In the book of Nehemiah, Nehemiah went back to the city of Jerusalem and said to the rulers, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach. Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work. But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that you do? will you rebel against the king?”, and in chapter two and verse twenty of Nehemiah, Nehemiah said, “the God of heaven, he will prosper us”, where we read,
Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but you have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.
The verse reads, “Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us;”. Nehemiah began with the words, “then answered I them” or “then responded I, Nehemiah, to them, Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem”, “and said unto them” which means “and uttered, declared and proclaimed to them, Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem”, “the God of heaven” or “the Supreme Deity belonging to the visible skies, atmosphere and sidereal heaven in which God dwells and other spiritual beings”, “he will prosper us” which means “he, the Supreme Deity Jehovah shall advance, make profitable and successful us, Nehemiah and the people of Jerusalem”. Nehemiah shared how he responded to “Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem” and told them that Jehovah God the Supreme Deity in the sidereal “heaven” would cause them to be prosperous and successful.
The verse continues, “therefore we his servants will arise and build: but you have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.” Nehemiah added the words, “therefore we his servants will arise” or “wherefore, then and on this account we, Nehemiah and the people of Jerusalem, his, Jehovah God's, men of servile condition, slaves and bondmen shall stand and and get up” “and build” which means “and reconstruct, rebuild and reestablish the wall”: “but you have no portion”or “however, notwithstanding, nonetheless and moreover you, Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem, do not have any share, part, parcel or territory”, “nor right” which means “no and not in any way any righteousness, prosperity or justice”, “nor memorial” or “no and not in any way a reminder, remembrance or record”, “in Jerusalem” which means “within Jerusalem whose name means teaching of peace and is the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split”. Nehemiah told “Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem” that as Jehovah God's bondmen, they would stand up and rebuild the walls, and “Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem” did not have any share, justice or record within the city of “Jerusalem”.
When we meditate upon Nehemiah's words in this verse, we learn how he told his opposition, “Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem”, that God Almighty would advance and make prosperous his and the people of Jerusalem's rebuilding of the temple, and they would have no share, justice, reminder or record within the city. God loves the people of Israel, and He knows those who oppose them and Him. He wants everyone to have a personal relationship with Him through His Son Jesus who came into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind and to be raised from the dead after three days. When we yield to Him as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put within us a willingness and determination to do His will even when opposition who will have no part or “right” in His Kingdom rise up against us.
Next time we begin a new chapter and see Nehemiah say, “then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests”, 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".
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