Build Back Godlier - Accountability | Sunday, June 12, 2022

Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors... next to them the Tekoites made repairs; but their nobles did not put their shoulders to the work of their Lord. (Nehemiah 3:1–5)

Nehemiah's list of wall-builders is more than names—it is God's call to personal accountability in rebuilding a broken nation.

Reviewing the Challenge Before Us

Last week, as we backed into chapter 2, we saw Nehemiah arrive on the scene with his materials and a small squad of men to survey the destruction. I believe his heart was sobered and broken to see the condition not only of the city's defenses and homes, but of its people. A broken covenant looks like despondency, despair, and depression—people with no joy, looking for hope, looking to restore their covenant with God.

That raises the lesson for this week: how do you and I respond when we live in a nation whose walls are broken down, both physically and, more deeply, spiritually? Nehemiah is fundamentally about the rebuilding of a covenant and a people working their way back to the Lord.

We learned that we are to have a sober mind—not under the influence of any ungodly way of thinking—and to use the same methods and think the same way God does. We learned that the testimony of God's people should bring glory to God; even pagan cultures spoke of the God of the Hebrews as awesome, effective, and all-powerful, and His people are to model that. And we learned that the only thing it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. God wants us to be players on the field, not fans in the locker room—doers of the word, not just hearers.

A Chapter of Names and Accountability

Nehemiah chapter 3 is peculiar in a few ways. Nehemiah never mentions himself by name among the builders. Instead, there is a detailed list of each family, represented by a name—typically a patriarch—with a specific task: such-and-such built this section. This departs from much of the Old Testament, where a conquered city or a rebuilt structure would simply be credited to the king. Here it would have been easy to say King Artaxerxes built this, or that Nehemiah built it.

Instead, I believe we are being shown the importance and power of just one person's relationship with God, and how each person must do a part in rebuilding the nation. The chapter's overall theme—easy to miss in a list of names—is accountability, both spiritual and practical. Each family is given a portion to rebuild. And we have a measure of accountability with our own families as we pray and work to rebuild our nation spiritually and practically.

Notice also how the task is framed. Nehemiah calls it a good work and the Lord's work. The attitude is that we get to participate, not that we have to. It is one of joy, of purpose, and of a heart that wants to serve the Lord and the greater good of the community.

Point One: Accountable to Put God First in All Things

The chapter starts with the priests—who are not builders or masons by trade—leading the charge to do this holy work, approaching it with a God mindset. After the work, they consecrated and dedicated it to the Lord. First things first: it was prayed for, done with consideration of how God wanted it done, and then dedicated as the Lord's work. We are accountable to put God first in all things.

In Matthew 25, Jesus gives the parable of the talents. A man traveling to a far country gives five talents to one servant, two to another, and one to another, each according to his ability.

Then he who had received the five talents went and traded them and made another five talents... His lord said to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord." ... Then he who had received the one talent came and said, "Lord... I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground..." But his lord answered and said to him, "You wicked and lazy servant... cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 25:16–30)

Not encouraging if you're the man who hid the talent. We must be careful not to read this as only about the end result. Jesus uses the phrase, "enter into the joy of your lord." The first two servants invested with the expectation of bringing their lord a profit, because they loved him, obeyed him, and were part of his kingdom. The talents represent what the Lord has entrusted to us—His words, His works, the testimony He has had in our lives. The question is: what did you do with it?

We are accountable to make a profit for the kingdom, to use the work, opportunities, gifts, and talents the Lord gives us. This chapter notes everyone who did the work and how—and it also notes the nobles, likely significant landowners representing an upper class, who did not participate. Their problem was that they didn't know God and didn't grasp how important this restoration was. The things you truly believe are the things you do; the nobles did not believe, and they prove it again later in the book. Finally, our work is to be consecrated, bathed in prayer, done unto the Lord, and stand publicly as a testimony that gives glory to God.

Point Two: Accountable to Teach Our Children by Example

Shallum the son of Hallohesh, leader of half the district of Jerusalem, he and his daughters made repairs. (Nehemiah 3:12)

That mention of daughters is significant. Point two: we are accountable to teach our children by example to follow God. Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it"—and that applies to sons and daughters alike.

The Jewish people would set up stones of remembrance when God did something miraculous. Scripture says they did this so their children's children would ask, "What is this for?"—and they could tell the story of how God came to the aid of His people. Those experiences became part of the very fabric of their children's lives.

I remember being four or five years old in the late '60s, fascinated with Indians—bows and arrows, camping, cool weapons. My dad was a commercial fisherman, gone much of the time, but when he was home, we went on adventures. One day he took us to the desert. At a curio shop I saw a jar of genuine Indian arrowheads, maybe two dollars each, but when you're a kid with no cash, it might as well be a million. My parents said no, but my dad said he knew a place where we might find one ourselves.

On the way home we pulled off a stretch of desert highway. I turned over rocks in the hot sun, dodging sage and the threat of rattlesnakes—and found nothing. My dad kept directing me: try over there, try a little harder. And then I found it—a little piece of shale crafted into an arrowhead, my own genuine artifact. More than fifty years later, the adventure of finding it on my own has stuck with me.

My dad knew that simply handing me the arrowhead would have sent one message, but making me search for it taught another. It was about the journey, the discovery, and the dependency on the father to experience it. Sometimes God wants us to participate in the hard work and adventure of achieving something close to His heart. God is looking for players, not fans.

Working Alongside Our Fathers

So in chapter 3 we read "the son of," "the son of," and even the daughters working alongside their fathers. The children watched the heads of their households lead them, do quality work on the wall, and carry the right attitude. The patriarchs knew the next generation would live in this city and continue to build, so they needed this hard work as a life lesson and the proper heart attitude to follow the Lord. The wall meant so much more to them because they took part in it.

Being part of God's good work—His hard work—teaches us appreciation for God, His miracles, and His leading. Think of Peter, told by Jesus to push out and let down his nets after a fruitless night of fishing. He argues a little, but obeys in faith, and the catch is so bountiful that none of the fishermen had ever seen anything like it. The surprise, joy, and reward came after his hard personal work, and the spiritual point was proven: Jesus would make him a fisher of men. God often allows the miraculous after our hard work so that we gain an appreciation for His greatness, and it becomes a testimony.

Point Three: Accountable to Honor Our Parents

After him Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs opposite their house. After them Azariah the son of Maaseiah... made repairs by his house. (Nehemiah 3:23)

The name Benjamin means "son of my right hand," or "my protector"—the son depended on to take care of his father. Point three: we are accountable to honor our parents. Exodus 20:12 says, "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you."

If we asked whether it is going long and well with us in our nation, the honest answer is most likely no. As we consider how to respond to the disarray, wickedness, and lost direction of our nation, this is one of the principles God has shown us. This is the first commandment with a blessing attached, and our nation has missed out on that blessing in so many cases.

Some will say they have a father or mother not worthy of honor—who was cruel, who abandoned them, who did wicked things. That reminds us parents that children are a gift from the Lord, and we can make mistakes. But for those of us who have our parents, even imperfect ones, we are still called to honor them. Sometimes you must honor a very difficult parent at a distance, to keep them from sinning against you—I understand that. But too much of what I see is people discarding those who are older.

One of our most valuable ministries here at Cross Connection, before COVID, was in seven assisted care facilities—what we used to call old folks' homes. Many residents never get a visit, as though they've been forgotten. Our volunteers lead Bible studies, singing, and simply spend time with them. If we are to be brought back to a place of blessing, we must turn the cultural tide and become a nation that honors its elderly, our mothers and fathers in the Lord.

The family unit has been under assault for a very long time. The Hebrew culture thought from generation to generation, with long-term vision. It is hard work—not fun—to love an elderly parent who may not remember you, who is crabby, tired, or requires constant care, when that love is not reciprocated. It is selfless and sacrificial.

When my dad was very sick for years, my mom faithfully took care of him. It reached the point where he needed help showering and with basic bathroom needs. I remember my first graphic experience helping him, then walking out to the driveway and telling the Lord, "That was not great. That made me uncomfortable." I'm not a man who claims the Lord speaks to him all the time. But I received a strong, quick rebuke: to serve my father was an honor, and it should be done with joy. That is hard—sometimes very hard, especially when drawn out. But when you serve and honor your parents, you honor the Lord, because He has asked it of us.

Point Four: Accountable to Have Integrity and Justice

After him Zadok the son of Immer made repairs in front of his own house. (Nehemiah 3:29)

The Tekoites, by the way, were on fire—quite the builders, repairing section after section. And notice: the priests made repairs each in front of his own home, and Zadok made repairs in front of his own house. The name Zadok means justice or integrity—and Mr. Justice, Mr. Integrity, is repairing right what is in front of him.

Point four: we are accountable to have integrity and justice in our personal lives. How will we rebuild a nation? How should we react to a fallen one? By having lives that reflect justice and integrity—starting with what is right in front of us.

A great place of misunderstanding is the God-given institution of marriage. Many think marriage exists to make us whole or happy, that God will bring us a person to complete us. That is a misunderstanding. Yes, we can have joy in marriage, but its purpose is twofold: not to make us happy, but to make us holy, and to draw us into a relationship that mirrors our walk with God. In marriage we learn forgiveness, patience, and service—the hard lessons God does, that we then carry to the rest of the world. The lack of integrity in our families and marriages is, I believe, a major cause of our nation's downfall.

Personal Accountability, Not Blame

A new term out there is "social justice warriors"—people who adopt a social cause and want to hold everyone else accountable for what's wrong in society. Very often the problem they describe is real and has a godly solution we should bring forward. But they never seem to preach personal accountability or responsibility. They always put it on others, and that is counterproductive.

By contrast, Nehemiah used "we" and "us." He included himself in the problem and refused to make others accountable for it. He was accountable first—to fix the covenant and rebuild Jerusalem.

The facts are that families with a mother and father do better; sociologists show their children are more confident and go on to more successful lives, often repeating that success generation to generation. That doesn't guarantee it, but the studies are clear. The fiction is that it doesn't matter whether you follow God, have integrity, or seek justice—that the injustice can be fixed some other way, by money, a law, or politics. It simply isn't true. Jerusalem's walls did not get rebuilt by money or politics. It wasn't somebody else's problem. It was their problem—our problem.

The Church God Can Use

So as we close: the Christian church God wants to use is the one that puts God first in all things and consecrates its work—praying, dedicating it to the Lord, and finding joy in His work. It is the church that teaches its children not by lip service but by example, where parents physically do the hard things, lifting the rocks and setting the example. It is the church that protects and honors its parents to receive the blessing that comes with it. And it is the church that has integrity and seeks justice.

That is the church that reflects hope to a nation lying in rubble, both physically and spiritually. That is the church God can use. And I invite you today to be part of that church with me.

Closing Prayer

Father, I thank You so much. A very direct word today, a very sobering word, Lord. As we look at our accountability—and it's so easy to think that because we are under grace we have no accountability, but we know that would be a mistake—Lord, as we joyfully take this opportunity to take on the good work, the Lord's work, empower us. May those rocks seem a little lighter, Lord. May our children be watching us and derive the lessons they need to learn. And Lord, in short, be with us, and by Your Holy Spirit, lead us and guide us. It is in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

God bless you, and I pray you have an excellent week of the Lord's work, His good work, and that you feel and see and sense His presence in it. God bless you.