SENSIBLE CAUTION. Nehemiah 7:1-4 Porters, singers, and Levites served as assistants to the priests, maintaining, cleaning, and guarding the temple and its courtyard. These people needed to be in place to establish the distinctive identity of the Jewish people under God’s authority. The nation’s regular worship had to be established and protected. Families had to be identifiable, and a commitment to the law of God had to ensure that these principles of national life functioned in an orderly way, enabling a cohesive society. Social life, national life, and religious life need to be distinct for there to be peace in that nation and strength among the surrounding nations. The place where God chose to place His name and dwell with His people was certainly important to Him and to Nehemiah as well. More than anyone in his day, Nehemiah had his heart centered in the same place as God's heart. The city of Jerusalem and the temple were now safely within the completed wall. It was to be a place of safety governed by holy order. There, the nation's worship of God and service to God could be carried out as God intended. In Jerusalem, there were guards on the wall, but everyone was expected to guard the area of their own homes. The city was large enough to accommodate many people, but for some reason not many wanted to live there.
Where the Lord meets with His people today is just as important as where He met with the Jews in the past. The assembly of God's people is not a haphazard, casual, occasional gathering of a few people when it is convenient for them. One reason for a local fellowship of believers is to provide a safe place for God's people. There, they can be preserved from open personal attacks on Christians because they are united with others of "like precious faith." In "the place of the name," order is provided by those the Holy Spirit raises up to be overseers of the flock of God. There is order in the public practice of the priesthood of all believers, and there is room for the privilege and responsibility of each to be involved in divine service.
Faithfulness and dependability are characteristics of leaders who fear God. Strong defenses are only as strong as the people who hold leadership positions. Nehemiah wisely motivated the guards by stationing them as close as possible to their homes, making their responsibility personal. He also took precautions by waiting until the sun was well up before opening the city gates. By then, the people of the city would all be awake and able to prevent an early-morning surprise attack by their enemies.
Hanani, Nehemiah's brother, was the one who brought news of the condition of the city of Jerusalem and the broken-down wall to Nehemiah when he was in Babylon. Now this tried and proven man who had been with the people laboring to build was put in charge of the city. He had been honest in his description of the condition of things at first and had been a trustworthy participant in the work. It was appropriate for him to take public responsibility for the city's maintenance, even though he was Nehemiah's brother. Hananiah, another man who had proven responsible for guarding a building, did well in his care of the citadel. These men had the fear of God in them and did their work, conscious that God was overseeing them. These two men were now charged with the city's safety.
There is work to do that is not just a temporary task. It involves making decisions alone when no one is around to ask for advice or to check whether it serves political expediency – and still people will be affected – we need a man of integrity. Such a man can be trusted to do what he knows is best for the general welfare of all involved. That is the final test. When he reaches a conclusion, people will trust his word.
He proves faithful not just for one time or event – the bent of his life is such that all know he is truly grateful to God for His mercy and grace that make him a humble man. He is not afraid to admit his need of God to keep him from a serious stumble. In such a leader, we look for reverence and godly fear. His decision-making process is guided by the knowledge that God is here, listening and watching, guiding and directing in the inner reaches of his heart. His fear of God and awareness of his own weakness were obvious from the start.
He is able to stand before the people with dignity, yet not pride. He never tries to hide his reverence for God and his own integrity. He knows that when God assigns a work, he is accountable to God. The people he serves in the name of the Lord must know he is reliable. Leading people under the authority of the Lord calls for consistency. There must be a commitment on his part to act without partiality. What such a man appears to be in public, he must be at home. His wife and children are well aware of how he is with them. When a person is alone, with no one else to hear or see what he does, it is a test of his integrity and his fear of God. When it is truly for God and His glory, God gives him strength for the day. And with quiet confidence in God, he leads others in a righteous way.
In the assembly of God's people, the personal qualifications of leadership are what are important, not whether he is the brother of another leader. Those God raises up to lead others need to be consciously aware of the need to be watchful, careful, and cautious while remaining approachable. People of integrity can be trusted because they fear God and are conscious of the value of other people. They are able to do the work of the Lord in a scriptural way. A reverence for God and faithfulness in labor on behalf of other people give credibility to the leadership of such men. This contrasts with those who are easily swayed by others' opinions and cannot be counted on to participate in the work. There are some who take on leadership roles and can tell others what to do, but do not join in the actual work.
The spiritual safety of God's people is a major concern in assemblies today. Many voices are heard on radio and TV that seem so convincing and authoritative that people accept what they say with little question. Men quote Scripture verses and use them to support their personal agenda. Books are written that convince people that new truth has been revealed to them that must be accepted. "Gates" need to be closed until the bright light of day, the bright light of God's word, clearly reveals anything that is brought in among the Lord's people. Not only the leaders of the assembly, but everyone in the assembly should be on guard in their own sphere of influence lest an enemy come in through their own area of responsibility.
The assembly is not going to be a popular place for those attracted to worldly things. There is room for many, but only those who want to follow godly order in life, worship, and service are willing to move inside "the walls" of biblical truths that guard the dwelling place of God. Attractions of business, success, and pleasure lead many to places where there is no public testimony, or where they "can feel comfortable." There are many reasons people move away, but the scriptures still say, "Gather My saints together unto Me; those that have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice."
Much of Jerusalem remained in ruins even after more than 100 years since the temple was rebuilt. All of Judah was still disorganized, lacking a sense of unity, order, and solidarity. The rulers and nobles in Jerusalem must have been like that. The walls were finally in place around the city, which had a small population. There had been times over those years when the people gathered together at the temple, but afterward they went back to their old ways. Judah was a disconnected, disjointed tribe lacking cohesion, purpose, and order. That is a dangerous condition for any people!
The gathering of the Lord's people to Himself under His authority brings unity, oneness of mind and purpose, and a connection between believers that strengthens each individual. It also makes it possible to use the combination of gifts and talents to do a significant work for God, promote worship and spiritual growth, and to be an effective public testimony to the saving grace and power of our Lord Jesus Christ.