Overview
Nehemiah: The listing of people who worked on the wall and what portion is continued.
Sanballat was very angry that the work was continuing. He and Tobiah taunted the workers. Nehemiah prayed that God would hear and take care of them. He said they had provoked God’s anger. When the wall got to half the height, Sanballat, Tobiah, Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites plotted to do battle against Jerusalem. The Jews prayed and set guards.
People in Judah were complaining there was too much rubble and they couldn’t do it by themselves. Many Jews who lived around there asked the people many times to come home. Instead, Nehemiah stationed people in the lowest part of the wall armed for battle. He told them not to be afraid because God is awesome and to fight for their families.
The enemies were frustrated and the work resumed. People worked while keeping their weapons with them. Nehemiah stationed trumpeters to sound an alarm if anyone should attack. He kept people in Jerusalem overnight so they could guard at night and build during the day.
The people then complained to Nehemiah that they had to borrow money to eat and pay taxes. The ones with money were charging interest and enslaving their fellow Jews who were poor. Nehemiah became very angry and confronted those doing the evil. He told them they should fear God because their actions were causing even more taunts from the enemies. They promised to restore everything. He shook out his garments and asked God to shake them out of their houses if they didn’t keep their promises.
Psalm: David recounts how blessed it is to be forgiven of sin. He explains his anguish while hiding his sin. Then he confessed and was forgiven. He advises that we pray while we are able because God will deliver. God replies by letting us know he will instruct us in the right path and that we shouldn’t fight it. The wicked have sorrows but the righteous can rejoice in the Lord.
Proverbs: Careful planning will result in abundance but hasty decisions often lead to poverty. Cheating to get riches provides short-lived results and even death. Violent and wicked people will not live forever because they do evil.
1 Corinthians: There was a question from the Corinthians about marrying a virgin (NAS) or a person to who they have already been betrothed (ESV). Paul doesn’t say this is a command, but his answer is that because of the distressful times, people shouldn’t get married. But if they do marry, they haven’t sinned. Anyone who marries will have problems because the time has grown short. People should consider their position, emotions, and act accordingly not for selfish reasons.
Married people can become anxious about how to please each other instead of the Lord in holiness. They have divided interests.
If a person is engaged (ESV) or has a virgin daughter (NAS) and marriage is in the picture, then it is okay for them to marry. It isn’t a sin. But if they have self-control and have determined not to marry that is okay as well.
A woman can remarry when her husband dies but she should only marry another Christian. Paul thinks she would be happier unmarried and he believes he has the Spirit of God.
What Stood Out
Nehemiah: “Do not cover their guilt, and let not their sin be blotted out from your sight, for they have provoked you to anger in the presence of the builders” (Neh 4:5).
Psalm: “Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him” (Ps 32:6).
Proverbs: “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty” (Prov 21:5).
1 Corinthians: “I think that in view of the present distress it is good for a person to remain as he is” (1 Cor 7:26).
Insight
Nehemiah: It doesn’t seem to matter what the opposition is against Nehemiah and the builders. He shows steadfast strength in keeping up the work. He mixes physical precautions against his enemies with prayer. When he discovered widespread sin in the camp, he exercised the same steadfastness in condemning the sin and requiring repentance while he prays and asks God to make sure the people do what they promised.
He is an example of a godly person. An ungodly person isn’t just a person who does evil, but is a person who goes about his life without thinking about God. He may recognize God and believe in him, but he is not in his thoughts. Nehemiah went about every part of his life with thoughts about God. Prayer was a huge part of that.
We could all be more like Nehemiah, talking to God about everything. We need to talk to him about everyday things, not just something big like an enemy, health crisis, or relationship problems. Jesus said we should pray for our daily bread, but even before that, we are to pray for his kingdom to come and his name to be honored. We do that when we think about him and pray over all things.
Psalm: In keeping with being a godly person and praying, Psalm 32:6 tells us that we should pray while God can be found. Since we are promised that he will be with us in various verses, that means we should always be praying. However, there is a warning here also. The implication is that when a disaster strikes, it could be so sudden that we don’t have time to pray. Think about auto accidents, heart attack, and other swift calamities. When we make our whole life a prayer, these things will not overwhelm us. We can be confident that the Lord will be with us and will not abandon us.
Proverbs: There are always people who look for quick ways of getting rich. When they act in haste they usually don’t look at the big picture. Then they discover that their investment was unwise and results in loss. I get emails in my spam basked from all sorts of people, but one type that is interesting is the investment opportunity to buy some stock that is going to produce 100-200% gain in just a couple of days. There are plenty of other scams out there as well and all apply to our greed. If we are thinking first of God and his kingdom, these things will not distract us but will only serve to keep us diligent in doing his will.
1 Corinthians: Bible study really needs to examine not just the context of a passage but the circumstances of the people who were being addressed. This section on marriage can only be applied when we look at the persecution and problems going on when Paul wrote to the Corinthians. If we were to apply these passages universally to all people everywhere and also apply the context only to the verse, “Do not seek a wife” (1 Cor 7:27), it would be enough to stop all Christians from getting married.
Still there are some gems in this passage, especially about how people often try to please their spouse and therefore neglect doing what God wants them to do. Paul’s comments to widows to marry in the Lord applies to everyone as has been discussed before. When two people are devoted to the Lord and marry, they can often do much more than a single person. When one has too much attention on the world, it does have the opposite effect and neither are effective as a single person who is devoted to the Lord. So, married couples, get on the same page serving the Lord. Singles, don’t make it your life goal to get married, but when God brings that person into your life, go for it.
Application
I want to be a godly person. I find distractions all over the place. However, it is possible to be conscious of God and pray even when having to do mundane tasks or those requiring mindful concentration. I need to work on it though.
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