Examination Of The Hands
Nehemiah 4:17
“They which built on the wall, and they that bore burdens, with those that laded,
every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a
weapon.”
INTRODUCTION: Have you every heard of the Army Corps of Engineers. It is one of
the unique branches of our military. This group is made up of some 37,000 soldiers and
civilians. The of the Army Corps is to “Deliver vital public and military engineering
services; partnering in peace and war to strengthen our nation’s security…” The Army
Corps of Engineers are both warriors and workers. They contribute to combat and
construction. The church, like the Army Corps of Engineers, needs warriors and
workers.
This is the picture present in the 4th chapter of Nehemiah. Nehemiah left a good job
working in the Persian palace in order to go back to Jerusalem and lead in rebuilding the
walls of the capitol city of his people. Read the previous chapters (1-3) to get a better
picture of the background information.
Once we reach chapter 4, we see they had made pretty good progress on the city’s
walls. In fact, in verse 6, Nehemiah tells us that the work on the wall was halfway to
completion. The work itself was hard, but it was made even harder by the fact that there
were people living in the land that did not want to see the city rebuilt. This same
mentality exists in our society today. There are those who do not want to see the church
become kingdom builders. They do not want to see the church grow spiritually,
physically, or financially.
Nehemiah’s enemies did everything they could to foil hinder and halt his construction
team, even threatening to kill them in order to stop the work. It was the threats of their
foes that led to what we read about in verse 17. Picture this! You had people working
with one hand while holding a weapon in the other. Working warriors! They were
steady in the project of building, and ready for the prospect of battle.
What are we doing with our hands? Do we have our hands on the work? Do we have
our hands on our weapon? Nehemiah chapter 4 is wonderful picture of what ought to be
going on with our hands as a believer today. We ought to have a kingdom-building tool
in one hand and a Satan-battling sword in the other.
In this lesson we will use this text to EXAMINE OUR HANDS to see if we are ready
for the work and war we face on this Christian journey.
I.
THE REALITY OF OUR HANDS
First we must use our spiritual imagination to place ourselves in the hot middle
eastern sun as work to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem. The workers are hot and
sweaty and air is filled with dust as stones are lifted into the air. For some of us that
reality is hard to imagine, especially if you have never spend a day working in the hot
sun. However, believe it or not, that reality for us as followers of Jesus is not all that
different from what was going on with Nehemiah and the people in his day. Follow
me as I explain.
Dr. P. Randolph Hamilton Sr.
A. There Is The Work: Nehemiah and his team were engaged in a literal work that
involved heavy stones and backbreaking labor. But it was not simply a physical
work; it was a spiritual one. Nehemiah had come to Jerusalem, not just out of
national pride with a goal of revitalizing the old neighborhood. Nehemiah was
there with a burden on his heart and a call from His God. He was there doing the
Lord’s work. His hands were gripped tight to the work because his heart had
yielded t the voice of God.
1. Christian Commitment. As a follower of Jesus Christ, we should feel a
special calling upon our life to do the work of Christ. It should be in our heart
to reach the world for Christ. We are citizen of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ
and we should be working to build up His Kingdome daily.
2. It is the duty of every believer to take the word of God into every part of the
world to reach sinners for Christ until he returns. This can be a hard task just
like rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem. Often church members join with
the mentality of being served and not being servants. Some come in the
church as if they have boarded a cruise ship. They get on board and expect
the employees with suits and titles to do all the work, while they sit back and
enjoy the cruise. The church is more like a dragon boat. Everyone has to
work (drummer, paddlers, & steer person).
3. We must remember that Jesus is not a cruise director and we are not on
vacation. We don’t rest until we come to our journey’s end. Until then, our
hands should be filled with THE WORK!
B. There Is The War: If the work was not hard enough to accomplish, there were
outside forces that were constantly threatening those who were working to rebuild
the wall. As believers, we face constant opposition. The real them of Nehemiah
4 should be “spiritual warfare.” Satan, whose name means ‘adversary’ and who
operates as the permanent enemy of God, is behind the opposition that Nehemiah
faced and the opposition we face. The same force that opposed Nehemiah and his
people is the same force that still actively and aggressively opposes the Kingdom
of Jesus Christ today. As I said, out work is not that much different than
Nehemiah and his team.
1. Satan has not even changed his tactics. He continues to try and discourage
Christians who are working for God.
2. Satan uses sinners to make fun of believers and like Tobiah criticize the
believers work. In verse 3 he says, “Even if a little fox ran across that wall,
he would knock the whole thing down.”
3. Satan will do everything he can to discourage our work for the Lord.
4. In chapter 4, the enemies not only insulted God’s people, they also threatened
to assault them. In verse 11, the foes said, “They shall not know, neither see,
till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to
cease.” Satan is not satisfied with merely trying to shame you. He wants to
slay you, if he can. He wants to destroy your life and keep you from doing
anything that will glorify Jesus Christ. Our ultimate purpose in life is to bring
glory and honor to God. There is a spiritual war going on right now. Paul
Dr. P. Randolph Hamilton Sr.
does not tell us to put on the pajamas of God. He says, “…put on the armor of
God!” (Eph. 6) Get dress for WAR!
II.
THE RESPONSIBILITY OF OUR HANDS
If you on a boat in the middle of a lake and you fell off and the boat is floating away.
The reality of this situation requires that you make an immediate decision. You only
have two choices; sink or swim. The time has come for believer to face their reality.
There is work to be done and a war going on. We have a responsibility to as workers
and warriors.
A. Responsible Participants: Nehemiah divided the people up, spread them out
around the wall, and put them to work. Everybody had a section they were
responsible for building, and every one had a work they were to be doing. Some
of the people were clearing the rubble, some of them were laying the stones, and
some of them were hauling the materials around. They all had one goal (to
rebuild the wall), but they had different duties (Pastor, Usher, Singer, etc.). There
was a lot of work going on to accomplish the goal.
1. There is one work that Jesus has given to His church; to seek and save the
lost. Within this massive undertaking, there are all sorts of works that have to
be done.
2. If I am a follower of Jesus, and I know there is a work going on, it is my
responsibility to do something in that work. The question is, “What are you
doing to aid in the work?” To many people are standing around the
construction site watching and not working. Often those who are work
become burnt out and the work they are doing suffers. We need some of the
watchers to relieve the workers and become co-workers.
3. The point is that no one in the body of Christ has the option to stand around
and draw unemployment benefits. There is just too much that needs to be
done.
B. Battle Ready: Look again at our text in verse 17. Nehemiah said, “They
which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded,
every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand
held a weapon.” Verse 18 says, “For the builders, every one had his sword
girded by his side, and so builded…” The threat of the enemy did not stop
them from working, but they didn’t ignore the threats either. They were ready
to put down their tools and take up their swords at a moments notice.
1. The Weapons - In the case of this story, there were real weapons; swords
and spears. In the case of the spiritual battle we are engaged in, our
weapons are spiritual weapons. In II Corinthians 10:4, the Word of God
says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (or physical), but
mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.” Even though
Nehemiah used real weapons, we find him using a primary spiritual
weapon as well; prayer.
2. Throughout this book, Nehemiah pauses to pray to God. In this chapter, in
verse 9, we read, “Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set
a watch against them day and night…” Prayer is how we remain ready for
battle. We watch and pray. We keep our heads up for the attacks of
Dr. P. Randolph Hamilton Sr.
Satan, even while we keep them bowed in prayer, asking for Jesus to help
us.
3. Are you ready for battle? How must time to you spend praying, reading
God’s work, and meditating (listen to God directions for you life)? Are
you watching out for the enemy that is lurking constantly around you,
looking for a moment of weakness in which to attack you?
4. If you are not being attacked by the enemy, that means that you are no
threat to him. If the work that you are doing is not getting Satan’s
attention, your work is not very effective. If we get involved in the work
of Jesus, we better also pick up a sword and be ready for the attack of the
enemy. You better be ready for the battle.
III.
THE REASSURANCE OF OUR HANDS
When the work is hard and the enemy is hostile, it can make the work seem
impossible to accomplish. In fact, some of the people on the construction crew felt
that way. Look at verse 10. The Judah team said, “The strength of the bearers of
burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the
wall.” They did not finished the wall in a remarkable 52 days because they were
never doubtful or discouraged. They completed the work because Nehemiah, God’s
visionary leader, reassured them of a couple of important thing.
A. The Assurance of Co-Workers & Co-Warriors: In verse 20, he said that when
an attack came on one part of the wall, a trumpet would sound. When they heard
that trumpet, they were to run to that place and fight alongside one another and for
one another. Nehemiah reassured them that they were not working alone, and
they would not have to fight alone. As Christians, we should never have to work
or war alone. Christian are to rush to the aid of other Christians. That is the
strength of the church. Our ability to work together gives us the strength we need
to over come the powerful influences of Satan. No battle should be faced without
the support of every church member.
B. The Assurance of : Every time that Nehemiah would rally the people together,
he reminded them of the God they were serving. In verse 14, when Nehemiah
was urging the people to fight for one another, and for each other’s families, he
said to them, “…remember the Lord, which is great and [awesome]…” Also, in
verse 20 He said to them, “In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the
trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.”
1. To reassure the people of God and His Power, “Nehemiah challenged them to
remember their God, and to rest in the fact that when the battle raged, their God
will fight for them.
2. As believers of the gospel in this day, desiring to see the work of Jesus carried out
in our world, we need to both remember Him, and rest in the fact that He will
fight for us. Jesus came all the way to this earth, went all the way to the cross;
suffered, bled, and died to defeat Satan so that we might live. He fought for us,
“while we were yet sinners” and Jesus came to redeem us and rescue us and
reconcile us to God.
Dr. P. Randolph Hamilton Sr.
3. If He fought for us then, while we were still sinners, will He not fight for us now,
since we are His blood-purchased bride and body? Surely, not even the gates of
hell shall prevail against us so long as the risen Jesus lives to fight for us!
4. While the work is great that we have to do, and the enemies are many who would
stop us from doing it. Knowing that Jesus has died for you and has risen again to
give you a new life with a purpose for His glory, I ask you to check your hands.
Are there any kingdom callouses on your hands? Where are your work tools?
Are you doing anything to help further the mission of Jesus Christ in the world
today?
CONCLUSION: The day is coming when we will lay our tools and our weapons down,
and we will lift our empty hands to Jesus, and spend eternity giving thanks for what He
has done for us. Until then, put your hands to the plow of your faith and don’t look back.
Dr. P. Randolph Hamilton Sr.