City Life Starter

The Word

Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel. ² So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month.

 ⁶ And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. Then all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

Nehemiah 8:1-2,6

Exegesis

The wall was built in 52 days and everyone rejoiced and went on with their lives.

“Wait a second!” you would say, “that’s not how the story ends.”

And you are correct, there is more.

After the completion of the wall, Ezra stood above the people of Israel and read the Book of the Law, (i.e. the Torah). The spiritual leader of the people, before any celebrations or dedication was made, read the law and reminded everyone who the God they serve is and the laws that He has commanded His people to do. The completion of the wall was not the end, but only the beginning of a spiritual journey that would last a lifetime.

The wall was broken and the city laid in ruins because the people had forgotten the law and forgotten their Lord whom they were meant to serve. If they had to learn from their mistakes, the first and most important part was to fix the problem that led to the issue in the first place. You cannot fix a wall and forget about the problem that caused it to begin with.

Application

There are many lessons we can pull from Nehemiah and the restoration of the city of Jerusalem. What we can take away for the devotional today is if sin has broken down the spiritual walls in your life, there are steps to mend this. Get on your knees and seek God in prayer, rebuild the walls that sin broke down in your life, find solace in the Word of God, and never stop growing and learning from your mistakes.

Prayer

Thank you Father for being patient with me in my failures. You are always there to pick me up and help me along my journey in this life. Help me rebuild the walls that sin has broken down in my life and to seek you with all my heart. Help me study your Word every day so I can know You more. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.