The Heart of God: Exile and Return (6)

And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Luke 24.27

Read and meditate on Nehemiah 1-6.
We note that only after the temple is rebuilt does God turn the attention of His people to their outward defenses. Nehemiah seems an unlikely candidate for the calling God gave him, so we have much to learn from him about trusting the God Who is faithful to His covenant.

For reflection
1.  Do you agree that Nehemiah seems an unlikely person to have been called to the task of rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem? What does this suggest about your own calling from the Lord? Are you thinking like Nehemiah the cupbearer or Nehemiah the visionary and willing servant of God? Explain.

2.  We can see that Nehemiah was living in sync with God’s covenant by his zeal for the glory of God and the wellbeing of His people. Explain.

3.  Comment on Nehemiah’s preparation for his calling. What did he do? How did he enlist others to help him in his calling? What can we learn from his example about preparing to work our own Personal Mission Fields?

4.  In chapter 5, Nehemiah can be seen as embodying both a prophetic and kingly role among the people. In what ways? What does his example suggest about what God is looking for in leaders?
 
5.  Comment on Nehemiah’s approach to the problem posed in chapter 6. What can we learn from this episode about trusting God in the midst of adversity and trial?

Summary
Nehemiah’s calling to build the wall of Jerusalem is a type of our calling to seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Fulfilling our callings from the Lord requires a clear sense of His leading, careful preparation, the ability to enlist, encourage, and equip others, and determination to stay on task in spite of challenges and difficulties. How does Nehemiah’s example instruct you in working your own Personal Mission Field?

Closing Prayer
Those who trust in the LORD
Are like Mount Zion,
Which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
So the LORD surrounds His people
From this time forth and forever.
For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
On the land allotted to the righteous,
Lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity.
Do good, O LORD, to those who are good,
And to those who are upright in their hearts.
As for such as turn aside to their crooked ways,
The LORDshall lead them away
With the workers of iniquity.
Peace be upon Israel!

Psalm 125

T. M. Moore

Two books can help you gain a fuller understanding of the terrain we will be covering in this series. Kingdom Documentsprovides a concise overview of the primary teaching of the Old and New Testaments, and shows, through early Church creeds, how our forebears understood the primary teachings of God’s Word. (click here to order). I Will Be Your Goddevelops more fully the idea of God’s covenant and leads us to consider the practical implications of our covenant relationship with God (click here).

Visit The Ailbe Seminary, where our course, Introduction to Biblical Theology, offers a parallel study of our theme in this series, using brief video presentations and the workbook God’s Covenant: An Introduction. All courses at The Ailbe Seminary are available without charge.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.