Nehemiah and Restoration

Nehemiah lived during a time when the people of God were attacked. They were taken as prisoners of war and their land was destroyed. Nehemiah went back to Judah to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. The story of Nehemiah is an amazing story of restoration. It tells of the hardship he went through during the process and the provision and protection God provided.

Restoration takes time. God could have easily rebuilt His city overnight but instead He wanted His people to be part of the rebuilding process. Brick by brick they rebuilt. Their sweat and blood was in the wall of Jerusalem now. Their healing was not handed to them overnight but instead God wanted their DNA to be part of the story of restoration. They could now own their story of redemption. They could point at the restored wall and tell how they helped bring restoration. It was not just a story someone told about this thing that happened that one time. It was personal. There is something powerful about owning your story. 

Their past did not disqualify them from their future. Their sin did not disqualify them from restoration. Because they repented, God restored His city. Previously, Israel and Judah had turned from God. They sinned greatly and were even worse than some of the nations they displaced when they came to the Promised Land. They knew God’s laws and had stories of His provision yet they chose to ignore God. They were just distant stories bordering on fairy tales and myths. They did not own their history. God sent prophet after prophet to warn his people of the coming destruction if they did not repent. They did not listen and invading armies destroyed the two nations.

But God’s love is enduring, everlasting (Ps 100:5, Ps 136). His love does not end and does not change. Just as a loving father disciplines his children, so a loving Father disciplined His children. His children repented and God allowed them to rebuild their city walls in fifty-two days. “And when our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God” (Ne 6:16).

God longs to rebuild His people. This begins by spending time with Him. When we spend time with Him, He tells us who we are. He tells us who He is and how we are to respond out of that. Things change when they are restored. No longer is it weak and falling apart but whole.

Promises through Rest

In Isaiah 58 God talks about the kind of fast he desires: feeding the hungry, freeing the oppressed, taking care of the poor. In other words, the kind of fast God desires is a fast from self. God then gives a promise to those who choose this kind of fast:

“And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in. “If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” (Isaiah 58:11-14 ESV)

That first sentence is a great promise—“I will satisfy your desire in scorched places...” In a place of desolation, I will satisfy your desires. I will make you an oasis in the midst of brokenness. An oasis was a place of rest from the desert. Before this can happen though, God needs to rebuild what we thought was lost. He needs to raise up the foundations that crumbled and restore the ruins that were forgotten years ago. He wants to restore dreams and bring healing to the hurt places of our hearts.

As God begins this process we will begin to be known as a “repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.” In other words, as we are restored, God uses us to bring restoration in others so they in turn can bring restoration to others. This is true revenge against the devil. As we are healed in one area, we have special authority over it. We have a testimony. Revelation 12:11 says, “And they have conquered him [the devil] by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.” When we receive freedom, we get to go to others who are hurting in that area and we can tell them our story of redemption and walk with them through their story of redemption.

God promises insteads. Isaiah 61 gives a good list of instead. Instead of ashes, a beautiful headdress. Instead of mourning, gladness. Instead of a faint spirit, a garment of praise. Instead of shame, a double portion and everlasting joy. Where you were hurt, God wants to bring restoration and freedom. It does not mean the memory goes away but it does mean you are no longer controlled by the memory.

Rest is a big part of restoration. God created a Sabbath for a reason. When we take time to rest and be restored, we can quiet our hearts and can readjust where needed. We can find joy despite our circumstances. We can hear God’s voice and follow his direction. We can take delight in the LORD. He loves it when His people spend time with Him. He wants to show us off to the world. When kings took over a land, they would ride on the heights of that land. It was a thing of honor. They would inspect the land as well as display their power for the conquered lands. The Father wants to give us an inheritance. All we need to do is accept it. He is offering it to us through Jesus. Jesus is the Way to the Father and He longs to know you and tell you how much He loves you. It does not matter what you have done. He will always accept you. He will always bring restoration to His people. He is just waiting for us to come to Him.