Nehemiah 3:1-31

It has been observed that Nehemiah is a book that contains no “miraculous events”. However, when we read through this chapter, it seems pretty miraculous that Nehemiah was able to convince thousands of people to get started rebuilding what scholars may believe is up to 2.5 miles of wall.

Zerubbabel brought the first group back in 535 BC and now 90 years have passed and the walls and gates are still in ruin. What has changed? Why are the people finally motivated to rebuild the wall now when Nehemiah has arrived in Jerusalem? Let’s consider a number of factors.

First, Nehemiah was a next-level leader who was able to oversee such a project from start to finish. This would be a massive undertaking and it would take someone would great skill and ability to organize the work and see it through. Nehemiah was such a man.

Second, Nehemiah was able to motivate and inspire large groups of people to work because he was a next-level “people-person”. In this chapter, he mentions 75 different names and people groups and includes them in his journal account of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah cared about people and valued their contribution to the project.

Finally, Nehemiah had next-level faith that God would continue to clear the way for the people of Jerusalem to restore their city and nation. Because He demonstrated great faith, the people responded with action eagerly beginning the work on the wall.

Consider again verse 18 from Chapter 2…
I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me.
They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work. Nehemiah 2:18 NIV

Nehemiah led the people to believe that God’s hand was guiding and blessing their work and giving them favor with the king. In response, the people, after decades of inaction, began in earnest to rebuild the walls and gates!!

Questions to consider:
What big project have you been putting off because you just can’t get motivated?
What would it take for you to finally get started?