Football season exposes fan passion like maybe no other sport. People dress in colors to support their team. They wear cheese heads, paint their bodies, and endure all kinds of weather to support their favorite squad. Their passion is sometimes hilarious, sometimes dangerous but always well….passionate.
If you have been reading the Bible through in 2018, you just finished reading the book of Nehemiah. Most people know Nehemiah and usually associate him with rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem. He did that and in fact completed it in 52 days which was an unbelievable feat
This time while reading the book of Nehemiah I was struck with the passion of his leadership. In the first few opening verses, we read that Nehemiah asks about his ‘hometown’. When he discovers that things are not good in Jerusalem, he ‘sat down and wept, mourned, fasted and prayed.’ This went on for about four months. One particular day he was downcast as he went before King Artaxerxes and the king took notice that he wasn't himself. Nehemiah commented ‘it was nothing but sadness of heart.’ As he was given permission and supplies to go to Jerusalem, he began immediately surveying the work to be done. He was such a compelling leader that the people said ‘great, let’s rebuild the wall’ without virtually no discussion. Nehemiah faced discouragement due to the nature and magnitude of this task but he kept his focus. He wisely discerned the intimidating rumors of the enemies and asked that God remember what they had done. He was angry over social injustice and took action (chapter 5). Nehemiah and Ezra led the people to worship with such passionate praise that there had not been that kind of worship since the days of Joshua. You can almost hear his heartbreak as he prayed before the people “Here we are today, slaves in the land you GAVE our ancestors…here we are slaves in it!” (chapter 9:36). He basically led a national revival and it was ‘heard far away’ (chapter 12:43) They dedicated the wall and the people vowed to follow the LORD with great passion of thanksgiving and offerings.
You would like to think that this reformation lasted for a long time but about ten years later (Nehemiah had returned to Babylon but came back to check on things in Jerusalem) he found most of the people had already back-slidden. Nehemiah began rebuking the people-in fact chapter 13 verse 25 says he rebuked them, cursed them, beat some of the men and pulled out their hair. Now that’s passion!
Even though I have actually witnessed those same passions at a football game, Nehemiah’s passion was for the people to follow the law, worship Yahweh, and be purified and holy—set apart from the nations that were around them. Hadn't their years of captivity in Babylon taught them a lesson? Nehemiah requested God’s favor (we may better understand as grace) many times through this book. He couldn’t stand the fact that God’s own people were such a disgrace by their disobedience. He had to take action and God blessed him with great leadership and great passion.
LORD remember us with favor! Strengthen the work of our hands. Give us passion for Your cause, Your mission in today’s culture.
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