9.1 Keeping Your Walls Strong

When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, all the people assembled as one man in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel.

So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law. (Nehemiah 8:1-3)

Nehemiah is describing for us the Feast of Trumpets, which occurs on the first day of the seventh month (Tishri, which occurs around September-October) on the Jewish calendar. It’s also known as Rosh Hashanah or “Head of the Year,” and it celebrates the new year and remembers the creation of the world. Jews use this time for self-examination and prayer. They face up to their sins and their mistakes and commit to returning to the Lord in these areas during the new year.

The secular parallel to this practice is the tradition of setting New Year’s resolutions. The Christian parallel is repentance. When we repent of our sins, we make a 180-degree turn and head in the opposite direction. We return to the Lord and commit to obeying His Word. While this may seem somewhat somber, it’s intended to be a celebration. It’s starting over with a clean slate thanks to God’s grace. Once we “confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

Obviously, we shouldn’t wait an entire year to get right with God. We should turn back to God as soon as we are convicted of our sin. The sin will eat our walls from the inside out, so keeping short accounts with God is an essential ingredient for strong walls.

5.15 Warrior – Wallbuilder

From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me. (Nehemiah 4:16-18 )

I love Nehemiah! He was a warrior as well as a wall-builder. Because of the threat of his enemies, he had half the men working and half watching for any sign of attack. They were well armed with spears, shields, bows and armor. Those who had to go and get materials carried stones in one hand and swords in the other. They were ready for whatever Sanballat tried to throw at them. Meanwhile, the enemy was losing precious opportunity as the wall grew taller and taller.

We should do the same. It would be nice if we could just build our walls in peace, but we live in the middle of enemy territory. 2 Corinthians 4:4 tells us that Satan is the “god” (little g) of this world. We’re on his turf, attempting to free as many of his prisoners as possible. Only warriors are sent behind enemy lines. We’ve got to build our walls and stay vigilant at the same time.

But there is an added degree of difficulty. We’re not fighting a conventional war. As the Scripture tells us:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12)

We fight against an invisible Enemy. That sounds impossible, but God tells us how to defeat him in the next verse:

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:13-18 )

Like Nehemiah’s men, we should be well armed and prepared for battle every day. Pray on each piece before you begin your day, and they will give you victory when you are tempted.