Learn from Nehemiah and lead well

A while back we showed a video clip during a weekend service from the movie Braveheart. The movie is based on the life of Sir William Wallace, who was a Scottish Knight and is known for leading a resistance during the Wars of Scottish Independence. Today William Wallace is remembered in Scotland as a patriot and national hero. I think what is compelling about his story is bravery and compassion, honestly and humility, all rolled into one man.

This is the same with Nehemiah. Look at these passages that exemplify his characteristics. “I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, ‘You are exacting interest each from his brother’” (vs. 5:7). It takes courage to challenge corruption and it takes compassion to do it for the sake of those who need help. Isn’t this like Christ in the temple in John 2? He challenged the religious leaders who were making profits and keeping the outsiders from being able to enter the temple and worship God.

Next let’s look at the honesty and humility of Nehemiah when he refuses to take an extra pay that he could have had from the Governor’s table. “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 not my brother at the food allowance of the governor” (vs. 5:14). Nehemiah was leading from principle and presence. He was in the midst of the community as one of them. This is another picture of Christ, leaving the splendor of heaven to become one of us on earth.

There are many more great and godly leadership characteristics Nehemiah had that I have no more room to comment on. But, the last word I will add is that godly leadership eventually gets the community to the place where they say with one voice, “We will not neglect the house of our God ” (vs. 10:39).

Tips for Reading - (Observation tip #16)

Note: This section is help for Bible Reading in general. It has been building throughout the year under the topics of Observation (what the Scripture says), Interpretation (what it means) and Application (what it means to your life). Feel free to look back over past weeks to get the whole picture.

A Simple Question:

As we continue to study the leadership of Nehemiah, we can see a simple pattern he uses. He likes to ask questions. “Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God…? (Vs. 5:9) “Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” (Vs. 6:3) “Should a man such as I run away?” (Vs. 6:11)

The question is one of the most powerful tools of communication. If I ask you a question, doesn’t it more or less force you to think? Nehemiah uses this tactic to engage the people and encourage them to discover the answers. These important questions lead us to consider how we approach God.

Do we take grace for granted? Do we abuse God’s gift and live for ourselves? Or, do we stand in awe of the work of Jesus on the cross that gives us the stamp of RIGHTEOUS before God. Because of this awe, we are called to live a life of gratitude devoted to the One who did the work for us.

As you read the book of Nehemiah pause when the author asks a question. Try to answer it for yourself before you move on. You can learn a lot about what you really believe when you let his questions penetrate your soul.

Notes from David’s Journal

After the wall is completed, Nehemiah has the problem of “sustainability” (as all leaders do - we succeed in something, then need to find ways to sustain the vision over time).

What does he do?

- He registers the people. He wants to know exactly whom he has “on his team.” They are then given their places in the land, their new homes. He knew people needed a place to call their own. From there they will continue to give Nehemiah and God their best work.

- He had Ezra reestablish Temple worship. This was brilliant. What could unite the people? Their common faith in God and their worship of Him. Nehemiah knew the importance of unity and worship in the Temple in Jerusalem was the pathway to that unity.

- He had Ezra read the Word of God. Nehemiah knew that the centrality of God’s Word had to be present for the people to have a moral consensus...this is necessary for a society to continue to address what is holy and pure and what is unholy and impure.

- He had the people confess their sins. This was like a sign of a new beginning for them all!

- He had them sign a covenant agreement, committing themselves to obedience to God in every way, especially in reestablishing the tithe to the Temple. Why was this important? For the Jew, the tithe represented the first fruit to God, giving God our best. Without this, how could they expect God’s blessing?

- He called the priests to purity in their spiritual leadership. He got rid of any who didn’t have a complete and wholehearted passion for God first. How could the people be spiritually pure unless the priests did so?

- He called the families to spiritual purity and maturity, for he knew that unless the family worked as God intended the nation could not operate as God intended, fathers loving mothers and vice versa, children and their spiritual growth as a high priority, especially the Dad’s being the spiritual leaders of their homes.

Then, and only then, did Israel have the hope of restoration, not only to the land but to God Himself. This was Nehemiah’s heart, as he ends the book with this prayer: “Remember this in my favor, O my God.” His greatest desire was to please God.

May this be our major desire too!