walls. Nor had any measures been taken to rebuild them. Their enemies had indeed falsely represented, that they were "building the rebellious city," and had "set up the walls thereof, and joined the foundations." Ezra 4. 12. But this was a groundless charge. And though according to man's policy the walls would have been built first, and the temple afterwards, it pleased God to overrule this matter otherwise. And his temple, as it stood in the defenceless city, if thronged with devout worshippers serving Him in spirit and in truth, instead of needing such protection as the walls of the city could afford, was itself a means of protection to the city. What place is so secure as that, which is fortified by the prayers of a devout people? What people dwell so happily as they, whose churches are their chief places of defence, where God is intreated in times of danger, and also duly glorified in seasons of deliverance? But the temple having been first completed, God was pleased to order it, that the walls should next be built. And for this purpose He raised up Nehemiah, placed him in a situation of influence with the reigning king of Persia, and made his heart to glow with such an ardent love for his country, that he was disposed to risk all his influence, and to sacrifice all his own worldly interests, for the sake of reestablishing Jerusalem in prosperity. It was Nehemiah's office to be cupbearer to the king. This was an office of great trust, in a time and country wherein kings commonly apprehended risk of poison. In virtue of this office he was frequently in the presence of his sovereign. And the special object of the prayer which he made to God was this, that he might find favour in the king's sight, when he ventured to make intercession with him in behalf of his afflicted countrymen. The love of our country has always been esteemed a noble quality in the human character. Even the heathen, in proportion as they approached most nearly to some just ideas of human excellence, were apt to extol most highly those, who in this way subdued their selfish feelings under a concern for the welfare of others. The servant of the true God, though his affections expand towards all mankind, is warranted in feeling a more than common share of interest in the welfare of his own country. And he is taught also to prove his patriotism, not only by acts of self denial, but by fervent and frequent prayer to Him, from whom all good gifts proceed. Thus the poorest and lowliest in the land may be privileged to do his country most important services. And it may often happen, for aught we know, that the plans of the wise, and the labours of the diligent, for the prosperity of the state, owe their success, under God's blessing, to the prayers of some captive exile, who has learnt from such a pattern as this of Nehemiah to pray much more heartily for his country's good, than those who are blessed with liberty at home. Nehemiah cometh to Jerusalem. 1 And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence. 2 Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid, 3 And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire? 4 Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it. 6 And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time. 7 Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah ; 8 And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the pa lace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me. 9 Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me. 10 When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel. 11 So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days. 12 And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon. 13 And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire. 14 Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to the king's pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass. 15 Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and so returned. 16 And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work. 17 Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach. this good work. 19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king? 18 Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for rial, in Jerusalem. 20 Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memo LECTURE 733. Trust in the help of God. There is nothing more worthy of our observation in the character of Nehemiah, than the stedfastness with which he appears to have set God always before him. Upon hearing of the forlorn state of Jerusalem, it was to God that he poured out the affliction of his soul, in earnest prayer for the children of Israel, and in hearty confession of their sins, which he repeated before God "day and night." Ch. 1. 6. When he formed the plan of making known his grief unto the king, he first prayed God to give him favour in the king's sight. See Ch. 1. 11. And now, when his plan has so far prospered, as that the king has noticed his sorrow, and has asked him, "For what dost thou make request?" he first lifts up his heart in prayer to the God of heaven, and then makes known to the king what it is that he desires. When he obtains his petition, he thus records his success: "The king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me." When he speaks of his secret purpose, he calls it, "what God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem." When he makes it known to his countrymen, and would encourage them to persevere in its accomplishment, he says, "I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me." And to the enemies opposing him he makes answer in the same spirit of trust in God's help: "The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build." Throughout the history of Nehemiah we shall find, that he always acted under this lively conviction of God's being a very present help in time of trouble. And we shall do well to learn from his account of his acts and motives, to adopt in our own conduct this principle of confidence which animated his; and to say, as he doubtless said often, with the Psalmist: "I have set God always before me: for he is on my right hand, therefore I shall not fall." Ps. 16. 9. PART IV. O. T. 3 B The names of them 1 Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah they sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel. 2 And next unto him builded the men of Jericho. And next to them builded Zaccur the son of Imri. 3 But the fish gate did the sons of Hassenaah build, who also laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. 4 And next unto them repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Kos. And next unto them repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabeel. And next unto them repaired Zadok the son of Baana. 5 And next unto them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord. 6 Moreover the old gate repaired Jehoiada the son of Paseah, and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah; they laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, and the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. 7 And next unto them repaired Melatiah the Gibeonite, and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon, and of Mizpah, unto the throne of the governor on this side the river. 8 Next unto him repaired Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, of the goldsmiths. Next unto him also repaired Hananiah the son of one of the apothecaries, and they fortified Jerusalem unto the broad wall. 9 And next unto them repaired that built the wall. Rephaiah the son of Hur, the rul er of the half part of Jerusalem. 10 And next unto them repaired Jedaiah the son of Harumaph, even over against his house. And next unto him repaired Hattush the son of Hashabniah. 11 Malcijah the son of Harim, and Hashub the son of Pahathmoab, repaired the other piece, and the tower of the furnaces. 12 And next unto him repaired Shallum the son of Halohesh, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem, he and his daughters. 13 The valley gate repaired Hanun, and the inhabitants of Zanoah; they built it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, and a thousand cubits on the wall unto the dung gate. 14 But the dung gate repaired Malchiah the son of Rechab, the ruler of part of Beth-haccerem; he built it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. 15 But the gate of the fountain repaired Shallun the son of Colhozeh, the ruler of part of Mizpah; he built it, and covered it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, and the wall of the pool of Siloah by the king's garden, and unto the stairs that go down from the city of David. 16 After him repaired Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of the half part of Beth-zur, unto the place over against the sepulchres of David, and to the pool that was made, and unto the house of the mighty. 17 After him repaired the Levites, Rehum the son of Bani. Next unto him repaired Hashabiah, the ruler of the half part of Keilah, in his part. 18 After him repaired their brethren, Bavai the son of Henadad, the ruler of the half part of Keilah. 19 And next to him repaired Ezer the son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, another piece over against the going up to the armoury at the turning of the wall. 20 After him Baruch the son of Zabbai earnestly repaired the other piece, from the turning of the wall unto the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest. 21 After him repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah the son of Koz another piece, from the door of the house of Eliashib even to the end of the house of Eliashib. 22 And after him repaired the priests, the men of the plain. 23 After him repaired Benjamin and Hashub over against their house. After him repaired Azariah the son of Maaseiah the son of Ananiah by his house. 24 After him repaired Binnui the son of Henadad another piece, from the house of Azariah unto the turning of the wall, even unto the corner. 25 Palal the son of Uzai, over against the turning of the wall, and the tower which lieth out from the king's high house, that was by the court of the prison. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh. 26 Moreover the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel, unto the place over against the water gate toward the east, and the tower that lieth out. 27 After them the Tekoites repaired another piece,over against the great tower that lieth out, even unto the wall of Ophel. 28 From above the horse gate repaired the priests, every one over against his house. 29 After them repaired Zadok the son of Immer over against his house. After him repaired also Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah, the keeper of the east gate. 30 After him repaired Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, another piece. After him repaired Meshullam the son of Bere-chiah over against his chamber. 31 After him repaired Malchiah the goldsmith's son unto the place of the Nethinims, and of the merchants, over against the gate Miphkad, and to the going up of the corner. 32 And between the going up of the corner unto the sheep gate repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants. LECTURE 734. Of doing God's work earnestly. We see here that no sex, no station or profession of life, is exempt from the duty of working for God, or shut out from the privilege of being remembered everlastingly by Him for good. But above all others is Baruch the son of Zabbai mentioned with honour, as having done his portion of the work "earnestly." May we share with him this excellent commendation! And whatever work we have to do for God, may it be seen by Him who sees the heart, that we do it heartily with all our might! 3 B 2 |