Walk with God.

Then the rest of the people--the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, Temple servants, and all who had separated themselves from the pagan people of the land in order to obey the Law of God, together with their wives, sons, daughters, and all who were old enough to understand--joined their leaders and bound themselves with an oath. They swore a curse on themselves if they failed to obey the Law of God as issued by His servant Moses. They solemnly promised to carefully follow all the commands, regulations, and decrees of the LORD our Lord: (Nehemiah 10:28-29 NLT)

Building a city starts with building ourselves, our spouses, our children.  It begins when we walk with God, lead our family to walk with God, and then help others do the same.  There is no alternative to God’s Plan.  There is no shortcut to God’s process.   This is God’s way of showing, and helping, all people to walk together with God.  Only when we change our path to match God’s do we start to enjoy the walk.

For the dedication of the new wall of Jerusalem, the Levites throughout the land were asked to come to Jerusalem to assist in the ceremonies. They were to take part in the joyous occasion with their songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps, and lyres. Many sacrifices were offered on that joyous day, for God had given the people cause for great joy. The women and children also participated in the celebration, and the joy of the people of Jerusalem could be heard far away. (Nehemiah 12:27, 43 NLT)

How about you?  Do you walk with God?  Does your spouse?  Do your children?  Do you enjoy the walk?  Do you work with God to help others to walk together with God?

Turn to God.

The Israelites in Ezra and Nehemiah’s day completed the Temple and the wall of Jerusalem.  It was time to begin “normal life” again, but they had lived most, if not all, of their lives in captivity because of their sin.  They listened to the Law.  They celebrated what God has done.  But, when they look at themselves, they don’t want to celebrate.  That’s because they had done so much wrong.

On October 31 the people assembled again, and this time they fasted and dressed in burlap and sprinkled dust on their heads. Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all foreigners as they confessed their own sins and the sins of their ancestors. They remained standing in place for three hours while the Book of the Law of the LORD their God was read aloud to them. Then for three more hours they confessed their sins and worshiped the LORD their God. (Nehemiah 9:1-3 NLT)

The prophet Malachi lived and served around this same time.  When Malachi prophesied, he shared the kinds of sin that the Israelites were guilty of living in their generation.  Here are some of the examples.

• Giving our leftovers to God. (Malachi 1:7-8)
• Causing other people to sin. (Malachi 2:8)
• Divorce and other sexual immorality. (Malachi 2:14-16)
• Cheating God’s work/ers by not supporting them. (Malachi 3:8-10)

When they heard the whole of God’s law, they were convicted in their own mind and heart of their rebellion.  If they tried to justify their actions in the reading of the law, they had another round of feeling convicted when Malachi prophesied.  That’s because God has clearly communicated the only solution to our rebellion: turn back to God.

The LORD of Heaven's Armies says, "The day of judgment is coming, burning like a furnace. On that day the arrogant and the wicked will be burned up like straw. They will be consumed--roots, branches, and all. "But for you who fear My name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in His wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture. (Malachi 4:1-2 NLT)

How about you?  Do you have a place or places where you are convicted of your rebellion against God?  Do you turn back to God?

Do what God says.

When Ezra read the book of the Law to the Israelites in their day, the people started to realize the many ways in which they had not been walking together with God.  They started to be sad and afraid.  This, however, was not a day set apart by God for sadness and repentance.  This day wasn’t about them.  The day was about God.  When they put their focus on God and everything God has done for them, they celebrated.

Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were interpreting for the people said to them, "Don't mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the LORD your God." For the people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. And Nehemiah continued, "Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don't be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!" And the Levites, too, quieted the people, telling them, "Hush! Don't weep! For this is a sacred day." (Nehemiah 8:9-11 NLT)

Often times, we miss God’s point because we get caught up in our own point of view.  It’s much easier to look at the world through our eyes and more difficult to look at it through God’s eyes.  The LORD, however, wants us to take the time to look at things through God’s eyes.  Every seventh day was set apart for just such a time.  When we do, things make sense.  When we do, we understand our part of God’s Plan.  When we do, we know how to walk together with God.

So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God's words and understood them. (Nehemiah 8:12 NLT)

How about you?  Do you take the time to look at things through God’s eyes?  When you do, do things start to make more sense?  When you do, do you see your part of God’s Plan?  When you do, do you know how to walk together with God?  Then, do you do what God says?

Listen to God

In the book of Ezra, we learned to build God’s Church as they rebuilt the Temple of the LORD.  In the book of Nehemiah, we learned how to build our city while they rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.  Through it all, we learned a principle that has repeated itself many times over throughout Scripture: We should learn to listen to God.

Ezra stood on the platform in full view of all the people. When they saw him open the book, they all rose to their feet. Then Ezra praised the LORD, the great God, and all the people chanted, "Amen! Amen!" as they lifted their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. The Levites--Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah--then instructed the people in the Law while everyone remained in their places. They read from the Book of the Law of God and clearly explained the meaning of what was being read, helping the people understand each passage. (Nehemiah 8:5-8 NLT)

Listening to God may have been easy and straightforward for Adam and Eve.  They walked together with God in the Garden of Eden.  They knew when it was God who spoke and when it was not.  Now, we find ourselves learning to discern God’s voice by filtering out the many, many voices that vie for our attention.  We do this by listening to God’s Word and then taking the time to understand it.

"The purpose of My covenant with the Levites was to bring life and peace, and that is what I gave them. This required reverence from them, and they greatly revered Me and stood in awe of My name. They passed on to the people the truth of the instructions they received from Me. They did not lie or cheat; they walked with Me, living good and righteous lives, and they turned many from lives of sin. The words of a priest's lips should preserve knowledge of God, and people should go to him for instruction, for the priest is the messenger of the LORD of Heaven's Armies. (Malachi 2:5-7 NLT)

Now, Christians are God’s Church, Christ’s Ambassadors, and a Kingdom.  We are messengers of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.  We are priests.  Our words, like the priests of old, should point people to God’s Words which bring life and peace.  Our lives should reflect a reverence and awe of God’s Name.  Our instructions should pass on the truth of God to anyone who will listen.  Our lives should be good and righteous, turned away from sin, walking together with God.

How about you?  Do you listen to God?  Do you take the time to understand God’s words?  Do you pass along the words of God that bring life and peace?

Work with God

The back half of this series has been focused on Nehemiah and the Israelites who have returned from captivity to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, which they did.  Then they returned “home.”

So my God gave me the idea to call together all the nobles and leaders of the city, along with the ordinary citizens, for registration. I had found the genealogical record of those who had first returned to Judah. This is what was written there...a total of 42,360 people returned to Judah. (Nehemiah 7:5, 66a NLT)

They were accused of rebuilding the wall because they wanted to rebel against the current occupation and king.  That wasn’t their motivation at all, though.  They simply wanted to walk together with God in the way that God had commanded in the Law.  They couldn’t do that without the Temple.  They couldn’t do that without the Levites and priests.  They could do it in safety with the wall.

In October, when the Israelites had settled in their towns, all the people assembled with a unified purpose at the square just inside the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had given for Israel to obey. So on October 8 Ezra the priest brought the Book of the Law before the assembly, which included the men and women and all the children old enough to understand. He faced the square just inside the Water Gate from early morning until noon and read aloud to everyone who could understand. All the people listened closely to the Book of the Law. (Neh. 7:73b-8:3 NLT)

Much of the Bible makes no sense unless we understand this principle.  The people of God want, more than anything else, to be with God.  They want to walk with God.  When there’s work to do, they want to work with God.  When heaven is described to us, it begins with these people getting what they want: being in the presence of God.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, "Look, God's home is now among His people! He will live with them, and they will be His people. God Himself will be with them.” (Revelation 21:1-3 NLT)

How about you?  Do you want to be in the presence of God?  Do you want to walk with God?  Do you want to work with God?  Do you look forward to someday seeing, face to face, God?