Nehemiah 13 – Ownership

It’s never really sunk in for me the significance that after the wall was finished, Nehemiah left Jerusalem to regain his post with King Artaxerxes. I knew he left, but hadn’t realized that he left without expectation to return and be in charge. That would be hard. To work so hard, oversee such a massive project, then leave it. Much less to leave it and hear of it’s fading back into the dark.

Our nature is to invest of ourselves in something and automatically feel like that effort gives us right of ownership. This is a real problem for those of us in Christian leadership. But Nehemiah knew that the wall project was not about, nor was it for him, it was about and for God.

“Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out what I have so faithfully done for the house of my God and its services.” – Nehemiah 13:14

His leaving does not lesson his significance or the importance of his leadership role. Nehemiah still had a responsibility to speak into the path the people had taken. And he called out on God to protect his leadership investment.

We cannot control others. We can speak truth to them. We can set the example. But we cannot determine their steps. What we can do is ask God to bless our efforts based on our faithfulness. If our hearts are in the right place, if we look at God’s work as God’s work and not ours, Nehemiah shows us that this is a fair request.

Four times Nehemiah requests that God remembers his faithfulness. And in his final statement he asks God to not only remember, but to “remember him with favor.”

The amazing thing about our God is that not only does He allow us to ask him to remember our faithfulness, in the same prayer, He gives us the right to ask him to remember our trespasses no more. That’s humbling. Thank you Lord.

1 Sam 28 - Scary Tactics

In this chapter God remains absent from Saul. As a result Saul is seeking guidance to why He is no longer speaking to him. He cannot find a word from God. Since he no longer has any spiritual advisors, he essentially seeks out a “witch” to be a spiritual mediator for him. Are you kidding me? How far has he fallen?

I can’t figure out which is more odd to me; the fact that Saul had cowered to witchcraft or the fact that God used it for His good. He actually speaks to Saul through this way. What a sad spiritual indictment of Saul that God would rather communicate through a witch than directly to a man He had once appointed as King of Israel. In it… Samuel appears… weird… but here is the reply, and it affirms the removal of God’s hand from Saul, and His continued favor of David.

“Samuel said, "Why do you consult me, now that the LORD has turned away from you and become your enemy? The LORD has done what he predicted through me. The LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David. Because you did not obey the LORD or carry out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the LORD has done this to you today. The LORD will hand over both Israel and you to the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The LORD will also hand over the army of Israel to the Philistines." 1 Samuel 28:16-19

Just a thought… we place too much stock and pride in our position or title. Here, Saul was still the King of the nation of Israel, yet he was at the lowest point of his spiritual life. His position was not proof of how he was doing. His distance from God was the proof. None of us would trade places with Saul in this moment. Makes me think of the lame 1987 movie “like father like son” (I know it’s probably redundant to use “1987” and “lame movie” in the same sentence) where Dudley Moore and Kirk Cameron swapped places… no way, no how would I want any of that.