BRAGADAYJAH 1185

BRAGADAYJAH 1185
Nehemiah Led by Example.
And so it was that from the time Nehemiah was appointed to be the governor of the people in the land of Judah, that is to say from the twentieth year to the thirty second year of Artaxerxes, that is over a period of twelve years, neither Nehemiah nor his men ate the bread of the governor; but the former governors that were before him were chargeable unto the people and had taken of them bread and wine in adding to forty shekels of silver; and even their servants held sway over the people But Nehemiah did not so because he feared God. Neither did he or his servants bought any land; but confined themselves to the work on hand, namely the work of building the wall. And Nehemiah’s allowance for each day was one ox and six choice sheep also fowls were prepared for him. And in addition, every ten days a mixture of wines; but other than that he did not require any food for the governor; for he recognized that the burden on the backs of the people was very heavy.

www.chaberbooks.com 

BRAGADAYJAH 1184

BRAGADAYJAH 1184
Nehemiah Rebuked The Nobles and Rulers.

Upon hearing the complaint of the people, Nehemiah was very incensed and he addressed the Nobles and the Rulers and told them, that they were guilty of usury against their brothers, and he rebuked them in the presence of the whole assembly; and he said to them, that after their ability they had redeemed their brothers the Jews who were sold unto the heathen; and so asked them if they would then turn around and sell their own brethren, or should they be sold to them?  And they remained speechless. And Nehemiah continued to tell them that it was good to walk in the fear of God and incur not the reproach of the heathens their enemies. And he urged them not to continue to practice the usury of exacting money and corn from the people. Then he ordered them to restore to the people their lands, their vineyards and their houses and the hundredth part of the money, the corn, the wine, and the oil that had been extracted. And the Nobles and Rulers promised Nehemiah that they would restore all. And the people said “Amen.”  

www.chaberbooks.com

BRAGADAYJAH 1183

BRAGADAYJAH 1183

The Rise of Unbrotherly Greed
At that time a great cry of the people and their wives rang out against the Jews. Their complaint was that they and their sons and their daughters were many and we are taking up corn for them; while others claimed that they had to mortgage their lands, vineyard and houses, in order to buy corn for the Jews; and time was hard. And some complained that they had to borrow money in order to meet the king’s tribute. There was also the general outcry that they were of the same flesh and their children their sons and daughters were likewise of the same flesh as the sons and daughters and children of the Jews. Yet they protested, their sons and daughters are used as slaves and given into bondage; and they had no money to redeem them, since other men had their lands and vineyards. And when Nehemiah heard these accusation, he became very angry.  

www.chaberbooks.com

BRAGADAYJAH 1182

BRAGADAYJAH 1182
The Builders continued with swords by their sides.
And so the building continued, the builders having one hand on the job and the other on his weapon so tense was the situation. So Nehemiah instructed the Nobles the rulers and the rest of the people that because they were often apart from each other as the work progressed, that if at any time they should hear the sound of the trumpet, they should all gather around him at a fixed place. So thus situated they worked every day from the rising of the sun until late at night. As a further precaution, Jeremiah suggested that everyone should remain and sleep inside Jerusalem at nights where there would be watches and armed guards all night during which whole period the people did not take off their clothes except for washing.

www.chaberbooks.com 

BRAGADAYJAH 1181

BRAGADAYJAH 1181

Reliance on Faith in the midst of Discouragement.

At long last, Judah declared that the strength of the bearers of burdens was diminished; and that since there was so much rubbish, they were not able to continue to build the wall. And when the adversaries heard it they repeated their threat to inveigle themselves them among them, so that they would slay them undetected, and so frustrate the building of the wall. So the builders, knowing of the plot set men behind the walls with swords and spears and bows to keep watch. So Nehemiah addressed the nobles the rulers and the rest of the people and told them not to be afraid; for the Lord who is great and terrible who has in the past fought for their brothers and their sons and daughters, would also fight for them. So when the enemy heard that their plans were known to the builders and that God had brought their plans to naught, that they drew back and the builders returned to the work of building. But thereafter, the builders divided themselves in two sections, one half proceeding with the building works, while the other half kept watch with swords and spears and shields and arrows and habergeons; but it also helped that the rulers were behind the workers.

www.chaberbooks.com 

BRAGADAYJAH 1180

BRAGADAYJAH 1180
Opposition to the Will of God.

There are lots of Christians who think and sometimes say, that the Old Testament is just that, Old Law, or Old Will, and has no bearing on the souls of New Testament men and women. Some even go as far as to think and say that the Old Law has been abolished and replaced by the New Law of Grace. This latter point of view is however, based on a completely erroneous view of the inter-relationship between Law and Grace, as by one is perfect knowledge of the other. As for example the interplay between English Law and Equity. Be that as it may I find great fascination and instruction in righteousness in reading and studying the Old Testament, if for no other reason it helps us better to understand and appreciate our standing and struggles with the law of the New Testament. In the book under review, the Book of Nehemiah, as indeed it was with the book of Ezra, we see a great and central theme to wit, that wherever and whenever God’s people set out to do the will of God, the enemy invariably intervene and try to oppose and obstruct. So it has always been and so it always will be, until the Lord shall close the book on the world. God allows the enemy to interfere so that we may see that the result in the end, that God is the Omnipotent one. That He will always have His way. So He could say to Satan, “Consider my servant Job.” So we may know if we resist Satan he will flee from us. And we see that though David was a man of God’s own heart, yet he sinned; but we also see as in Psalm 51, how David confessed and was restored. So while Ezra built the House of the Lord which the Lord wanted to be built and which building he directed, the opposition was ever present trying to prevent its building; but in the end, the house was completed.  And so later when Nehemiah and his brethren tried to repair the walls of the city of Jerusalem, the Sanballats of the world rose up against the work. The lesson for us therefore, is that we learn that through perseverance, whatever the obstacles, whoever, whatever the opposition, God’s will be done, no matter who says or does what to the contrary.

www.chaberbooks.com