Prestoncrest Church of Christ
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“Keep Building!”
April 18, 2021 - by Jacob Hawk
Positives can always be found in a sea of negatives. The nation of Judah had known nothing but heartbreak, but Nehemiah was a source of hope. Yet as God tasked Nehemiah with rebuilding the wall, a humanitarian crisis stood in their way. Nehemiah shows us how to rebuild even in the tragedies of our time.
Key Verses (see below for full content):
- Nehemiah 5:1-3; 6-7; 10-14; 17
- Proverbs 16:32
- Matthew 18:15
• Nehemiah never deterred from his mission.
• The church cannot deter from hers.
• We must keep building.
Nehemiah 5 // ESV
1-3 Now there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers. For there were those who said, “With our sons and our daughters, we are many. So let us get grain, that we may eat and keep alive.” There were also those who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine.”
6-7 I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them
10-14 Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest. Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them.” Then they said, “We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you say.” And I called the priests and made them swear to do as they had promised. I also shook out the fold of my garment and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said “Amen” and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised. Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor.
17 Moreover, there were at my table 150 men, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us.
Proverbs 16:32 // ESV
Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
Matthew 18:15 // ESV
If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.