I also would like for someone to write one: “Dare to Build Like Nehemiah.” He and his crew built with a tool in one hand and a weapon in the other.