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By David Wright Nearly a century after the end of the Jews' Babylonian exile, an unspecified enemy attacked Jerusalem, breaking down its wall and destroying its gates with fire (Neh. 1:3). When Nehemiah, the Persian king's cupbearer, heard this troubling news, he asked his lord for permission to take an extended leave of absence so that he could travel to Jerusalem, assume office as its governor, and oversee a reconstruction project. Graciously, the king granted this request. Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem in 445 BC. Rebuilding the holy city was a monumental task. However, Nehemiah had the full support and cooperation of the Jewish people in Jerusalem. “So we built the wall,” he recorded, “and all the wall was joined together to half its height. For the people had a mind to work” (Neh. 4:6). The people worked with such diligence, in fact, that the reconstruction took only about seven weeks: “The wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days” (6:15). That same willingness to work was evident at Meigs Avenue as the congregation prepared for the Gospel meeting and Friends Day last weekend. The presence of so many visitors was no coincidence. It was plain that the church had worked hard to invite friends, family, and neighbors. More than 400 invitations were given. No doubt, some in the church also labored in prayer. And what a feast was served on Sunday! Although almost everybody stayed for lunch, there was an abundance of delicious food. Obviously, our good cooks worked hours and hours on Saturday in order to provide such a wonderful meal. The Jewish people had a mind to work. And the Lord blessed them. Nehemiah wrote that “when all our enemies heard of it [i.e., the rapid repair of Jerusalem's wall and gates], all the nations round about us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem; for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God” (Neh. 6:16). God deserves the praise for helping Meigs Avenue too. The church worked hard to make our weekend a special event, but there is never any true success without the Lord's gracious help. |
