The Rulers Didn't Know - Nehemiah 2:16

In the book of Nehemiah, Nehemiah went back to the city of Jerusalem and said, “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”, and in chapter two and verse sixteen of Nehemiah, Nehemiah said, “the rulers knew not where I went”, where we read,

And the rulers knew not where I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, 

nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work.

The verse reads, “And the rulers knew not where I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, ...”. Nehemiah began with the words, “and the rulers” or “and the prefects, governors and officials” “knew not where I went”which means “were unaware, did not perceive, understand or discern in what place or location I, Nehemiah, departed, proceeded to and traversed”, “or what I did” or “or that which I, Nehemiah, fashioned, produced and accomplished”; “neither had I as yet” which means “ not in any manner had I, Nehemiah, up until that time” “told it to the Jews” or “made known, expounded, declared or announced where he went and what he did to the Jehudites or Judaites”. Nehemiah shared how the prefects and governors were unaware of where he departed nor did they know what he did, and he had not at that point made the Jewish people aware of what he was doing. 

The verse continues, “... nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work.” Nehemiah added the words, “nor to the priests” or “not toward any of the spiritual spokesmen and leaders”, “nor to the nobles” which means “not toward the freeborn ones or aristocrats”, “nor to the rulers” or “not toward the prefects, governors and officials”, “nor to the rest that did the work” which means “not toward the remainder of the people who performed and produced the business, service and workmanship”. Nehemiah did not make the “priests, nobles, rulers or any of the other people who performed the workmanship” aware of where he was going or what he doing.

When we consider the words in this verse, we learn how Nehemiah kept his travels and his business to himself, and no one else needed to know. God will use every person in His Kingdom who is willing to receive His Son Jesus who died on the cross and was raised from the dead three days later as their personal “Savior and Lord”. When we surrender to Him, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and at the time He gives us a special assignment, we only need to reveal it to whomever He desires. Otherwise, we can go where he says go and do what He says do without anyone else knowing. 

Next time Nehemiah says, “you see the distress that we are in” 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".