The history of the church in America is full of awakenings and revivals, during which the Holy Spirit moved among vast swaths of people, either devoting themselves to the Gospel or rededicating themselves to a life with God. These stories are not relegated solely to the past, as every so often, we either experience or read about revivals on college campuses throughout the nation. Most frequently, there have been reports from The Ohio State University about a revival led by several of the school’s football players.
While revival and rededication are absolute blessings, the real work of faith comes after the mountaintop experience, and you need to live in the faith that you turned to in that moment. During these times, people are tempted to drift from the way of the Gospel toward the way of the world. It was precisely this type of situation that Nehemiah came back to in Jerusalem. Years after the walls were rebuilt, the people had fallen away from the promises of God and had started to veer away from the Law and toward acting as if they were not living out the promises of God in their lives.
15 In those days I saw in Judah people treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them on the day when they sold food. 16 Tyrians also, who lived in the city, brought in fish and all kinds of goods and sold them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah, in Jerusalem itself! 17 Then I confronted the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day? 18 Did not your fathers act in this way, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Now you are bringing more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ne 13:15–18.
The fall from the post-revival high inevitably comes as our priorities move from Holiness and Worship to commerce and politics. In his observance, Nehemiah was deeply troubled by the people of Judah’s violation of the Sabbath. They were treading winepresses, bringing in harvests, and transporting goods into Jerusalem on the holy day. This desecration was particularly egregious as it involved not only the Jews but also people from Tyre, who were bringing fish and other wares into the city for sale. When separated from regular connection to God’s will, our mindset will lean toward doing what we want instead of asking ourselves what God wants us to accomplish. Namely, we will seek the things that fill our carnal desires in money and power and fall from the ideal set before us in Christ Jesus. The world is grasping for our attention, and if we are not diligent in following God through the gauntlet placed before us, we might easily be led astray. Therefore, we must commit ourselves to prayer, fellowship, scripture, and worship to ensure we seek God’s Kingdom first and foremost.
A leadership void is created when the Church fails to fulfill God’s calling. With the shift in priorities, the place of worship is endangered to become just another social club rather than a house of prayer and worship. Nehemiah, filled with righteous indignation, confronted the nobles of Judah. He rebuked them for their blatant disregard for God’s commandments, reminding them of the historical consequences of Sabbath-breaking. The destruction of Jerusalem was a direct result of the people’s disobedience, a stark reminder of the need for spiritual renewal. The churches that were places of revival and commitment often became places where faith and the world intermingled. People utilized the church to huddle into positions and belief systems, much like in social clubs. In doing so, the church abdicates its leadership position to the core principles of the Gospel. God calls the Church to stand out and seek holiness over acceptance. Holiness understands that the church is a place of worship and doesn’t belong to any singular social or political group but must welcome all who seek to worship God. Only by fulfilling this mission does the church lead people to repentant living.
We forget about God’s faithfulness and turn back into the people we were before the Gospel transformed us. Less than a few years after the walls were up and the city was rebuilt and dedicated, the people had already walked away from their vows to give God the glory due. They resumed integrating worldly living into their daily lives and neglecting their relationship with God. The transformation in the Gospel is supposed to change our life and perspective. However, without a regular recharge, we become susceptible to the same thinking we had before the Gospel changed us. It leads to the question of how people know we are followers of Christ or among those commonly called Christians. If it is only because of a bumper sticker or piece of jewelry, how is that different from carrying an ID card so people know we belong? As Christ’s disciples, we are expected to have it shown through the way we act, the words we speak, and how we treat others.
Even as things seemingly fall apart and we lose hope, we must remember that there is always room for repentance. Even though we are far from God, the Gospel reminds us that we are welcomed back to honor God by following the Holy Spirit. Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem after a significant period away and saw that the people’s devotion to God had ebbed. They had become the type of people who led to the exile. His response was to try to create space so that the people could not sin, but ultimately, this process failed as the people continued to fall away from God. Therefore, it isn’t putting walls around sin that will keep the faithful following God; it has to be ingrained in us to maintain our relationship with the Almighty. Instead of working to outlaw and prevent sin, our focus should be on guiding people to a fulfilling life of walking in worship and focusing on the Gospel message that even while we were sinning, God went out of the way to save us. Our calling is to live a life full of worship, singing God’s praises, looking to God in prayer, and seeking community with God’s people through church and the scriptures.
Elpis and Shalom 