Nehemiah 7

Scripture

 

Nehemiah‬ ‭7:2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

 

“I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most people do.”
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Observation-What does it say?

 

The wall of Jerusalem was finally complete. Nehemiah had to stay true to his promise to the King to return to Persia after his mission to rebuild Jerusalem was completed (see Nehemiah 2:6). He appointed 2 men, Hanani and Hananiah to take charge of Jerusalem in his absence. 

Understanding-What does it mean?

It wasn't the strongest, fastest, smartest, bravest, richest, most handsome or beautiful who were chosen to protect Jerusalem. It was the person who feared God and had integrity.

 

Nehemiah showed integrity after the wall was built, by planning to return to the king in Persia as he had promised. He handed off the baton to other men who had integrity and feared God too.  Fearing God means having respect for God. The definition of integrity is honesty and having strong moral principles. 
The responsibility of taking charge of Jerusalem had to be given over to someone trustworthy and faithful. Essentially, these men were there to protect Jerusalem from sinful influences. They were chosen not because of what they had to offer on the surface, but because the motivations in their heart were pure. A big job like that could not be given to someone that could not be trusted. 

 

“All a personʼs ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭16:2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭16:10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Trouble pursues the sinner, but the righteous are rewarded with good things.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭13:21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Life Application

The more faithful we are with the little, he entrusts to us even more. But, it is impossible to fear God and remain faithful without the help of His Holy Spirit. 

Working hard to be a person of integrity is very draining because no one is perfect and it was not meant to come out of independence from Him, but rather interdependence, with Him carrying a bulk of the weight. Jesus is the only One who is perfect and as we continue to pursue Him daily, God will continue using us more and more. 

Dear Jesus, I pray for Your Spirit to do His work in my life to help me remain faithful to the tasks You've entrusted to me. I also pray for continual healthy fear of You as Lord and authority over my life. Take my heart and seal it for You alone. Amen.

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-Michelle Gaddi

 

References: John Gill exposition, Oxford dictionary and Matthew Henry commentary