This subject from Nehemiah is one of my favorite 'practical applications' to teach / preach!  Now we can look at the lessons from Nehemiah from the words of the Risen Christ - through Paul, of course.

He realized there is a problem!

• 1:3 - And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.
• We know of the damage today:
• godliness (Christianity)
• church
• local
• universal
• preaching
• teaching
• profane and vain babblings instead of rightly dividing
• Christians
• Bibles
• children and grandchildren
• the country
• freedoms
• economy
• global attraction
• our personal lives
• For Paul, see:
• II Corinthians 11:1-4
• II Timothy 2:20
• Philippians 1:28

• 1:4 - And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,
• For Paul, see:
• Prayer, tears, grace, truth, mercy, longsuffering, change our voice, reprove, rebuke, avoid, etc. send of to Satan and the world.

• 1:5-11
• OT fear of God, physical kingdom
• He asked for the mercy we have today!
• See Paul's prayers:
• no fear of God in the same OT manner, if saved!
• Romans 2:4 for the lost

• 2:1 - ... Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence.
• Permission Granted to do what must be done to repair the wall!
• 2:5-8
• For Paul, see:
• I Thessalonians 1:8-10
• Philemon 1:6

• 2:12-16
• Kept quiet about it.
• It was his personal business!
• For Paul, see:
• I Corinthians 1:10
• Galatians 3:1-3
• Colossians 2:1-3
• II Thessalonians 1:3-10
• II Timothy 3:1-9

• 2:17-18
• Hand of my God - the KJV RD'd Bible today!
• People chose to follow
• They strengthened their hands for this good work!
• They prepared themselves for the work to come!
• For Paul, see:
• Romans 16

I.  Have faith / Trust!

• 2:20 - Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.
• Trust and faith towards what God said to him!
• Told them there is nothing in it for them - "It really is just none of your business!"
• Paul preaches about the faith OF Jesus Christ more than just 'our' own faith.

• 4:4-5 - Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity.  And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.
• He turns it back on them by asking God to make them pay, as they are really mocking God, not Nehemiah.
• Paul talks about 'faith' not signs, miracles, wonders, etc.
• Our knowledge, understanding and even awareness comes from the KJB!
• Paul has his mercy, longsuffering, etc. but eventually:
• Paul asks God to make the coppersmith pay according to his own works.
• II Timothy 4:14-,15
• Sends them off to Satan
• I Timothy 1:19,20
• I Corinthians 5:5

• 4:6 - So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
• They were getting the job done as they really had a mind to work - in spite of the challenges from others!
• For Paul, see:
• Colossians 4:5

• 4:9 - Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
• Stayed close to God
• Set a watch, day and night!
• For Paul, see:
• Ephesians 6 - Armour of God
• Romans 7 for his personal battles
• II Timothy 1:13; 2:3 - hold fast - endure...

• They recognized that they were getting weaker!
• 4:10 - And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.
• Rubbish!
• For Paul, see:
• II Corinthians 13:5,7

• 4:13 - Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
• Nehemiah set in the lower places - closer!
• Taught families how to deal with it all in the high places!
• 4:14 - And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
• Challenged the families and leaders to fight!
• verses 14-23
• worked in one hand and had their weapon in the other - vs 17
• were never caught off guard - vs 23
• For Paul, see:
• Philippians 1:9,20

• 5:6-8 - And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words. Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother.  And I set a great assembly against them. And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren?  or shall they be sold unto us?  Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer.
• angry when he heard their cry
• meditated on what to do!
• rebuked the leaders
• they had no answer - they held their peace
• they gave the enemy a bad testimony of God and the truth! vs 9
• Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?
• they responded as directed by Nehemiah - vs 12-13
• People said, "Amen!" vs 13
• For Paul, see:
• II Corinthians 11:16-30
• Philippians 1:20-26
• II Corinthians 11:1, 6-7

• 5:14-19
• Nehemiah mentioned that he was doing this all without any 'government involvement.'
• Sacrifice can encourage others!
• No pride - etc.
• Paul - Philippians 1:12,13 -

• 6:3,4 - And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you? Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.
• with a solid and truthful unashamed answer!
• didn't give in even as they kept it up!
• For Paul, see:
• Prayer, tears, grace, truth, mercy, longsuffering, change our voice, reprove, rebuke, avoid, etc. send of to Satan and the world.

• 6:8,9 - Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart. For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done.  Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.
• Returned a personal letter of denial
• Prayed unto God - he knew what they had always been trying to do!
• Went to God for his strength!
• See the King James Bible, rightly divided for source of strength according to Paul!
• II Corinthians 1:8: For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life.
• II Corinthians 12:9: And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
• Ephesians 3:16: That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

• 6:11-13 - And I said, Should such a man as I flee?  and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life?  I will not go in. And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me.
• He would not go in!
• He knew this guy was going to try to make him do something that would destroy his testimony.
• He didn't ever begin to feel it was partly his fault so that he would have to 'talk' - tolerance, etc.
• He knew he was right - so why go and visit?
• He needed protection from who?
• Prayed to God to give Sanballat and Tobiah according to their works.
• And on the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets...
• For Paul, see:
• Prayer, tears, grace, truth, mercy, longsuffering, change our voice, reprove, rebuke, avoid, etc. send of to Satan and the world.

• 6:15,16 - So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days. And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.
• The enemy was cast down in the eyes the enemy!
• The enemy saw that it was all of God!
• For Paul, see:
• II Timothy 3:17: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
• I Thessalonians 3:10: Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?
• Colossians 4:12: Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
• Philippians 3:15: Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
• Ephesians 4:12,13: For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

• Hey - why not?  Tobiah  had people 'on his side' within Nehemiah's congregation!
• Those people gave Tobiah strength to continue hassling Nehemiah - EVEN AFTER THE WALL WAS FINISHED!
• This is still true today with modern Christians!  They don't quit after they leave!
• Paul says:
• Philippians 3:13: Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,