Page 96 - Principles of Leadership - Nehemiah

choice: God was laying big visions on my mind and heart, and the only way they were going to get translated
into reality was if some big asks were made." 210 He goes on to say that “the nature of human beings is such that
we tend not to drift into better behaviors. We usually have to be asked by someone to consider taking it up a
level." 211 This is what Nehemiah was doing in this passage of Scripture. He was making the Big Ask.

Because Nehemiah was a leader who was willing to make the Big Ask, he revealed the subservient attitudes
towards the will of God in the people’s hearts. There is no record of anyone saying no to this process. Rather,
there was a singleness of eye in the people's hearts for God's glory. Nehemiah refers to the people moving back
into the holy city. There evidently was an insatiable desire in the hearts of the people for the holiness of God to
be made manifest once again in their lives and in the city of Jerusalem. Remember the conditions Nehemiah
was asking people to live in. Yes, the walls were rebuilt, but according to verse one, no houses had been built
yet. Nehemiah was asking people to move to a city with many broken-down homes and rebuild them. What an
ask Nehemiah had made, but they could see that he had already made a great sacrifice by leaving the comforts
of Persia for this holy city.

Right now or in the near future, what adjustment has the Lord spoken to you about that will require faith and
will involve the Big Ask? Without faith, you cannot please God! Hebrews 11:6 Now, without faith, it is
impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those
who seek Him.

Before I move away from this issue, it is needful to bring in an application for today’s church. This issue
regarding land and the people's right of ownership is crippling Africa and its economic future. “Jesus Himself
had far more to say about money and economics than he did about eternity… The Bible treats economics as a
moral issue. 212 The Old Testament law assumed that people “could legitimately own and accumulate
property.” 213 (See Proverbs 31) The private ownership of land and the ability to buy and sell it are the number
one way for people to accumulate wealth. Because capitalism is viciously being attacked today, a study of
economics is recommended. The book I have just quoted from would be a wonderful place to start your study. I
highly recommend it to help you understand the Biblical mandate for ownership and to recognize our
responsibility as stewards of His creation. Again, this super ask that Nehemiah just made would most likely
cripple the earning potential of those moving to the city in this culture.

What’s in a Name?

The remainder of this chapter would make a rather boring read unless your name were there. These names
represent real people. Nehemiah was an expert at recognizing the significance of people and recognizing them.
A careful study of this book will reveal that in the 13 short chapters, Nehemiah lists the names of people more
frequently than most, if not all, of the Old Testament writers. What then is Nehemiah trying to teach us by
listing all of these people? Yes, genealogical records were needed to establish ancestral rights. However, I also
believe that Nehemiah was trying to teach us the important truth of how important the people were to him. I
also believe that Nehemiah was trying to emphasize just how much God cares for each individual, and that is
why, ultimately, God moved on Nehemiah’s heart to list their names.

To try to illustrate this point, consider the following questions. Have you ever wondered why there are so many
stars in the sky? Wouldn't a few do? Why did God create all of the varieties of flowers? Why do we find such a
vast array of colors and shapes in these flowers? Why all of the types of animals, such as giraffes, elephants,
hippopotamuses, lions, bears, deer, and yes, even skunks? Creation, in many respects, is a celebration of God's
wonder and magnificence. God in creation is exhibiting something of his nature. Likewise, people are also.
There are also many different personalities. Because of this, we all relate to God in vastly diverse ways. In giving
a detailed list of various people and their backgrounds, Nehemiah is trying to demonstrate to us that each
person is valuable to God and that everything done for God's kingdom is remembered. In this list, you will find
(3) priests, Levites, temple servants, (19) gatekeepers, (25) farmers, (11:8) singers, and on and on the list goes.
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