In the Night By the Brook - Nehemiah 2:15

In the book of Nehemiah, Nehemiah said, “I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire. Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to the king's pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass”, and in chapter two and verse fifteen of Nehemiah, Nehemiah said, “then went I up in the night by the brook”, where we read,

Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, 

and entered by the gate of the valley, and so returned.

The verse reads, “Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, ...”. Nehemiah began with the words, “then went I up” or “at that time I, Nehemiah, stood and arose” “in the night” which means “within the nighttime” “by the brook” or “alongside and beside the torrent-valley or wadi”, “and viewed the wall” which means “and inspected, examined and observed the barrier wall”, “and turned back” or “and returned”. Nehemiah shared how he arose in the nighttime and journeyed alongside the torrent-valley, observed the barrier wall located there and returned.

The verse goes on to say, “... and entered by the gate of the valley, and so returned.” Nehemiah continued with the words, “and entered by the gate” or “and came in through the means of the entry portal or opening” “of the valley” which means “belonging to the steep and narrow gorge”, “and so returned” or “and therefore went back”. Nehemiah also went into the city through the portal belonging to the steep and narrow gorge and went back to where he was stationed.

When we think through the words in this verse, we learn through Nehemiah how he continued to survey the damage to the barrier wall that surrounded Jerusalem. He ventured in the nighttime and beside the torrent-valley, observed the barrier wall and returned to his original location. Then he came in through the portal belonging to the narrow gorge, and went back as well. One by one Nehemiah was observing the places in the wall which were damaged, and no doubt he was being given the plan for the reconstruction of these damaged places. God was at work within Nehemiah, and in the same manner He desires to perform His will through us. When we surrender our lives to His Son Jesus who died on the cross for the sins of all mankind and was resurrected from the grave three days later, He made the way for us to be forgiven of our sins, granted everlasting life and used in His Kingdom in keeping with His perfect will and purposes for our lives. 

Next time Nehemiah says, “the rulers knew now where I went” so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".