How will our lives be remembered? What will be at the center of the memories? The tales? The stories? It is this question that I would like you to consider as we conclude our study of Nehemiah. Nehemiah is dead. He passed away some 2500 years ago. But the lessons of his life continue to reverberate through history – and the lessons of your life will reverberate as well. Not only will they be remembered by those close to you and felt in the lives of your children and grandchildren, but they will be displayed for all eternity when the Book of Life is opened and the Ancient of Days reads your name. So what will be the tale that is told? What is at the center of your life? And is that what you want?

For the last three weeks we have observed two issues which required Nehemiah’s intervention. Despite their oaths to the contrary, our fathers had corrupted and neglected to care for the Temple of God as well as profaned the Sabbath Day. Rather than remaining resolute in their determination to obey the Lord, they compromised with the prevailing culture of unbelief surrounding them. This compromise with unbelief is highlighted poignantly today as we learn one of the causes of this compromise: our fathers were intermarrying with these unbelieving peoples and adopting their ways of thinking and living.

When we read Scripture, we must read specific comments in their context. For example, if we only read Romans 14 and Colossians 2 where Paul repudiates the notion that Christians are bound to the 7^th day Jewish Sabbath, then we might conclude that Paul prohibits distinguishing one day from another. All days are alike absolutely. However, to argue in this way is to misread the apostles – for the very apostles who reject the Jewish Sabbath themselves institute a Christian Sabbath which they call the Lord’s Day. Context matters. So today we are going to be using Nehemiah’s actions to help us understand what our Lord’s Day, our Sabbath rest should look like.

Today Nehemiah deals with the flagrant violations of the Sabbath that was characterizing the Israelites upon his return as governor. Nehemiah’s actions give us occasion to consider two things: first, the relevance of the OT Sabbath law for us as the people of God and, second, the passion which Nehemiah demonstrates for the glory of God. This is the first of two sermons considering what Nehemiah’s actions and attitude teach us as Christians.

Today we witness Nehemiah dealing with the people’s unfaithfulness toward the Temple. Their sin takes two forms. The first is internal corruption – the service of the Temple itself is being twisted and distorted from its proper function to the personal use of an unbeliever. The second is a failure to pay the tithe – the nobles and people were likely so jaded by this internal corruption that they were no longer bringing the tithes for the support of the Temple system, including the support of the Levites. By observing the way that Nehemiah deals with these two problems we learn some important lessons about our own calling to care for the House of God.

Humans are prone to forget things – some when young, some as we grow older, some all the way through. But though we are prone to forget, our text today reminds us that God does not forget – He always remembers. And this is cause for great rejoicing from His people. Indeed, it is the basis on which Nehemiah lived his life. He labored and strove and wept and fought to remove Jerusalem’s reproach in faith that God would not forget his labors – and it is this faith that shines through in the last chapter of His book.

Church discipline – the practice of excluding certain members from the community of God’s people – is a hot topic today. Many churches, disturbed by the notorious sin and false teaching in their midst, have resorted to the ancient practice of church discipline. The Church, they insist, is called to be a holy community, reflecting the character of God to the world and being distinct from the world.

When the people of God are under the influence of the Spirit of God, the Spirit of thankfulness,He leads them to a more faithful performance of their several duties – and leads them to do these duties with joy and rejoicing. But when that thankfulness, when the Spirit of God, is absent, the activity may still be going on but Christian community is not truly present; indeed, Christian community is rapidly disappearing and the entire structure may soon explode.

In our text today, our fathers dedicate the wall that they have built. After the celebration of the biblical feasts – Trumpets (New Year) and Tabernacles (deliverance through the wilderness) – and after the renewal of covenant with God – things of much greater priority than the wall itself – we get to the dedication of the walls. The people join together in giving public thanks to God for what He did through them, dedicating the wall to His glory.