Nehemiah’s family has been living in exile for generations. This creates tension and ambiguity for Nehemiah—he is living and prospering in the powerful Empire of Persia, yet his core identity is that of Jew.

When he receives word that the people of Israel are not faring well in Judah, Nehemiah’s heart is troubled. He recognizes his responsibility in the situation. In the same way, we are responsible for the burdens of fellow believers.

As he cries out to God in prayer, Nehemiah speaks with boldness and humility. He repents of his sin and affirms God’s faithfulness.

We often view the church as a place to go and get something to make our lives better. However, the church is about our interconnectedness as believers. We take on one another’s burdens because Jesus took on our burdens.

Even though Nehemiah has been living in comfort, his new awareness moves him to take a step that is risky and disruptive to his life. We should also value the glory of God over the comforts of our daily lives.

Nehemiah’s story is a prelude to the great story of the Bible. Jesus also leaves a glorious palace to identify with a lowly and obscure people.

Nehemiah has been prayerfully waiting for months after hearing of the plight of his people in Jerusalem. He knows that he cannot control his situation, but he does put himself in a position to take advantage of the opportunities God brings him.

Just as Nehemiah focuses his energy on building up God’s people, so must we be constantly working to move God’s mission forward.

Artaxerxes is a powerful king; however, God is truly in control. Nehemiah is oriented to God’s empire, which gives him boldness when he asks the king for help.

Nehemiah both trusts God and takes action. This is how we elevate God’s spiritual empire while living in this earthly empire.

Our identity in God’s empire should affect how we think and what we do in this earthly empire.

When Nehemiah arrives in Jerusalem, he takes time to gather firsthand information about the situation. He is patient to wait, learn, and discern the nuances of the circumstance before he casts vision for the work ahead.

Jerusalem’s wall is significant not because of what it excludes, but because of how it functions to identify God’s place among his people.

In our current time and culture, believers function as the wall and temple of God. As God’s people, we are the gateway for others to find God since he lives within us. We should therefore live in such a way that we are easily identified as God’s people.

Nehemiah is able to connect the dots between the truths in the Scripture and what is happening in the world around him. Likewise, we should be alert and aware of what God is doing around us and how it connects to his Word.

The Israelites in Jerusalem are willing to obey God and follow Nehemiah, and their work will expose their flaws. We must also be willing to serve and give our lives away—for only when we get exposed will we actually grow in faith and maturity.

Jesus’ trust at the end of his earthly life was a result of an entire lifetime of trusting God. We cannot think that we can walk through life not trusting God with difficult things and then be able to trust him in that final moment.

In Nehemiah’s context, the work he is doing to rebuild the wall is utterly unimpressive. However, obedience to God is rarely impressive to the world on its terms. It takes faith to see the significance of what God is doing.

Rather than trying to impress the world, we should be driven to be part of something that only God can do. Just as Jesus came to earth in an obscure way, so must we be willing to work and live in obscurity and obedience.

We are all called to serve God by serving others. Like the people of Jerusalem, we must be willing to pick up a rock and get to work quickly even when the task seems small.

God also calls us to submit to his ordained leadership and come under their authority. This may not always be easy, but it is a necessary element of following Jesus.

The Scriptures are full of lists. God and his angels are always watching us and taking note. This idea should both humble and comfort us.

In this passage, those who did the work of rebuilding also reaped repentance in their hearts. As a result, they saw revival in their midst, and God’s glory was revealed. Likewise, we must move towards God and his work as an act of repentance—this is how we manifest his glory to the world.

Nehemiah and his followers are being opposed by both external and internal forces. They will have to trust God in a way that they have not previously had to.

When mocked by his enemies, Nehemiah prays and places the burden on God. Rather than engaging them himself, he humbly acknowledges that the battle belongs to God.

As they continue to work in the face of opposition and even death, the Israelites are exposed. In the same way, God continually brings difficulties into our lives in order to humble and teach us. This is part of the Christian journey.

Having to trust God with an outcome we cannot control is an important shaping experience for believers. Like Nehemiah, we must both trust God and take action according to his will.

The world is a challenging and difficult place. We have to work hard and fight hard in the areas where God has given us responsibility. But, we also have to maintain a deep sense that everything we build belongs to God.

Although the wall has progressed, there is conflict among the people of Jerusalem. It comes to Nehemiah’s attention that the wealthy are exploiting the impoverished, and he takes swift action.

When Nehemiah tells the nobles and officials that their use of interest against their fellow Jews is the opposite of what God is doing, they respond in obedience. What they were doing was culturally acceptable, but it did not honor God.

In Leviticus, God is clear that his plan is to protect and uplift the poor as well as check the power of the wealthy. We must also follow this concept of caring for our fellow believers.

Generosity is essential in the Christian life. We must trust God enough to deplete ourselves for the good of others. Then, we will look to God for comfort, status, and significance.

We are responsible to address division, bias, or prejudice within the church. It is our nature to create division among ourselves, but God calls us to strive for compassion and unity.

While our first priority is caring for the body of Christ, we should also use our resources to uplift the oppressed in the world. We will not “fix” the brokenness around us, but we can build inroads for the gospel.

As we give towards and advocate for those in need, we look to Jesus—the great advocate who completely depleted himself for our redemption.