But, Yet, & Nevertheless

Nehemiah 9

Israel’s history looks like a seesaw - an up and down, back and forth pattern where two sides function in opposing ways. On one side are the people, and on the other, God himself, and their teetering relationship rests on these words at the fulcrum: but, yet, and nevertheless.

God moves closer, but Israel runs further.

God leans in, yet Israel leans out.

God remains steady. Nevertheless, Israel turns away.

The contrast is obvious, and it’s amplified by another conjunction: and. God’s actions on their behalf add up like a problem from a page in a math book: God did this, and that, and also gave this, and knew that, and provided that, and brought this...

“But they stiffened their neck and did not obey...” 9:16

“Yet they acted presumptuously…” 9:29

“Nevertheless they rebelled, cast your law behind their back, killed your prophets, and committed great blasphemies…” 9:26

It seems that these three connecting words signal doom for Israel and that there’s no way to reverse them. And yet, even these dreaded words can mean redemption when what follows them describes God:

“But you are a God ready to forgive…” 9:17

“Yet you have been righteous in all that has come upon us, 

for you have dealt faithfully…” 9:33

“Nevertheless, in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, 

for you are a gracious and merciful God.” 9:31

If Israel’s but, yet, and nevertheless sound like your story with God, know that the but, yet, and nevertheless of God form the fulcrum of our relationship with Him. In Christ, they tip the scales in our favor, because his grace outweighs our sin, his faithfulness is greater than our disloyalty, and his mercy runs deeper than our pride.

Revival’s Pathway

Nehemiah 8

The borders of Jerusalem were established, property was accurately distributed, and roles were properly assigned when the calendar flipped to the 7th month of the year. By this season, the people would begin to harvest the crops they had been diligently tending in their fields over the previous months. Life would finally be feeling more settled, and the future, more secure. Revival is planted.

And they’re hungry for more. 

So they gather together - men, women, and anyone else who could understand - and ask to hear the Law given by God to their ancestors long ago. For hours they listen to the reading and its interpretation, as the Word works through their very beings. The Word calls their attention, so they stand in honor; it moves through their extremities to raise their hands in agreement; it humbles their posture to bow face-down in worship; and it convicts their hearts to weep tears of joy and of sorrow. Revival convicts.

They realize how faithful their God had been and how far they had wavered from His Words. But what Nehemiah wants them to understand is that God’s goodness is greater than their wrongs; his joy is stronger than their grief, so on the heels of mourning, should be dancing. Revival includes repentance, but from repentance springs contagious joy worth sharing. 

The next day, the leaders are back for even more. 

This time, they want more than understanding; they want to study or “turn their mind to” (Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon) the Word. What they discover upon further investigation is that God had instituted a celebration called the Feast of Tents (booths, tabernacles) when the entire nation would camp out for a week. During the time of harvest, they were told to construct shelters made of branches and essentially re-enact Israel’s historic campout in the barren wilderness when God led them out of Egypt (Leviticus 23:33-40). Families would spend a week in a tent while they were harvesting abundant crops, and future generations would know that when life feels settled and secure, it is only because of God. But for centuries, Israel had neglected this tradition.

If you’ve ever set up a tent, you know how awkward it can be; imagine setting up one made of branches. I consider camping out to be inconvenient on vacation, but imagine camping out during a busy work season at home. Obedience will require the belief that God’s ways are truly better, even if they seem cumbersome or the timing seems off.

The people of Nehemiah’s day make this discovery in the very month designated for this celebration, and they immediately spring into action, collecting olive, myrtle, and palm branches to construct tents for each household. They would do what the Word said, because when revival runs its full course, it doesn’t culminate in joyful parties; revival culminates in obedience.

Boundaries Spark Revival

Jerusalem, as a particular place within certain parameters, has been physically defined by its new walls and gates. Boundary lines are set in stone, clearly establishing the city limits. 

We can easily overlook the importance of place today, at a time when working remotely, shopping online, and socializing through a screen removes the need for a place. But out of all the destinations on the map of the world, Jerusalem had been God’s hand-picked place where He would meet in-person with His people. It was meant to be the epi-center for accurate and passionate worship of the only God and King, and from the burning light of this city on a hill, worship could catch like wildfire, crossing cultures and spreading from one kingdom to the next until the whole earth was consumed.

When that didn’t happen in this place, God allowed its destruction. 

For Nehemiah, rebuilding Jerusalem wasn’t driven by nostalgia, but by conviction: perhaps this time, this place could be what it was always intended to be in the world. That would require, not just defining the city itself, but also defining the people inside, beginning with their leadership. 

Nehemiah places the charge of Jerusalem on two men: Hananiah who rises above the rest as a “faithful and God-fearing man” and Hanani, his brother. We met Hanani back in the first chapter of the book (1:2), where he made the journey to Susa and shared with Nehemiah his concern for the city. Government in a city that bridged heaven and earth, could only be properly carried out by those who felt that burden and lived with qualities like “faithful and God-fearing.” Now Nehemiah hands the two of them the reins. 

Nehemiah then senses God moving him to organize the people according to genealogical records.  Looking back through documentation from returnees to Jerusalem, about 100 years earlier, the people fall into 5 categories: 

Men of the people of Israel  

Priests

Levites

Temple servants

Sons of Solomon’s servants

God “put it into” his heart to trace the people’s ancestry back to their roots, but today, these records are the verses I typically skip. Why is this list of names important enough to record, not once, but twice (Ezra 2)? 

Through the people’s ancestry, came particular rights and responsibilities: specific land had been given out according to ancestry; the calling to oversee temple worship had been delegated according to lineage; the Messiah would come through one ancestral line. 

At the rebirth of this city, the people would define themselves, first and foremost, the way God did, as they looked back to their forefathers. They would be given land, or a temple position, not because they arrived first or raised their hand the highest. They would be allotted a place according to God’s plan, not their own.  

This was a place with boundaries. These were a people with boundaries. And when God is the One who sets them, they’re the kind of boundaries that will move the people to worship, just as they moved the Psalmist to worship, exclaiming, “The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a beautiful inheritance.” Psalm 16:6

Walking on Eggshells to Avoid Landmines

Nehemiah 6

The threat level has intensified to bright red. There is no safe space for Nehemiah, framed by enemies spreading conspiracy theories (v. 1-9), betrayed by religious leaders telling him bold-face lies (v.10-14), and entangled in a web of dysfunctional family loyalties (v.17-19). At any moment, someone will crack, or something will blow.

Four times in this chapter words like fear, frighten, and afraid, describe what each of these opposing groups wanted Nehemiah to experience internally as a result of their intimidating letters and lies, rumors and reports.  If they could just make him feel vulnerable, fear would shrivel Nehemiah into inaction. 

Trust no one.

Be afraid.

Give up.

But Nehemiah’s response gives us insight into the convictions that held him steady to his calling when it would have been reasonable to walk away.

“I’m doing a great work.” (v.3) 

Interestingly, that work likely included tasks that could be considered not-so-great. Imagine the hours of city council meetings, getting approval of architectural drawings, and recruiting the labor force to spend months in masonry. But it was great because his work was entrusted to him by God. 

When all of the little tasks included in our work don’t exactly feel great, how convinced are we that our work is great because of the One who assigned it to us? Only that kind of conviction will hold us steady when opposition comes. 

I want to say with Nehemiah, “This work came from God, therefore it’s too great to abandon.”

“O God, strengthen my hands.” (v.9)

Although approved by the king, it wasn’t the king who empowered Nehemiah to govern or to fill the role of General Contractor. The power to accomplish anything on behalf of Jerusalem came by the strength God gave him, and Nehemiah depended prayerfully on that strength when everyone seemed to be against him.

If I had been in Nehemiah’s position, I probably would have tip-toed out in the night and run straight back to King Artaxerxes to ask for reinforcements. I think I would have looked for strength from the wrong source. 

I want to say with Nehemiah, “My strength to do this work comes from God, therefore, it’s Him I need most in order to do it.”

“This work has been accomplished by the help of our God.” (v.16)

The lack of support plus the motley crew on site just didn’t add up to the astonishing completion of the city wall. But 52 days later, the job was done. Only a work of God could have produced these results, and even the opposition reached this conclusion.

When the first two responses are true about our lives, then may anyone evaluating our work conclude correctly, “She did this work by the help of her God.”

Motherhood

Yesterday was my last Mother’s Day with both boys in high school, because our oldest graduates in just a couple weeks. Being a boy mom (or a mom of teenagers), you never know if they’ll take a moment like this seriously or if they’ll try to make you laugh, and yesterday they chose the latter.

As we sat together wrapping up the day, Nate said to them, “Let’s each list 3 words that describe Mom”. Their mental wheels started to spin, and they exchanged grins. The first few adjectives they immediately came up with were:

Female

Maternal

Motherly

Minority

Motherhood is such an adventure! 

I was asked to share my heart on motherhood for a few minutes yesterday in church, so I’ve attached the link here if you’d like to listen in. The morning message begins at 39:35, starting with our pastor’s introduction, followed by our women’s ministry director’s portion, and then my portion.

Our women’s ministry director speaks openly about the lies we tend to believe as moms, and it’s a heart-check session!

Here’s a brief summary of my outline: Motherhood is about being, not doing

Be invisible with your Father 

(Matthew 6:1-18)

Be in step with the Spirit 

(Galatians 5:25)

Be increasingly less so Jesus is more 

(John 3:27-30)

Happy Mother’s Day, and I hope this encourages your heart!