Nehemiah – How Quick We Forget
Have you been in the awkward position of where you have been introduced to someone, you exchange names, and then within seconds of the person telling you their name you have forgotten what they said. You then say pleased to meet you eh..uh..mm.. what was your name again? And then you wonder how in the world did that happen? Many times I too have fallen into the trap of forgetfulness.
This forgetfulness happens when our emotions rise, and our ability to think rationally declines. So when we are learning someone's name upon introduction, we are naturally much more nervous and anxious because of the social context. Therefore when our nervousness rises, our cognitive ability to do something as simple as remembering someone's name declines. Emotions are such a powerful force for us, that it clouds our ability to think rationally and we forget, which is why we must learn not to become over emotional which hinders our ability to remember. This is exactly which happened to the people during the times of Nehemiah.
They saw the faithfulness of God through the supernatural building and restoring of the walls of Jerusalem. The people enjoyed the Lord's protection and provision. They also came to a place of revival, celebrating His goodness, and promising to serve Him faithfully, BUT they soon forgot. The fires of their devotion to their God most High, had gone out in Jerusalem.
Nehemiah returned to the palace of the King to report back after serving his first term of twelve years. Nehemiah might have been away for almost a year, and when He returned to Jerusalem, his heart sank as he saw the spiritual condition of the people that deteriorated dramatically. The people had forgotten their vows that they had made to the Lord and they failed to walk in His ways. Nehemiah once again took hold of the situation, and began to act quickly to rectify the situation.
Nehemiah's challenge shows us the necessity of spiritual leadership, of which when one who is called to guard the flock strays, the wolves of false teaching creep in to scatter the sheep. Moses is another example of when He was away for a short while and the people turned to idolatrous hedonism. Paul too experienced the same challenge, that as soon as he planted a church and left it in the hands of the elders, strife and struggles would soon emerge after his departure. Paul would then have to write a letter or visit that church again to straighten out matters. Nehemiah too had just been away for a short time, only to find out that the people have failed to keep their promises in serving the Lord.
- The Promise to be Separate
- The Promise of Support to God's Work
- The Promise of Keeping the Sabbath